Highlight the teacher pupil relationship during Vedic period

Hello,

The education system that prevailed during the Vedic times had some unique characteristics. Education was confined to the upper castes, and to those who were BRAHMACHARIS.  This is the time set aside for learning and acquiring skills. During Vedic period, most of the upper castes, which were either Brahmins or Kshatriyas had their education in a unique system called GURUKULAM. It was GURU's intense desire to handover the culture pattern inherited by him to the younger generation. He could refuse no properly qualified student. In ancient India the transmission of knowledge was oral and the teacher was the sole custodian of knowledge. Without his help no education was possible.

The teacher was expected to arrange for the boarding, lodging and clothing of his students, in case they are very poor. Tolls are glaring examples of such maintenance of students by the teachers. It was a sort of moral obligation on the part of the teacher. The teacher was bound to commence the education of his pupil within a year of his coming to him. Further, the teacher was required to teach everything he knew to his disciple.

The Hindu theory was that the teacher’s honorarium was payable only when the whole course was over. It was known as “Guru Dakshina”. Of course the teacher has the liberty to refuse it. The actual amount of teacher’s honorarium was dependent upon the guardians’ ability.Poor students who were unable to pay any honorarium used to do household work including various types of manual works such as fetching of water, collecting of woods from the jungles for sacred fire Hence the poorest of the poor could get education from the teacher. The ancient educational theory and practice prohibited the teacher from charging any fixed scale of fees from his students.

The teacher in ancient India, therefore, had no fixed income. Thus the relationship between the teacher and the pupil was regarded as filial in character both by Hindu and Buddhist thinkers.

Regards,

Arin

Hi Sanjib,
In Vedic Period the student  and the teacher has developed a Value and intimate relation between them.

Admission process

The admission was based on a tradition known as
Upanayana, where the student chooses the Guru or Acharaya. There was no cost for education as it is believed that accepting fees will make a person goes to hell.

Education

Guru was considered a man of high morale. Thre was no printed materials and the whole teaching was based in a verbal manner. Words of Guru was taken very preciously by the student.

Guru had to arrange the boarding and the food of the student and has to look after other needs of the student, thus an intimate relationship has emerged between Guru and the student.

Knowledge of the Guru was transferred to the student in a great manner, knowledge was considered as a great gift and transferred completely to the student.

Guru considered the student as his own son and guarded during the education period also making the student value laden was the intention of the Guru.
Guru only gives physical punishments when it is needed and heavy punishments were forbidden by the Manu.

Also, the student has to have great respect for the Guru, he has to wake up early morning and touch the feet of the Guru. Student has to be well obedient and respectful towards the Guru.
Student was free to take any advice from the Guru any time he needed.
Thus a scared and an intimate relationship there between the student and the teacher of the Vedic era.
Hope you get it, Thank you