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

VIII] PROFESSIONAL AND USEFUL EDUCATION 199 under his teacher for an agreed number of years. During this period the teacher was to afford free boarding and lodging to his apprentice. Our authorities do not state the duration of the agreement, but it must have varied with different crafts. It was usually longer than the period required to master the craft, because the teacher was expected to be compensated for the trouble in teaching and the expenses in feeding the apprentice from the wages he would earn as a fully trained worker during the remaining period of his indenture. The apprentice could not back out of the agreement, if the teacher was not remiss in his duties. If he deserted his teacher without a sufficient cause, he was brought back and compelled to stay, learn and work.¹ The neglect of the training of the apprentice and the assignment to him of

1. Cf स्वशिल्पमिच्छन्नाहर्तु बान्धवानामनुज्ञया । आचार्यस्य वसेदन्ते कृत्वा कालं सुनिश्चितम् ॥ १७ ॥ आचार्यः शिक्षयेदेनं स्वगृहे दत्तभोजनम् । न चान्यत्कारयेत्कर्म पुत्रवच्चैनमाचरेत् ॥ १८ ॥ शिक्षयन्तमदुष्टं य आचार्यं संपरित्यजेत् । बलाद्वासयितव्यस्स्याद्वधबन्धौ च सोर्हति ॥ १९ ॥ शिक्षितोपि कृतं कालमन्तेवासी समाप्नुयात् । तत्र कर्म च यत्कुर्यादाचार्यस्यैव तत्फलम् ॥ २० ॥ गृहीतशिल्पः समये कृत्वाचार्यप्रदक्षिणाम् । शक्तितश्चानुमान्यैनमन्तेवासी निवर्तते ॥ २१ ॥ वेतनं वा यदि कृतं ज्ञात्वा शिष्यस्य कौशलम् । अन्तेवासी समादद्यान्न चान्यस्य गृहे वसेत् ॥ २२ ॥ नारदस्मृति, शुश्रूषाभ्युपगमप्रकरणम् ।