INDIA has a rich tradition of learning and education right from the beginning

of time.
Ancient Education System in India - is based on making of Man and
not for just survival. The making of man was
regarded as an artistic and true purpose of
education. It was sought as the means of selfrealization, as the means to the highest end of life.
viz. Mukti or Emancipation.
-

is also to be understood as being ultimately the

outcome of the Indian theory of knowledge as part
of the corresponding scheme of life and values.

The scheme takes full account of the fact that Life includes Death and this
form the eternal truth. This gives a particular angle of vision, a sense of
perspective and proportion in which the material and the moral, the physical
and spiritual, the perishable and permanent interests and values of life are
clearly defined and strictly differentiated.
Education must aid in this self-fulfilment, and not in the acquisition of mere
objective knowledge. According to the ancient Indian theory of education,
the training of the mind and the process of thinking, are essential for the
acquisition of knowledge. The pupil had mainly to educate himself and
achieve his own mental growth.

Ancient Education System in India had three simple process.

1) Shravana listening to the truths as they fell from the lips of the
teacher. This knowledge was technically called as Sruti (what was heard by
the ear and not what was seen in writing). This is because the pronunciation
is of utmost importance. If the pronunciations of the words differ, then the
true meaning of the phrase or word will also differ.
2) Manana - implies that the student needs to interpret himself the meaning
of the lessons imparted by the teacher so that they may be assimilate fully.
Reflecting upon what has been heard (shravana). This is to remove any
doubts about the knowledge that has been received via shravana.
3) Nidhyasana - means complete comprehension of the truth that is taught
so that the student may live the truth and not merely explain it by word.

Knowledge must result in realization; meditating upon the essence of what

has now been intellectually understood until there is total conviction.

Ancient Indian schools known for their excellence:

1)
Nalanda
2)
Thakshasila
3)
Vikramshila
4)
Vallabhi
5)
Naland
Ruins of Naland University

Indian
Concept of
Education

Introduction
The most important contribution of ancient India not only for India but also
for the world is in the field of education. It may also be remembered that
education is not an abstract term. It is manifested in the cultural economic,
individual, philosophical, scientific, social and spiritual advancement. In other
words, education is the means for developing the mind for the betterment of
the individual and society. Seen from this perspective, the following views of
great scholars and thinkers deserve mention.
Albert Einstein:We owe a lot to the Indians who taught us how to count without which no
worthwhile scientific discovery could have made.
Mark Twain, an American Writer:-

India is the cradle of the human race. Most valuable and the most
instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.
Lancelot Hagen, in his publication Mathematics for the Millions:There has been no more revolutionary contribution than the one which the
Hindus made when they invented zero.
VEDIC EDUCATION
According to Rigveda Education is that which makes man self reliant and
selfless
According to Upnishads Education is that whose end product is salvation
Vedantic View of Education We need an education that quickens, that
vivifies, that kindles the urge of spirituality
Dr. A. S. Altekar says that the Brahmanic education aimed at Infusion of a
spirit of piety and religiousness, formation of character, development of
personality, inculcation of civil and social sense, promotion of social efficacy,
& preservation and spread of national culture.
1. Knowledge:
Education is knowledge. It is mans third eye. This aphorism means that
knowledge opens mans inner eye, flooding him with spiritual and divine light,
which forms the provision for mans journey through life. Through education,
the development of every aspect of human life become possible. Knowledge
protects an individual like a mother, inspires him to follow the path of good
conduct as father does, and gives the pleasure that ones wife provides.
2. Infusion of Spiritual & Religious Values:
The primary aim of ancient education was instilling into the minds, of pupils
a spirit of being pious and religious for glory of God and good of man. The
pursuit of knowledge was a pursuit of religious values. The life of the pupil
was full of ritual acts. Prayers were common every pupil was required to
perform religious ceremonies duly. He had to participate in all religious
festivals. Education without religions instructions was not education at all. It
was believed that a keener appreciation of spiritual values could be fostered
only through a strict observance if religious rites.
3. Character Development
In no period of the History of India, was so much stress laid on character
building as in the Vedic period Vyas Samhita states, The result of education

