female and Gayatri

[Guest guest]

> purA- kalpe kumArINAm

> maunjI-bandhananam-Ihyate

> adhyApanam cha vEdAnAm sAvitri-vachanam thathA.

>

> In olden times the upanayana was performed for the girls too.

> They were taught the Vedas and the gAyatri mantra.

 

Maunji indeed refers to a brahmana's thread made of a triple string of

Munja-grass. Traditionally the brahmacari goes to guru-kula and the upanayan

samskara, the ritual where upavita, or the sacred thread is given, is

performed to him. Reading from the seventh canto of the Bhagavatam, where

Naradaji describes the perfect society of four social orders and four stages

of life, it appears very unlikely that the descriptions therein are relevant

to Kumaris, or tender young girls. Besides, Narada does not mention such a

phase of life for ladies.

 

Pura-kalpe, or ancient times, as it appears in Yajur-veda, refers to

previous yugas. This suggests this was no longer the practice at the time of

its writing. "Former times" during late Dvapara-yuga must refer to Satya,

Treta and perhaps early Dvapara-yuga. I take it to be a quote from the Sukla

Yajur-veda based on the context of the verse, although it is not presented

with reference besides saying it is from smrti.* It is quoted from Swami

Vivekananda's works. Any Vaishnava sources who quote this verse?

 

It would be helpful if the verse was presented with proper context (in

smrti, that is) and reference. Nana-sastra vicaranaika nipunau sad-dharma

samsthapakau; the six Gosvamis of Vrindavan scrutinizingly studied the

revealed scriptures and extracted the essence of sad-dharma for the benefit

of the entire world. Particularly the Sandarbhas and the Hari-bhakti-vilasa

are masterpieces in this regard.

 

If anyone has discovered references to the Gaudiya Vaishnavas' practice of

chanting the brahma-gayatri as a part of their sadhan, it would be

interesting to have them posted here. Now, references only, since this is

not an appropriate forum for discussing our individual insights into

confidential mantras. Anyone?

 

 

In service to Hari, Guru and Vaishnavas,

 

Atul Krishna Dasa

 

- - - - - - - -

 

*The original message appears at:

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/nov95/0070.html

 

 

> Pamho. AGTSP.

> I was browsing through the Srivaisnava web sides and found an interesting

> article which gives evidence that Srila Prabhupada followed and ancient

> sistem and didn't invent something new for preaching purposes. Or even

> Gaudiya Vaisnavas questioning why SP did this.

> Maybe some already read this, I found it still worth of posting.

> ------

> It is also said that every body was prescribed to sandhayvandanas

> in the golden times, for women one of the smritis is supposed to have

> these:

>

> purA- kalpe kumArINAm

> maunjI-bandhananam-Ihyate

> adhyApanam cha vEdAnAm sAvitri-vachanam thathA.

>

> In olden times the upanayana was performed for the girls too.

> They were taught the Vedas and the gAyatri mantra.

>

> It was probably in the medieval ages that things went bad in

> the society, there are some rAmayaNa versions which quote Sita

> chanting Gayatri.

>

> Yours in Srila Prabhupada service

> Damana Krishna dasa