The Rig Veda is the only scripture in which the Divine Truths are revealed to women sages and in which hymns describing these revelations, like those by the woman sageVak Ambrini find a prominent place in the Rig Veda Samhita . There are more than thirty women sages in RV with specific hymns associated with them. There are numerous hymns in the Rig Veda indicating the high status given to women in vedic society. The Rig Veda states that the lady should her own husband and the marriage hymn states that the daughter-in-law should be treated as a queen, samrajni, by all the family members especially the mother-in-law, husband, father-in-law. The bride was exhorted to address the assembly:
It is noteworthy that in the Vedic literature although a woman's prime role is portrayed as a wife only, yet several other aspects of feminine form are also suggested by various names and epithets used to denote a woman. It is quite interesting to derive the exact meaning of these words because it may help in giving a better idea of different roles of woman in home and in society. For instance, a woman as wife is denoted by three words; jaya, jani and patni. Of these, jaya is the woman who gives birth to one's progeny, jani is the mother of children and patni is the co-partner in the religious duties.
R.V. - Rig Veda, Y.V. - Yajur Veda, S.Y.V - Sukla Yajur Veda, K.Y.V - Krishna Yajur Veda, S.V. - Sama Veda, A.V. - Atharva Veda.
1.Aditi,
because she is not dependent (Nirukta, 4/22)
In Manusmriti it is said: “Women are worthy of worship. They are the fate of the household,
the lamp of enlightenment for all in the household. They bring solace to the
family and are an integral part of dharmic life. Even heaven is under the
control of women. The gods reside in those households where women are worshipped
and in households where women are slighted all efforts at improvement go in
vain.” (Manusmriti 3-56). "It is hard to imagine that the same Manu who
wrote this passage would write the passages denigrating women in other parts of
the Manusmriti. Indeed, since it is supposed to guide the conduct of Hindu
society the Manusmriti would be a natural candidate for distortion – by the
pundits to serve their narrow selfish ends and by the colonial powers to
denigrate Hindu culture and society. This practice continues to this
day."The famous verse from one of the Hindu scriptures say, “Matru devo
bhavah” – Revere your mother as God. We see a lot of people showing respect to
their mother, but still so many times they seem not to understand the
importance of motherhood. They show respect to their mother, but if she is
treated like a slave by their father's family, they will say it's ok, since it
is their "culture". Actually, it is not rare to see no real
respect... Besides, if a man, for example, really understands the importance of
the mother and the motherhood, he will respect also the mother of his own
children, otherwise, it is just a hypocrisy. The person who really respects
his/her mother due to the understanding of her importance, will respect also
all the other mothers and all the other women. It is also not difficult to find
in India men who respect their mother and is ready to do anything for her and
defend her rights, but they don't seem to have any problem in considering that
their wife's mother doesn’t have any of these same rights or just don’t have
any rights at all, since for some people only the man's family matters. This
way, the worshiping of mother and motherhood become just a way for man to
reinforce the dominance of their own family using the so-called importance of
their mother.
"It is
important to note that when God is worshipped as ‘Divine Couple’ by Hindus, the
name of the feminine typically precedes that of masculine. For instance, we say
that we are worshipping ‘Sita-Ram’, ‘Radhe-Shyam’, ‘Uma-Mahesh’ or ‘Shri
Vishnu’ and so on." In this case again, it doesn't seem that men are more
important than women... Nowadays it is common to see hindu couples walking on
the street, the man walking in the front and women walking after them, just
like muslims. That is not practical for women’s protection and has no relation
with the hindu culture. We even have descriptions of Parvati seated on Siva’s
lap when he was giving darshan. In several other parts of the scriptures it is
described some divine couple and we have the man and the woman coming side by
side. And also in this example about the way we say the names of the
divinities, the female comes first. So what’s the sense in a wife walking after
her husband in the streets?
“The VedAs
point out the important role of women in building a fair, stable and just society ." Unfortunately, even that statement is so many times misused. We
can listen to people saying that women are so good and strong, so superior to
men, and that they have such an important role in keeping the family together, etc,
that they have to tolerate everything!
