English
These, therefore, were more or less responsible for the loss of elasticity which existed in ancient India and which is so urgently needed under the political and economic condition of modern India. In fact, until late the Brahmins did never place ‘so strict an interpretation’ upon the caste system, for though the causes mentioned above tended to make men forget the true spirit of the caste system and to produce rigidity in it, there always existed strong rea-tiouary forces to stop the tendency : the highest culmination of these latter forces was manifested in Buddhism. The efforts of Nanak, Kabir and Chaitanya against the rigidity of the caste system in the mediaeval period also bear this out. In fact, it was MINIS r/j,,. THE CASTE SYSTEM. only when the Aryans came under foreign influences that hygienic considerations and the fear of spiritual contamination through suggestion as well as the desire to preserve the purity of their blood led the Brahmins to make the caste rules strict . 1 Though the caste system in its present form has many defects it serves at least one function. As a fence protects the growing tender plant, so it protects the growing child of the individual society from being affected by alienating influences. Indeed, “the caste system is a splendid organisation. Its wonderful persistence is the proof of it. It saved society once though its life is now fled having lost its true significance with respect to guna and karma. Even now it checks revolution in the Hindu society which by its wonderful power of assimilation gra¬ dually adapts itself to the new situations without losing its individuality. 1 Thus says R. C. Dutta, ‘‘However much, therefore, the historian of Ancient Iudia may deplore the commencement of the caste system, he should never forget that the svorst results of that system were unknown in India until after tho Mahommedan conquest,” — Civilisation in Ancient India —Vol. 1. p. 156. miSTffy <SL EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. It must be stated here that the caste system in its natural form exists more or less everywhere in the world. The distinction that is made between the different ranks of society sufficiently illustrates this. 1 Lastly, it is interesting to note the strange parallelism that existed between the caste system of India and the mediaeval European institutions. The clergy, the knighthood and the people of Europe in the Middle ages answered in some respects to the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaisyas of India. Learning in Europe, as in India, for a long time flourished under the fostering care of the clergy ; and so strong was their hold upon it that during the deve¬ lopment of the national system of education, the State has often had to fight hard with the church to secure the full control of the system of education. ! Thus writes Sir Monior Williams—“ Caste, as a social institution, exists, of course, in all countries, and in Englaud operates v/ith no slight poteney. ,, Hinduism— pp. 151*152. minis References : — 1 . 2 . 3. 4. 5. G. 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 14. 15. THE CASTE SYSTEM. Civilisation in Ancient India by R. C. Dutt. The Gita. The Laws of Manu. The Indian Craftsman by A. K. Coomara- swamy. Hinduism by Sir Monier Williams. The Upanishads. Mahabharata. The Ideals of Indian Art by E. B. Ha veil. A Text-Book in the History of Education —Monroe. Education by Spencer. Buddhist India by Rhys Davis. Lalita Vistara translated by 11 . L. Mitra. The Evolution of Educational Theory by Adams. Sadler’s Report—Education in America. The Religions of India—Rev. Allan Menzies. MIN ISTffy, IV EVOLUTION OF VEDIC RELIGION AND ITS PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS. Thb religious thought of the Hindus, in ancient times, passed through different phases which may be styled its childhood, manhood and old age. The primitive Aryans who settled in the Indus valley were deeply im¬ pressed with the most imposing manifesta¬ tions of nature. These they deified and worshipped, performing sacrifices and com¬ posing hymns in their praise. Thus the activities of the Aryans in those days were largely perceptual or concerned with that which affected their immediate interests. But during the next stage of development ■of their thought the mind of the great rishis passed beyond the natural phenomena to the consideration of their cause and purpose. The distinctive feature of the period was the importance attached to sacrifice. The Brahmins were busy in elaborating cere- EVOLUTION OF VEDIC RELIGION, §L uionials and supplementing manuals of worship. But in the next stage of develop¬ ment of the religious thought of the Hindus, which may be called the old age of thought some impatience appears to have been felt with the elaborate rites and sacrifices which the thinking men regarded as useless. Hence they began to speculate on the origin of the universe and the nature of the Supreme Being. The thought that was thus set up, ended in the belief that we find incorporated in the teachings of the Upanishad. 