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

54 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch. The duty to teach was imperative;¹ all students possessed of the necessary calibre and qualifications were to be taught, irrespective of the consideration as to whether they would be able to pay any honorarium or not. We have seen already that no regular fees were charged by ancient Indian teachers and institutions. The poorest of the poor could demand and get education from the tea- cher by merely agreeing to do household work in the tea- cher’s house. Further, the teacher was required to teach every thing he knew to his disciple; he could withhold nothing under the apprehension that his pupil may one day outshine him in the profession.² How generous and largehearted teachers usually were in this connection can be judged from the conduct and exclamation of Alāra Kalama, when the future Buddha had finished his edu- cation under him :— “Happy friend are we in that we look upon such a venerable one, such a fellow ascetic as you. The doctrine which I know, you too know, and the doctrine which you know, I too know. As I am, so you are, as you are so am I. Pray, sir, let us be joint wardens of this company”.³ 1 The Smritikaustubha narrates how a teacher was condemned to be a mango tree in his next existence for his failure to impart Vedic knowledge; cf. स चूतवृक्षो विप्रोऽभूद्विद्वान्वै वेदपारगः । विद्या न दत्ता विप्रेभ्यस्तेनैव तरुतां गतः । There is an obvious subtle humour in the retribution imposed upon the teacher who would not give what he possessed to others; as a mango tree he would have to give all fruits to others and retain none for himself. 2 Milinda-pañha, I. p. 142 3 Further Dialogues of the Buddha, Ariyapariyesana-sutta, p. 116. Compare also the spirited protest of Bhāradvāja when he apprehended that his royal pupil was suspecting that he was not teaching him all that he knew; P. T. O.