"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.The Vedic obligations are recognized as SamAna (equally
moving ) , since married men and women move freely in society in pursuit of
their complimentary duties.
There are numerous hymns in the Rig Veda indicating the high status accorded to women in the vedic society. RV (10.27.12) explicitly states that the practice of a lady choosing her own husband was in vogue. The hymn (10.85), the marriage hymn, explicitly states that the daughter-in-law should be treated as a queen, sāmrajni, by all the family members especially the mother-in-law, husband, father-in-law. See the box below where the bride was exhorted to address the assembly;
10.85.26: . . . . Become the house-hold's mistress; Ruler of the home, you will address the religious assembly.
To be asked to address the assembly was regarded as an honour by most of the sages. Thus the statement that, "women were oppressed in Hindu society even from the vedic times'', made orally and in popular writings by some moderns is nothing but patent falsehood. Some of the quotations given by these critics are from the period of the sūtra books which are dated more than two thousand years later than the Rig Veda. Naturally these critics suppress quotations which speak of the high status of women in the society of Rig Vedic period and the period of Upanishads.
Even today, some orthodox persons deny the right of chanting the Veda to women. However, they cannot cite any authoritative scripture to support their views. Any book in Sanskrit cannot be accepted as a scripture or divine revelation. When the famous poet, Sanskrit scholar and spiritual savant, Vāsishta Gaņapati Muni, the foremost disciple of Sri Ramaņa Maharshi, challenged these orthodox persons to provide evidence to support their claims, no evidence was forth coming.
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Of the 407
sages of the Rig Veda, few are women.“Many rishis
were women. Indeed several of them authored many of the slokas in the Vedas.
For instance in the Rigveda there is a list of women rishis. Some of these
names are: Ghoshsha, Godha, Vishwawra, Apala, Upanishad, Brahmjaya, Aditi,
Indrani, Sarma, Romsha, Urvashi, Lopamudra, Yami, Shashwati, Sri, Laksha and
many others. In the Vedic period women were free to enter into brahmacharya
just as men and become sannyasins. There is mention in the Mahabharata of many
such sannyasins. For example, Shrutavati, a daughter of Rishi Bhardwaj remained
a brahmacharini all her life and entered into deep study of the Vedas.
Shrimati, a daughter of Mahatma Shandilya, led a similar life. This was not
confined to sannyasins. Sulabha was an authority on the Vedas and entered into
Vedic arguments with King Janaka (Janaka is like a title and there are known to
be 19 such with the father of Goddess Sita being one of them). Even married
women were known to be acknowledged authorities on the Vedas. There are many
such examples and it is not possible to mention all of them. My only intention
here is to indicate that men and women were granted equal rights in such
matters. God provided the knowledge of the Vedas in the hearts of women just as
He did in the case of men. How can God who is the embodiment of kindness, just
and fair discriminate between man and woman among his own children?”*“Every
Veda manthram has a Rishi or RishikA , Chandas and DevathA . We invoke them
prior to the recitaion of the individual mathrAs of the different VedAs . Each
of these Rishis have 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 reference 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 totaly
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 .” 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 .”
Women rishis (rshika) in the Rig Veda Samhita
(one or more mantra was revealed to each rshika)
| 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 |
(The list is not exhaustive)
The names of
the women Rishis( 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 thru 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 recitaion of the individual mathrAs of the different VedAs .
Each of these Rishis have 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 reference 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 totaly 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 . 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 assoicated 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 assoication 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 daughterr 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 thru the Bhagavathai , Devaki Pirratti . AthtuZhAi ,
the daughter of Periya Nampi was another example of this 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 own 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
theentire family . Lit from those lamps ,our women persevere joyously with the
steady diffusion / dissemination process by personal code of condiuct 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 . Here are selected Rg Veda manthrams that came our way thru the
intercession of great RishikAs or the women manthra drushtAs . The first and
formost set of manthrAs of Rg Vedam from this perspective are 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 85most 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 .
More to Come Soon.
