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

III] THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT 59
ultra vires, if they were likely to jeopordise the student's
life or were against the law of the land.
Duty .of Personal Service : Both in Buddhist
monasteries and Hindu Gurukulas, the student was
expected to do personal service to the teacher 'like
a son, suppliant or slave.¹ He was to give him water
and tooth stick, carry his seat and supply him bath
water (M. V.. I. 25, 11-12). If necessary, he was to
cleanse his utensils and wash his clothes.² He was fur-
ther to do all sundry work in his monastery or his tea-
cher's house, like cleansing the rooms etc., bringing fuel
or guarding cattle. This custom existed in the Vedic
age³ and was widely prevalent in later times also. Tradition
asserts that even great personages like Śrī-Kṛishṇa had
deemed it an honour to do all kind of menial work in
their preceptor's house during their student days. It was
held that no progress in knowledge was possible without
service in the teacher's house.⁴
Limitation on this Duty : There were, however,
limitations to this duty to work. The teacher was prohi-
bited from assigning any work that was likely to inter-
fere with the studies of the student. The duty was
further more nominal than real in the case of paying
scholars. We have seen already that the duty to teach
was imperative and a teacher could not refuse a student
merely because he was poor. Poor students were admit-
ted if they were willing to help the teacher in his house-
hold or farm work; this duty to work was effectively
operative only in their cases. At Taxila the students
¹ पुत्रवद्दासषदर्थिवच्चानुचरता त्वया....।
² Mahāvagga, 1. 25-2
³ G. Br., I, 2, 1-8.
⁴ गुरुशुश्रूषया ज्ञानं शान्ति योगेन विन्दति । Mbh,, V. 36. 52