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

IV] EDUCATIONAL ORGANISATION AND FINANCE 87
heavy showers, frost, dust-storms etc. were also regarded
as sufficient causes to suspend studies. Holidays for
these causes seem to go back to hoary antiquity, when
students and teachers lived in humble cottages and were
engaged in agricultural pursuits. It must be further
remembered that the teaching and learning of the Vedic
hymns in the manner in which it is done traditionally
was physically impossible when a storm or lightning was
thundering abroad. In later times when teachers were
well-to-do men living in towns and villages and not
directly concerned with active agricultural pursuits, it is
doubtful if studies were suspended when there was a
dust-storm or frost. When the howling of jackals, crying
of wolfs, screeching of owls, braying of donkeys or
barking of dogs was heard, teaching was temporarily
stopped, partly, on account of superstitious beliefs
and partly due to the notion that the Vedic study was so
sacred an affair that it could be prosecuted only under
ideally pure circumstances. It was apprehended that gods
would become angry if the sanctity of the Vedas was
defiled by their being studied on such occasions.¹
Curtailment of Holidays: In course of time most
of the holidays mentioned in the last paragraph were
abolished. Curriculum was getting heavier and some
reasons had to be found for departing from the old
tradition. Some authorities, therefore, started the theory
that prohibition of studies under abnormal weather condi-
tion referred only to loud recitations; silent reading was
1 Cf. छिद्राण्याहुर्द्विजातीनामनध्यायान्मनीषिणः ।'
छिद्रेभ्यः स्रवति ब्रह्म ब्राह्मणेन यदर्जितम् ॥
आयुः प्रजां पशून्मेधां कृन्तामि सुकृतं च यत् ।
अनध्यायेष्वभ्यसतः ब्रह्म व्याहरतस्तथा ॥
Quoted by Aparārka on Yāj. I, 142-151.