Education at the time of Epics (The Ramayana and Mahabharata)

Hello I welcome you all once again to my channel Explore Education I am Doctor Rashmi Singh Assistant Professor Department of Education SS Khanna Girls Durie College University of Allahabad and this time I am going to discuss with you a new topic under your IAP curriculum that is education at the time of the pics. Ok? This is the last topic of your Unit Two. I think education at the time of epics. Insights from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. This is in your syllabus. Very interesting topic and in a correct way you can say that in this way actually IAS has been integrated in your syllabus so that we can know what was the meaning of education in that era? What were the teachers like? How were the disciples? What were you being told in your studies? What was the goal of education? These are all things, right? So in this we will learn concept curriculum, guru, disciple stories and reflection. So the Epics s Windows inu Ancient Education. That means, in a way, you can get a glimpse of this epic through them. What a period that was in ancient Indian education. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata Are Not Only Epic Poems. This is not just history. They are rich social documents that describe how education was imagined, organized, and lived in ancient India. These are rich documents in their own way. Meaning there is richness in it. You will find everything in it and from it you can know what was the concept of education at that time , how was the organization and how education was being imparted in ancient India. Through the stories of princesses, sages, and even a self-taught tribal boy, the epics reveal an education system built on discipline, devotion, and the close bond between teacher and student. That is, from the stories of princes , from the stories of sages and a self-taught tribal boy whom we know as Ekalavya. From his story we come to know what kind of education system was there in this epic. It was based on the kind of discipline, devotion and close bond between the Guru and the disciple. So here is history as curriculum. The Picks Themselves Were Used to Teach Ethics, Duty and Governance. Meaning, we use them to explain what morality is? What is ethics? What is duty? How should governance be run? These are two great epics. Ramayana, Mahabharata but their vision is the same. Written Centuries a Lesson. However, there is a difference of centuries in the writing of both. Both portray a strike English similar educational ideal and still study today. Their episodes remain reference points in Indian discussion. On Pedagogy and Values ​​means that even today, despite being written centuries ago, whenever there is an Indian discussion on pedagogy and values, these episodes are used as reference points. So if we talk about the concept of Aims of Education in D APKs then there are six go tos that shaped how a student was educated and trained. There were six main objectives which were based on how a child should be trained and brought up. First of all character and moral building was cultivating virtues like truth, debt and duty above all else, Satya, courage and Dharma were on top, physical and martial training was about building strength, endurance and skill in warfare for Kshatriya princes, most of the princes have gone to study, we get the same in the story and the princes are Kshatriyas. The work of a Kshatriya is to protect the country. So it was the job of education to make him proficient in war skills also. Preservation of Knowledge. We have learned that I am so sorry. There should be no more [sound of clearing throat]. She comes only when I go to speak. Memorizing and Transmitting the Vedas and Scriptures Across Generations. Meaning that we have read that when we read the Vedas, the scriptures were transmitted by memorizing them for generations. and Spiritual Growth Guiding Students Towards Self- Realization and Inner Discipline. That is, spiritual growth of the child and the student was also the goal of the new education. Social and Vocational Duty Preparing each student for the duties of their character in this stage of life. To prepare you for the character you belong to. and Holistic Personality Integrating Intellectual, Physical, Moral and Spiritual Growth as One Whole. It is coming up again and again that in India, in our ancient Indian system, which was IKS, there was never any talk of one dimension. There has always been talk of holistic personality development, and now we feel that we are going to do something new, new and innovative. When we talk about intellectual, physical, moral and spiritual growth together. So if we talk about the then system of learning, there was the Gurukul system. Whether you talk about Ramayana or Mahabharata, the system of learning was Gurukul. This was the way of life. The Gurukul was not a school in the modern sense. It was an entire way of life shared between teacher and student. That means the student remains with the Guru for about 12 years. is staying at his residence. Isn't it ? With a peaceful atmosphere in the forest. So in a way, the guru and the disciple shared their lives. Key points of this is residential learning. This has happened many times. Ashram is a way of life. The education that existed was linked to everyday activities. Like whatever work you have to do , you have to do it with discipline. Simplicity was all part of learning. The Guru was a parental figure. He was like a father. Talking about the curriculum of the APKs, Vedic studies and scriptures were taught to you. Like Vedas, Upanishads and Dharmashastra, archery was taught. We were also taught sword fighting, battlefield strategy and politics. Because what does a prince have to do? If you want to run a state, state craft was also taught. Governance, Diplomacy and the Duties of Kingship. Fine arts were taught. Physical training was given. And through Ethics through Storytelling, ethics was told through stories about what you should do if such a situation arises. If we talk about the sacred bond, then the Guru-disciple tradition was a sacred bond. Teacher and student, like you get the example of Eklavya's thumb that his Guru did not teach him