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

II] SOME EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND POSTULATES 39 developed by training and education. One may be born in a Brahmana family on account of his past good Karman; one may be also endowed by nature with the qualities of a Brahmana like self-control and love of learning. Still he will be not a whit higher than a Shudra if he does not receive proper sacraments (Sanskāras) and gets the neces- sary education.¹ Past Karman may determine the mental and intellectual qualities of an individual. But they will deteriorate if he does not receive proper education, and improve, though within a limited degree, if he gets the benefit of good training under a competent teacher. That nature can thus be considerably modified by nurture seems to have been the considered opinion of ancient Indian educationalists from about the beginning of the Christian era. This view is similar to the theory of Stern who sought to effect a compromise between the extreme posi- tions of Galton and Locke by maintaining that man is born with tendencies, which are conditioned by heredity but which are transformed into the qualities of human personality through a process of development and training. The Influence of the Caste System: The caste system has been an important feature of Hindu society for a long time and has naturally exercised considerable influence on the theory and practice of education in ancient India. Let us try to find out its extent. It is usually held that it had rigidly determined the professions and made the teaching line a monopoly of the Brahmanas. We shall however find that Kshatriya teachers of Vedic and philosophical subjects existed down the 6th century B. C. and that the keen intellect of the Brahmana com- munity was for a long time utilised to further the bounds ¹ जन्मना जायते शूद्रः संस्काराद्द्विज उच्यते । विद्यया याति विप्रत्वं त्रिभिः श्रोत्रिय उच्यते ॥