यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः, यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास्तत्राफलाः क्रियाः।। मनु स्मृति ३.५६
Manusmriti, unlike as described by communist thinkers, supports and protects women’s rights. Manusmriti, for example, asserts in lines 3.55 and 3.56 that “women must be honoured and decorated,” and that “where women are venerated, the gods rejoice; but where they are not, no sacred ceremony yields any fruit.”
On this Women’s Day, while the entire world is talking about women’s empowerment and taking all necessary steps to ensure their participation in all walks of life on a daily basis, let’s look at what the true position of females in India was when the entire world was busy fighting for them as war booty. Bharat’s scriptures include a vast trove of information about today’s world crises, including gender inequality, caste, creed, race, and other issues. Since the contemporary think tank is unable to provide solutions even after two centuries of modernisation, we must revisit and rejuvenate by diving into the glorious past.
“The home has, verily, its foundation in the wife” – The Rig Veda
Women were given a high social status throughout the Vedic period, which lasted over 5,000 years. Women were on an equal footing with their male counterparts and enjoyed a form of liberty with societal consequences. The ancient Hindu philosophical idea of ‘shakti,’ the feminine principle of energy, was also a product of this era. This took the form of worshipping female idols or deities. The veneration of mothers was emphasised in Vedic times through the worship of the mother goddess. According to Prof. A.S. Altekar (Education in Ancient India; Nand Kishor & Brothers, Benaras – 1944), because the Upanayana ritual was tied to the beginning of education, the Upanayana of females was just as prevalent as that of boys. The females, like the boys, were entitled to Upanayana (receiving holy thread) and the opportunity of studying Vedas.
The Atharvaveda (XI. 5. 18) specifically mentions maidens experiencing the Brahmacharya discipline, and the Sutra texts provide important data in this regard. Even Manusmriti mentions Upanayana among the samskaras (rituals) that girls must perform (II. 66).
After finishing their education under a Guru, women underwent religious ceremonies. They had the right to offer sacrifices to the Gods. For this aim, the son was not absolutely essential.
Yajurveda 10.26: There should be an Army of women. Let the women be encouraged to fight battles.
Yajurveda 10.26: The queens must impart knowledge of politics to other females, as wise as the King in the court.
Atharvaveda 14.1.6: Parents must gift wisdom, knowledge and literacy while marrying their daughters. Girls should only be married while they are able to utilise inner strength and must be able to earn from their own ability.
Atharvaveda 14.1.20: O wife, preach us the wisdom, enlighten the family with your virtues and wisdom.
Rigveda 10.85.7: Parents must gift wisdom, knowledge and literacy while marrying their daughters. A gift must be of knowledge only.
Rigveda 3.31.1: The daughter is an equal inheritor of the father’s wealth.
Some of the Bharat’s famous female sages
Apala
Apala is a figure recorded in the Rig Veda, considered as Brahmavadini. The hymn 8.91, a blend of fact and fancy, has been attributed to her. Her spouse allegedly dumped her because she had a skin problem that stopped her hair from growing. She describes meeting and worshipping Indra, as well as how his blessing released her from her sickness.
Ghosha
Ghosha, the granddaughter of Dirghatamas and daughter of Kakshivat, both authors of songs in honour of Ashwins, had two whole hymns of the tenth book of Rig Veda, each including 14 verses, given to her name.
Lopamudra
The Rig Veda has extended talks between sage Agasthya and his wife Lopamudra, which attest to the latter’s tremendous brilliance and benevolence.
Maitreyi
The Rig Veda contains over a thousand hymns, of which ten are attributed to Maitreyi, the lady seer and philosopher. She contributed to the development of her sage-husband Yagnavalkya’s personality and the blossoming of his spiritual views.
Gargi
Gargi, the Vedic prophetess and daughter of sage Vachaknu, wrote various hymns that questioned the origin of all things. Gargi was a prominent participant in King Janak of Videha’s ‘brahmayajna,’ a philosophical assembly based on the fire sacrament. She confronted the philosopher Yajnavalkya with a barrage of perplexing questions about the soul or ‘atman’ that perplexed the knowledgeable man who had previously silenced many great scholars.
Savitri
The daughter of King Ashwapati was a princess with the ideal blend of beauty and intelligence. Satyavan, an exiled prince, had been chosen as her spouse by swayamvar. Satyavan, on the other hand, was fated to die before completing one year of wedded bliss. So, when that moment came and Yama appeared to take away his soul, Savitri accompanied him. To persuade her, the god of death sent gift after boon. The princess politely requested powerful sons, which the Yama gave. Savitri said that she couldn’t have boys without a husband. Yama, stunned by her cleverness, decided to bring Satyavan back to life. Savitri is regarded as a role model for women due to her wit, courage, and love for her spouse.
Devi’s conception (The Goddess)
The feminine forms of the absolute and prominent Hindu deities are thought to have emerged during the Vedic era. These female forms evolved to represent various feminine aspects and energy of the Brahman. Goddess Kali represents the destructive energy, Durga the protective, Lakshmi the nourishing, and Sarasvati the creative.
It is worth noting that Sanatana Hindu Dharma respects both the masculine and feminine elements of the Divine, and that without honouring the feminine components, one cannot claim to know God in his wholeness. Hence, there are numerous male-female heavenly duos, such as Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Uma-Mahesh, and Lakshmi-Narayan, where the feminine form is frequently addressed first.
Women’s divorce and remarriage were permitted under certain situations throughout the Vedic period. If a woman lost her spouse, she was not subjected to the cruel customs that emerged later. She was neither obliged to tonsure her head, nor was she required to wear a crimson sari and commit ‘sahagamana,’ or die on the funeral pyre of her deceased husband. If the spouse died, they might choose to live as a ‘sanyasi’ or hermit or remarry as they wished.
Men and women were treated equally in Vedic culture. Women were treated properly and given unlimited independence. The Swayamvar of Mata Sita with Shri Ram epitomises freedom in the Rig Vedic age. The same may be observed in the mediaeval era in the example of Vidyotama and Kalidasa, where Vidyotama was a scholar princess who was keen on marrying a guy who could defeat her in an argument, and she finally married Kalidasa. At religious rites, the wife’s function was raised above that of the males in the home. The rights to marry and attend education remain unaffected.
Mata Sita is one of the five ideal and beloved women in India, along with Ahilya, Draupadi, Tara, and Mandodari. The Mahabharata has allusions to women advising males on religious and social issues. Women were seen to be unsuited for freedom since they need protection their entire lives. Marriage was a secular and holy institution. A widow may remarry.
Later, with the introduction of invaders and Semitic faiths in parts of Bharat, noble customs became distorted. Because their holy book states that women are meant for male enjoyment, the loot and savagery limited Sanatana Dharma’s large inclusive mental process. Several ill practices arose with time, such as casteism, Sati sacrifice, untouchability, and so on, which are currently being remedied by society, and a substantial segment of Hindu culture does not believe in such practises.
Women now rule governments, run worldwide commercial empires, lead law enforcement organisations, fly fighter jets, and conduct military and other clandestine operations. Nonetheless, many philosophies and a big portion of the globe continue to think that women are a commodity created by God to entertain males. This attitude necessitates major course modifications and amendments to religious literature. Sanatana Hindu Dharma bestows enormous authority on both men and women. The rest of the world, including Hindus, must emulate and accept it.
Gopal Goswami, is an Indian scholar and researcher, tweets with @gopalgiri_uk. Views expressed are personal.
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