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What was the position of women in the Vedic and post-Vedic periods?
The position of women in India in Vedic times was very high, and there was real equality between women and men. We can glean this from the ancient Hindu scripture, the Vedas.
Shruti is the name given to the most fundamental type of scripture. This type consists mainly of “description” as opposed to “prescription”. Description gives us a picture of things as they were, whereas prescription is only somebody’s opinion for how things should have been or should be. Shruti consists of the Vedas (samhitA, brAhmaNa, AraNyaka, upaniShad).
Law books (dharmashAstras) fall in the category of secondary scripture called smRti, and they are prescriptive texts. They contain do’s and don’t’s. However, there is no unanimity on which text is the one and only authority. The basic tenet is that each age deserves its own law book to work within the social context peculiar to it. Each book is attributed to a specific author, and in the best light it can be called the author’s opinion.
But again, the point to be emphasized is that these books were prescriptive, and there is no evidence that all the laws in these books were enforced at all. Especially in regards to the allegation that these laws are oppressive and denigrating to women or specific classes: Hindu culture, art, music, dance, architecture, sculpture, etc would not have developed in such beautiful and wholesome ways if such vast sections of society were so depressed and oppressed. Most, if not all, of the artisans, craftsmen, dancers, painters, singers, musicians and other creative people were women and shudras.
Now I will try to give as many examples as I can remember from Hinduism’s core scriptures to test its “innate” sexism.
2. Rig Veda 1.116.15 is a mantra in praise of the twin Ashvin gods who make an iron leg for the woman warrior vishpalA who apparently lost her leg in battle. This shows that women were not held back from any occupation.
3. Rig Veda 10.18.8 emphatically asks the new widow to get up from the side of her dead husband’s body and return to the world of the living (i.e. continue her life through remarriage). So widows were encouraged to remarry and not lapse into depression or commit suicide on the pyre of the husband.
“उदीर्ष्व नार्यभि जीवलोकं गतासुमेतमुप शेष एहि । हस्तग्राभस्य दिधिषोस्तवेदं पत्युर्जनित्वमभि सं बभूथ ॥”
4. RV 9.112.3 is a self-description of the rishi’s family. He describes himself as a maker of mantras, his father (or son) as a doctor, and his mother (or daughter or sister) as a grinder of grain (to make flour). They are all equally striving in their respective roles without gender discrimination or inequality. There is no hint that the women’s roles are lower than the men’s roles.
“कारुरहं ततो भिषगुपलप्रक्षिणी नना । नानाधियो वसूयवोऽनु गाइव तस्थिमेन्द्रायेन्दो परिस्रव”
5. RV 10.85 the famous hymn of rishika sUryA sAvitrI is full of beautiful sayings and descriptions that show the high regard for women. The new bride is praised as the controller of the household (“वशिनी” 26), and the sole sustenance of it and inspiration to the husband (“गार्हपत्याय जागृहि”, “एना पत्या तन्वं सं सृजस्व” 27). She is very auspicious and everyone is invited to see her and bless her (“सुमङ्गलीरियं वधूरिमां समेत पश्यत” 33). She is also seen as powerful enough to bring ill fate, destruction and ruin to the household if she so desired. Hence she is pleaded with to be comforting (“स्योना अनृक्षरा” 44), bringing good fortune (“अदुर्मङ्गली” 43), benevolent (“अघोरचक्षु” 44), protecting her husband (“अपतिघ्न्या” 44) and also kind and nurturing to the domestic animals (“शं नो भव द्विपदे शं चतुष्पदे” 43, “शिवा पशुभ्यः सुमनाः सुवर्चाः” 44). With her 10 sons, she is asked to make her husband the 11th son (“दशास्यां पुत्रानाधेहि पतिमेकादशं कृधि” 45). She is blessed to become the queen of her parents-in-law, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law — what this means is she would be so beloved that they would treat her like a queen (“सम्राज्ञी श्वशुरे भव सम्राज्ञी श्वश्र्वां भव, ननान्दरि सम्राज्ञी भव सम्राज्ञी अधि देवृषु” 46).
