गुरूकुल शिक्षा पद्धति

            प्रश्नोत्तरी ( गुरूकुल शिक्षा पद्धति ) 

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल शिक्षा प्रणाली क्या होती है ?

उत्तर :- घर में न रहकर गुरू के अधीन रहते हुए ब्रह्मचर्य पूर्वक त्याग, तपस्या युक्त जीवन यापन करते हुए विद्या अर्जन करना गुरूकुल शिक्षा प्रणाली है ।

प्रश्न :- ब्रह्मचारी या ब्रह्मचारिणी किसे कहते हैं ?

उत्तर :- जो आचार्य कुल में रहकर शरीर की रक्षा, चित की रक्षा करते हुए विद्या के लिये प्रयत्न करे उसे ब्रह्मचारी या ब्रह्मचारिणी कहते हैं ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल में कितनी आयु के बच्चों का प्रवेश होता है ?
उत्तर :- गुरूकुल में 6 वर्ष की आयु में प्रवेश होता है । या अपवाद रूप में किसी गुरूकुल में बड़ी आयु में भी प्रवेश होता ही है ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल में प्रवेश पाने वाले बच्चों की पारिवारिक अवस्था कैसी होनी चाहिये ?
उत्तर :- गुरूकुल में अमीर, गरीब, राजा, दरिद्र, आदिवासी, अछूत सबका समान रूप से प्रवेश हो सकता है, कोई भेद भाव नहीं है ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुलीय विद्यार्थी के भोजन, वस्त्र कैसे होते हैं ?
उत्तर :- गुरूकुलीय विद्यार्थीयों का भोजन शुद्ध, सात्विक तथा वस्त्र सभ्य शिष्ट आदर्श होते हैं ।

प्रश्न :- प्राचीन गुरूकुलों में कौन कौन से विषय पढ़ाये जाते थे ?
उत्तर :- प्राचीन गुरूकुलों में वेद, दर्शन, उपनिषद, व्याकरण आदि आर्ष ग्रन्थ पढ़ाये जाने के साथ साथ गणित, भौतिक विज्ञान, रसायन विज्ञान, जीव विज्ञान, सामाजिक विज्ञान, चिकित्सा, भूगोल, खगोल, अन्तरिक्ष , गृह निर्माण, शिल्प, कला, संगीत, तकनीकी, राजनीती, अर्थशास्त्र, न्याय, विमान विद्या, युद्ध, अयुद्ध निर्माण, योग, यज्ञ एवं कृषि इत्यादि जो मनुष्य के भौतिक तथा आध्यात्मिक उन्नति के लिये आवश्यक होते हैं वे सभी पढ़ाये जाते थे ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल में पढ़ाई का समय क्या होता था ?
उत्तर :- गुरूकुल में पढ़ाई का समय सूर्योदय से लेकर सूर्यास्त तक होता था ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल की समय व्यवस्था कैसी थी ?
उत्तर :- सामान्यतः प्रातः ब्रह्म मुहूर्त में उठकर विद्यार्थीगण उठते थे, शौच आदि क्रिया से निवृत होकर ऊषा पान ( तांबे के बर्तन का जल पीना ) करते थे । फिर व्यायाम, स्नान, संध्या, प्राणायाम, अग्निहोत्र ( यज्ञ ) आदि के बाद भोजन करते थे । और फिर विद्या का अध्ययन आरम्भ होता था । जिसमें महत्वपूर्ण विषय आते थे । कक्षाओं में न पढ़ाकर वृक्षों के नीचे या प्राकृतिक वातावरण में पढ़ाया जाता था । सूर्यास्त के समय संध्या अग्निहोत्र आदि से निवृत होकर विद्यार्थी रात्री का भोजन करके विश्राम करते थे । भोजन केवल दो बार ही मिलता था । क्योंकि मनुष्य को दीर्घायु के लिये दो समय ही भोजन करना उचित है ।