is good character and good behaviour. A conquest does not make a hero nor
studies a wise woman. He who has conquered his senses is the real hero.
He who practices virtue in really wise. Wisdom consisted in the practice of
moral values. Control of senses and practice of virtues made one a man of
character. Moral excellence could come only through praticising moral
values. Example was better than precept. The teacher and the taught were
ideals of morality, for both practiced it all through their lives.
4. Development of Civic Responsibilities and Social Values:
The inculcation of civic virtues and social values was an equally important
objective of education in India. The Brahmachari after his education in the
Gurukulas went back to the society to serve the rich and the poor, to relieve
the diseased and the distressed. He was required to be hospitable to the
guests and charitable to the needy. After a certain period of studies he was
required to become a householder and to perpetuate his race and transmit
his culture to his own off springs.
5. Personality Development:
The Guru in the ancient times realized that the development of personality is
the sole aim of education. Human personality was regarded as the supreme
work of God. The qualities of self-esteem, self confidence, self restraint and
self respect were the personality traits that the educator tried to incukate in
his pupils through example.
6. Preserving and Diffusing National Culture:
Vedic culture was kept intact and transmitted through word of mouth to
succeeding generations. Every individual was required to commit to memory
at least a portion of the sacred scriptures. Everyone was required to serve as
a medium of transmission. The members of the priestly class learnt the
whole of Vedic Literature by heart & passed it on.
JAINISM
1. Self Control
2. Renunciation
3. Liberation (Self reliant, Individual efforts)
MUSLIM EDUCATION
Quran first word is IQRA which means Seek Knowledge
According to Tirmidhi

A single scholar of religion is more formidable against shaitaan than

thousand devout person
1- Religious Objective:
It refers to the Quran as the primary source of knowledge, as well as the
Sunnah of the Prophet, and aims at developing the Muslim personality that
believes in Allah, his prophets, angels, revealed books, day of judgment and
destiny along with reviving the Islamic rites, sticking to its instructions and
spreading its teachings amongst future generations.
2- Worldly Objective:
It is not less important than the religious objective as the noble verses of the
Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet have repetitively stressed on the
importance of acquiring knowledge and seeking after it for every Muslim
individual. The Quran and the Sunnah have furthermore emphasized on the
vitality of benefiting from Allahs blessings in the Universe, urging Muslims to
seek after their well-being and secure a good livelihood by earning money
through legal means; such as trade, manufacturing or agriculture etc.
Islamic education has sought to intermediate between those two objectives
and work on striking harmony and balance between them, thereby fulfilling
the famous statement of Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, Work for
your temporal world as if you will live forever; and work for the Hereafter as
if you will die tomorrow.
3- Knowledge for the Sake of Knowledge' Objective:
This objective reflects the spiritual pleasure of acquiring knowledge, and it is
the motivation that sets human individuals on the quest for truth, to seek
after knowledge and embark on a journey of learning and research, just for
the pleasure of learning.
BUDDHISM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Nirvana
Demolishing Blind Faith
Control of Sense and mind
Non Violence
Truthfulness

MODERN CONCEPT OF EDUCATION

MK Gandhi By education I mean an all around drawing out of best in child
and man- mind body and spirit
1. All Round Development
In our national perception education is essentially for all. This is fundamental
to our all round development material and spiritual.

2. Acculturating Role { process of cultural and psychological change}

Education has an acculturating role. It refines sensitivities and perceptions
that contribute to national cohesion, a scientific temper and independence of
mind and spirit thus furthering the goal of socialism, secularism and
democracy enshrined in our Constitution.
3. Development of Manpower
Education develops manpower for different levels of the economy. It is also a
substrate on which research and development flourish, being the ultimate
gurantee of national self-reliance.
4. Unique Investment
Education is a unique investment in the present and the future. This cardinal
principle is the key to the National Policy of Education.
Education pioneers in India
In a relatively short number of years the largest privately-owned chain of
schools in India has been established, setting a new direction in education
that is an example to all other countries of the world.
Maharishi Vidya Mandir - public school system for boys and girls, is a
legacy of Vedic scholar, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1917-2008) who actively
promoted education for enlightenment full inner development of each
individual.
Over 200 Maharishi Vidya Mandirs have been established in 17 states in just
a couple of decades, indicating a deep appreciation on the part of the public
for the quality and proven effectiveness of the knowledge and teaching
available at these schools.
Many of the schools are already affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) and the remaining schools will be affiliated soon. All
schools are following the normal curriculum of Hindi/Regional
Language/English medium public schools, and in addition to this, provision
has been made for learning Sanskrit as a compulsory subject.
What Makes These Schools Special?
They are pioneers in the world of education today, as they provide students
with a natural way to develop their consciousness and thereby unfold their
full creative potential. Through the approach of Maharishi's Vedic Science

