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

IV] EDUCATIONAL ORGANISATION AND FINANCE 79
Private Teachers and Fees: It is necessary to note
that what has been condemned by the sacred texts
is a stipulation for the payment of fees as a condition
precedent to admission; they have no objection
to teachers accepting voluntary gifts from the
guardians of students reading under them. Just
as the teacher was exhorted to remember that teaching
was his sacred duty, the guardian also was asked
to note that no object in the universe, howsoever precious
it may be, can be regarded as an adequate fee for even
that humble teacher, who teaches a single letter of the
alphabet.¹ Smṛitis resort to this hyperbolic strain
because they were anxious that the teacher, who was
prevented from charging regular fees, should be in a
position to get an adequate living. The exhortation to
the guardians was not without its effect. For we find
that though in theory the teacher's honorarium (guru-
dakshiṇā) became payable only at the end of education²,
rich guardians used to pay the whole of it in advance
according to their ability³. Guardians of ordinary means
1 Cf एकमप्यक्षरं यस्तु गुरुः शिष्ये निवेदयेत् ।
पृथिव्यां नास्ति तद् द्रव्यं यद्दत्वाऽनृणी भवेत् ॥
Laghu-Hārīta in Par. Mad, I, ii, p. 53
It is interesting to note that Lüther's view was similar. 'I tell
you a teacher who faithfully trains and teaches boys can never
receive an adequate reward, and no money is sufficient to pay the
debt you owe him.' Monroe, A Text-book, p. 414
2 Yājñavalkya repeatedly refused the offer of a handsome fee
Janaka on the ground that he had not finished all what he had
to teach. Br. Up. IV. 1.
3 Jātakas show that rich persons like merchants and princes
used to send the whole amount of school fee in advance when
they used to send their sons to Taxila. See Jātakas Nos. 55,
61, 445, 447, 522 etc. Bhīshma also had paid Droṇa his honorarium
P. T. O.