प्रश्न :- प्राचीन गुरूकुलों में शिक्षा का शुल्क क्या था ?
उत्तर :- प्राचीन काल में गुरूकुल शिक्षा निःशुल्क थी ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुलों का खर्च कैसे चलता था ?
उत्तर :- गुरुकुलों का खर्च ग्रामीणों के दान से और सरकार के द्वारा चला करता था ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल कहाँ बनाये जाते थे ?
उत्तर :- गुरूकुल ग्रामों से दूर अरण्य ( वन ) में बसाये जाते थे ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल केवल बालकों के ही होते थे या बालिकाओं के भी ?
उत्तर :- गुरूकुल बालकों और बालिकाओं के दोनो के हुआ करते थे । और दोनों के गुरूकुलों में दूरी कम से कम 12 कोस की हुआ करती थी ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुलों की शिक्षा का माध्यम क्या था ?
उत्तर :- गुरूकुलों की शिक्षा का माध्यम संस्कृत ही था और सदा संस्कृत ही रहेगा ।

प्रश्न :- भारत में गुरूकुल शिक्षा प्रणाली कितनी पुरानी है ?
उत्तर :- भारत में गुरूकुल शिक्षा प्रणाली आदिकाल से है । जब से मनुष्य की उत्पत्ति हुई है ।

प्रश्न :- प्राचीन काल में भारत में कितने गुरूकुल थे ?
उत्तर :- यह समूचे भरतखंड की सीमा त्रिविष्टिप ( तिब्बत ) से लेकर सींहल द्वीप ( श्रीलंका ) , ब्रह्मदेश ( म्यांमार ) से लेकर काम्बोज ( अफगानिस्तान ) तक थी । तो हर गाँव में कम से कम एक गुरूकुल था, किसी में तो तीन भी पाये जाते थे, हम औसतन 2 मान कर चलें तो, भारत में करीब 18 लाख के गाँव थे । तो कुल योग हुआ 18 x 2 = 36 लाख कम से कम गुरूकुल आर्यवर्त की सीमाओं में पाये जाते थे । तो पूर्व से लेकर पश्चिम तक और उत्तर से लेकर दक्षिण में श्रीलंका तक करीब इतने वैदिक गुरूकुल थे जहाँ, बच्चे शिक्षा प्राप्त करते थे । इससे अधिक भी हो सकते हैं । परंतु इससे कम नहीं ।

प्रश्न :- कुछ प्रचीन विश्वविद्यालयों के नाम लिखें ।
उत्तर :- नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय , तक्षशिला विश्वविद्यालय, वल्लभीपुर आदि प्रसिद्ध हैं ।

प्रश्न :- आधुनिक काल में गुरूकुल की स्थापना कब, कहाँ हुई ? और किसने की ?
उत्तर :- आधुनिक काल में सर्व प्रथम हरिद्वार के कांगड़ी नामक गाँव में सन् 1902 में गुरूकुल की स्थापना स्वामी श्रद्धानन्द सरस्वती जी ने की थी ।

प्रश्न :- राष्ट्र की खोई गरिमा कैसे वापिस आयेगी ?
उत्तर :- राष्ट्र की खोई गरिमा गुरूकुल शिक्षा प्रणाली की पुनः स्थापना करने से आयेगी ।

प्रश्न :- गुरूकुल शिक्षा प्रणाली से शिक्षा प्राप्त किये महापुरुषों के नाम बतायें ?
उत्तर :- राम, कृष्ण, वशिष्ठ, कपिल, कणाद, भीष्म, गौतम, पतंजली, धनवंतरी, परशूराम, अर्जुन, भीम, द्रोण, याज्ञवलक्य, गार्गी, मैत्रेयी, द्रौपदी, अंजना आदि महान आत्मायें गुरूकुलों से ही हुईं हैं ।

आनन्ददायी गुरुकुल शिक्षणपद्धति भारत में लाने हेतु कटिबद्ध हो जाए !

