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From: Sadagopan (sgopan_at_computer.net)
Date: Sat Jun 17 2000 - 10:06:52 PDT
Dear BhakthAs :
I have been invited to speak at the World Congress on
Vedas at New Jersey during next month. The extended
abstract of my paper is attached .
Best wishes,
V.Sadagopan
" Women, Family and the VedAs " By Dr.V.Sadagopan
Scarborough , NY
Vedas instruct us extensively about the importance of
developing social consciousness , which deals with
the individual's relation to the immediate family
and the extended family (Society). Service (Kaimkaryam )
to others and sacrifice (ThyAgam ) for the benefit
of the members of the family and society are the stepping
stones to perfection of social consciousness . Service and
sacrifice are thus fundamental for the survival and
stability of soceity .
Vedic dharmas and karmas ( sacrifices) emphasize
the development and reinforcement of Saathvika ThyAgam
in the saadhakan . Lord Krishna instructs us about this
glorious Vedic path through His upadEsam:
" parasparam bhAvayantha: srEya: paramavApsthyaTha "
He says: "Thus nourishing one another , May you obtain
the highest good (mokshA)" .
The contribution of Women to the VedAs
***************************************
>From time immemorial, Women have palyed a key role in
Kaimkaryams and ThyAgams for their families. Indeed
Vedic women have served as the key role models through their
scholarship, service and sacrifice for the perfection of
social consciousness as family women . One Rg Veda manthram
specifically states that women have intrinsic longing for
spiritual duties and spiritual welfare of the immediate
and extended family: "uta tvA strI sasIyasi pumso bhavati
vasyasi adevatrAt arAdhasah ". Another Vedic passage points out
the divine aspect of women this way :" SriyA vaa etat rUpam
yathaa patnayah". Yaksha,the author of nirukta says in
the context of commenting on the Vedic word , " Purandhi"
states that women are more intelligent than men .Such is
the lofty reverence with which the VedAs look upon and
salute women as the pillars that hold society together .
The RshikAs or the lady-seers of the Rg Veda are
the earliest holders of this tradition of holding aloft
the twin goals of Kaimkaryam and ThyAgam for attaining
parama purushArtham (Moksham). Among the 407 Rishis (Seers)
listed by the SarvAnkramaNi of KaatyAyana , few are RishikAs
(Lady-Seers) with their own divinely inspired vision of
specific Veda manthrams.They are recognized thus as
the manthra dhrashtAs . There is no gender-bender here.
There are samhitAkArAs from the group of seasoned sages
known for their austerities(tapas) , who were men or women.
The Women sages of distinction were thus not relegated to
the background in the Vedic age.
The personal and the family names of these SamhithAkArAs
are historically determined to be authentic by links to
their prvarams and Gothrams).The women Rishis are associated
with both Kshudra SookthAs ( Shorter hymns ) as well as
MahA sookthAs (longer hymns) in Rg Vedam. For instance ,
the lady-seer (RishikA ) of Rg Vedic Rk X.151 is
Sraddhaa KamayAni .This is considered one of the noblest
SookthAs of Rg Vedam dealing with the adoption of truth
with all fidelity and visvAsam (sathyamEva jayathE).
The other lady SamhithAkArAs of the Vedic hymns
are LOpaamudhrA ( Rg I.179.1-2) . The word LOpAmudhra
has been translated as "the one completely absorbed or
lost in oneself ".ROmasA , the wife of the Vedic Seer ,
Svanya is the BrahmavAdhini RishikA of Rk.I.126.7.
The lady seer VisvavArA of the Athri family is
the RishikA of the entire set of six hymns housed in
Rg V.28. The loftiness of the vision of this seer, whose
name translates as "One who repels all sins" is revealed
in the V.28.2 Rk:
" samdhyamAno amruthasya rAjasi
havishkruNvantham sachasE svasthayE
visvam sa dhatthE dhraviNam yam-
invasy Athithyam agnE ni cha dhattha ithpura:"
(Meaning): " O Adorable Lord! Whilst Your glory
enkindled , You become the King of mortals. You
take care of the offerer of the oblation for his welfare.
He whom You favor , acquires universal wealth ;
he sets before You , O Lord , the gifts that
guests may claim ".
In another of these six hymns , This RishikA salutes
the Lord and His bounty this way : " The glory of
adorable Lord , when enkindled , spreads lustre
through the firmament , and shines widely turning
unto the universal light of divine intelligence--".
The Mysticism behind the lines can be linked to
the fruits of saathvika ThyAgam, prapatthi prayOjanam
and the angams of Prapatthi as MahA Visvaasam .
Vasukrapathni , GhOshA , the daughter of Sage kakshivAn ,
JuhU , the seer of the most mystical hymn X.109 ,
VaagambruNI , PolOumi Sachi, the daughter of PulOma Rishi
are some of the well known RishikAs , who shared their
divine visions through various Rks as manthra DhrashtAs.
In this presentation , we will offfer salutations to women,
family and dwell on the importance of social consciousness as
a Vedic doctrine with ample quotations from the VedAs .
V.Sadagopan
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