I received an email notification of a Post’ Periyava clarifying upanayana for girls’ from Sage of Kanchi website,me being a subscriber.
The views of Periyava is here below.
‘
“I said that the twice-born must perform sandhyavandana with the well-being of women and other jatis in mind. I also explained why all samskaras are not prescribed for the fourth varna. Now we must consider the question of women, why they do not have such rituals and samskaras.
Even though we perform the punyaha-vacana and namakarana of newborn girls and celebrate their first birthday, we do not conduct their caula and upanayana nor the other samskaras or vows laid down for brahmacarins. Of course, they have the marriage samskara. But in other rites like sacrifices the main part is that of the husband, though she (the wife) has to be by his side. In aupasana alone does a woman have a part in making oblations in the sacred fire…..more“
http://mahaperiyavaa.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/periyava-clarifying-upanayana-for-girls/
Many women were great Rishis.
Some of them were.
Gargi,Visvara, Ghosa, Romasa, Lopamudra, Apalargi.
They have even composed Rig Vedic Hymns.
Sage Apasthamba states ‘Atha Upanayana vyakasyamaha’
He does not mention males only.
Interestingly , in Taitriya Upanishad, in Shikshavalli,sex of the student is not mentioned(I await to be corrected)
If there were Great women Rishis who could compose Vedic Mantras, they should have had Upanayana performed for them for Upanayana is the prerequisite for learning the Vedas.
I quote here below some points to state that women were entitled to Upanayana and that performing Upanayana to girls is not against the Sastras.
Despite all this we find frequent references in Rgveda to daughters being fondly
caressed and affectionately brought up by parents. Ordinarily girls were no doubt less
welcome than boys but we must add that there were also some parents in society who
would perform special religious rituals for good luck of getting learned and capable
daughters
4
. Girls were educated like boys and had to pass through a period of
brahmacharya. They were educated both in the spiritual and secular subjects. Women
during the Vedic age were not only ritually entitled to perform sacrificial rites
5
, they also
had access to Upanayana Samskara and Vedic study. In Vedas women have been granted
the highest status of being a seer (rishika) along with men. Some of them even composed
the Vedic hymns e.g, Visvara, Ghosa, Romasa, Lopamudra, Apala etc. They could recite
Vedic mantras as matter of course. Brhadaranyaka Upanishad tells us of a woman
philosopher, Gargi Vacaknavi who carried on learned discussions with Rishi
Yajanavalkya
6
. In the Mahabharata we find a number of stories of girls who were noted
for their spiritual aspirations. Thus, there is a story of a Brahmavadini Sulabha, who
demanded praise for her great progress in spiritual path. There was another girl ‘Siba’
who was the daughter of a learned Brahmana, she studied all the Vedas and after wards
attained Siddhi
7
. In panini’s Asthadhyayi
8
, we find the reference of the epithet kumariSramana,i.e. an unmarried female ascetic. These female ascetics dedicated their lives to
penance. They were known as ‘Kumara – Pravrajita’ and ‘Kumara – Tapasi’
9
. In the
ancient period, the daughters had the right to perform Yajnas, the unmarried girls were
also seen offering Vedic sacrifices. In the Satapatha Brahmana, we find the reference of a
woman who performed a special Upanayana on the occasion of soma sacrifice
10
. Atharva
Veda says that the Brahmacharya discipline and training was as much necessary for girls
as it was for boys
11
.
Upanayana Samskara was one of the highest samskara, it was said that if the
samskara of upanayana was not performed in the case of girl, women would be reduced
to the status of Sudras; how then Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas could be born of
them
12
. Upanayana of women was absolutely indispensable, if the cultural tradition of the
different Aryan classes was to be preserved
13
. After the Upanayana ceremony of the girls
they were asked to follow a disciplined life like that of the boys. But they were shown
certain concession. They did not have to go out to beg their daily food; they were not to
grow matted hair. They were to be taught by their near relatives like the father, the uncle,
or the brother.
The girl students were permitted to continue their studies till their
marriages were settled at about the age of 16 or 17. But few girls’ students continued
their studies for a longer time and were known as Brahmavadinis
14
. After Upanayana
ceremony the girls become specialized in Vedic theology and philosophy and some of
them also composed the Vedic hymns. In the Taittiriya Brahmana, we find the reference
of a girl who flatly declined to marry her lover, when she suspected that he was hesitating
to reveal to her some of his Vedic dogmas and theories”
http://onlineijra.com/research%20paper/u/upanayana_samskara.pdf
Firstly, there seems to be a confusion in the article between karmakhanda (Upanayana and entitlement to Gayatri and vedas & rituals) and Jnanakhanda (Atma Jnana by studying upanishads and prasthanatrayas) . Spiritual aspiration is more the Jnana khanda aspect for which all 4 varnas including women have rights to study and learn. (not recite)
Points mentioned in the above article trying to claim Upanayana for Girls have mixed up these two aspects, by giving historical examples of Women who were well versed with Gnanakhanda (Knowledge of Atman) and using them as proof of right to perform rituals.
