[sv-rituals] Women and Vedas
From the Bhakti List Archives
• April 24, 2002
I had posed the same question to a more learned person than I as to why women cannot study the vedas. Reproduced below is my qn and his response. Personally, I don't buy it completely. But then, I readily admit I lack the scholarly knowledge needed to refute his argument and also acknowledge that as a woman, my instinct is to not accept being told what I can(not)do based on my gender :) Thanks, -Shuba > I have a request to make - could you please share with me the > exact verses/chapter of Shruti's that you used to make your > assertion that women are not allowed to study the jnana kanda > of the vedas and should restrict themselves to the gita and > upanishads? I would like to pass on this information to > another scholarly person who absolutely insists the vedas say > no such thing. > Shruti is not "scripture" in the sense that the Bible or Koran are scripture. It has a certain method of exegisis (Mimamsa) which is more complex than simple quoting of chapter and verse. If your friend is not aware of this, he is bound to come to different (and wrong!) conclusions even if the facts superficially seem to be the same. First let us be sure you know exactly what assertion[sic] I'm actually making. The Vedas consist of two parts based on subject matter, Karmakanda, which deals with Dharma which is of the form of action (Karma), and Jnanakanda which deals with Brahman which is of the form of knowledge. Each Vedic shakha is comprised of four types of text, Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka (which mostly deal with Karmakanda) and Upanishad (which mostly deals with Jnanakanda) This corpus of texts as a whole are called vedas or Shruti. Some of those sages who heard the Shruti also composed works such as Vedangas, Dharmashastras, Puranas, etc. These collectively are known as Smrti and may also deal with Dharma (i.e. Manusmrti) or Jnana (i.e. Bhagavadgita) Thirdly the pupils of these sages and their pupils, etc. form a chain of succession (with their own tikas, bhashyas etc. on the above works) upto the present day. This is known as Shishtachara. All these three, Shruti, Smrti and Shistachara are valid source of knowledge regarding Dharma and Jnana. It is only in the case of conflict that the former trumps the latter. Otherwise all are equally valid and binding. For every mantra, the appropriate initiation (diksha) must be done before its' study can commence. For the study of the Vedas, Upanayana samskara is the method of initiation. Who is entitled to Upanayana? Well, where the rite is mentioned in Shruti (In my shakha Madhyandina Shuklayajuraveda it is the 5th Brahmana of the 9th Kanda of the Shatapatha Brahmana) the details for Brahmanas, Kshatriyas,and Vaishyas are given. Instructions for Shudras are not mentioned therefore it is concluded that that they are not eligible. Furthermore, the instructions are given in masculine gender ("the boy should do this etc...") similiar instructions for girls are not given, therefore it is concluded that they too are not eligible. This isn't the end of the matter. As mentioned previously Smrti is also a valid source of Dharma. In fact most of todays "Hinduism" is actually based on Puranas and Agamas not the Vedas per se. But as long as it does not conflict with the Vedas, it is equally entitled to be called "Vedic." The Smrtis may have the missing instructions for the initiation of girls. Except they don't. In all our voluminous shastras, there is not a peep on this subject. What about Shistachara? If there were a tradition of female study of the Vedas, it would also be considered Dharma. There is no such living tradition today. Nor is there any evidence whatsoever, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from ancient times to the recent past of there ever have being such a tradition. Let's say for the sake of argument that such traditions were surpressed. Is it possible that they could have been censored so thouroughly and systematically that not one scrap of archaeological or literary evidence remains? That is too fantastic to believe. It is on these grounds that I state the fact (not assertion) that women are not eligible to learn the Vedas. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Stock for $4 and no minimums. FREE Money 2002. http://us.click.yahoo.com/k6cvND/n97DAA/ySSFAA/XUWolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -- SrImatE rAmAnujAya namaH -- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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