and Technology based education, students not only learn all the traditional
academic disciplines, but they also experience growth of consciousness, the
basis of the whole learning process.
The principal aspect of this technology is Maharishis Transcendental
Meditation technique, or TM for short, which is used by all staff and students
for a period of about 15 minutes at the start and end of each school day.
Many published scientific research findings have shown how the TM
technique enlivens the total functioning of the brain and expands the
learning ability and general awareness of the individual.
Also the school curriculum is more holistic in that it takes in the relationship
between the student and what he or she is learning. Education in the past
has focused mainly on the object of study, the known. For education to be
complete, it must fully develop all three aspects of knowledge: the knower,
the process of knowing, and the known. By enlivening their common basis in
pure consciousness with the TM technique, Maharishi Vidya Mandirs unfold
the full value of knower, process of knowing, and known, the thereby make
knowledge complete. These schools say that their students display a
remarkable eagerness for knowledge, and with their happiness and profound
grasp of the deepest principles of life, they exhibit a beautiful balance and
wholeness that is rarely seen in other schools.
For educators worldwide this is definitely a new paradigm and this system
known as Consciousness Based Education has started in other countries,
either as private institutions in their own right, or as part of the programme
of an existing state school.
Maharishi established his first tertiary institution, known as Maharishi
International University, in California in the early 1970s. Its motto was
Knowledge is Structured in Consciousness.
He maintained that to gain the full value of knowledge, one must develop the
full value of consciousness. If the student's consciousness is dull, if full
potential is not being used, then receptivity and creativity are cramped. If
the student's consciousness is wide awake, receptivity to knowledge is
maximum and learning is most efficient and most complete.
That University is now known as Maharishi University of Management and is
situated in the state of Iowa, USA. It has helped many thousands of
graduates to successful careers in their chosen fields.

Education in ancient India had a deep impact in the upliftment and advancement of the early society and over all
development. India is pregnant with a rich tradition of knowledge and learning from the earliest days of Indian
civilization. There are several literary sources, such as the Vedas and other Hindu texts and scriptures, which offer

references about education system of the ancient societies. The Mahabharata, some Dharma sutras, particularly
those of Gautama Buddha and Apastamba and the Manu Smriti, are the principal works dealing with the system of
education
in
ancient
India.
History
of
Education
in
Ancient
India
From the Vedic to the Brahman period, literature and additional literature sustained to be created. Even in the
Brahman period, education continued to be looked upon as the means to knowledge. It has the same objectives that
Vedic education had. However, with the passage of time and a change in the needs of society, the importance
attached to them underwent a change. In this period, the following objectives were ascribed to education.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Generation
Integral

Development
of

sociability
development

of
or

Propagation
Preservation

social
of
of

of

knowledge

and

Self-control
character
awareness
personality
purity
culture.

