Women in Sri Vaishnavam

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Women in Sri Vaishnavam By V Sadagopan | Published 04/13/2006 |

Indian Culture and

Philosphy | by V. SadagOpan

 

The VedAs are our paramANam

 

The VedAs are "the edifices of eternal knowledge". They has 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 contemporary 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 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 with

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 Vedas.

 

Material civilization generates a lot of wealth, but is found

wanting in social consciousness and a dharmic way Of life stressing

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, responsibilities

and rights. GeethAchAryan elaborates them further.

 

They point out the important role of women in building a fair,

stable and just society. Satapatha BrahmaNA passage states

unblushingly that only woman fulfills the purposes of human life. It

extols 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 divinity 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,

maintaining 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 duties sake. She sacrifices her individual pleasure and

pain and serves the family.

 

The early lives 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 those

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 through 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 recitation of the individual mathrAs of the

different Vedas. Each of these Rishis has 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 references 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 totally 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.

 

There are 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 associated 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 association 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 daughter 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 through the Bhagavathai, Devaki Pirratti.

AthtuZhAi, the daughter of Periya Nampi was another example of these

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

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 the entire family.

 

Lit from those lamps, our women persevere joyously with the steady

diffusion / dissemination process by personal code of conduct 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 !

 

Rg Veda manthrams that came our way through the intercession of

great RishikAs or the women manthra drushtAs

 

A)The first and foremost set of manthrAs of Rg Vedam from this

perspective is the manthrams housed in the 10th Canto of Rg Vedam

dealing with the Marriage Ceremony. Sri VilliputthuR ANDAL

transformed them into Sundara Tamil in Her NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi

( VaraNamAyiram Paasurams).

 

The manthra dhrashtA of Rg Vedam's 10th canto, soktham 85 most

appropriately is a Rishi pathni by the name Saavithri SooryA. This

85th Sooktham has 47 manthrams, number of which are used in the

different phases of Hindu Marriage Ceremony.

 

I will focus on these important manthrAs first which houses the

prayer and the vision of the RishikA as revealed to her as

instructions from the Veda Purushan.

 

The first manthram of 10. 85 is a profound one:

 

satyEnOtthabbhithA Bhumi: SooryENOtthbhithA Dhyau:

R*thEnAdhithyasthishtanthi divi sOmO adhi sritha:

 

Rg Vedam: X. 85. 1

 

(Meaning): Our Earth is upheld by truth, heaven is upheld by the

Sun; the solar regions are supported by the eternal laws (r*tham);

the elixir of divine love reigns supreme in heaven.

 

The 27th manthram distills the thoughts housed in the previous

posting of this two part series:

 

iha priyam prajayA --- vadhAta:

 

Rg Vedam : X. 85. 27

 

(Meaning): In this new family of your husband,May you be happy and

prosperous along with your off springs. Be watchful over your

domestic

duties in this house. May you unite your person with your lord, your

husband; thus may you both,growing in age together, manage your

household affairs according to gruhasthAsrama rules.

 

Rg Vedam: X. 85. 33

 

SumangalIriyam VadhUrimAm samEtha pasyatha

SoubhAgyamasya dhathvAyathasthAm vi parEtana

 

(Meaning); blessed indeed is this bride; come one, come all of you;

meet, behold and bless her. Convey to her your felicitations and

then RETURN to your homes.

 

Rg Vedam: X. 36

 

GrubhNAmi --dEvA:

 

(Meaning); I accept your hand for good fortune, that you attain old

age with me as your husband. Our Lord of grace, cosmic orders,

creation and wisdom has given you (purandhi) to me that I may be the

yajamaanan of a household to practice our assigned dharmAs.

 

Rg Vedam X. 85. 42

 

May you both reside here together; may you both never be separated;

may you live together all your lives sporting with sons and

grandsons; and thus rejoice in your own home.

 

Rg Vedam X. 85. 43

 

May the supreme power grant us progeny, may the ordained unite us

together until old age. May that protector free us from evils, may

you

the bride enter your husband's household and be the bringer of

prosperity to our bipeds and quadrupeds.

 

Rg Veda manthram: X. 85. 44

 

O Bride! May you never look your husband with an evil eye; never be

hostile to him; be tender to animals (sivA pasubhya ; may you ever

be amiable and cheerful; may you fulfill one of your roles as the

mother of brave children, loving to the divine powers, be the

grantor of happiness, and usher prosperity to our bipeds and

quadrupeds (dhvipadhE sam chathushpadhE).

 

Rg Veda manthram: X. 85. 45

 

O Generous Lord! Make the bride blessed with children! Make her

blessed with fortune! Give her ten sons; and then her husband

becomes the eleventh one (son) (dasAsyAm puthrAn dEhi pathimEkAdasam

krudhi).

