Abstract for potentail contrbution to the Stevens Conference

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

I have been invited to speak at the World Congress on

Vedas at New Jersey during next month. The extended

abstract of my paper is attached .

 

Best wishes,

V.Sadagopan

 

 

" Women, Family and the VedAs " By Dr.V.Sadagopan

Scarborough , NY

 

Vedas instruct us extensively about the importance of

developing social consciousness , which deals with

the individual's relation to the immediate family

and the extended family (Society). Service (Kaimkaryam )

to others and sacrifice (ThyAgam ) for the benefit

of the members of the family and society are the stepping

stones to perfection of social consciousness . Service and

sacrifice are thus fundamental for the survival and

stability of soceity .

 

Vedic dharmas and karmas ( sacrifices) emphasize

the development and reinforcement of Saathvika ThyAgam

in the saadhakan . Lord Krishna instructs us about this

glorious Vedic path through His upadEsam:

" parasparam bhAvayantha: srEya: paramavApsthyaTha "

He says: "Thus nourishing one another , May you obtain

the highest good (mokshA)" .

 

The contribution of Women to the VedAs

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

>From time immemorial, Women have palyed a key role in

Kaimkaryams and ThyAgams for their families. Indeed

Vedic women have served as the key role models through their

scholarship, service and sacrifice for the perfection of

social consciousness as family women . One Rg Veda manthram

specifically states that women have intrinsic longing for

spiritual duties and spiritual welfare of the immediate

and extended family: "uta tvA strI sasIyasi pumso bhavati

vasyasi adevatrAt arAdhasah ". Another Vedic passage points out

the divine aspect of women this way :" SriyA vaa etat rUpam

yathaa patnayah". Yaksha,the author of nirukta says in

the context of commenting on the Vedic word , " Purandhi"

states that women are more intelligent than men .Such is

the lofty reverence with which the VedAs look upon and

salute women as the pillars that hold society together .

 

The RshikAs or the lady-seers of the Rg Veda are

the earliest holders of this tradition of holding aloft

the twin goals of Kaimkaryam and ThyAgam for attaining

parama purushArtham (Moksham). Among the 407 Rishis (Seers)

listed by the SarvAnkramaNi of KaatyAyana , few are RishikAs

(Lady-Seers) with their own divinely inspired vision of

specific Veda manthrams.They are recognized thus as

the manthra dhrashtAs . There is no gender-bender here.

There are samhitAkArAs from the group of seasoned sages

known for their austerities(tapas) , who were men or women.

The Women sages of distinction were thus not relegated to

the background in the Vedic age.

 

The personal and the family names of these SamhithAkArAs

are historically determined to be authentic by links to

their prvarams and Gothrams).The women Rishis are associated

with both Kshudra SookthAs ( Shorter hymns ) as well as

MahA sookthAs (longer hymns) in Rg Vedam. For instance ,

the lady-seer (RishikA ) of Rg Vedic Rk X.151 is

Sraddhaa KamayAni .This is considered one of the noblest

SookthAs of Rg Vedam dealing with the adoption of truth

with all fidelity and visvAsam (sathyamEva jayathE).

 

The other lady SamhithAkArAs of the Vedic hymns

are LOpaamudhrA ( Rg I.179.1-2) . The word LOpAmudhra

has been translated as "the one completely absorbed or

lost in oneself ".ROmasA , the wife of the Vedic Seer ,

Svanya is the BrahmavAdhini RishikA of Rk.I.126.7.

 

The lady seer VisvavArA of the Athri family is

the RishikA of the entire set of six hymns housed in

Rg V.28. The loftiness of the vision of this seer, whose

name translates as "One who repels all sins" is revealed

in the V.28.2 Rk:

 

" samdhyamAno amruthasya rAjasi

havishkruNvantham sachasE svasthayE

visvam sa dhatthE dhraviNam yam-

invasy Athithyam agnE ni cha dhattha ithpura:"

 

(Meaning): " O Adorable Lord! Whilst Your glory

enkindled , You become the King of mortals. You

take care of the offerer of the oblation for his welfare.

He whom You favor , acquires universal wealth ;

he sets before You , O Lord , the gifts that

guests may claim ".

 

In another of these six hymns , This RishikA salutes

the Lord and His bounty this way : " The glory of

adorable Lord , when enkindled , spreads lustre

through the firmament , and shines widely turning

unto the universal light of divine intelligence--".

 

The Mysticism behind the lines can be linked to

the fruits of saathvika ThyAgam, prapatthi prayOjanam

and the angams of Prapatthi as MahA Visvaasam .

 

Vasukrapathni , GhOshA , the daughter of Sage kakshivAn ,

JuhU , the seer of the most mystical hymn X.109 ,

VaagambruNI , PolOumi Sachi, the daughter of PulOma Rishi

are some of the well known RishikAs , who shared their

divine visions through various Rks as manthra DhrashtAs.

 

In this presentation , we will offfer salutations to women,

family and dwell on the importance of social consciousness as

a Vedic doctrine with ample quotations from the VedAs .

 

V.Sadagopan