‘Women not barred from learning Vedas’

[prasad1]

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In another thread, a member claimed that women can not learn Vedas.


Contrary to the popular belief that women are prohibited from learning the Vedas, here are two scholars who are on a mission to encourage women in mastering them. Speaking to The Hindu, Mysore-based Samveda Mahamandala President K.R. Manjunatha Shrouthy said not a single word was mentioned in the Vedas prohibiting woman from learning them.“It is a misconception that reciting mantras from Vedas would affect child-bearing. In fact, there are some mantras like those found in Tandya Brahmana which should be recited by only women,” he pointed out.

Upapradhan Acharya of Acharyakulam (Haridwar) Krishna Bhatt taught the Rig Veda to his wife after their marriage.
“She did her Masters and M. Phil after marriage. She mastered the Vedas as well. I can proudly say that we are the only ghanapati [expert] couple in the entire country who recite Rig Veda,” he said.

Mr. Bhatt added that there were no restrictions on sudras acquiring divine knowledge. “At Acharyakulam, we are imparting Vedic knowledge to children of all prisms of life.

“All that they require is a qualification of Class V or VI in age group of 10 to 11,” he said. Dwelling on the Vedas and science, Mr. Shrouthy, a chartered accountant, said the Vedas referred to science and cited examples of gravitation theory and planetary movement.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/women-not-barred-from-learning-vedas/article5877128.ece

 

[prasad1]

[FONT=q_serif]Vedas and related texts sings about the status of womanhood in a very glorifying and respectful way. It will be no exaggeration to say that among all religious philosophies in the world only Vedas considers women as superior to man. If we compare the status of women in Christianity and Islam they do not consider women to be even equal to man. Most of the readers might have doubt arising in their mind that than why the condition of women was so downtrodden and trampled especially in the middle ages.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]The answer to this question is that in Vedic age the women enjoyed respectful status in whole society while in the middle age of ignorance was the era of downfall and decline. Most of the objections about status of women are related to same middle age like Sati Pratha, Dowry, Polygamy, Adultery, lack of education, child marriage, widowhood etc. These ill practices prevailed when people stopped following the instructions of the Vedas. They were side effects of in-compliance and non adherence of Vedic Philosophy. So, the fault goes to inaction not to the Vedic Texts.


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[prasad1]

[FONT=q_serif]1.Vedas clearly mentions that Women can Read/Listen/Chant/Teach any Vedic Mantra.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Rigveda 10/191/3[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]God says that O! man and women i am granting you these Mantras for you both So, that you can think and progress together.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Atharvaveda 14/1/64[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]O Bride! Let the Vedic knowledge (Vedas) be in front of you, behind you and all along side you. Let you attain knowledge of Vedas and live life according to them.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Yajurveda 14/2[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]O! Women for success in life you must read and follow Vedas.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Rigveda 1/1/5[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Women who read Vedas and related Texts in her life practicing celibacy are adorned in society.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Yajurveda 14/14[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]If both Boys and Girls are taught Vedas from beginning of life they attains knowledge and wisdom promptly.


https://www.quora.com/Can-women-learn-Vedas[/FONT]

 

[prasad1]

[FONT=q_serif]Having clarity in this subject is never dependent on gender.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Do not stop yourself from learning about vedas if you are a woman. In fact, there is a great opportunity for you to learn it from the Guru himself.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Acharya Prashant (आचार्य प्रशान्त) (आचार्य प्रशान्त) Ji organizes various courses on scriptures every month. This month’s course will be on Vivekchuramani.[/FONT]

[video=youtube_share;eXhwhWI6ySQ]https://youtu.be/eXhwhWI6ySQ[/video]

 

[prasad1]

[FONT=q_serif]Kadambari is a novel written by a poet called Banabhatta, around 7th Century AD.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]In the novel, while describing the female character of Mahashweta, he mentions that she was wearing the yajnopavita (janivara, janeu - the sacred thread which Brahmins wear). Thus, it becomes evident that around 7th century, women were initiated into Vedic studies.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Why the practice was lost is a curious thing.

https://www.quora.com/Can-women-learn-Vedas[/FONT]

 

[prasad1]

[FONT=q_serif]Sukla Yajurveda (XXVI. 2).[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]यथेमां वाचं कल्याणीमावदानि जनेभ्यः।[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]ब्रह्मराजन्याभ्यां शूद्राय चार्याय च स्वाय चारणाय॥[/FONT]

Yajurved 26.2:
"The way I gave this knowledge of Vedas for benefit of all humans, similarly you all also propagate the same for benefit of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Shudras, Vaishyas, Women and even most downtrodden. The scholars and the wealthy people should ensure that they not deviate from this message of mine."

Swami Vivekananda
— Thus says the Shukla Yajur Veda (XXVI. 2). Can you show any authority from this Veda of ours that everyone has not the right to it? The Purânas, no doubt, say that a certain caste has the right to such and such a recension of the Vedas, or a certain caste has no right to study them, or that this portion of the Vedas is for the Satya Yuga and that portion is for the Kali Yuga. But, mark you, the Veda does not say so; it is only your Puranas that do so. But can the servant dictate to the master? The Smritis, Puranas, Tantras — all these are acceptable only so far as they agree with the Vedas; and wherever they are contradictory, they are to be rejected as unreliable. But nowadays we have put the Puranas on even a higher pedestal than the Vedas! The study of the Vedas has almost disappeared from Bengal. How I wish that day will soon come when in every home the Veda will be worshipped together with Shâlagrâma, the household Deity, when the young, the old, and the women will inaugurate the worship of the Veda!


https://www.quora.com/Can-women-learn-Vedas

 

[prasad1]

In some regions, in modern times, boys and girls undergo the tradition of Upanayana initiation when they start their formal schooling. In ancient and medieval eras, texts such as Harita Dharmasutras, Asvalayana Grhya Sutra and Yama smriti suggest women could begin Vedic studies after the Upanayana rite of passage.

Girls who decided to become a student underwent the Upanayana rite of passage, at the age of 8, and thereafter were called Brahmavadini. They wore a thread or upper garment over their left shoulder. Those girls who chose not to go to a gurukul were called Sadyovadhu (literally, one who marries straight). However, the Sadyovadhu, too, underwent a step during the wedding rituals, where she would complete Upanayana, and thereafter wear her upper garment (saree) over her left shoulder. This interim symbolic Upanayana rite of passage for a girl, before her wedding, is described in multiple texts such as the Gobhila Gryha Sutra verse 2.1.19 and some Dharmasutras.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanayana