Page:Adam's reports on vernacular education in Bengal and Behar, submitted to Government in 1835, 1836 and 1838.djvu/250

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190
Age and studies of the Burdwan Pandits.

loves of Radha and Krishna, and written in Sanscrit, Pracrit, Paisachi, Apabhransa, Maharashtri, Magadhi, and Sauraseni; Surya Panchasata, a poem in praise of the sun, consisting of 30 leaves or 60 pages; and Durga Sataka, containing the praises of Durga in a hundred slokas.

The majority of the teachers have school-houses either built at their own charge, or at the expense of patrons and friends, or by the subscriptions of the most respectable inhabitants of the village where the school is situated. In those instances in which there is no regular school-house, the bithak-khana or chandimandap of the pandit, or of some wealthy friend, answers the purpose.

In 190 Sanscrit schools there are 1,358 students, averaging 7·1 to each school. Of the total number 590 are natives of the villages in which the schools are situated, and 768 natives of other villages. They are thus distributed in respect of caste:—

Brahman . . . 1,296
Vaidyas . . . 45
Daivajnas . . . 11
Vaishnavas . . . 6

The students of 105 schools receive nothing in the form of presents or by mendicancy. Those of 85 schools receive rupees 391, averaging rupees 4-9-7 annually to the students collectively of each school. The following is an enumeration of the studies pursued and the number of students engaged in each:—

Grammar . . . 644
Lexicology . . . 31
Literature . . . 90
Rhetoric . . . 8
Law . . . 238
Logic . . . 277
Vedanta . . . 3
Medicine . . . 15
Mythology . . . 43
Astrology . . . 7
Tantras . . . 2

The following is the average age of the students belonging to each branch of learning at each of the periods formerly mentioned:—

Grammar . . . 11·4 . . . 16·2 . . . 20·7
Lexicology . . . 15·7 . . . 16·4 . . . 17·8
Literature . . . 18·6 . . . 21·4 . . . 24·9
Rhetoric . . . 23·6 . . . 23·8 . . . 27·1
Law . . . 23·2 . . . 27·5 . . . 33·5
Logic . . . 17·8 . . . 22·2 . . . 29·0
Vedanta . . . 24·3 . . . 31·3 . . . 34·6
Medicine . . . 16·2 . . . 20·5 . . . 24·2
Mythology . . . 24·6 . . . 27·7 . . . 31·6
Astrology . . . 23·4 . . . 26·7 . . . 30·5
Tantras . . . 27·5 . . . 32·0 . . . 32·5

The following works are read:—In grammar, the Daurgadasi and Ramtarkavagisi commentaries of the Mugdhaboodha, and the Harinamamrita grammar by Mulajiva Goswami; in literature, the Kumar Sambhava, Magha, and Padanka Duta; in law, the Suddhi,