गुरुकुल पद्धति ही आवश्यक 

‘पैसा देकर उत्तीर्ण होनेवाले विद्यार्थी शिक्षा के उपरान्त समाज के नागरिक बनते हैं और अपना व्यवसाय सच्चाई से नहीं करते । केवल अर्थार्जन का ही विचार प्रधानरूप से कर कार्य करते हैं । उसमें उन्हें आत्मीयता नहीं रहती, अपितु अपना स्वार्थ साधकर ‘हम हमारे परिवार के साथ कैसे ऐश्वर्य में, आराम में जी सकते हैं’, यही उनके जीवन का उद्देश्य होता है । कोई छात्र राजनीति में गया, तो वहां भी समाज कल्याण की उपेक्षा कर भ्रष्टाचारद्वारा संपत्ति इकट्ठा करता है । इसमें सामान्य जनता भी झुलस जाती है ।

इसीलिए पूर्वकाल में ऋषीमुनियों ने अपने आश्रम में विद्यार्थियों को सभी दृष्टि से सामर्थ्यवान करनेवाली शिक्षा प्रदान की । इसलिए १२ वर्षों के उपरान्त आश्रम से बाहर निकलनेपर वह आत्माविश्वास के साथ जीवन का सामना करता था । जीवन एक कला है । जीवन सर्वथा स्वयम्पूर्ण रीति से आनन्द, सामथ्र्य एवं स्वावलम्बित्व के साथ कैसे जीएं, यह उसे उस आश्रम में बताया जाता था, इतना ही नहीं; अपितु वैसा पाठ और प्रयोग उससे करा लिया जाता था ।’

गुरुकुल शिक्षणपद्धति ही वास्तविक अर्थ से प्रत्येक व्यक्ति का और देश का विकास करवाएगी

भारत में पूर्वकाल से चली आ रही गुरुकुलपद्धतिद्वारा विद्यादान किया जाता था । ब्रिटिश शासनकाल में भारतियों को आंग्लप्रेमी बनाने के उद्देश्य से लॉर्ड मेकॉले ने हेतुपूर्वक ऐसी ही निठल्ली शिक्षापद्धति उस समय आरम्भ की । स्वतन्त्रता के पश्चात भी वही शिक्षापद्धति आजतक जारी रखी है । आज की शिक्षाद्वारा काली चमडी के केवल बाबू लोग तैयार हो रहे हैं । स्नातक युवकों को उनके द्वारा प्राप्त किए ज्ञान का व्यवहार में केवल पांच प्रतिशत ही उपयोग होता है । इसलिए वे तुरन्त स्वतन्त्ररूप से व्यवसाय नहीं कर पाते हैं । इसके फलस्वरूप वे विफल हो जाते हैं और इसका देश के विकासपर भी अनिष्ट प्रभाव होता है । यदि गुरुकुलपद्धतिद्वारा प्रत्येक की गुणवत्तानुसार व्यवसायपर आधारित शिक्षा प्रारम्भ से दी जाएगी, तो युवक व्यवसाय उत्तम प्रकार से कर पाएंगे और देश का विकास भी योग्य प्रकार से होगा; इसलिए गुरुकुल शिक्षा पद्धति का नए से प्रारम्भ किया जाना चाहिए ।

पुनःश्च हरिॐ

‘पाश्चिमात्यों के प्रभाव का परिणाम देखते हुए पुनः गुरुकुल और ‘राष्ट्रीय पाठशालाएं’ स्थापित हो रही हैं । वे यदि पूर्वकाल की पद्धति आचरण में लाना आरम्भ करेंगे, तो विश्व में शान्ति प्रस्थापित कर, समाज को उन्नत बनाकर, सम्पूर्ण सृष्टि को उसका ऐश्वर्य प्राप्त करवाने का सामथ्र्य निर्माण करनेवाले खरे ज्ञानी तैयार होंगे, इसमें सन्देह नहीं ।’

