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Mani's note on the role of women

From the Bhakti List Archives

M K Sudarshan • January 24, 1997 


Dear friends, 

I want to just add something to Mani's thread posted as follows on the place
of women in our traditions :

" ...I am reminded of the great dialogue
between the rishi yAjnavalkya and his wife maitreyi that
takes a central place in the brhadAraNyaka upanishad.  
We see in maitreyi's questions some of the fundamental
issues facing the individual.  Where would Vedanta be
without her questioning? And what of Gargi, who would
not rest until her curiosity about ultimate reality 
led to Brahman Itself? ..."

May I add that we should not also forget those immortal lines of Lord
Parameswara at the end of the Vishnu SahasranAmam ( "sri rAma, rAma,
rAmEthi..."etc.) was in response to Parvati's poser :("kenOpAyEna laguna
..." etc.) !!

One sometimes wonders if without Parvati's interjection on behalf of her
famous brother, whether ParamEswara could have been inspired to utter those
famous lines on "Rama" "shabdhA" considered the equivalent of all the Lord's
1008 divine epithets each containing the secrets of His 'kalayana-gunAs' !!

Of course, women have a place ... I think the 'vedic' tradition has
established it undoubtedly in many, many ways. Perhaps scholars amongst us
like Sri.Anbil may be able to elaborate on this more.

lakshmi-nrsumha priyan,
sudarshan