# Vedic Learning

Vedic learning, also called Sanskrit learning and Sanskrit education, is the tradition of oral transmission and study of the Vedic body of knowledge and texts and auxiliary traditions (vedanga), as preserved in the Vedas and the post-Vedic smriti and shastra.

## Vedas and vedanga

The Vedas, liturgical hymns of the Vedic people, were composed between in the early Vedic period (ca. 1500-900 BCE) by the Vedic people, and expanded with a vast corpus of explanatory and philosophical texts inthe late Vedic period (900-500 BCE). Vedanga are six auxiliary disciplines of Vedic studies, namely phonetics, meter, grammar, etymology, ritual instructiins, and astrology.

## Centers of learning

Major important centres of Vedic learning were Taxila, Sharada Peeth, Kashi, Mithila and Nabadwip, and a number of centres in South India.

### Pathashala

In a pathasala, children are taught in Sanskrit by Brahmins. In India, the term pathasala has become synonymous with the term Vidyalaya which refers to school. Before British rule, along with gurukulas, pathasalas served as primary educational institutions in India. Pathasalas were non-residential in nature, where as gurukalas were residential.

### Gurukula

A gurukula is the household of a teacher (acharya), where young Brahmins were admitted as students. They had to leave their old names and paternity recognitions, and were given new names and recognitions according to the lineage of the Gurukul. Some major examples of the Gurukul were Yajnavalkya Ashram, Kapil Ashram, Gautam Ashram, Pundrik Ashram, Shaunaka Mahashala Vishwamitra Ashram, Shandilya Ashram, and Vyasa Peetha.
The training of a student started from Upanayana ritual, which was performed between four and nine years of age. After it, the student was sent to a Gurukula for the study. In the upanayana an Acharya was assigned to the student. The Acharya took care of his students like father and impart proper education, training and guidance to them. The students had to study in the Gurukula for minimum of 12 years. There was regulated daily routine for students in the Gurukula. The daily routine consisted of bathing, Yajna, Poojan, Bhiksha (going out for alms), serving the Guru (teacher ), reading Vedas. After the upanayana ritual, the students were supposed to maintain strict celibacy, which is was helpful in controlling the senses and the mind.
There was a tradition of giving Gurudakshina to Acharya by his student who completed the study course of education. It was also not mandatory that Gurudakshina would be physical wealth, but it can be in any form.

## Curriculum

The curriculum of the educational system was focused to learn Vedic mantras, knowledge of religious rituals like ‘Karamkanda’ ‘Havan’ and ‘Yajna’. The course of study was much more vast than of Vedic period. It included all the four branches of 'Vedas' and the study of Itihas, Puranas, Vyakaran, Arithmetic, Shradha-kalp, Astrology, Ethics, Demonology, Yajur Veda, Nyaya Shastra, Smriti, Jyotish, Astronomy, Mathematics, Indian Philosophy, Surgery, Medicine, Literatures, Warfare, Archery, Snake-charming etc.
According to Singh, citing Sukul (1974), Varanasi Down the Ages,
   During eleventh and twelveth centuries A.D. Sanskrit education at Varanasi was divided into two sections. In traditional Vedic pathashala special knowledge of Vedas, sahitya, vyakaran, philosophy, Nyaya, Mimansa, Sankhya, Yoga,Vedanta Vaisheshika, and astronomy and astrology or Ayurveda was given. In other pathshalas students were taught eighteen sippas or arts.