Ladies and ThirumaNN kAppu

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Srinivasan :

 

" Pazhaya Kaalatthu AmmAmis " ( Ladies of earlier generations)

used to wear Sri chUrNam on their foreheads and then add

the kumkumam at the lower end of it , just above the brows.

This was their normal "dress code " . Later , it ended up

in pottu . Even today , during formal occasions

( Marriage et al ) in Sri Vaishnavite homes , Sumangalis

wear the red Sri ChUrNam and the Kumkumum on

their foreheads .

 

One step further , the ladies , who lost their husbands

wore a white crescent just above the brows from

ThirumaNN instead of the whole U-shaped form and

wore yellow dot above . Blank forehead was rarely seen

among widows in the earlier days especailly in villages .

 

While on this subject , a reference was made to Ladies

reciting Sahasra Naamam and attracting the attention

of Men by accident because of their sweet tones and higher

pitch . The deeply rooted cultural mores of India in Sri Vaishnavite

homes rarely would lend themselves to men and women

sitting in the same ghOshti and reciting Sahasra Naamam

or any other sacred works together .

 

My mother and grand mother wont even sit in front of their

husbands even at home . Even in this country , the ladies

and women sit in separate groups at the temple following

the Indian traditions . They may recite the sacred works ,

but from different sections of the assembly . The old

generation couple in India rarely ate together . The husband

and children were fed first before they could eat . Many of our women

in the cities of India are C. As , Doctors, Lawyers et al today

and these customs under time pressures have changed .

 

The restrictions on women reciting scriptures are common

also in Muslim and Jewish religions . In both these religions,

women are relegated to separate seats away from the Orchestra

level seating . The old Roman Catholic religion has

ongoing fights about accepting women into preisthood

and who can say the mass .

 

All aside , I do not see any reason for the ladies reciting

Sahasra Naamams at home in front of pujA graham

daily . My grand mothers on both sides had Vedic Scholars

as husbands . They were however illiterate and could only

make thumb impressions as signatures on official documents .

Both however had good grasp of slOkams and they recited them

and left the menfolk to teach it to us . They learned it as chilldren

from their fathers and recitesd them as they went about their chores .

 

In Swami Desikan's times , the ladies were pampered and

they were not subject to the rigors of speaking in Sanskrit ,

even if they could . They elected instead to speak in PrAkrutham .

That had the sweetness and the endearing "lisp " .

 

In the Vedic times , the wives of many Sages were profound

Vedic Scholars and debated with their husbands on esoteric

subjects in deva bhAshA . Whole Upanishad has resulted from

such a discussion between sage Yaj~nyavalkya and his consort .

The Rishis for some of the Veda manthrAs are women . They are

the manthra dhrushtAs .

 

Times have indeed changed !

 

V.Sadagopan

 

 

V.Sadagopan