प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

III] THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT 53
scholarship and cultured life should be able to exercise a
subtle and permanent influence over the young students
sitting at his feet for their lessons.
High Code of the Teaching Profession : The teach-
ing profession had a very high code in ancient India.
There was often competition for getting more students ;
but if one teacher was found to be less well grounded
than his rival in his subject, he was expected to close
down his school and become a disciple of his rival in
order to get full knowledge.¹ The teacher was to begin
the education of the student as soon as he was satisfied
that the latter was sincere and possessed the necessary
calibre ; he was not to postpone instructions unnecessarily.²
1 G. Br., I. 1. 31 shows how on being defeated in debate with
Maudgalya, Maitreya at once closed his school and became the pupil
of his vanquisher in order to become better grounded in his
subject. The debate between Śaṅkara and Maṇḍana Miśra was
also held on the usual condition that the vanquished should
become the disciple of the vanquisher.
2 Usually teachers were allowed to watch the conduct and
calibre of the new entrants for about six months or a year:
but after that period they were bound to start instructions.
If they did not do so, they were saddled with all the sins of
the students they were keeping in suspense; cf. संवत्सरोषिते शिष्ये
गुरुर्ज्ञानमनिर्दिशन्। हरते दुष्कृतं तस्य शिष्यस्य वसतो गुरुः॥
Kūrma P. in VMS., p. 515
Ashṭāṅga-hṛidaya, Sūtrasthāna, chap. 2, allows only a six months'
period of waiting for medical students. Longer periods of
waiting like 5 or 32 years that we sometimes come across in
Tantras (e. g Tantrarāja-tantra, II. 37-8) and Upanishads (e. g.
Ch. Up. VIII. 7. 2. 3.) were intended for those who aspired to
be initiated in secret and esoteric philosophical doctrines, and
not for ordinary students.