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Tag: Taxila

  • Taxila, Takshashila Built By Bharata Brother Of Rama

    Lord Rama’s son ,Lava built Lahore now in Pakistan.

    Taxila, called as Takshashila in Sanskrit and Takashila was built by Bharata, brother of Lord Rama , for his son Taksha.

    Taxila.Image.jpg
    Taxila, Takshasila, world’s First University.

    ‘

    Legend has it that Takṣaśilā derived its name from Takṣa, who was the son of Bharata, the brother of the Hindu deity Rama. Takṣa’s kingdom was called Takṣa Khanda and its capital that he founded was named Takṣaśilā.

    *According to another theory propounded by DD Kosambi, Takṣaśilā is related to Takṣaka, Sanskrit for “carpenter”, and is an alternative name for the Nāgas of ancient India. In the great Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Kuru heir Parikṣit (grandson of the Arjuna) was enthroned at Takṣaśilā. Traditionally, it is believed that the Mahabharata was first recited at Takṣaśilā by Vaishampayana, student ofVyasa at the behest of the seer Vyasa himself, at the Snake Sacrifice.

    * There is no supportive evidence for this.

    In “Lalitha Vistara,” we are told of the formation of such institutions for teaching the three R’s and moral stories to the young. Further, a very remarkable achievement of ancient India in the post-Vedic and Buddhist ages was the organisation of higher education in a few of the prominent centres of India. The earliest and the most famous institutions of the kind were those of Benares and Taxila, which were the educational havens for people from all parts of the world, right down at least from the Buddhist age. The one place which acquired a great reputation not only for its mastery over a special branch of knowledge, medicine, but also for its general ideal instruction, perfect discipline and homely training was the University of Taxila…

    In the Ramayana, (Vangavasi Edition-Uttarakandam-Chapter XIV) Bharata, Sri Rama’s brother, is said to have built two cities, Takkhasila and Puskalavata, and appointed his sons, Takkha and Puskala, to be their rulers respectively. The cities were described as very prosperous in as much as their citizens were pious and prosperous. There is another reference in the same Uttarakanda of Ramayana that Takkhasila was a centre of learning and that people from different parts of the country resorted to the Institution of Education there to specialise in Law (Vyavahara). The 88th Chapter of Vayupurana refers to Takkhasila, the capital of Takka, a beautiful city.

    ‘Brihatsamhita’ mentions Takkhasila as a most famous city, implying thereby that it was doubtless a centre of ancient education and culture. Further, in Mahabharata, it is recorded that the King Janamejaya conquered it. It also declares the men Taxila to be matchless and unrivalled in discussions and debates in educational and cultural learning. Lastly, Ksemendra’s ‘Aradanakalpalata’ says that Asoka’s son, Kunala, was sent by Asoka to conquer Takkhasila, which was ruled by Kunjarakarna.

    Taxila has been referred to, often, in Pali literature as well, a great centre of learning and as an important University centre in ancient India. According to Dhammapadattahakatha, Pasenadi, King of Kosala, was educated at the University of Taxila. From the Mahavagga, (Vinaya Pitaka), we learn that several princes from various kingdoms, within and without India, went to the University of Taxila for their complete education.

    Dhammapadadattahakatha speaks of a student who went to Taxila, all the way from Benares, to study the ‘Silpas’, in the midst of five hundred class-mates. In several places, in the Pali Jatakas, there are references to highly renowned teachers living at Taxila and to the various subjects taught there.
    The foreign writers of Greece, Rome and China have left Lind valuable records of accounts of Taxila. Arrian refers it as having been a great and flourishing city in the times Alexander. Strabo comments upon its population. Plutarch dwells upon its fertile soil. Hiuentsang writes of its rich harvests and luxuriant vegetation. There are other foreign Buddhist works which refer to the various arts and sciences, imparted at the University of Taxila, in the Buddhist age.

  • World’s Earliest University Than Nalanda Telhara

    The world’s earliest  University was established in Takshila,India and it functioned between 500 and 1300 AD.(?)

    Telhara University.png
    Telhara University.India.

     

    “Taxila also known as Takshashila, flourished from 600 BC to 500 AD, in the kingdom of Gandhar. 68 subjects were taught at this university and the minimum entry age, ancient texts show, was 16. At one stage, it had 10,500 students including those from Babylon, Greece, Syria, and China. Experienced masters taught the vedas, languages, grammar, philosophy, medicine, surgery, archery, politics, warfare, astronomy, accounts, commerce, documentation, music, dance and other performing arts, futurology, the occult and mystical sciences,complex mathematical calculations. The panel of masters at the university included legendary scholars like Kautilya, Panini, Jivak and Vishnu Sharma. Thus, the concept of a full-fledged university was developed in India.

    Nalanda University

    As early as 700 B.C., there existed a giant University at Takshashila, located in the northwest region of Bharat (India).

    During the 800 years that the university was operational, it attained great fame. Its campus was one mile in length and a half-mile in width. It also had 300 lecture halls with stone benches for sitting; laboratories and other facilities were also available. For example, the university had a towering observatory called the Ambudharaavlehi for astronomical research. It has boasted a massive library called Dharma Gunj or Mountain of Knowledge that was set up in three buildings named Ratna Sagar, Ratnodavi and Ratnayanjak. The entrance examination was very difficult and the pass rate was 3 out of every 10 students. Despite this hurdle, the Chinese traveler, Hien Tsang wrote in his diary that 10,000 students and 200 professors were at Nalanda University.

    Now archeologists have found another University, which, primary studoes indivates,is older than Nalanda.

    ”

    It is deduced that the remains of the Telhara university can be older than Nalanda and Vikramshila universities, officials said here Sunday.

    Based on the key findings, Bihar’s Arts, Culture and Youth Affairs Secretary Anand Kishor said that based on key findings from the excavation, it can be confirmed that Telhara University was older than Nalanda and Vikramshila.

    “A team of archaeologists has found four Buddhist monastery seals made of terracotta, bearing the inscriptions – Sri Prathamshivpur Mahavihariyaye Bikshu Sanghas – in Pali language in Nalanda district that indicated the university’s real name, which is usually described as Telhara University,” Kishor said.

    Kishor said Chinese traveller Heuen Tsang visited Telhara in the 7th century AD and he mentioned the university as “Teleadaka” in his narrative.

    Kishor told IANS that archaeologists have discovered bricks that were used to lay the ancient university’s foundation.

    “Bricks’ dimension 42x32x6 cm revealed a Kushan, first century AD, influence. That is a strong evidence that the Telhara University is older than fourth century’s Nalanda University and seventh century’s Vikramshila University.”.

    Kishor said the archaeological discovery was a landmark achievement for Bihar.

    He said archaeologists based on previous findings placed the Telhara University in the Gupta period between fourth and seventh century. But the new findings cleared all doubts as to the university’s age.

    Atul Kumar Verma, director of state archaeology, said: “It is a positive development in the field of excavation in Bihar.”

    “After discovery of remains of fourth century ancient Nalanda and eight century Vikramshila universities, this is the discovery of remains of third ancient university in the state,” Verma said.

    He said remains of Telhara University were found during excavation of a 45-foot high mound. “We have also found a huge floor, statues in bronze and stone, and over 100 seals.”

    Citation.

    http://indiaspotnews.com/remains-telhara-university-bihar-can-older-nalanda-university/

    http://veda.wikidot.com/tip:world-first-university-takshila

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