Fwd: women and vedas

[Guest guest]

Dear List I think some of the fellow astrologers may b faced this question when dealing with remedial part of astrology -upaya s and mantra when it came the question is frm a lady .Even they can ask u ( or even some orthodox membrs in their family ) wheter ladies can chant mantras or do poojas etc .so i think this post is relevent in a astrological forum rgrds sunil nair USBrahmins , shivashankara rao <shivashankararao wrote:I keep getting inquiries on this subject and think that it would be useful for the others also.My dear young enquirers,There is nothing in the scriptures which bars women from studying vedas.Gulabbai Tripati who started conducting death rites at her age of 11 years(after her father passed away) died at the age of 86 years in 2005. Since she questioned the Brahmin gurus at such a conservative era, she was forced to leave the traditional ghat in Allahabad. She built her own ghat called Rasulabad ghat with her hard earned money.She has been compared to Gargi who questioned Yagnavalkya as she had questioned the traditional gurus of her age.Sandhyavandanam was the first woman in Andhra Pradesh to obtain a doctorate in Vedic studies. Sheforayed into the male dominated profession and performs all the sixteensamskaaras not only in Andhra, but even in Pune and Tamilnadu. She has been conducting Upanayanam for boys and girls also.There are others like Suneeti, Vasudhasastry, Oruganti Lakshmidevi (miryalaguda),Sulochana, Saraswathamma (Kamareddy), Swarooparani (east Godavari), Kalyani (Tenali).ShashiTandon has conducted countless samskaaras in the USA (Illinois,Michigan, Wisconsin etc.,) and has become very popular there.Purohitsfrom Choutpally, Nizamabad-Pranaveswari, Rajeswari, Bhuvaneswari,Gnaneswari etc., not only conduct pourohityam but run Vedic schools forgirls. All these ladies are married and they have children too.In Kendra Para (Orissa) - Maa Kharakiya temple on the banks of Brahmani River, men are not allowed!! Sandhya Kulkarni conducted the shraadh of actor Mohan Agashe's mother.Whenmost men are abandoning the traditional professions for considerationsof economy and status and women doing such works efficiently, why notthink of encouraging them further?A FEW AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT The "Brahma" in a yajna is the best trained purohit who can correct the others involved in the yajna.BRAHMAA VAA RITVIJAABHMISHAKTAMAHA – Shatapatha brahmana 1.7.4.19."Thasyaadyo brahmanishtaha syaath tham brahmaanam kurveeth""Atha kena brahmtvam kreeyathe iti trayyaa vidyayethi, trayya vidyayeti ha brooyaath" (Aithareya 5.33) Now, an woman can be a brahma as mentioned in Rigveda ( 8.33.-19)"……sthree hi brahmaa vibhoovidhaha" 2."AachaaryadaNatvam"…Ashtaadhyaayi 4.3.2.49"ACHHARYASYA STREE AACHAARYAANEE PUM YOGA ITHYEVA AACHAARYA SVAYAM VYAAKHYAATREE"-Siddhaanta koumudi( the woman who conducts the veda pravachana is called an Achaarya) 3.Aachaarya lakshana :- "UPANEEYA TUM YAHA SHISHYA VEDAMADHYAAPAYED DWIJAHA, SAKALPA SARAHASYAM CHA THAMAACHAARYA PRACHAKSHATHE"( The one who can conduct the upanayana samskaara and teaches the Vedas is called the Aachaarya)Siddhaanta Koumudi edited by Mahamahopaadhyaaya pandit Shivadatta sarma says,"ITI VACHANENAAPI STREENAM VEDAADHYANAADIKAARO DHVANITHAHA"(THIS MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WOMEN HAS VEDAADHIKAARA) 4.Rigveda 10.159-2.3"THADVIDAHA…….UTAAHAMASMI SAM JAYAA…UTTAMAM"( May I geta good husband…..Because of Vedas, I will become tejasvi and a powerfulspokes person…May my daughter shine well because of her good character) 5.Taandya brahmana (5-6-8) advises that women have to chant saamaved along with veena when a yajna is being conducted. The Mantra 5.5.29 ordains that the women have to circumambulate the yajna kunda chanting the veda mantras. 6..The kumari Gandharva grahathaa story in Eithareya proves that the women had all rights for Vedas. Laatyayana shrouthasootra, Shaankaayana shroutha sootra etc., also confirms the rights of women for Vedas. There are several other authorities advising women to chant veda mantras. Please see Yajurveda23-23, 25-27, 29; Shatapatha brahmana 1-9-2-2-1, 1.9.2.22.23; Taittareeya samhitha 1.1.10, Aaswalaayana grihya sootra 1.1.9, Kaataka grihyasootra 3.1.30, 27-3, Paaraskara grihyasootra 1.5.1,2. ,Yajurveda 36-24 "tacchakshurdeva sahitam…" is to chanted only by a woman.Rigveda 10-85.48 has to be chanted by husband and wife together.Some more Authorities for women chanting veda mantras:-Examplesof women mantradrashtaaras: Ghoshaa, godhaa, vishvavaraa, Apaalaa,Upanishad, Jahu, Indraani, saramaa, Romashaa, Oorvashi, Lopaamudraa,Yamee, Shaashvathee, Sooryaasavithree, ......etc., Rigveda 10-134, 10-39, 10-40, 8-91, 10-95, 10-109, 10-154, 10-159, 10-189, 5-28, 8-91 ..etc., are from women.Taittareeyabrahmana 2-3-10.."..Tam trayee vedaa anya srijantha....vedan pradadow"(Three vedas were given to the woman Seetaa-savitri through Soma)Manu'sdaughter Idaa is described in Taittareeya Brahmana( 1-1-4) asYajnaprakaashinee meaning Yajna tatva prakaashana samarthaa.(This can be continued...)To cite examples of mention in Mahaakavyas:Mahabharata:- Udyogaparva 190-18: "Atra siddhaa shivaa naama braahmNee veda paaragaahaa.."( A brahmin lady by name Shivaa was a scholar of vedas and she got Moksha)Anon brahmin lady Droupadi was a scholar of vedas. Achaarya Madhva inhis Mahabharata tatparya nirnaya says, "Vedaaschapyuttama streebhihikrishnaattaabhirihaakhilaaha ( Good women should learn Vedas likeDroupadi)Valmiki Ramayana:-Sundarakaanda53-23: Vaidehi shokasantaptaa hutaashanmupaagatam ( The sad Seeta did havan )VR 5-15-48:- "Sandhyaakaale .....Sandhyaartham varavarninee"(Seetha would certainly come to the river to perform sandhya with pure water)Valmikiramayana4-16-12, 2-20-15 indicate that Kousalya and Kaikeyi also were doingagnihotra etc., Vaali's wife tara chanted swastimantras.Puranas :-Vishnupurana (1-10) and (18-19); Markandeyapurana (52); Brahma vaivarta purana (14-65) etc., may be seen.We can go on like this, but enough to give some indication of the position.love to all of you,SSRao