highlight the teacher pupil relationship during vedic period
Hello,
The relationship between the teacher and the pupil during the Vedic period was personal, intimate and cordial. The pupil had no financial relation with the teacher. His relation with the teacher was social and spiritual. The profession of a teacher in the Vedic period had a very high code of honour. The duty of the teacher was to transmit knowledge or cultural heritage to the future generation. It was a sort of social obligation. Education was imparted free of charge. There was no text book available in those days, so, the teacher had to impart the best of his knowledge to the students.
The teacher was expected to arrange for the boarding, lodging, and clothing of his students, in case they were very poor. The teacher was required to teach every single thing he knew to his disciple. People who were morally unfit or inferior to receive education were not to be admitted as a student. As there is already mentioned the teaching in ancient India was not regarded as a means of livelihood, and so, if a teacher could stipulate fees from his pupil then he was regarded as the most impure person, and as said in the Puranas, both teacher and pupil would go to hell if done so.
The pupil could pay when the whole course was over. It was known as "Guru Dakshina", and it was completely dependent on the guardian's ability. The teacher also had the liberty to refuse it too. 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 (Agni), etc. Hence the poorest of the poor could get education from the teacher.
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. He was the spiritual father of his pupil, held morally responsible for their drawbacks.
On the other hand, duties of a student to their teachers were that the student was to hold his teacher in deep admiration. He must maintain the rules of decorum and good manners. If the teacher walked, the student should walk after him. He must get up very early in the morning and pay respect to the teacher by touching his feet.
A student must not occupy a higher seat before his teacher. He was expected to do personal service just like a son, such as feeding water, cleaning the utensils, washing his clothes, bring fuel, guard the cattle, and also begging was considered an important task in the Vedic period.
The cordial relation that existed between the teacher and the student continued also in their afterlife. A student and teacher relationship in ancient India was thus a life-long process. The pupil felt genuine “bhakti” for the “Guru”. The disciple was taught to worship his guru as God. This sort of worship to teacher had surely an abiding effect upon the relation between the teacher and the taught. In ancient India, education was perfect and complete because of this sacred personal relation between the teacher and the taught which we are awe-fully lacking in recent times.
Hope this helps!!!