प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

94 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch. for their children and permit the villagers also to send their wards to study under him. Sometimes they used to take the lion's share in meeting the expenses of the local school. They used to offer substantial help to graduates collecting subscription for paying honorarium to their teachers. Very often they used to defray the expenses of copying books with a view to present them to scholars or schools. In an age in which there existed neither press nor paper, gifts of books were very badly needed.¹ Very rich persons sometimes used to found free feeding houses for the poor in general and the students in particular ;² sometimes they would construct college buildings either as a matter of charity³ or in commemoration of some departed relation.⁴ Others would often endow chairs⁵ 1 These have been recommended by Purāṇas ; cf. शास्त्रे यस्माज्जगत्सर्वं संश्रितं च शुभाशुभम् । तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रयत्नेन दातव्यं शुभकर्मणा ॥ Quoted by Aparārka on Yāj I. 212. Both Nālandā and Valabhī used to get grants for books ; see Chap. VI. 2 These, for instance, existed at Kolagalli, Managoli, Nilgund, Nes- rage, Bagewadi, Belgamve, Dambal, Gadag and Behati in Karnatak and at Kharepatan in Konkan during 1000-1400 A. D. See, I. M. P., Bellary No. 82 ; E. I., V. p. 22 ; Ibid, III, p. 208 ; J. B. B. R. A, S., X, p. 256 ; I. A , VII, p. 307 ; Ibid, V, p. 49; Ibid, X, p. 188 ; Ibid, I, p. 30 ; Ibid, IV, p. 274 ; E. I, IV, p. 355 respectively. 3 Nārāyaṇa, a Rāshtrakūṭa minister, had done this in 945 A. D for the college at Salotgi ; E. I. IV. p. 180. 4 For instance a Brahmana landlord at Kudarkot had erected a building for a Vedic school in memory of his son killed in war ; E I., l. p. 180. 5 These were known as Adhyayanavrittis and Vedavrittis and their holders were also required to recite and expound Vedas and Purāṇas for the benefit of the public. At a single village named Kuttalam in Trichinopoly district sixteen endowments were made for this purpose within the short interval of 150 years during the Vijayanagara rule ; see S. I. E. R., for 1917, nos. 481 and 487 of 1917.