विज्ञान चैतन्यरहित होने से वह विद्यार्थियों को काम निपटाने को सिखाता है । निपटा देने की यह वृत्ति कंटाला लाती है, अतः ऐसी पढाई से विद्यार्थियोंपर तनाव आता है । किन्तु अध्यात्म नित्यनूतन और चैतन्यमय होने से वह भक्तों को, श्रद्धालुओं को प्रतिदिन भिन्न प्रकार का आनन्द प्रदान करता है । वाचन में अधिकाधिक गहराई में जानेपर आनन्द द्विगुणित होता है और इससे हमें सन्तुष्टि मिलती है । इसीलिए ‘सन्त-चरित्र पढते समय उसका बहुत कंटाला आया है, ऐसा लग रहा है कि यह कब पढकर समाप्त होगा’ , ऐसे वाक्य किसी के भी मुख से बाहर निकलते हुए नहीं दिखाई देते । इसका कारण है, सन्त-चरित्र में विद्यमान चैतन्य और सन्तों की प्रत्यक्ष अनुभूतियुक्त वाणी ! पूर्वकाल में गुरुकुल में हिन्दू धर्मसम्बन्धी आचार और विचार पद्धतियों को, हिन्दू धर्मान्तर्गत शास्त्रशुद्ध प्रमाणों को आत्यन्तिक महत्त्व देकर देवताओं और ऋषियों की कृपा से अध्ययन और अध्यापन किया जाता था, जिससे वह वातावरण ही चैतन्य से आनन्दित हुआ होता था ।

तो फिर चले, पुनः एक बार ‘आनन्ददायी गुरुकुलरूपी धर्मशिक्षापद्धति’ भारत में लाने के लिए कटिबद्ध हो जाएंगे और न्यूनतम आगामी पीढियों को तो चैतन्य का तथा इससे मिलनेवाली ईश्वरीय कृपा का आनन्द देने के लिए सिद्ध हो जाएंगे !

ॐ 🌹🌷🚩🙏
Santoshkumar B Pandey at 9.46am

Veda is Science & Technology

 

" Param Punjya Sarsanghchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwatji talks about values of the Vedic age as modern age technology drives a drone capturing the moment Input from Rishiraj Bhagawati.
Veda is Science & Technology  ." 

Gurukul Education in Bharat during Vedic, Buddhist and Medieval Periods !

Gurukul Education in Bharat during Vedic, Buddhist and Medieval Periods.
                                🕉

Informative and important to read, and remember.  Part One.

The most important contribution of ancient Bharat ( India)  not only for Bharat 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.”

 1  Education in Bharat during Vedic, Buddhist & Medieval Periods
1.1 Sources of the Vedic Age education: Vedic Literature
No study of the source of bharatiya culture, education, philosophy and thought is complete without an adequate acquaintance and understanding of the ‘Vedic Literature’.
The Vedic literature represents the most important and intrinsic part of life of the bharatiya .

 1.1.1 The Vedic literature consists of the following ; 

1.      Four Vedas
2.      Six Vedangas
3.      Four Upvedas
4.   Four Brahmanas
5.      One hundred and eighty Upanishads
6.      Six systems of philosophy
7.      Bhagwad Gita
8.      Three Smritis. 

