Relation Between The Teacher And The Taught In The Dharmasūtra Literature

Abstract

The Dharmasūtras have their origin in various Vedic schools and they belong to the Vedāṅga treatise known as the Kalpasūtras. The Dharmasūtras are closely connected with the Gṛhyasūtras in their contents. The scope of the Dharmasūtras is much wider than the Gṛhyasūtras. The Gṛhyasutras are mainly allied to the Gṛhya ritual and the Dharmasūtras are deeply related to the economic, social, political and religious life of people. In the sutra period after the initiation a child enters to Brahmacarya stage. The students had to stay as brahmacārins with their gurus for their Vedic studies. During that period the students had to observe some rules and regulations. In that time the pupil had to obey every command of their guru. In the Dharmasūtra literature the guru, i.e. the preceptor was considered the most respectable and he was the god for the pupils. During the Dharmasūtra period relationship between the teacher and the taught was pure and intimate.