The Gupta family of the Gupta dynasty, in which Emperor Samudragupta was born, was a follower of the Vedic religion and a devotee of Vishnu. Samudragupta himself was an ardent devotee of Mahāvishnu. He regularly recited Gāyatri Mantra, Vishnu Sahasranāma and Purushasukta as per the vow he had taken for his entire lifetime. Samudragupta and Dattadevi built magnificent temples of Mahāvishnu at various places in their empire and vigorously propagated Vaishnavism. Conduct as per Vaishnavism, which was based on devotion, became an inseparable part of society. In all the temples built by Samudragupta, he started education centres of all the disciplines prevalent at that time. In these temples, students used to study in the sections called ‘Vimān’ and ‘Kundal’. In the ‘Vimān’ section, students learnt applied sciences (as per contemporary sciences), while in the ‘Kundal’ section, religious and moral values were taught. Accommodation for students was arranged in the courtyard of these temples. The title of ‘Kundalācharya’ was given to the ‘Pramukh Ācharya’ (head teacher) of each school. The triennial meeting of all the ‘Kundalācharyas’ of the empire was held regularly in the capital in the presence of Samudragupta. Here, problems in the field of education were discussed and decisions were taken accordingly.
Read More – The Grand History – 4