1.1.2 Main features of the Vedic Education
Free education in Ancient Bharat :-  In ancient bharat teaching was considered to be holy duty which a Brahman was bound to discharge irrespective of consideration of the fee teacher were expected to devote their lives to the cause of teaching in the missionary spirit of self-sacrifice, and the society laid down the principal that both the public and state should help the learned teachers & educational institutions very liberally. Society realized that “Vidyadana” or the gift in the cause of education was to be the best of gifts, possessing a higher religious merit than even the gift of land. On the occasion of religious feats, students and teachers were invited and donations were given liberally.
1.  No state control on education:- Rulers of the country had very little directly to do   with education. It was a private affairs of the people managed entirely by Brahmans.
2. High status of Teachers:- Teachers were a highly honoured class-honoured by even by kings. Kings rose from thrones to receive great teachers such as Narada, Vashishtha and Vishwamitra.
3. Teachers as Parents: - Teachers behaved as parent to their pupils and pupils behaved as members of the teachers’ family. The attitude of the pupil was to be one of complete submission.
4. Residential Schools:- Teachers and pupils lived together and so identified themselves with one another.
5. Immediate aim:- Vocational: The immediate aim of education, however, was to prepare the different casts of people for their actual needs of life.
6. Curriculum:- The subjects of instruction varied according to the vocational needs of the different castes from the Vedas and Vedangas in case of Brahmanas, to the art of warfare in the case of Kshatriyas, and to agriculture and trade, arts & crafts in the case of Vaishyas.
7. Methods of Instruction:- The methods of instruction generally consisted of recitation by the teachers and repetition by pupil, followed by explanation by the teacher , questioning by the pupil, and discussion between the teacher and the pupil.
8. Individual teaching:- Pupils were tough individually not en masse by the class method
9. Method of study:- The method of study consisted in listening to the teacher, reflection on what has been listened to and its constant revision and discussion.
10. Role of Travel in Education:- Travel was regarded as necessary to give a finish tough to education.
11. Sanskrit as the Medium of Instruction:- The medium of instruction was Sanskrit.
12. Self-control & Self–Discipline:- It was considered to be the best discipline. However Corporal punishment was not altogether ruled out.
13. Wide spread education of women:- In the earlier Vedic, and Upanishad times, girls were free to go through the “Upanayana’ ceremony , live a life of celibacy, studied Vedas, vedangas and other subjects along with their brother pupils.
14. Ultimate aim of education-self-Realization:- The ultimate aim of education in ancient bharat was not knowledge as preparation of life in this world or for life beyond but for complete realization of self-for liberatin of the soul from fetters of life, both present and future. That knowledge was real, which led to emancipation-led from unreality to reality, from darkeness to light, from death to immortality.

1.1.3 Aims, Ideals and Objectives of Vedic Education
1. Ultimate objective as moksha or self-realisation:- Ancient bharatiya believed that education should prepare and individual in such a way as to prepare him to attain the objective of liberation, i.e. to be one with the almighty and to be free from the cycle of births & deaths.
1. Infusion of Piety & Religiousness:- In ancient bharat religion played a prominent part. Education aimed at the infusion of piety and religiousness in the minds of the pupils.
2. Education for worldliness:- Vocational aim :- Happiness in other world was given more stress than the happiness in this world. This world according to them, was unreal & full of fetters. The highest wisdom was a release from these betters.
3. Character formation:- Education must from character. Mere intellect was not of worth if the person was devoid of not much morality. Morality or the right behavior was the higher “Dharma”. Education was regarded as a means of inculcating values such as strict obedience to elders, truthfulness, honesty and temperance.
4. Development of all round personality:- Ancient bharatiya believed that personality should be developed through education. Personality was developed through the following methods:-
(a)    Self-restraint
(b)   Self-confidence
(c)    Self-respect
(d)   Discrimination and judgement
5. Stress on Social duties:- A student was not to lead self-centered life. He was to perform his duties as a son, as a husband, as a father & many other capacities conscientiously and efficiently in the society. His wealth was not for his own sake as for his family, he must be hospitable and charitable. All professions laid stress on civil responsibilities.
6. Promotion of Social Efficiency and Welfare:- The promotion of social efficiency & welfare was an equally important aim of education. Education was not imported simply for the sake of culture or for the purpose of developing mental powers but for the purpose of training every member of society in the profession which he expected to follow. Society had accepted the theory of division of work which was later on governed by the principle of heredity. Each family trained its children in its own profession. The purpose was to make each individual society efficient.
7. Preservation and promotion of culture:- the preservation and promotion of national culture and heritage was also stressed. “The services of the whole community were conscripted for the purpose of the preservation of the Vedic literature. Every person had to learn at least a portion of his sacred literacy heritage.” A section of Brahman as had to devote the whole of their life to the cause of learning to commit the Vedas to memory in order to ensure preservation.

