Education is the eternal treasure that molds one's character and helps in evolving one's consciousness, transforming the individual, society and the nation at a large. Modern day education focuses on exams, degrees and certificates. No doubt it helps one earn a livelihood but, is it truly transforming one's life and way of thinking at all levels? Is it holistic? These are some of the questions we need to ask ourselves.
A famous Sanskrit quote says,
"नास्ति विद्यासमो बन्धुर्नास्ति विद्यासमः सुहृत् । नास्ति विद्यासमं वित्तं नास्ति विद्यासमं सुखम् ॥"
"Nāsti Vidyāsamo bandhur Nāsti vidyāsamaḥ suhrut | Nāsti vidyasamaṁ vittaṁ nāsti vidyasamaṁ sukhaṁ" ||
There is no relative like education, no better friend than education. There is no wealth equivalent to education and no happiness equal to it. " This quote glorifies the importance of education. When it holds so much of prominence, those in charge of passing on knowledge should do it in the best way possible. How should education be? What needs to be incorporated into our education system to make it more effective?
The Ancient Indian education system focused on the holistic development of an individual. The guru-Kula system of education was a totally different ambience for learning and development of an individual. The role of a teacher and the relationship between the teacher and the disciple was prominent in making learning impactful and effective.
Education covered not just Math, Science and Social studies but included diverse topics along with Vedic knowledge as we understand it today. Philosophical texts form a crucial part of Indian Knowledge system (IKS), however a lot of ancient texts talk about mathematics, engineering and sciences, economics, social sciences, art, architecture and so on. From Brahman or Consciousness of Vedānta to the Sanskrit Grammar of Pānini, or Bharatā's Nātya Sāstra or Abhijñāna Shākuntalaṁ of Kālidāsa , Indian Knowledge system touch all aspects of knowledge. A very good example of advanced scientific knowledge and engineering principles is the Vaimānika Śāstra of Sage Bharadwaja, a magnanimous work on the science of aeronautics. Similarly Dhanurveda elaborates on military science and the usage of weapons.
IKS has to be introduced into our education system in its fullest zeal, also with it being a integral part of the new National Education Policy (NEP).These works could assist our research problems in our domains of interest better, perhaps even holding key answers to questions that we may have. Answers to questions that may have been unsolved over years. These ancient texts could hold key solutions to various problems that we face as individuals or collective problems as a society.
Let us try our best to incorporate IKS in teaching our students, not merely to glorify our past but to perceive and utilize the wisdom in this treasure and at the same time reviving it, so that we begin a new Renaissance of Inquisitive minds and Vedāntists like Sri Adi Sankara and Rāmānuja, of great Mathematicians like Aryabhatta, of great surgeons like Sushrutha and Charaka, giving a new lease of life to this unmatchable treasure of knowledge.
I would like to conclude this write up with a quote from the Bhagavad Gita which we as teachers being in extremely responsible roles should definitely remember,
yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate - Ch 3.21
Whatever actions the noble people perform, the others follow. Whatever standards they set, the rest of the world pursues that.
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