Process of training - vRddha samyOga

In the past post - http://sastra-artha.blogspot.in/2013/04/vinaya-adhikaranam-guidance-to-lead.html we have seen the basis for vinaya is vRddhOpasEva or serving an elder experienced teachers.

विनयस्य मूलं वृद्धोपसेवा 

vinayasya mUlam vRddhOpasEvA - The basis for guidance is serving the elders / knowledgeable ones!  (guru)

वृद्धसेवाया विज्ञानम 

vRddhOpasEvayA vijnAnam - by serving the  Guru, KNOWLEDGE

So, cANakya says by meeting and serving people with "practical experience" in the subject alone can help acquiring the vinaya or skill.

There is an important point mentioned "क्रिया हि द्रव्यं विनयति न अद्रव्यं" - the process of training can polish/improve only the right raw material into the finished product for example a raw diamond can be polished to shine. Only iron ore can be finished into steel. It is not possible to make a diamond or steel from a lump of mud. "adravyam" can't be trained. Only dravyam can be trained, purified, polished by the process of vinaya. (we can't train everyone in all the subjects. One should identify the internal skill in the student and let that skill be shined by the process of vidya)

शुश्रूषा, श्रवण​, ग्रहण​, धारण​, विज्ञान​, ऊह​, अपोह​, तत्त्वाभिनिविष्ट बुद्धिम् विद्या विनयति
One who has strong desire to listen/learn, ability to actively listen, acquire what has been heard, remember what has been acquired, ability to discriminate what is possible and what is impossible, ability to visualize things that have not been explained, ability to reject things that are not reconciling, a strong desire to find out the true essence; a buddhi (resolved mind) that has these qualities can be polished by vidya. न इतरम्. not otherwise!

Only by AcArya pramANa teaching / evidence of a AcArya (one who has followed the vidya i.e., one who has practical experience) theory and application of the vidya can be acquired. 

Vidya should start at the age of 3 yaears and continue till 16th year. (about 12 years) A King should be taught in the military training during the first half of the day and philosophy, vedas, itihAsas, dharma SAstra, artha SAstra in the afternoon.

श्रुतात् हि प्रज्ञ उपजायते । प्रज्ञया योगः । योगात् आत्मवत् इति विद्या सामर्थ्यम् ॥
By studying various SAstras one gains the knowledge (of three time periods i.e, past, present and future) ; by prajna one develops yOga (practical application of SAstra) ; by yOga one realizes the self (self-confidence, self-control, self-respect) This is the USE of vidyas or knowledge.

In modern day, we are not focusing at all on bringing individual skill out during the education. All the 12+4 years of education we spend comparing with others and giving a same yardstick question paper in physics, chemistry, maths, biology, social studies to all students. We have competitive exams to eliminate 99 out of 100 students. Neither the teacher has clarity of what is being taught nor the student. I can only say, the students of past in TakshaSila and Nalanda viswa vidyaalayas have realized their potential having taught by able teachers who have polished students to realize their SELF-POTENTIAL.

This is the end of 5th chapter of artha SAstra which also completes the second topic called vRddha samyOga.