Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 I believe technically it is only twice-born (i.e., initiated, and wearing a sacred cord) men who can recite the Gayatri. Non-initiates, Shudras, Chandalas, and non-Hindus have to resort to a simpler Gayatri, addressed to Brahman. If I recall correctly, it goes... <Om paratattvaya vidmahe/ Paramesvaraya dhimahi/ Tanno brahman prachodayat/> However, there are modern Hindu traditions that are allowing women to wear the sacred cord (as they seem to have done in the earliest days!), and chant the full Gayatri. And in Yoga centers all over the world, even non-Hindus are taught the full Gayatri. The excuse that "women can give birth" so they don't need the Gayatri, sounds like men trying to preserve their priviledge. -- Len/ Kalipadma On Wed, 5 May 2004 14:33:19 -0700 (PDT) moon_81_surfer <moon_81_surfer writes: > > 2. why is it that only men have to recite gayatri mantram ???? > Ans. It is because they cannot give birth to babies. > > found on: http://www.chinnajeeyar.org/quesans.htm#q2 > ______________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 I just want to add my two cents. It is not "modern Hindu traditions". It is really ancient and is referred to in ancient texts. i do not remember which now but I have read a text somewhere it is stated "in the olden days women were also given brahmopadesha and sacred thread". In fact in one community this practice is STILL prevelant. kalipadma wrote: I believe technically it is only twice-born (i.e., initiated, and wearing a sacred cord) men who can recite the Gayatri. Non-initiates, Shudras, Chandalas, and non-Hindus have to resort to a simpler Gayatri, addressed to Brahman. If I recall correctly, it goes... <Om paratattvaya vidmahe/ Paramesvaraya dhimahi/ Tanno brahman prachodayat/> However, there are modern Hindu traditions that are allowing women to wear the sacred cord (as they seem to have done in the earliest days!), and chant the full Gayatri. And in Yoga centers all over the world, even non-Hindus are taught the full Gayatri. The excuse that "women can give birth" so they don't need the Gayatri, sounds like men trying to preserve their priviledge. -- Len/ Kalipadma On Wed, 5 May 2004 14:33:19 -0700 (PDT) moon_81_surfer <moon_81_surfer writes: > > 2. why is it that only men have to recite gayatri mantram ???? > Ans. It is because they cannot give birth to babies. > > found on: http://www.chinnajeeyar.org/quesans.htm#q2 > ______________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! / Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at HotJobs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 , kalipadma@j... wrote: > > I believe technically it is only twice-born (i.e., initiated, and wearing > a sacred cord) men who can recite the Gayatri. Non-initiates, Shudras, > Chandalas, and non-Hindus have to resort to a simpler Gayatri, addressed > to Brahman. If I recall correctly, it goes... Not just smritis, but some tantras(and that too, famous ones) which some scholars consider as the word of Shiva endorse the same view as above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 , sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote: > I just want to add my two cents. It is not "modern Hindu traditions". It is really ancient and is referred to in ancient texts. i do not remember which now but I have read a text somewhere it is stated "in the olden days women were also given brahmopadesha and sacred thread". > In fact in one community this practice is STILL prevelant. Megasthenes, the author of Indica, who was also a greek ambassodor to ChandraGupta Maurya mentions atleast once, that women are not taught this(vedic) knowledge during his time. Megasthenes lived somewhere around 350-300 B.C. Rgds > kalipadma@j... wrote: > > I believe technically it is only twice-born (i.e., initiated, and wearing a sacred cord) men who can recite the Gayatri. Non- initiates, Shudras, Chandalas, and non-Hindus have to resort to a simpler Gayatri, addressed > to Brahman. If I recall correctly, it goes... > > <Om paratattvaya vidmahe/ > Paramesvaraya dhimahi/ > Tanno brahman prachodayat/> > > However, there are modern Hindu traditions that are allowing women to wear the sacred cord (as they seem to have done in the earliest days!), and chant the full Gayatri. And in Yoga centers all over the world, even > non-Hindus are taught the full Gayatri. > > The excuse that "women can give birth" so they don't need the Gayatri, sounds like men trying to preserve their priviledge. > > -- Len/ Kalipadma > > > On Wed, 5 May 2004 14:33:19 -0700 (PDT) moon_81_surfer > <moon_81_surfer> writes: > > > > 2. why is it that only men have to recite gayatri mantram ???? > > Ans. It is because they cannot give birth to babies. > > > > found on: http://www.chinnajeeyar.org/quesans.htm#q2 > > > > > ______________ > The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! > Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! > Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! > > > > Links > > > / > > > > > Terms of Service. > > > > > > Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at HotJobs > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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