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

I, C] UPĀKARMA RITUAL 283 about five or six months was found to be sufficient for mastering it. The ritual of Chhandasām-utsarjana, i. e. the cessation of Vedic studies, was therefore performed on the full moon day of Pausha or Māgha (February- March). In later times when the Vedic literature became very extensive, and more branches of learning were developed like grammar, philology, logic, philosophy and Dharmaśāstra, the duration of the annual term was extended over practically the whole year. Curiously enough, owing to the force of the established tradition, the Utsarjana ceremony still continued to be performed in February or March, though the college studies did not cease at that time. At present the ritual is not performed at its proper time but combined with the Upākarma ritual. This practice goes back to medieval times. **Upakarma or Sravani; its Significance :—**The statement that Śrāvaṇī denotes a ritual performed at the beginning of the college session may appear fanciful to the modern Hindu, who is accustomed to associate it with the annual replacement of the sacred thread, but there is ample and clear evidence to justify it. Our authorities declare that the ritual was to be performed only by the teacher along with his students when they had reassembled at the beginning of the session¹. It was believed that the presiding teacher would get in the course of time as many students as was the number of sesasums offered as oblations in this ritual²; some texts lay down special formulas to be

1. अध्येष्यमाणाः अध्याप्यैरन्वारब्ध..........। Āś. Gr. S., 3.4.10. समारब्धेष्वन्तेवासिषु.... ...उपाकर्म कुर्वीत । सहान्तेवासिभिः ग्रामादभिनिष्क्रम्य........उत्सर्जनविधिः । Bau. Gr. S., III. 1. 3. ff.
2. स यावन्तं गणमिच्छेत्तावन्तस्तिलानातर्थफलेन जुहुयात् । P. Gr. S., II. 10.