Women and Vedas

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Women and the Vedas.

 

Dear Bhagavatars

According to the Sarvanukramanika there as many as 20 women seers among the

authors or seers of the Rig Veda. Some of these may have been mythical

characters but internal evidence reveals the following women seers and their

compositions ‹ Lopamudraa RV 1:179, Vishvaavaraa RV 5:28, Kurusutee ­ RV

8:65 Apaalaa RV 8:80, Tiraschee RV 8:84, Sikataa Nivaavari RV 9:81 11-20 and

Ghoshaa RV.10:39 & 40. Vatsapree RV 10:45 Vasukra¹s Wife ­ RV 10:28,

Indrani RV 10:145, Sraddhaa RV 10:151, Yamee RV 10:154, Shachi Paulomi RV

10:159, Rakshohaa RV 10:162, Vivrhaa RV 10:163, Sarpa-rajnee RV 10:189

 

The question arises that if women can be Rishis and compose suktas, why can

they not also chant the suktas? Krishnamachari the great Vadagalai scholar

and Yoga teacher who is responsible for the popularity of Yoga throughout

the world through his two disciples Pattabhi Jois and BKS Ayengar, himself

has encouraged the chanting of the Vedas by all ‹ irrespective of caste or

gender.

 

Anyone who has the ardent desire to learn should be taught, any objections

raised can all be refuted. The shastras are not "comands" but "suggestions"

­ they are there to be give guidance, they are not etched in concrete. All

the Shastras need to be interpreted according to the rules of Mimamsa and

Logic and applied to time, place and circumstances. Blind following of

rulings made 2500 years by some law-givers in this day and age is simply

achronistic and reactionary.

 

Sri Rama Ramanuja Acharya

 

{Moderator's note: The last sentence seems to be the opinion of shrI

rAmA rAmAnuja AchArya. I am not sure whether any of our teachers would

classify following the sAstrAs as "reactionary". }