Guru Shishya Parampara: Relevance of Yama and Nachiketa Story in the Present Education System

The Guru-Shishya Parampara (teacher-student tradition) has long been a foundational pillar of Indian education. The success of the ancient education system was due to the strong, unbreakable relationship between the Guru (teacher) and the shishya (disciple). The lack of this is the most critical factor in educational ruin in modern India. This paper examines the significance of the guru-shishya parampara as mentioned in the ancient scripture, the Katha Upanishad, and identifies the pedagogical values primarily through the dialogue between Yama, the teacher, and Nachiketa, the disciple. To gather relevant data, both the primary source (in this case, the Katha Upanishad) and the secondary sources (the articles and analyses by other authors) are used. Data are treated through content analysis. The key pedagogical values are patience, self-inquiry, high moral standards, and an insatiable quest for knowledge. Nachiketa's qualities of persistence and mentorship of Yama embody a transformative learning process. It was grounded in value-based guidance. In contrast, today's education systems often focus more on academic success and career skills, while usually neglecting moral and emotional development. By analysing pedagogical methods such as the question-and-answer method, the lecture method, and value-based learning in the Yama-Nachiketa dialogue, this study advocates reviving ancient educational principles alongside modern practices. It proposes embracing Shreya's enduring values (the good), not Preya's (the pleasant). This will help in transforming education into a more humane and ethically rooted system.