Education in this age was unrelenting to carry on the foundations offered to it during the Vedic period, but a certain
firmness and narrowness now marked its implementation. Education now aimed at equipping the student for the
struggle for existence. After the "Upanayana" or introduction ceremony, teachers imparted education to their students
according to the latter's interests, tendencies and nature. Celibacy was rigidly observed by the students. Teachers
paid full attention to the psychological make-up of their students while teaching. Corporal or physical punishment was
regarded as the last resort of administration and discipline. It has been stated in the Manu Smriti and Yajyavalka.
Gurukul
System
Education in Ancient India originated with the Gurukul system. This type of ancient Hindu school in India was
residential in nature with the Shishyas or students and the Guru or teacher living in proximity within the same house.
The students resided together irrespective of their social standing. However, several temples and community centers
regularly took the role of schools. In addition to that ancient Indian education achieved a noticeable position in the
early Vedic period, beginning in the 1200 B.C. In the Vedic days, the teaching of the four Vedas, the hymns and ritual
practices were seen. The Vedas included the Sanskrit language which in turn became the language of classical
learning. Besides the pronunciation of the Vedas and their implication, phonology, metrics, elementary grammar, and
etymology were also taught. Though, the Vedic education was not transmitted to people of low strata, yet the Vedic
system inspired the modern day education system. The school in the ancient education system lasted for 7 to 8 hours
a day. In fair weather; classes were held under the shelter of the tree. In the rainy season schools ran under thatched
roof. Temple colleges of the past had been of great renown for having spacious buildings for classrooms and the
residential complexes of the students and the "Gurus". Gurukuls and Ashrams were generally situated on the river
banks
or
on
the
lake
to
attain
the
knowledge.
Role
of
Teachers
in
Ancient
Indian
Education
The preceptors were of two classes, namely Acharya and Upadhyaya. According to ancient literary texts the Acharya
performs the Upanayana ceremony of the students, teaches him the Veda along with ritualistic literature and
the Upanishads. But he does not work for the pupil for livelihood whereas the Upadhyaya teaches his pupil the Veda
and the Vedic literatures for livelihood. The Apastamba Dharma Sutra proclaims that though the teacher is the sole
guardian of the learner during his study, yet he cannot exercise arbitrary power. It declares that the educator cannot
utilise the pupil's services for his own advantage. For the student's offences, he can punish him in the prescribed
manner
but
not
in
any
way
he
likes.
According to the Apastamba-dharma sutra, a pupil should confidentially draw the attention of the teacher to any
wrongdoing of the rules, meant for him, either purposely or unconsciously. The students are allowed to control the
teacher by force from wrong-doing or to get him restrained by his father etc. Mahabharata mentions that students are
allowed to desert his teacher who is arrogant, ignorant of his duty and resorts to a wrong course of action.
Brahmacharya
System
Brahmacharya summarises the sum total of the responsibilities of a student. It entails rigorous self-discipline and selfcontrol. All sorts of pleasures and luxuries must be avoided by the pupils. Some of the occasions on which
termination of study was prescribed include dusty storm by day, playing of certain musical instruments within the
hearing of the pupil, cries of animals, screech of an owl, heavy downpour, rattling of thunderbolt, earthquake, eclipse,
fall of a meteor, festival, certain Tithi and Nakshatras, e.g. full moon day, etc. Samavartana marks the end of a pupil's
period of study and return home. According to some literary sources, education in ancient India was not confined only
to the privacy of the preceptor's house. In matters of education in ancient societies, the constricted barriers of the
caste-system seemed to have crumbled down as per the various literary texts. The spread

of Buddhism and Jainism in India enriched and evolved the state of education in ancient India. In this period
education became accessible to everyone and various celebrated educational institutions were established at that
instant. Few of the most important universities of India in the ancient times were Vikramshila, Taxila (Takshashila)
and Nalanda.
Education at that time was free. It was free because no student was required to pay any fees. It was free also
because no outside agency could interfere in the matters of education. There was perfect autonomy. No external
authority no external beneficiary, no politics was permitted to enter the school or college system. A student had to pay
nothing in return for education he received in a Gurukul or Ashram. Access to good education depended not on
wealth but on talent. The student was expected, if desired but never compelled to offer a field, cow, horse or the
elements of the daily needs to his teacher according to his financial position in the society. Education could not be
bought one could go up the ladder as his abilities permitted. Some of the best known universities in India are
Ancient Nalanda University, Takshashila University, Odantapuri in Bihar, (500 to 1040), Somapura in Bangladesh,
Jagaddal in Bengal (now in West Bengal), Nagarjunakonda in Andra Pradesh, Vikramshila in Bihar, Saradhha peeth
in Kashmir, Valabhi in Gujarat(from Maitrak period), Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu,
Manyakheta
in Karnataka,
Puspagiri
and
Ratnagiri
in Orissa.