Women and Sri Vaishanvism , the Vaidhika Matham: Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear VedAbhimAnis :

 

I sent the following input for the Dallas NaamA sessions

on "Sri Vaishnavism and Women " few days back..I am releasing

it now for the other BhakthAs , who like myself could

not particpate in the Dallas NaamA sessions stating from

today .

 

What little I know on this subject has been largely influenced

by my readings of the works of the great Vedic Scholar ,

Sri AgnihOthram RaamAnuja TatachAr .This great AchArya is

starting two special projects for 1999. One is the preparation

of a monograph on Vedic VivAhams and their comparison with

marriags elsewhere in the world (An Encyclopedia On Marriage ).

Second is the Puthra KaamEshti Yaagama t Oppiliappan Koil

during the occasion of Sri Rama Navami the coming April .

If you wish to take part in anyone of them or wish to support

them , Please write directly to the Acharyan

at the folowing address :

 

Veda Vaachaspathi Agnihothram Sri RaamAnuja TatachAr Swamy

e-3 Sankaranarayana Apartment

57 Kuppayaa Street

West Mambalam , Chennai 33

India 600033

 

Coming back to the subject of the posting ,

" Women in Sri VaishNavam " , this is the first

of the two parts .

 

 

The VedAs are our paramANam

***************************

The VedAs are " the edicices of eternal knowledge ".

They have timeless relevance to the practioners of

Sri VisishtAdhvaitham and other darsanams based on

Vedic Doctrines. There is a lot there that is absolutely

relevant to our contemproary life .As such , the VedAs

have "everlasting appeal and "applicability for all times

and nations "for men , women and children as the fundamental

units of the family .

 

VedAs take a humanistic approach to life . An individual's

relation to his or her own family is dwelt at length in the

VedAs . The relationship between man and woman , the parents

and the children are taken very seriously by VedAs , since

it ties in very closely wiht the health and well being of

Society and the preservation of DharmA . The need to develop

social consciousness with the family as an elemental unit

of society is very important one taught by the Vedaas .

Material civilization generates a lot of wealth , but is

found wanting in social consciousness and a dharmic way

of life strssing one's obligation to the different members

of society .DharmA encompasses " the entire gamut of life ".

Pursuit of a dhArmic way of life elaborated by Sruthis

and SaasthrAs creates a sound infrastructure to build

a sound and stable society that enjoys all the benefits

of a higher order of civilization .

 

The MAN-TO-WOMAN relationship is one of the most important

subject dealt with by the VedAs instructing us on how to

build a sound and stable society , where righteousness

prevails .VedAs show a keen interest in the unity of

man and woman and spells out their duties , responsibuilities

and rights .GeethAchAryan elaborates them further .

They point out the important role of women in

building a fair , stable and just scoiety .Satapatha BrahmaNA

passage states unblushingly that only woman fulfills

the purposes of human life . It extolls the divine aspect of

women and declares that women are the embodiment of Sri Devi

(SriyA vA yEthath rUpam yathA patnaya:).

 

The modern women may not be familiar with the high status

given to women in our religious world and its scriptures.

Contrary to the popular belief that VedAs deny freedom

to women , it stresses the underlying duty and THE RIGHTS

of WOMEN , while focusing on the stability of the family

as a unit , which then strengthens the society .

 

It is in this context , Vedic thought gave ample room

for a personal God to be conceived as divinty in male

or female form .Vedic Gods like Ushas (dawn ) are

adoringly saluted by the manthrams of Ushas sUktham

in Rg Vedam .There are many Rishi pathnis and wives,

who have been equally revered in PurANAs ( AnusUyA , Kausalya ,

Damayanthi , Saavithri et al).

 

Vedam describes the wife to be the best friend of

the husband AT ALL TIMES. The Vedic obligations

are recognized as SamAna (equally moving ) , since

married men and women move freely in society in pursuit

of their complimentary duties , VedAs and Manu Smruthi

vividly describe the responsibilities of women in

the house as yajamAnis . The importance of women in

the economic aspect of the family is fully emphasized

and asks men to give the women the responsibility of

looking after the family budget .Similarly , maintianing

family tradition and strengthening the spiritual

affairs of the family is entrusted with the women .

IN THE EYE OF THE VEDAS , WOMEN AND MEN ARE EQUALLY

IMPORTANT .