but he considered him as his Guru. That is why there was talk of giving Guru Dakshina and that is a different matter in Guru Dakshina. Here we will not go into the ethics of why the Guru asked for his thumb. But the great thing is that he even gave his thumb because the Guru asked for it. That means the Guru could not be refused. And Krishna is the restoration of a life. And about Krishna, that is, about Lord Krishna, you must know that he went to study in the ashram of Sandipani Rishi. In Guru Dakshina, he had asked for his dead son from him saying that you are God, you can give anything, be it small Dakshina, Lord, please return my dead son to me, so these are two very different equally famous examples of Guru Dakshina and Lord Shri Krishna returned him because it was about the Guru, so what are the points in this, a secret life long bond of Guru-disciple tradition, this was a life long relationship, it is not that till the time we are in Gurukul, he is our Guru, then after that, if we become king, we become bigger than the Guru. Although I always say that today's children are not like that, then the teachers are also not like that. But still I see that like in Part One and Part Two, children have education. In Part Three, he leaves education. I have realized this in most of the children because of statistics. So he doesn't wish you in part three. Isn't it ? Because you are no longer their teacher. I realized this and I feel very bad that I have taught this child for two years. So let us talk about life long bond. There is no two-year bond here. Even in the class, it means all the children wish a little. You even get some cuts. But some people who have been wishing that you may have had some one-to-one relationship with them in class, that too, if they leave the subject of education then now you are no longer their teacher. So that bond is there till whatever they have now, this is the account. But at that time, A Sacred Life was long bond. Guru Dakshina was offered by students as a token of gratitude and discipline through service. That is, discipline was taught and practiced through service. Then Ram and Lakshman, if we take the story from the Ramayana, Ram and Lakshman were princes who went to study in Gurukul. Even as Princess of Ayodhya. Princess does not mean the princess with the word princess. Meaning there are two princes, hence the princess was shown. Ram and Lakshman were princes. But he went to study in the ashram of Guru Vashistha to learn Vedic religion and statecraft. Later, sage Vishwamitra took him to his place so that he could kill the demons in the forest who were not allowing him to perform the yagya. To protect them, he also taught them the Celestial Weapons. Their education combined scriptural learning with hands-on, real-world training beyond the palace walls. So what does this mean for Lessons for Educators? Royal Birth Did Not Exempt Princess From Rigorous Training. That means if he is a prince and is born in a royal family, then he will not be given any rigorous training. True education for all combines knowledge, discipline, and lived experience. Then if we take the story from Mahabharata, then the Pandavas and the Kauravas were one guru, many students. One guru had many disciples. Guru Dronacharya was given this training and it was entrusted to him that he would train the Pandavas and Kauravas in warfare skills like bow and arrow, sword fighting, chariot driving and strategy making. He observes each student's aptitude closely. See, at that time it was a matter of aptitude that the child should be taught the weapon in which he is interested. It is not that everyone should not be made proficient in one thing. Whoever wants to achieve proficiency in something has to be made proficient in it. And he recognized that Arjuna had exceptional focus and Bhima had immense strength. And he gave his guidance in such a way that everyone's unique potential could be brought out. So what is Lessons for Educators? Even with in one classroom a skilled teacher recognizes and nurtures the individual strengths of every learner. This means that every child in the same class has different strengths and a good teacher can identify them and nurture them. Then there is another story from the Mahabharata that is Arjuna and the Birds Eye. We all have heard the story of how focused Arjun was to test his students' concentration. Dronacharya placed a wooden bird on a tree. He placed a bird, meaning a wooden bird, on a tree and asked every child what do you see? Most Describe Someone said the tree is visible. Someone said the branches are visible. Someone said the sky is visible. But only Arjun said that I can only see the bird's eye. It was Arjun and who was permitted to shoot. That means they did not even give permission to others that they can shoot. Only Arjun got the permit and he did it. And he the mark perfectly. So what is Lessons for Educators? True mastery comes from single-pointed focus. A Timeless Principle for Both Teaching and Learning. That means we should only see what our goal is. We should be so focused that we cannot see other things. Then one story comes from the Mahabharata itself, Eklavya. This is a perfect example of self-taught devotion. Dronacharya had refused to give him formal training. Because he belonged to a lower caste. So Eklavya made a clay statue of his Guru in the forest and started practicing and with unmatched devotion he became such a good archer that he became even better than Arjun. When Dronacharya's letter claimed his right thumb as Guru Dakshina, fearing Eklavya would surely be his favourite student and it is said that Dronacharya had special affection for Arjun and he felt that Eklavya would become a better archer than Arjun, so he asked him for his right thumb because arrow means you need this thumb to draw it after putting a bow in it. How will it be drawn without it? But Ekalavya gave that also to them without any hesitation. So what is Lessons for Educators? Eklavya Story Celebrate Self Motivated Learning. He himself was so eager to learn that his disciple had only a statue of his Guru and he was making it. But it also exposes the cast based exclusion. But this also explains that only upper caste people were allowed to