Vedas by women

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavathas,

 

Some relevant article indicate that women were responsible for composing Rig

Veda and until Manu's era women were undergoing upanayanam ceremony. It appears

that the practise were discontinued at some stage. Adiyen has been evasive from

a couple of ladies one from Auckland and one in Germany who eagerly seek to

learn Sri Suktam. And there seems to be increasingly more women who would like

to learn and recite vedas.

 

Do we follow the post Manu tradition or the vedic era?

 

We certainly need to have a very convincing answer to this? Who will be the

governing body who can issue a verdict on this issue?

 

http://www.womenexcel.com/education/eduwomen.htm reads as follows

 

The Vedic era (Before 200 B.C)

 

During the Vedic era, boys and girls had equal opportunities for advanced

education. The girls used to spend the early years of their life, like the boys,

in brahmacharya ashram after participating in the Upanayana Sanskara ceremony.

Upanayana (sacred thread ceremony) was required for the study of the Vedas.

Therefore, in the Vedic age, Brahmacharya discipline and training was as much

necessary for girls as for boys. If Upanayana was not performed for a girl, then

the girl would be reduced to the status of a Sudra, and she could not marry.

After the Upanayana ceremony, girls were given the same education that was given

to boys, but they were permitted to quit early as they were expected to marry at

the age 16 or 17.

In those days, women dominated teaching. Boarding school facilities were

available for girl students under the able protection of women. During the Vedic

period some women were so learned that they publicly challenged men of letters

and held their own in discussions on philosophical and metaphysical subjects.

Women took an active part in agriculture and in the making of war weapons like

bows and arrows.

 

Women and the Intellectual Field

 

Twenty-seven women rishis were responsible for the composition of mantras for

Vedas especially the Rig Veda. Some of them were Vishvarava Ghosh and Apala

Atreyi, Indrani, Kakhi Vati Ghosh, Surya Savitri, Dakshina Prajapati, Vak

Ambhireni, Ratri Bharadwaj, Gasha, Shrudha Kamayani, Yami Shachi Paulomi,

Sarparajni and Urvashi. The majority of the hymns in the Rig Veda are dedicated

to mythological beings and the personification of abstract qualities.

 

Post Vedic period (200 BC- 1200 AD)

 

Manu, the author of Manusmriti, or the ancient laws, was of the opinion that

women were not eligible for the study of the Vedas, nor for the reciting of

mantras in performing sacraments, except in the case of marriage. The nuptial

ceremony was to be the only Vedic sacrament for women. According to Manu,

serving one's husband was equivalent of living in the house of a teacher and

receiving spiritual teaching. For women, household duties were equated with

yajna. Manu states that sacraments must be performed for females so as to

sanctify the body at the proper time and in the proper order but without

recitation of sacred mantras. The concern apparently was that because girls were

getting married early, they would not be able to learn the mantras properly, and

thus would make mistakes. Earlier women were married at 16 and 17 but in this

period the age of marriage dropped down to 12. However, girls from rich and

noble families continued to receive fairly good education. Besides the study of

Sanskrit and Prakrit, they were given solid grounding in housekeeping and arts

like music, dance, painting etc. Educated women made a great contribution to

literature in this era.

 

<http://www.gurjari.net/ico/Mystica/html/gayatri_mantra.htm> reads as follows

also (This was also indicated by Sri. M.K.Krishnaswamy)

 

Rishinis or women rishis like Gargi and Lopamudra are said to have undergone the

Upanayanam and the former indeed, engaged in debate none less than the law

giver, Yagnyavalkya

 

Dasan

 

Sridhar Vasudevan

 

 

 

 

 

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