6. RV 10.17.1 shows that a daughter was considered a treasure, and her wedding was a joyous occasion. On the occasion of tvaShTA’s daughter’s wedding, the entire universe was gathered. (“त्वष्टा दुहित्रे वहतुं कृणोतीतीदं विश्वं भुवनं समेति”)
7. RV 10.34 the famous and very realistic “gambler’s hymn” shows the other side as well. If women are expected to be supportive and forgiving of the men’s faults, then the men also have a responsibility to behave and deserve their women. This shows the Vedic idea of balance and reciprocity between the sexes. The woman is not expected to be a dishcloth. The woman is expected to be strong and not take the man’s abuse lying down.
What was the position of women in the Vedic and post-Vedic periods?
The position of women in India in Vedic times was very high, and there was real equality between women and men. We can glean this from the ancient Hindu scripture, the Vedas.
Shruti is the name given to the most fundamental type of scripture. This type consists mainly of “description” as opposed to “prescription”. Description gives us a picture of things as they were, whereas prescription is only somebody’s opinion for how things should have been or should be. Shruti consists of the Vedas (samhitA, brAhmaNa, AraNyaka, upaniShad).
Law books (dharmashAstras) fall in the category of secondary scripture called smRti, and they are prescriptive texts. They contain do’s and don’t’s. However, there is no unanimity on which text is the one and only authority. The basic tenet is that each age deserves its own law book to work within the social context peculiar to it. Each book is attributed to a specific author, and in the best light it can be called the author’s opinion.
But again, the point to be emphasized is that these books were prescriptive, and there is no evidence that all the laws in these books were enforced at all. Especially in regards to the allegation that these laws are oppressive and denigrating to women or specific classes: Hindu culture, art, music, dance, architecture, sculpture, etc would not have developed in such beautiful and wholesome ways if such vast sections of society were so depressed and oppressed. Most, if not all, of the artisans, craftsmen, dancers, painters, singers, musicians and other creative people were women and shudras.
Now I will try to give as many examples as I can remember from Hinduism’s core scriptures to test its “innate” sexism.
- Rig Veda, the oldest and most important of the Vedic “वाङ्मय vAṅmaya” [[this is the native term to refer to the Vedic corpus, as they are, strictly speaking, not written texts, “scriptures”, but orally transmitted]]. There are more than 20 women rishis (seers or sages) who have composed lofty, spiritual and beautiful hymns. For example, the rishika vAk AmbhrNi realizes the highest truth of the Atman and she declares that she is the origin of the gods and she sustains their power. Some other prominent rishikas are apAlA Atreyi, vishvavArA Atreyi, ghoShA kAkShIvatI, lopAmudrA, agastyasvasA (Agastya’s sister).
2. Rig Veda 1.116.15 is a mantra in praise of the twin Ashvin gods who make an iron leg for the woman warrior vishpalA who apparently lost her leg in battle. This shows that women were not held back from any occupation.
3. Rig Veda 10.18.8 emphatically asks the new widow to get up from the side of her dead husband’s body and return to the world of the living (i.e. continue her life through remarriage). So widows were encouraged to remarry and not lapse into depression or commit suicide on the pyre of the husband.
“उदीर्ष्व नार्यभि जीवलोकं गतासुमेतमुप शेष एहि । हस्तग्राभस्य दिधिषोस्तवेदं पत्युर्जनित्वमभि सं बभूथ ॥”
4. RV 9.112.3 is a self-description of the rishi’s family. He describes himself as a maker of mantras, his father (or son) as a doctor, and his mother (or daughter or sister) as a grinder of grain (to make flour). They are all equally striving in their respective roles without gender discrimination or inequality. There is no hint that the women’s roles are lower than the men’s roles.