 

I will quote now verbatim from AgnihOthram Sri RaamAnuja

TatachAr's monograph on the Eternal relevance of VedAs

dealing with the role of women in Hindu Society :

 

" In the early years of marriage , love has a sexual

importance. But with the advance of years, it mellows

into a great attachment and affection . No one can

disturb this mutual love. Marriage is not made for

sexual purpose , BUT FOR A REAL UNITED LIFE ....

The VedAs say that the wife is the only friend

of her husband....Their comradeship is strengthened

by day-to-day movements .She never claims superiority

over her husband and she is never treated as inferior

by her husband.She is the mistress of the house ....

She is a real friend and closely follows her husband

in the good and bad of domestic life and takes keen

interest in his welfare.She also advises him at times.

Smruthi following the direction given by the Vedas

states clearly that it is the duty of a wife to correct

the mistake of her husband " .SitA piraatti did

just that in a famous pasage in Srimadh RaamAyaNam

in Her conversation with HanumAn inAsOka Vanam.

 

AgnihOthram TatachAr swamy points out a special

Vedic term : Purandhi and explains its significance .

According to the VedAs , women are more intelligent

than men (i.e) she is a purandhi.In AsvanEdhA , there is

a prayer that women must be " purandhi". By that term ,

Women's superior intelligence is indicated. " According to

the VedAs , Woman is a karma yogi . She does duty for duty's

sake.She sacrifices her individual pleasure and pain and

serves the family . The early life of all children depend

on the care of the mother. She brings them up as intelligent

and pious ones . The stability of her integrity is brought out

in one MantrA , which points out that women are to be strong as

a rock in the family so that the family can survive . Her

integrity not only keeps the family in a high order , but

it overcomes all enemies as well ".She is the queen of her

husband's house .She maintains the customs and traditions of

the house strictly , with vigilance .The house may be built

by bricks and wood , but it is not the real house.In fact ,

the wife is only the real house. VedAs never confine a woman to

the house.Many brilliant women have reached out with their

husbands and attained a spiritual status equal to or higher

than that of their husbands , who are revered as Manthra dhrushtAs

of the various Veda Manthrams .

 

The names of the women Rishis (RishikAs or Lady seers )

are etched in the annals of the Veda manthrams .None of

the Rishis or the Rishi pathnis are recognized as the

composers of the Veda manthrAs , but as samhithAkarthAs ,

who assisted in the collection of the Veda manthrams

thru the power to "see " them as manthra dhrushtAs .

Angirasa , Gautama , VasishtA , ViswAmithrA , Bhrugu ,

Athri , Marici , KasyapA , AgasthyA and BharadhvAjaa

belong to the rich set of Rishis in this category .

Every Veda manthram has a Rishi or RishikA , Chandas

and DevathA . We invoke them prior to the recitaion

of the individual mathrAs of the different VedAs .

Each of these Rishis have a distinguished wife well versed

in scholarship , AchAram and anushtAnam . These

rishikAs or Lady Seers took an important part

in SamaadhikaraNam . YajnavalkyA's wife and

her tight questioning of her husband gave

birth to a great Upanishad . There are abundant

reference to the RishikAs in the Tenth Canto of

Rg Vedam besides the other Cantos .

 

LopamudhrA is one such RishikA as the wife of

AgasthyA , known for his command over Sanskrit and Tamil.

The meaning of the word "LopamudhrA " is one ,

who is totaly absorbed in herself (i-e)., she is one

of the BrahmavAdhini RshikAs.Two manthrAs of

the Rg Vedam ( Canto I.179.1-2) are attributed to her .

 

RoamasA the wife of SvanyA , VisvavArA belonging to

the Athri family , AangirasI Sarasvathi of

Angirasa family , ApAlA of the Athri family ,

YamI Vaivasvathi , SraddhA , Vasukra pathni ,

GhOshA , SooryA , IndrANi , Urvasi , Sarama ,

Joohu , VagAmbhruNi and PoulOmi Sachi are well

known RshikAs , who are revered and are

associated with individual Rg Veda ManthrAs .

 

In the concluding posting , I will describe selected

Rg Veda manthrAs linked to the individual RishikAs

to illustrate the importance of Vedic Women , who are

models for us even today . The women in many

Indian households along the length and breadth of

Bharatha Varsham have imbibed these rich and resonant

values in their bone and blood and keep their

family strong and righteous .