 

Rg Vedam X. 85. 46

 

Be a sovereign to your father-in-law; be a queen to your

mother-in-law; be a queen to your husband's sister, be a queen to

your husband's brothers (SamrA~Jni svasurE bhava; samrA~jni

svasravam bhava;

nanAndhAri samra~jni bhava;samrA~jni adhi dEvrushu)

 

Rg Vedam X. 85. 47

 

"May the entire assembly of the invited guests unite the hearts of

both of us; may we be calm and united like the mixed waters. May we

be united like the vital breaths; may both of us be in unison like

the Creator and His creation; may we be one like the preceptor and

his disciple; may we be loving to each other!"

 

B. Indrasnusha Vasukra-pathni Sooktham

 

Another illustrious RishikA is Vasukrapathni, who has given us Rg

Vedam X. 28. 1, 6, 8, 10 and 11).

 

The First manthram is set as the invocation of the Goddess of Dawn

(to her supreme Lord) in a symbolic way:

 

(Meaning): Now all other divine forces accept you (including the

Sun) have arrived, but you, the Sovereign Lord, my sire-in-law has

not arrived; may Thou accept my oblations of parched grains and the

elixir(SomA) and return home fully satisfied. (Rg Vedam X. 28. 1)

 

The 1oth and the 11th manthrams are glorious tributes to the power

of Gayathri by this RishikA:

 

"The gloriously shining Self (sEshi) is thirsty for the divine

elixir, as a thirsty buffalo for water. For this, Yajamaanan, the

sEsha soul, invokes Gayathri metre, which becomes a she-hawk and

fastens her claw in the divine realm, just as a lioness confined in

a cage places one foot over the other (X. 85. 10).

 

Gayathri without difficulty brings the divine elixir, which is

enjoyed by the Self, and whatever is left over is shared by the

sense organs. With the help of this elixir, the enemies (the aasura

svabhAvam) are retaliated and finally destroyed "(X. 85. 11).

 

C. RishikA ApAlA: A Human Prayer

 

The Fourth manthram of Rg Vedam 8. 91 is symbolic and humorous at

the same time. There is a lot of legend going with this. Apala is a

maiden-

Rishika desirous of marrying the beautiful prince SomA and the 7th

manthram of this Sooktham is used in Hindu marriages even today

during mangala snanaam for the bride for ceremonial cleansing. Here

we will focus on the Fourth manthram of X. 91.

 

Rg Vedam VIII. 91. 4: Dream & Prayer of a Wedding-ready Maiden

 

Kuvicchath kuvith karath-- samgamAmahE

 

(Meaning): May the Lord of illustrious luster and glory bless us,

the family to be powerful. May He Make us (the family and the future

husband)) wealthier repeatedly. May He support us and work for us

(in our favor). may he unite me with my (future) husband, who has

been indifferent (as a courtier), unconcerned and unfriendly with me

so far !

 

D. RishikA VisvavarA, Agni DEvathA, Four Metres

 

This Lady Seer is a great poet as well. She sets her Six manthrAs of

Rg Vedam Canto 5. 28 in four different metres( Tr*shtup, JagathI,

Anushtup and GayathrI chandas).

 

The name VisvavarA according to Sayana (Vedic commentator: Saayana

Bhaashyam) relates to one who repels all sins. She belongs also to

the family of Sage Athri. She is conducting a Vedic ceremony, which

we would think today would have been the domain of the male seers.

Not so! She is invoked with the Ladle in hand transporting the Soma

rasam. So much goes for the legend about women subdued/inferior role

in YaaagAs. She specifically prays for the concordance of relations

between men and women through their complimentary roles to perform

assigned tasks (the opposite of male chauvinism!).

 

We will study the first two manthrams of X. 28 here.

 

Rg Vedam : X. 28. 1(Tr*shtup metre)

 

SammiddhO agnir dhivi-- havishA gruthAchI

 

(Meaning): The incomparable glory of the revered Lord, when

enkindled spread its luster throughout the firmamnet, and shines far

and wide and transforms itself into the supreme light of divine

intelligence. Eastward the ladle! Let knowledge that repels all sins

and worries proceed to advance! Let that diffusion of knowledge

honor the nature's bounties with reverence and oblations!

 

Rg Vedam X. 28. 2: JagathI metre

 

SamidhyamAnO amruthasya rAjasi-dhatta ithputhra:

 

(Meaning): O Revered Lord! Whilst your glory is eulogized, you are

recognized as the king of immortals. You take total care of the

offered of the havis (oblation) for his well being. He, whom You

favor, acquires universal wealth; he sets before You, O Lord, the

gifts that (Your) guests may claim.

 

On this note of moving salutation to the Lord eulogizing His glories

by the RishikA VisvavarA, I conclude this set of two postings on the

important and nourishing role of Women in the Vaithika Mathams like

Sri VaishNavam, where every thing is rooted in the Ubhaya Vedams.

 

NamO Veda NaarAyaNAya,

V. Sadagopan

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