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

54 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
The duty to teach was imperative;¹ all students possessed
of the necessary calibre and qualifications were to be
taught, irrespective of the consideration as to whether
they would be able to pay any honorarium or not. We
have seen already that no regular fees were charged by
ancient Indian teachers and institutions. The poorest of
the poor could demand and get education from the tea-
cher by merely agreeing to do household work in the tea-
cher’s house. Further, the teacher was required to teach
every thing he knew to his disciple; he could withhold
nothing under the apprehension that his pupil may one
day outshine him in the profession.² How generous and
largehearted teachers usually were in this connection can
be judged from the conduct and exclamation of Alāra
Kalama, when the future Buddha had finished his edu-
cation under him :—
“Happy friend are we in that we look upon such a
venerable one, such a fellow ascetic as you. The doctrine
which I know, you too know, and the doctrine which
you know, I too know. As I am, so you are, as you are
so am I. Pray, sir, let us be joint wardens of this
company”.³
1 The Smritikaustubha narrates how a teacher was condemned
to be a mango tree in his next existence for his failure to
impart Vedic knowledge; cf. स चूतवृक्षो विप्रोऽभूद्विद्वान्वै वेदपारगः ।
विद्या न दत्ता विप्रेभ्यस्तेनैव तरुतां गतः । There is an obvious subtle
humour in the retribution imposed upon the teacher who
would not give what he possessed to others; as a mango tree
he would have to give all fruits to others and retain none for
himself.
2 Milinda-pañha, I. p. 142
3 Further Dialogues of the Buddha, Ariyapariyesana-sutta, p. 116.
Compare also the spirited protest of Bhāradvāja when he
apprehended that his royal pupil was suspecting that he was
not teaching him all that he knew; P. T. O.