Even though the Sanatan Dharma refers to Devi
Saraswati as the Goddess of learning, yet there are allegations by people that
there is no right for the education of women in Vedas.
Lets try to find out whether its true or its
false:
The Rig Veda mentions around 27 to 30 Rishikas or women seers and several of the Rig Vedic Hymns are attributed to them. They were known as Brahmavadinis.
There is a list of Rishikas in the Rig Veda
Samhita, one or more mantra was revealed to each rishika
Verse
Rishika
4.18
Aditi
10.72
Aditirdakshayani
8.91
Apala atreyi
10.86 Indrani
10.85
Urvashi
10.134
Godha
10.39, 10.40
Gosha Kakshivati
10.109 Juhurbramhajaya
10.184
Tvashta Garbhakarta
10.107
Dakshina Prajapatya
10.154
Yami
10.10 Yami
Vaivasvati
10.127
Ratrirbharadvaji
1.171
Lopamudra
10.28
Vasukrapatni
10.125
Vagambhrni
5.28
Vishvavara Atreyi
8.1
Sashvatyangirasi
10.151
Shradhda Kamayani
10.159
Shachi Paulomi
10.189
Sarparajni
9.86
Sikata Nivavari
10.85 Surya Savitri
1.126
Romasha
10.108
Sarama Devashuni
9.104 Shikhandinyava
Psarasau Kashyapan
10.142
Jarita Sharngah
8.71
Suditirangirasah
10.153
Indra Mataro
There are
name of many Rishikas and Bramhacharinis in Vedas and Upanishads. Among them a
few are:
Gargi Vachaknavi: Gargis story appears in the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad, she is the daughter of Rishi Vachaknu. When King Janak of Videha
organized a 'brahmayajna', she challenges Rishi Yagnavalkya and engages in debate with him. She is described as a
prominent women in the ancient Indian scriptures.
Maitreyi: Maitreyi is the wife of Rishi Yajnavalkya,
she is also mentioned in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad where she is portrayed as
having profound spiritual discussions with her husband Rishi Yajnavalkya.
Apala: She is although not a Rishika. Her story
finds place in the Rig Veda. Apala is the daughter of Rishi Atri. She is mentioned
in the Satyayana Brahmana and Rig Veda. She is believed to have had a serious
skin disease. Due to her skin condition, Krshasava, her husband abandoned her.
Rishi Atri advised Apala to do intense penance to please Indra so that she can
cure her disease.
Story of
Apala is found in the Sukta 91 of the 18th manadala of the Rig Veda. Seven
mantras here dedicated to Indra were chanted by Apala.
Vak Ambhrini: She is the daughter of Rishi Ambhrina and she
is credited for contributing in the Rig Veda and the Sama Veda. She had written
many poems, the collection of which are known as Devi Sookta.
Lopamudra: The Rig Veda also contains conversations between
Rishi Agastya and his wife Lopamudra. She wrote a hymn of two stanzas making an
impassioned plea for the love and attention of her husband.
Ghosha: Ghosha is mentioned as a tapaswini in Rig
Veda, she is credited for composing a mantra in praise of Ashvindevas in Ṛigveda,
Maṇḍala 1, Anuvaka 7, Sukta 117.
Romasha: Romasha
is mentioned in the Rig Veda as the daughter of Guru Brihaspati and the wife of
King Swanaya. She performed fire sacrifices and also her writings are mentioned
in the Rig Veda (1.126).
Arundhati:
Arundhati is the wife of Rishi Vasishtha, again one of the Saptarishis. Though
a Rishi patni (wife of a Rishi), she is also given the status of a sage and a
yogini of high caliber. In fact, many consider her to be at par with the
Saptarishis themselves.
Upanayan samskara are considered an important part in the beginning of a childs vedic education. Without getting an upanayan samskar children were not allowed to study vedic literature.
Let us see whether women were allowed to
take part in Upanayan Samskara. Lets see what our shastras say about it.
As per Haarita Sutra,
द्विऽविधाः
स्त्रियो ब्रह्मवादिन्यः सदीवध्वश्च । तत्र ब्रह्मवादिनीनामुपनयनम्योन्धनं
वेदाध्ययनं स्वगृहे भिक्शाचर्या चेति ( 21:23)
Here it is written that the Bramha Vaadinis have the right
to get initiated and study Vedas, and can conduct fire sacrifices and also are
eligilble for Bhiksha.
As per Yama Smriti,
पुरा
कल्पे कुमारिणां मोञ्जोबन्धन मिष्यते । अध्यापनन्श्च वेदानां
सावित्रीवाचनन्तथा ॥ पिता पितृव्यो
भ्राता वा नैनामध्यापयेत् परः
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In olden times tying of girdle was prescribed for girls. So
also study of vedas and uttering of Gayatri ( Savitur) preferably from father ,
brother or uncle. She is allowed for begging alms within her house limits. Yama
refers to existence not only in olden days but during his times as well by his
sentence पुराकल्पे (
यथैष्यत) तथा (अधुनाऽपि) इष्यते. The word तथा is specially put by
Yama by way of comparison between old time and his own time so he says that
during his time girls should learn from father, brother etc and she dont need
to wear deer skin, bark etc. If Yama had intended to say that girls should not
be initiated in his time unlike olden times he would say something like इह कल्पे तासामेवं
न कुर्यान्मतिमान् क्कचित् ॥ As he uses verbs in
present tense so we can make out that he prescribed rules for his own days and
was the case in olden days too.
