Gemmalyn Balmes

The Teaching Profession

HINDU PHYLOSOPHY OF SHIKSHA (education) & VIDYA (knowledge)

Hindus focus on shiksha (education) as value based worthwhile learning (Chinta Mani Yogi). They believe that through education,
one can attain the skills essential for living/survival but vidyais attained for life. Through shiksha, one can become successful but
having vidya, is having the ability to attain wisdom. Thus not all educated individuals are necessarily budhiman (wise).

Current usage of the term vidya includes the following;

1. To attain knowledge, as in vidya prapt karna (to learn about something in as specific field/area).
2. To provide knowledge, as in vidya pradaan karna (to teach).
3. To concentrate in studies, as in vidya par dhiyaan diya karo (be devoted towards studies).
4. The formal Education system, as in vidya pradaan karna bahoot zaruri hai (it is very important to attain knowledge).

The person who provides vidya or gyaan to the novices or buddhihin is normally referred to as “acharye” which means a
knowledgeable person. An archarye is a person who can be a teacher, a village elder, a guide or an instructor. This term is
normally referred to people who are gyaani in a particular field. For Example, a person specialised in mathematics will be
called “Bhaskaracharya” meaning mathematician. Derived from the term acharye is guru (teacher/educator).

PRASHIKSH (training)

The ability to master skills and carry them out practically is referred to as prashiksha. Like that of the Pacific Island cultures,
Hinduism also depends on the informal ways of teaching to pass on skills and knowledge from generations to generations. Here
the guru’s or elders of the community train the youth in skills such as crafting, farming, cooking etc. The shikshaks (students)
learn through dekhana aur jananna (watch and learn).

Some common usage of the tearm prashiksha is as follows;

1. To be a trainee, as in chiskta mai prashiksu (a trainee in medicine).
2. To learn through copying, as in nakal ke madhyam se prashiksha karna.
3. To need for training, as in adesa mem nipuna banne ke lie prasikshana avasyaka hai (training is important in order to become
skilful).
Prashikshak are parichayed (exposed/introduced) to the skills which the community feels is essential for their everyday living.

PARIKSHA (assessment)
Normally in every formal education system, assessment is carried out in order to evaluate students’ performance. In the
traditional context the form of assessment was not through examination but more practical based. Pariksha was carried out by
enabling the shikshaks to perform the tasks themselves while the guru would monitor them. If an individual fails to perform the
task taught to them, he would be grouped with the women, children and aged members of the community. Thus, pariksha was
the not only used in evaluating but aslo ranking shikshaks’ performance.

Some common forms of pariksha are as follows;

1. To assess skills, as in kaushal ki pariksha.
2. To rank shikshaks performance, as in Nirdharita pariksha (test for braveness).
3. Preparation for pariksha, as in muliyakan ke liye achi tharah se tyari karna bahoot zarurri hai (it is essential to be well
prepared for assessment)
4.
BHUDHIMANTA (wisdom)
The ability to analyse situations in the minimum possible time as well as the ability to understand and rationalise things are some
of the ideal qualities of a bhudhiman (wise) person. As Christianity claims that a wise man is one who sees things from Gods
point of view, similarly Hinduism has the same perception. A wise man is one who follow gods path.

Some qualities of a bhudhiman person are as such;

1. Has understanding and knowledge and uses them to analyse situations
2. Good listener and observant
3. Hardworking
4. Obedient
5. Humble
6. Controls lips
7. Has religious views and understanding
8. Guided by the Vedic principles especially karma
A common belief of Hinduism is that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”, i.e. one has to pay according to his/her
deeds (karma). (Chinta Mani Yogi) Moreover, it is also a belief that normally children tend to pay for their parents wrong doings.
Thus, bhudhiman people utilize their knowledge and understanding as such that they tend to avoid such problems.