 

Sri Vaishnavite households have had such exemplary

Women , who quietly served as the living examples

of these Vedic Values and cherished them as their kula dhanams .

Some of them are ANDAL ( the mother of ParAsara Bhattar and

the wife of KuratthAzhwAn ) , Devaki Piratti ,the spiritually

advanced ( jn~Adhikai) daughter of ThirukkOshtiyUr nampi .,

She was a disciple of AchArya RaamAnujA .The incident assoicated

with the 18th Thituppaavai is linked to her . At the time of

her father's ascent to Parama padham , her father asked

his daughter as to what she was thinking about . She replied

with all sincerity that she was thinking about her father

ataining Sathgathi due to his assoication with HER ACHARYA ,

Sri RaamAnujA .That is the measure of Her AchArya Bhakthi.

The joyous father blessed her with AchArya RaamAnujA's ancient

vigraham obtained by Naathamuni from NammAzhwAr before

RaamAnujA's birth . That mUrthy was worshipped in turn

by UyyakkonDAr, MaNaRkkAL nampi ,AlawandhAr . The grateful

father asked his daughterr to give that vigraham to his Sishyan,

Sri RaamAnujA . This is the quality of relationship between

the anuvrutthi prasannAcchAryar like ThirukkOshtiyUr nampi

and the KrupAmAthra PrasannAcchAr like Sri RaamAnujA .

One of the links here is thru the Bhagavathai , Devaki Pirratti .

AthtuZhAi , the daughter of Periya Nampi was another

example of this illustrious Sri VaishNavite women .

 

The five AchAryAs of Sri RaamAnujA - Periya nampi ,

ThirukkOshtiyUr nampi , ThirumAlai AanDaan , Periya

Thirumalai nampi , ThirukkOshtiyUr nampi ,Thiruvaranga

PerumAn Araiyar --recognized AchArya RaamAnuja , their

disciple as their own UttAraka AchAryan and entrusted their

brothers , sons and DAUGHTERS as his sishyAs .Devaki PirAtti

and ANDAL belong to this group of exemplary women .

Sri VaishNava kulam grew out of such dedicated ,

modest, spiritually rigorous women , who were like

kalankarai viLakku ( lighthouses ).

 

The WIVES AND DAUGHTERS of the men of the ten branches of

KaimkaryaparALs assigned by AchAryA RaamAnujA for

Sri RanganaathA's daily kaimkaryam were also

shining lights in their own rights .

 

Parutthik Kollai AmmAl , Kongup PirAtti(AchArya RaamAnujA's

sishyai ) , Vangipuratthu Aacchi ( the disciple of AlawanadAr) ,

Ammangi ( ThirukkaNNapuram Nampi ? )are other shining examples

of illustrious Sri Vaishnava Bhagavathais , who spread the darsanam of

Sri RaamAnujA .Ammangi , another disciple of AlavandhAr

is the one , who instructed AchArya RaamAnuja with

the five pointers of proper code of conduct for a

Sri Vaishnava Achaarya as she (?)learnt it from her own

Acharya , Alavandar . These five codes of conduct

are deep in meaning and are like aphorisms for us

to reflect as well even today .The most merciful

AchArya , Sri RaamAnujA was very receptive to

great Bhaagavathais and their upadEsa vAkhyams

as well . His respect for his AchArya pathnis

is legendary .

 

Our most merciful AchArya Sri RaamAnuja was visiting at

one time ThirukkOLur , the birth place of Madhura Kavi

AzhwAr . He met a young girl there , who came to offer

her praNAmams and entered into a conversation with her.

He was so delighted with this girl's divya Prabhandha

Jn~Anam that he blessed her and her family .

Our AchAryAs follow that way of life and care

equally for the spiritual well being of

our men , WOMEN and theentire family .

 

Lit from those lamps ,our women persevere joyously with

the steady diffusion / dissemination process by personal

code of condiuct and serve as the Sheet Anchor for our

SampradhAyam . They tend to their other duties and

continue today at India and the distant households

in America through the efforts of the organizers of NaamA

Sathsangams at Dallas , Denver , Singapore and elsewhere .

May those efforts grow and flourish !

Namo NaarAyaNA ,

V.Sadagopan

 

(To be Continued)