यथाधिकरः
श्रोतेषु योषितां कर्म सुश्रुतःएवमेवानुमन्यम्ब ब्रह्माणि ब्रह्मवादिताम् (Yama
Smriti )
Like the women are eligible for vedas, they are eligible for
brahmavidya too.
As per Gobhila Griha
Sutra,
"प्रावृतां
यज्ञोपवीतिनीमम्युदानयन्
जपेत् सीमोऽदाद् गन्धर्वायेति " (
Gobhila Grhya sutra 2:1:19) यज्ञोपवीतिनाऽचान्तोदकेन
कृत्यम् ( Gobhila
Grhya sutra 1:1:2)
Gobhila says that Bride should wear the sacred thread when
the bridegroom leads her to the altar.
ब्रह्मचर्येण
ब्रह्म वेदः तदध्ययनार्थमाचर्यम्
(Atharva veda Sayana Bhashyam 117.17) means Brahamchari is one who is engaged
in the study of vedas
ब्रह्मचरिणां
च ब्रहचारिणीभिः सह विवाह् प्रशस्यो
भवति – A
brahmacharin should be married to a brahmacharini.
Rv. iii (55, 16) mentions unmarried learned and young
daughters who should be married to learned bridegrooms. Without initiated by
proper samskara, no one is eligible to utter holy vedic mantras. But women are
found to utter them in many of Shrauta and Grhya sacrifices (yajnas).
Pranavavada of maharshi Garga The Rig-Veda (V, 7, 9) refers
to young maidens completing their education as brahmacharinis and then gaining
husbands…
As per the Asvalayana Griha Sutra,
Anulepanena pāṇī pralipya mukhamagre brāhmaṇo anulimpet.
Bāhū rājanyaḥ. Udaraṃ vaiśyaḥ. Upasthaṃ strī. Ūrū saraṇa jīvanaḥ. –
Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra 3.8.11
In the Samavartana, the graduation ceremony. On the subject of applying an ointment, Asvalayana says, “After smearing both hands with the ointment, a brāhmaṇa should start by salving his face; a kṣatriya, his two arms; a vaiśya, his stomach; a woman, her private parts…”
It also suggests that women did actually underwent Upanayan Ceremony.
In the Yajur Veda it is also mentioned that the girls can wear sacred threads around their neck.
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| Griha Sutra of Gobhila |
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| Taken from "The History of Dharmasutras. Vol 2. Part 1 |
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| Taken from "The History of Dharmasutras. Vol 2. Part 1 |
 |
| Taken from "The History of Dharmasutras. Vol 2. Part 1 |
 |
| We can also see in this sculpture that the women is wearing Yagyopavit |
 |
| Depicts Narayana with his two wives wearing Yagyopavit |
Even in the Purana it is mentioned that anyone can become a bramhin by devotion and gyan.
In the Shiva Purana, chapter Glory of Pranava
Panchakshara Mantra [Chapter 17 Videsvara Samhita Shiva Purana] various
powers of Panchakshara Mantra are told. There Sage Suta also tells that
Panchakshara Mantra even can convert Sudra into a Brahmana. As stated in chapter:
क्षत्रियः पञ्चलक्षण क्षत्रत्वमपनेष्यति ।
पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण क्षत्रियो ब्राह्मणो भवेत् ।।
मन्त्रसिद्धिर्जपाद्यैव क्रमान्मुक्तो भवेन्नर ।
वैश्यस्तु पञ्चलक्षण वैश्यत्वमपनेष्यति ।।
पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण मन्त्रक्षत्रिय उच्यते ।
पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण क्षत्रत्वमपनेष्यति ।।
पुनश्च पञ्चलक्षण मन्त्रब्राह्मण उच्यते ।
शूद्रश्चैव नमोऽन्तेन पञ्चविंशतिलक्षत ।।
मन्त्रविप्रत्वमापद्य पश्चाच्छुद्रो भवेद्द्विज।
नारीवाथ नरो वाथ ब्राह्मणो वान्य एव वा ।।
A Kshatriya should recite this mantra five lacs of times,
then he is freed from duties of a Kshatriya. By again reciting the mantra
by five lakhs (five hundred thousand) of times more, he becomes a
Brahmana. By again reciting the same number of the mantra, one achieves
the siddhi in the mantra and one gets free from reciting the japam. By
performing the japam of the mantra five lacs of times, a Vaisya is freed from
Vaisyatwa or remaining as Vaisya. By reciting the mantra for five lacs of
times, it is called as mantra Kshatriya. By reciting further by five lacs of
times his Ksatriyahood is removed. By further reciting the mantra by five lacks
times more, he is called the mantra Brahmana. In case a Sudra adding Namah
at the end of the mantra, recites the mantra by twenty five lacs of times, then
he achieves the position of a mantra Brahmana. After reciting the japam by
twenty five lacs of times again, a Sudra is turned into a pure
Brahmana. Irrespective of the one, being a woman, man. A Brahmana or
anyone else, all are purified with the reciting of this mantra.
So it can
be seen that the Shastras are appreciative towards any women learning Vedas and
the Shastras. They promote learning among women and encourages them to study
Vedas and Shastras.
Thank You all for reading. Hope you
all liked the blog. I hope that the blog was knowledgable and informative.
Jai Shree
Ram
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