Women & chanting vedas.

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

We are now going to see whether any stipulations had

been in vogue regarding recital of vedas. If so what

are they?

 

Ramanuja in his bhashya to the very first sutra of

Brahma sutras, namely ‘Then, therefore, the inquiry

into the Brahman’, speaks elaborately about the need

to learn the sruti texts (just recitation) before

taking up any analysis of the nature of Brahman. It is

like this. The learning in those days consisted of two

parts, the study of Purva Mimamsa and Utthara mimamsa.

The former is known as karma khandam and the latter,

gyaana khandam. The former is about learning by heart

the various verses chanted during various sacrifices

etc, commonly known as ‘works’ (karma yogam). The

latter is about discussions on meditations (upasana),

which are connected with works. They are of the

nature of knowledge of Brahman.

 

Various commentators including Ramanuja, while

analysing the import of terms ‘then’ and ‘therefore’

in this sutra, have given different opinions. If we

rely on Shankara, the analysis that I have undertaken

to do would become hassle-free. For, Shankara does not

see the recital or the chanting of vedas as mandatory

or compulsory for one who wishes to take up gyana

khandam. All that one has to possess to pursue the

analysis of Brahman are 4 in number. They are (1)

discrimination between things permanent and

transcient, (2) renunciation of the enjoyment of work

in this world and next, (3) the six treasures, viz.,

sama, dama, uparati, titiksA, samAdhAna and shraddha

and (4) an intense desire for liberation.

 

But Ramanuja thinks that any person wishing to pursue

the knowledge of Brahman must first learn to chant the

vedas (swadhyayam). He thinks that learning vedas is a

samskaara (refinement or exaltation of excellence) and

swadhyaaya forms the object of samskaara. Taittriya

upanishad is quoted to substantiate this.

 

He says memory forms the core ingredient for acquiring

knowledge. And memory is best toned when the saadhaka

is involved in constant practice of manana of the

vedas. What he gains by reciting vedas is an

enhancement of mental reception. “Mental reception of

a collection of syllables” and the remembrance by

listening to “the recitation by the teacher followed

by the after-recitation (by the pupil)” help in better

memory. “The memory becomes firm; when such memory is

obtained, there is the loosening of all knots”, says

Chandogya (VII-26-2).

 

“ For constant remembrance, sacrifices etc are the

means. This constant remembrance, which is the same as

knowing, practiced throughout life, is the only means

to the realisation of Brahman and all duties

prescribed for various stages of life (ashrama) have

to be observed only for the origination of knowledge.”

 

“By this all previous sins (death) which obstruct the

origination of knowledge are destroyed. “By the

performance of duties, sins are destroyed.”

Gitacharyan says this when He said that Janaka

attained perfection only by ‘works’ (karma yogam)

Ramanuja gives copious quotes to substantiate that

recital of vedas must precede or is antecedent to

gyana khandam or inquiry into Brahman.

 

He also draws quotes from Satapatha Brahmana and Manu

smrithi to say how the learning must begin. It is

invariably about the gurukula vaasam that is to begin

when the person is 8 years of age. Ramanuja tells in

detail the age, the season, the auspicious dates and

other related information about how a person must

begin his learning of vedas.

 

This at one stroke strikes down the chances of a girl

doing the learning. It was impossible for a girl of 8

years in those days to be left in the gurukul for a

period of 8 to 12 years (the education had varied

between these years). Ramanuja insists that such

learning as per ashrama dharma was necessary, because

that is what scriptures say.

 

This, and not any other that we discussed in our

previous mails, is the core reason why women could not

and did not take up learning of the vedas. Since

acquiring knowledge of the Brahman necessitated

learning / chanting vedas, women in general were not

able to do this.

 

In Ramanuja’s words, “Knowledge which is the means of

attaining the Brahman desiderates all the works

enjoined in connection with the various ashramas

(stages of life). Hence as the knowledge of the true

nature of the works so desiderated and also the

knowledge of the small and impermanent character of

the results of mere works are (both) conclusively

dealt with in the Karma mimamsa – that mimamsa alone

has to be mentioned as the necessary antecedent of the

inquiry into Brahman.” (It is also meant hereby that

when a person learns to recite the manthras for

sacrifices, he eventually comes to know that the

results of these sacrifices are not permanent and only

that upasana of the Brahman alone is capable of giving

permanent and highest result namely, Release.)

 

Thus it is not about the gender but about how the

process must be undertaken, that women stood to lose

the chance to learn vedas. In fact women were (are)

never at a disadvantage when it comes to the

propensity to learn or know. That they are endowed

with special qualities has been underlined by

Gitacharyan Himself.

 

While speaking about His vibhUthi, Krishna speaks in

single term with reference to the collective term He

takes up- but the exception is in the case of women.

Even when tells about men, He makes a general

reference to Himself as being the king among men

(narANAm narAdhipam –10-27). But He tells about 7

unique qualities when He positions Himself among

nArINAm (women) (verse 10-34)

 

He says, ‘Among women, I am fame (kIrthi), prosperity

(srI), speech (vAk), memory (smrti), intelligence

(mEdhA), endurance (Dhrti) and forgiveness (kshamA).”

All the qualities required for learning karma khanda

and gyana khanda as well are to be found in these

qualities in women. The way the Lord in an

extraordinary way tells about these qualities, go to

prove that He is indeed pleased about these qualities

in women and about women in exhibiting these

qualities. It is stressed again that He has not

elaborated like this in any other personification of

Himself while expressing His VibhUthi yogam.

 

Another unique feature that needs attention is the

positioning of this verse in the same verse (and)

after telling about Himself vis-à-vis Death and Birth.

After saying “I am also Death which snatches all away.

I am the origin of all that shall be born”, He

continues to tell who He is among women. Why did He

incorporate the former term in this verse, which looks

mis-placed? All along we find a methodical build-up of

references in this chapter. Why didn’t He club the

death-birth reference along with say, the one on

Yama?

 

If we try to read His mind, a couple of reasons

appear. First, it seems that to overcome the cycle of

birth and death, the nArINAm qualities (mentioned as

7, symbolising 7 worlds) are essential. Second, it is

she from whom life originates and it is she who is

also capable of destroying anything, both good and bad

depending on how she behaves. Added to this propensity

is the 7 qualities which are the basis of overcoming

both death and birth!

 

(To be continued)

 

Jayasree saranatahn