WOMEN EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA

“Yatra Poojyante Nariastu Ramante Tatra Devta”.

In the Vedic period women had all rights similar to men in studying the vedas. 

Its important to remember that Vedas, Shasta’s, Sanhitas, Upanishads in ancient time was taught in Gurukuls is similar to schooling education in modern times. 

So denying this right to women in ancient times would have meant denying women the right to education. But as we shall see below, this was not the case. 

Women enjoyed equal liberty and freedom in their pursuit of knowledge in ancient India similar to men.

Women Vedic Scholars who composed Rig Veda hymns. 

Women Vedic Scholar	Rig Veda hymn attributed to
Aditi	4.18
Aditirdākshāyaņi	10.72
Apālā Atreyi	8.91
Indrāņi	10.86
Urvashi	10.85
Godhā	10.134
Goshā Kākshīvati	10.39, 10.40
Juhūrbramhajāyā	10.109
Tvaşhţa Garbhakartā	10.184
Dakshiņā Prājāpatyā	10.107
Yamī	10.154
Yamī Vaivasvati	10.10
Rātrīrbhāradvājī	10.127
Lopāmudrā	1.171
Vasukrapatnī	10.28
Vagāmbhŗņī	10.125
Vishvavārā Atreyi	5.28
Sashvatyāņgīrasi	8.1
Shradhdā Kāmāyāni	10.151
Shachī Paulomi	10.159
Sarparājni	10.189
Sikatā Nivāvari	9.86
Sūrya Savitrī	10.85
Romashā	1.126
Saramā Devashunī	10.108
Shikhandinyavapsarasau Kāshyapan	9.104
Jaritā Sharņgah	10.142
Sudītīrangirasah	8.71
Indra Mataro	10.153

Madhava Samhita on Parashara Smriti says - 

Yopanayanam krutwa pashcad vivaham karoti sa brahmavadini |
tathaiva ya prathamata upanayanam krutwa sadya eva vivaham vidhaya tato vedamadhite sa sadyovadhuh

This means -

She who studies Vedas after upanayana and then gets married is brahmavadini, she who gets married immediately after upanayana and then studies Vedas is sadyovadhu.

This goes on to show that women were eligible to both the sacred threading ceremony as well as the Vedic studies in ancient times. 

This also means that women are also eligible to Gayatri Upadesha and to learn the Gayatri Mantra, because any person who has gone through the Yajnopavitam ceremony is eligible for Gayatri Upadesha.

So, denying the women rights to study vedic knowledge, to Yajnopavitam Sanskara and Gayatri Upadesha is un-Vedic. 

In the Vedas there is not a single reference which denies the women these rights.

Shri Madhvacharya in his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya, describes the scholarly nature of Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas.

Women should study the Vedas like Krishna (Draupadi).

Even women Scholars got the name of – Rishika.

All the Vedic hymns were actually revealed to different Vedic scholars, which is why we find each Vedic hymn attributed to a particular Rishi. 

Now what is interesting to note is that, there are many Vedic hymns attributed to Rishikas (female Vedic scholars). 

In Rig Veda alone there are around 30 women vedic scholars (Rishikas) to whom different hymns have been attributed to. 

Now obviously, it would be naive to say that women cannot study the Vedas, while there are hymns in the Vedas which were revealed to women sages!

Katyaayana in his Rig-Veda Sarvanukramani lists the 27 Rishikas as follows, saying these are the Brahmavadinya or female Vedic scholars.

Godha, Ghosha, Vishwavara, Apalopanishannishat,

Brahmajaya, JuhUrnama, Agastyasya, Swasa, Aditih

Indrani, Indramata, Sarama, cha (and) Romashorvashi,

lopamudra, cha Nadyashca, yami, Nari, cha Shashwati,

Shrirlaksha, Sarparaj, ji, Vak Shraddha, Medha, cha Dakshina,

Ratri, Surya, cha Savitri, Brahmavadinya, Iritah.

Even Panini in his Ashtadhyayi refers to Kathi as female students of the Katha Shaakha of the Vedic school. 

He also refers to Bahvrichi as female students who are well versed in many hymns of the Rig-Veda.

Panini also mentions about the female students admitted to the study of Meemamsa and about chhatri (girl students) and Upadhyayi (women teachers).

This clearly shows that even during the time of Panini, Vedic education was imparted to both men and women.

In his book “Siddhartha Kaumudi” Bhattoji Deekshita, the 17th century Sanskrit grammarian from Maharashtra wrote on the Ashtadhyayi of Panini. 

In this book the author refers to the term Upadhyayi explicitly as ladies who are themselves teachers and not merely as wives of male teachers. This shows that, even in not so distant past, there were female teachers in Sanskrit education.

Isn’t this an irony that on one hand we have the western civilization where women who were denied equal rights to that of men in the ancient times today enjoy equal rights with men in all sections of the society. 

And on the other hand our ancestors during the early Vedic civilization started off with equal rights to men and women, and today we have advocates who want to deny the very same Vedic education and Sanskara to women.

Even during Sankaracharya period, 9th Century AD. 

It was the period when Muslim invaders had not come to India, he came to Mithila for a Sastrarth with Mandan Misra, in which Mandan Misra got defeated by Sankaracharya, that time Mandan Misra’s wife came in front and said Mandan je only half defeated because you have not defeated me. 

A new Sastrarth took place between Sankaracharya and Bharti, wife of Mandan Misra. 

In first round Bharti was on the upper hand in the Sastrarth on Kama, Sankaracharya took time he got knowledge about Kamasastra and only after that he defeated Bharti. 

That Sastrarth took more than 1 year. 

It shows that there was education in women till that time. 

Lilawati is a renowned Mathematician of her time. 

There is a book by her on Mathematics Lilawati. 

Gargi was a great scholar and is famous for her Sastrarth.

The Rig Vedic Women in India enjoyed high status in society. 

Their condition was good. 

The women were provided opportunity to attain high intellectual and spiritual standard. 

There were many women Rishis during this period. 

Though monogamy was mostly common, the richer section of the society indulged in polygamy. 

There was no sati system or early marriage.

                                                      The End.