“कारुरहं ततो भिषगुपलप्रक्षिणी नना । नानाधियो वसूयवोऽनु गाइव तस्थिमेन्द्रायेन्दो परिस्रव”
5. RV 10.85 the famous hymn of rishika sUryA sAvitrI is full of beautiful sayings and descriptions that show the high regard for women. The new bride is praised as the controller of the household (“वशिनी” 26), and the sole sustenance of it and inspiration to the husband (“गार्हपत्याय जागृहि”, “एना पत्या तन्वं सं सृजस्व” 27). She is very auspicious and everyone is invited to see her and bless her (“सुमङ्गलीरियं वधूरिमां समेत पश्यत” 33). She is also seen as powerful enough to bring ill fate, destruction and ruin to the household if she so desired. Hence she is pleaded with to be comforting (“स्योना अनृक्षरा” 44), bringing good fortune (“अदुर्मङ्गली” 43), benevolent (“अघोरचक्षु” 44), protecting her husband (“अपतिघ्न्या” 44) and also kind and nurturing to the domestic animals (“शं नो भव द्विपदे शं चतुष्पदे” 43, “शिवा पशुभ्यः सुमनाः सुवर्चाः” 44). With her 10 sons, she is asked to make her husband the 11th son (“दशास्यां पुत्रानाधेहि पतिमेकादशं कृधि” 45). She is blessed to become the queen of her parents-in-law, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law — what this means is she would be so beloved that they would treat her like a queen (“सम्राज्ञी श्वशुरे भव सम्राज्ञी श्वश्र्वां भव, ननान्दरि सम्राज्ञी भव सम्राज्ञी अधि देवृषु” 46).
6. RV 10.17.1 shows that a daughter was considered a treasure, and her wedding was a joyous occasion. On the occasion of tvaShTA’s daughter’s wedding, the entire universe was gathered. (“त्वष्टा दुहित्रे वहतुं कृणोतीतीदं विश्वं भुवनं समेति”)
7. RV 10.34 the famous and very realistic “gambler’s hymn” shows the other side as well. If women are expected to be supportive and forgiving of the men’s faults, then the men also have a responsibility to behave and deserve their women. This shows the Vedic idea of balance and reciprocity between the sexes. The woman is not expected to be a dishcloth. The woman is expected to be strong and not take the man’s abuse lying down.
- In the hymn, at first the gambler’s wife is very accommodating of her husband’s gambling, being hospitable to his friends and not getting angry or ashamed (“न मा मिमेथ न जिहीळ एषा शिवा सखिभ्य उत मह्यमासीत्” 2).
- But then he starts getting sucked in to his addiction and keeps alienating his devoted wife (“अक्षस्याहमेकपरस्य हेतोरनुव्रतामप जायामरोधम्” 2).
- The mother-in-law hates him, and the ever-tolerant wife throws him out of the house (“द्वेष्टि श्वश्रूरप जाया रुणद्धि” 3).
- Seeing his sorry state, other men are emboldened to make a move on his wife (“अन्ये जायां परि मृशन्ति अस्य” 4)
- Long story short, he learns his lesson, gives up gambling and takes up agriculture, gets back with his wife, and lives happily ever after.
- Chandogya Upanishad 4.4: The young boy satyakAma jAbAla wishes to begin his studies under a teacher, and asks his mother jabAlA for his lineage (gotra). Instead of lying and setting a bad example for life, the mother gives him the full truth (i.e. she was a servant maid who got pregnant and didn’t know who the father was) and asks him to repeat this to the teacher. The young boy’s honesty impresses the teacher who calls the boy a true Brahmin.
- Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4 talks about yAjñavalkya’s wife, the wise scholarly maitreyi who wanted the same spiritual experience that her husband was aiming for, and did not take “no” for an answer. She impressed him with her philosophical maturity and made him reveal the secret Atmavidya (knowledge of the Atman).
- Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 3.6 & 3.8 show the fiery but brilliant scholar woman gArgI who is participating in a philosophers’ debate in the royal court of king janaka. It is noteworthy that the text does not introduce her in a special way because she is a woman. It talks about her in a very matter-of-fact way like it was normal and usual for women to be scholars and philosophers and engage in debate with men or women. It is also noteworthy that of all the scholars in the debate, she was the most successful debating with yAjñavalkya, because in the end all the men make her their representative for the final leg of the debate.
- Chandogya Upanishad 3.17 has a mention of a person kRShNa devakIputra learning a secret mantra from rishi ghora Aṅgirasa. What is noteworthy is this tradition of matronymics (i.e. name derived from mother’s lineage). This shows that ancient Hinduism was not such a rigidly patriarchal society as is commonly believed.
- Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 6.5 has a list of teacher-student lineage (vamsha). This entire list of 38 persons are all identified solely by their matronymic. Unless this is some conspiracy, it is a natural system that existed. We cannot brush this aside without gleaning the implication that women were held in high esteem so much that identifying family lineage from the mother’s side was preferred over that from father’s side.
