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Re: Question on women and the Vedas

From the Bhakti List Archives

Pradeep Janakiraman • January 28, 2003 


Further to this, I also recall reading some recent news articles 
about some parts in North-India where 'women priests' conduct 
ceremonies such as marriage, upanayana etc. 

I think times are indeed changing and there's equal opportunity 
education and employment in these areas also. 

But as far as I have heard or read, women are forbidden from reciting 
or reading the vedas including the 'pranava-mantram'. By reading of 
the puranas and the itihaasas they can attain to the same state or 
better than their male counterparts. Also they can chant quite a 
variety of mantras. By merely chanting 'rama-naama' they can achieve 
moksham. 

Sabari or more recently Meera did not read the vedas. All that they 
knew were Rama and Krishna and they are held in higher regard than 
someone who merely studied vedas in their times. 

For women, I have heard that their "nitya-agnihotram", is their 
cooking chores, their "nitya-karma" is taking care of the needs of 
people at home and their "moksha-saadhana" could be reading of the 
puranas and chanting simple yet invaluable mantras such as the "rama-
naama".

-- Pradeep 





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