take admission in Gurukul through U CAN for studying. That shadowed access to education in this era, a vital point for reflection today. So this fact is worth considering. The story of Krishna and Balarama comes out in the story from the Mahabharata. Both the brothers had mastery over these 64 arts. Lord Shri Krishna and Lord Balarama. Two raced as a prince. Krishna was sent along with his brother Balarama to Guru Sandipani's Ashram in Ujjain. Krishna ji was sent to study along with his brother Balram in the ashram of Guru Sandipani in Ujjain. They simply lived like any other student and in a very short time they conquered the 64 arts and as Guru Dakshina, Lord Krishna gave the family the Guru's decision. His dead son was brought back to him. Showing that gratitude to a teacher has no limits. So what is Lessons for Educators? Even Divine and Royal students embraced humility and discipline. Status was never a substitute for earning once education. Meaning, in the peak of both Ramayana and Mahabharata, you can see that it is not that the princes are not going to the ashram to study. He is also going to study in the ashram. He is also studying with other normal children. They are being trained like them. If we talk about gender in epics, women's education was in epics. See when Draupadi asks the question in the royal court that tell me did Yudhishthir stake himself first and who did Yudhishthir bet first in gambling, me or himself? And if he had lost by betting himself, then what right does a slave have to bet someone else. Reveals Her Mastery of Religious Reasoning. This shows that he had the ability to do religious reasoning. So the point of this is that the princesses, the princesses, they got formal education. They also had intellectual and argumentative skills and access remained unavailable, but not all girls had access to education. Then what made age education EP age education distinct What makes that age education unique Holistic development Individualized instruction like Guru adapted teaching according to each student's unique aptitude Dual streams Brahminic and Kshatriya martial education coexisted meaning they were given scholarly education as well as martial skills Formal and informal paths Gurukuls existed alongside Self-directed learners like Eklavya. Eklavya is also learning, so that is informal learning. Dharma linked purpose education prepared each person for the duties of their world in this stage of life. That means the religion was related to purpose and was being taught through oral tradition. Because even at that time printing was not available in our country. There was no art of printing. So, through memorization, all the Vedic knowledge was being transferred from one generation to another. So what is critical reflection? Whose education is a rich system but not an equal one worth examining honestly, you will have to accept that there was caste based exclusion because Eklavya was born in a tribal community and his guru refused to teach him. Karna had to hide his caste when he wanted to become a disciple of Parashurama because Parashurama, who was Lord Parshurama, only accepted Kshatriyas as his disciples and Karna did not know at that time that he only accepted Brahmins because he used to kill Kshatriyas. So Karna told his guru that he was a Brahmin and went to study with him, however, Parashurama later cursed him when he came to know that Karna had lied to him and Gurukul access was largely reserved for the upper caste Brahmin and Kshatriya children and there was limited access for women. Common women did not get access to structured learning but learned women like Draupadi and Sita There were women. This means that there was a provision for education for the princesses. Then, if we talk about lessons for today's educators, Why This Ancient System Still Matters? Why is it still being talked about today ? Because mentorship is beyond the classroom. We do not have to remain the child's mentor only in the classroom. Beyond the classroom. We have to provide him with sustained mentorship. Personalized attention has to be given. Along with the content, the character also has to be developed. And we have to talk about inclusive access. That means Ekalavya should not be excluded. Rather it has to be included in the class. And if we talk about Guru Discipline subject, then see Disciple, the Guru of Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan was Vashistha. They were taught Vedic religion and statecraft. Vishwamitra was also the guru of Ram and Lakshman. Taught them celestial weapons. He was the teacher of Pandavas and Kauravas, Dronacharya. He was taught archery, warfare and strategy. Sandipani was the guru of Krishna and Balarama. He was taught the 64 arts and Scripture and Karna under a false identity. He became a disciple of Parashurama and taught him advanced military science. Then see Timeless Lessons from an Ancient System. What would the key takeaway be that education in EPICS was holistic. It was about the development of body, mind, character and spirit. The Guru- Shishya bond is still a powerful model that we can adopt in the form of mentorship and personalized teaching. Stories like Eklavya remind us that access and inclusion are not automatic; they must be built. This story of Eklavya teaches us to reach out to all and include everyone. This will not happen on its own. You will have to work for this. And for classroom discussion, we can think about what made this Guru-Shishya wish so effective and what can today's classrooms learn from it? What can today's classes learn? That special bond that existed between the Guru and the disciple at that time. How did access to education in the epics reflect the social structure of the time? It appears that the social system was based on the caste system and it was also a rigid system. And Which Values ​​from APK Age Education Remain Relevant to Inclusive Teaching Today. You can think about what value that call has which is still valuable and relevant for inclusive teaching. Ok? So it is all about education at the time of epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, there is a lot to tell but what should I tell, still a lot has been covered by S PPG, ok so thank you for watching