1 They show the utter useless¬ ness of all ritual performances and condemn every act which has for its motive a desire or hope of reward and preach that God is the only Universal Being ; all things else have their beginning, life and end in Him"; and hence to realise the existence of the Infinite 1 “fqf ara ii?n war sfaur fw ® ^ ewfasr: i ■sfaffrm: ft 1 * n” or “Is Brahronu the cansot Wheuce arewoborut Whereby do wo live, and whither do we go? 0, }Q who know Brahman, (tell ns) at whose command wo abide, whether in pain or in pleasure,” Svatasvataba Upanishad 1.1. * m iranftfir sn*? eqrfta i” or “ All this universe indeed is Brahma; from Him does it EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. <SL in the finite, to see the unity between the individual self and the eternal self and thus to attain eternal bliss 1 by the extinction of one’s own desires and actions became with the Hindus, the Summum bonum of life. It has been mentioned above that in the last stage in the evolution of the religious thought of the early Hindus is found the belief that by total extinction of one’s own desires and actions alone can one attain eternal bliss. This may lead one to think that the early Hindus emphasised a life of inaction. On the contrary, we find distinctly laid down in our sastras that when a man abandons actions (hence desires) merely as being troublesome, through fear of bodily affliction, he does not obtain the fruit of abandonment by making such passionate proceed ; into Him is ifc dissolved ; in Him it breathes. So let ©very one adore Him calmly ” Chitanpogya Upamshad. 1 "faftsfaan’rt ft i “ who 18 eternal in the non-eternal, who is life of the living, who though one, fulfils the desires of many. The wise who perceive Him within their self, to them belongs eternal peace, not to others ” Kathapanishad Fifth Valli—13. miSTfty, EVOLUTION OF VEDIC RELIGION. 'abandonment. 1 Thus far from encouraging a life of inaction our philosophers em¬ phasised, as the slokas quoted below will show, that the individual in order to be able to give up all desires and thus become fit for the last stage must pass through a stage of active life : 5T i 5T ^ f%fir II or “a man does not attain freedom from action merely by abstaining from action, nor does he rise to perfection by mere renuncia¬ tion (of activity).” Gita III. 4. f% Tif%i%TnferrtT 5i?n?iT^r. i N O or “by action (without attachment) alone did Janakaand the rest attain to perfection ; and having an eye also to the protection of the masses (to the duties) thou shouldst per¬ form action.” Gita 111 20. sns^i^iHtiwTHsar' ^ ^ 11 Gita HI. 22. 1 ^§r si i S 3TSIT TT3! 51HT' $1 snitq^UT gkT (I Gita XVIII. 8. 4 MiN/sr^ EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA. lF?f *T WTg I ott tt^t: *3§w: n Gita III. 23. or “there is nothing, O son of Prithi ! for me to do in (all) the three worlds, nothing to acquire which has not been acquired. Still I do engage in action, for should I at any time not engage without sloth in action, men would follow in my path from all sides.” *ft*TT^T SOT: cmvltr^ II Gita VI. 3. or “to the sage who wishes to rise to devo¬ tion action (without attachment) is said to be the means, and to him, when he has risen to devotion, serenity is said to be the means.” Besides, it is said that in the early stages it is impossible for an individual to remain inactive, as “nobody ever remains even for an instant without performing some action - r for helplessly is every cne driven to action by the energies (gunas) born of nature (Prakriti).” Gita VI. 3. In the above slokas we find an emphasis on doing actions for their own sake abandon¬ ing ‘attachment’ and hence ‘fruit,’ Such actions are characterized not only by self- control but by love and sacrifice for beings. Hence according to the Hindu philosophers cessation of one’s own desires is the last stage in the process of development which can be attained by the identification of one’s own will and interests with the life around one ie., by love and sacrifice for beings and not by separation from them. It appears, therefore, that the Hindus thoroughly understood that self-realisation of the indivi¬ dual depends entirely on self-expression and on the assimilation of the spiritual forces that are about him. With the Hindu philosophers all souls were originally pure ; but they have become contracted by their own acts. Hence by doing good deeds and through the mercy of God they will expand and become free.