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Vedas by women

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Sridhar Vasudevan • January 28, 2003 


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, 

<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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