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

68 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
childhood and adolescence, which were expected to be
of good use to them throughout their life. And finally
students were to attend their classes regularly, listen to
lectures attentively and master and digest carefully all
that was taught before the school met the next day.
How far Relaxation was Permitted: Of the
above rules, those relating to religious duties and moral
behaviour, were particularly emphasised and strictly
enforced; modifications however were permitted in the
case of the rest, if demanded by special circumstances.
Thus the prohibition against the use of shoes and um-
brellas was not rigorously enforced in ancient India as
in ancient Sparta; the idea was that students should not
be so soft as to require these articles when moving about
on good roads in villages and towns¹ under normal circum-
stances. Students going to thorny forests in search of
the sacred fuel (samidhs) or undertaking a long journey
to distant places like Taxila over the burning plains of
northern India², were permitted the use of both the shoes
and umbrellas. Similarly occasional exceptions were
permitted in the case of the use of sweetmeats, when
students were invited to some religious function or feast
like a Śrāddha. The use of oils was permitted in some
localities once a week probably after the shave³. Cots also
were probably permitted in swampy or snake-infested areas.
Were Rules of Discipline unreasonable? : The
rules of discipline were on the whole reasonable for the
age. They were intended to infuse piety, teach manners,
1 Cf. न ग्रामोपानहौ। Dr. G. S. II. 5.
2 See Tilamutthi Jātaka, No. 252, where students coming to
Taxila from Benares are seen to be equipped with shoes and
umbrellas.
3 Such was the case in the college at Tirumukhudal in the 11th
century A. D.; see E. I, XXI. p. 223.