1.1.4 Education of Women
The Vedas give a very honorable & respectable status to women. They were eligible for higher education for the study of the Vedas and the performance of administrative and other important jobs mostly performed by men even today.
Boys should go to the schools meant for boys and girls should go to the schools where there are women teachers. The women should have opportunity to attain knowledge of the Vedas from all the four concerns.

1.1.5 Role of Mother in Education
A mother should impart education to her children so as to broaden their horizon. At this stage good manners are to be taught so that the children behave properly with the elders and in assemblies.

 

                                                

1.1.6 Teachers as Spiritual as well as Intellectual Guide

Teacher occupied a pivotal position in the Vedic System of education. The teacher was a parent surrogate (Parent Substitute), a facilitator of learning, exemplar and inspirer, confident, detector friend and philosopher moral educator, reformer, evaluator, character and personality builder, importer if knowledge & wisdom and above all a guru, religious & spiritual guide. The relationship between the teachers and pupil was regarded as filial in character. Teacher was the spiritual father of his pupils. In addition to imparting intellectual knowledge to them, he was also morally responsible. He was always to keep a guard over the conduct of his pupils. He must let them know what to cultivate and what to avoid. He must instruct them as how to sleep and as to what food they may take and what they may reject. He should advise them as to the people whose company they should keep and as to which of the villages and localities they should frequent. During the Vedic period learning was transmitted orally from one generation to another. Great importance was attached to the proper accent and pronunciation in the Vedic recitation & these could be correctly learnt only from the lips of a properly qualified teacher. The spiritual solution depended almost entirely upon the proper guidance of a competent teacher.

1.1.7 Process of Instruction
There were three steps in instruction:
 1. Sravana       2. Manana        3. Nididhyasana.
Sravana is listening to words texts as they uttered by the teacher.
Manana is the process of deliberation or reflection of the topic taught.
Nididhyasana represents the highest stage.

1.1.8 Admission and Evaluation System
There seems to be no direct reference available to spell out the methodology followed by the Acharya to judge the adequacy of knowledge of his pupils. Yaskas and Sayana, famous commentators on the Vedas, have inferred from the Rig Veda hymn that the students were given three grades as under:
1.      Maha Prazanan grade:- Students of very high ability.
2.      Madhyama Prazanan grade:- Students of high ability.
3.      Alpa Prazanan grade:- Students of low ability.

1.1.9 Autonomy of Educational Institutions
Teachers in the Vedic period were autonomous in their work and they followed various methods of admission and assessment. A teacher was the sole pedagogic authority to decide whether the student was fit for admission & also to decide whether he / She had completed his studies.

1.1.10 Studentship
There is a long hymn in the ‘Atharva Veda’ describing the ceremony pertaining to studentship. The initiation ceremony was called Upanayana which lasted three days. It laid down the foundation of a planned life. The pupil owed his first birth-physical to his parents & the second birth spiritual to his teacher. The rite of Upanayana was meant to purify body and mind and to make one fit for receiving education.
After ‘Upanayana’ the pupil entered into a state of ‘Brahmacharya’ indicating that it was a mode of life, and a system of education. The ‘Brahmachari’ as the aspirant for education was now called lived according to prescribed regulations, i.e., physical discipline as well as spiritual discipline.

1.11 Curriculum

According to recent researches, following disciplines were included in the curriculum in the graded forms in accordance with the stages of education.

1.      Anthropology

2.      Astronomy

3.      Economics

4.      Epistemology

5.      Eschatology

6.      Ethnology

7.      Geology

8.      Human eugenics

9.      Mathematics

10.  Military Science

The system of education was well-organized. It was suited to the needs of the society education was considered as the greatest gift in ancient Bharat varsha ( Hindustan / India) . It was aimed at the development of personality of an individual to his maximum extent. Education helped in the realization of spiritual & moral values, besides preparing for worldly pursuits. It was freely available to all those who wanted the relations between teachers and the pupils were based on love and affection. They were very cordial & intimate.

Jai Shri Hari 🌹💐⛳🙏

Santoshkumar B Pandey at 16.45