Few points in the article also mention examples of girls performing rituals for which i request the Author to give exact source to which he has referred.
Source required for below mentioned points in the article.
1. Gargi,Visvara etc composed vedic Hymns and they could recite vedis mantras
( When vedas are Apourusheyas, i do not understand somebody composing them)
2. Siba studied all Vedas
3 In the ancient period, the daughters had the right to perform Yajnas, the unmarried girls were also seen offering Vedic sacrifices. In the Satapatha Brahmana, we find the reference of a woman who performed a special Upanayana on the occasion of soma sacrifice.
4. it was said that if the samskara of upanayana was not performed in the case of girl, women would be reduced to the status of Sudras;
5.
There is no mix up of the Karma and Gnana Kandas in the Post.
Upanayana , or any karma though belonging to Karma Kanda leads to Gnana Kanda.
The article does not speak of this issue, but whether women are entitled to have Upanayana,
2.’One learns vedas but not recite’ How? Vedas are learnt only by recitaion.Sruthi, strothram Karnebhi.
3.The Vedas are Apaureheya .But they were grasped by Rishis a various poins of Time and by many.So we have man Rishis for the Vedas.
For example,
“Tradition associates a rishi (the composer) with each ṛc of the Rigveda.[27] Most sūktas are attributed to single composers. The “family books” (2–7) are so-called because they have hymns by members of the same clan in each book; but other clans are also represented in the Rigveda. In all, 10 families of rishis account for more than 95% of the ṛcs; for each of them the Rigveda includes a lineage-specific āprī hymn (a special sūkta of rigidly formulaic structure, used for animal sacrifice in the soma ritual).
Family Āprī Ṛcas[28]
Angiras I.142 3619 (especially Mandala 6)
Kanva I.13 1315 (especially Mandala 8)
Vasishtha VII.2 1276 (Mandala 7)
Vishvamitra III.4 983 (Mandala 3)
Atri V.5 885 (Mandala 5)
Bhrgu X.110 473
Kashyapa IX.5 415 (part of Mandala 9)
Grtsamada II.3 401 (Mandala 2)
Agastya I.188 316
Bharata X.70 170
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigveda#Rishis
I should have made this point in writing this fact in the article.
3.Gargi Vachaknavi was an ancient Indian philosopher. In Vedic Literature, she is honored as a great natural philosopher,[1][2] renowned expounder of the Vedas,[3] and known as Brahmavadini, a person with knowledge of Brahma Vidya.[4] In the Sixth and the Eighth Brahmana of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, her name is prominent as she participates in the brahmayajna, a philosophic debate organized by King Janaka of Videha and challenges the sage Yajnavalkya with perplexing questions on the issue of atman (soul).[1][5] She is also said to have written many hymns in the Rigveda.[6] She was a nun who took to preaching, a unique position in Hindu religion, which otherwise shunned such a practice by women. She remained a celibate all her life and was held in veneration by the conventional Hindus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargi_Vachaknavi
4.Maitreyi was a philosopher from ancient India who lived during the Vedic period (c. 1750 – 500 BCE). She was the second wife of the sage and philosopher, Yajnavalkya, the first being Katyaayanee.[1][2] Maitreyi had deep knowledge of the Vedas and associated scriptures of the Upanishads and was called a brahmavadini, an “expounder of the Vedas”.[1][3] About ten hymns in the Rigveda are accredited to Maitreyi.[2] She was a spiritual person dedicated to the worship of God. Her admiration and wholehearted support boosted Yajnavalkya’s spiritual knowledge. Her goal in life was to acquire from Yajnavalkya his treasure trove of knowledge and secrets, and attain the stage of kundalini – that is, to awaken her spiritual energy.[1] She was highly revered as one of the few women scholars of the Vedic period able to discuss the highest spiritual truths of life.
Devi is the Ultimate Reality.
She is worshiped as Sruthi seemantha .Sindhoora Thilakaanchita’
Such being the case denying Upanayana for women is ridiculous.
5.Sita performed the Sraddha for Dasaratha.On what basis?
Sri Sita is said to have performed Sandhyavandanam including Dhyaanam and Japam (Vide page 97 of Notes on AyOdhya KhaaNDam of Srimad Vaalmiki Ramayanam by Sri C.R.Srinivasa Iyengar)..
The story goes that Rama, along with his brothers and Sita, came to Gaya to perform the sacred rites for his father, Dasaratha. When the brothers were bathing in the river, Sita was sitting on the banks, playing with the sand. Suddenly, Dasaratha appeared out of the sand, and asked for the Pindam, saying he was hungry. Sita asked him to wait till his sons returned, so that she could give him the traditional Pindam of rice and til. He refused to wait, asking her to give him pindams made of the sand in her hand.
Having no other option, she gave him the Pindam he desired with five witnesses – the Akshaya Vatam, the Falguni River, a cow, a Tulsi plant and a Brahmin.
https://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2015/03/22/sita-performed-sraddha-cursed-river/
There were people in the olden days too who tried to deny women their rights to perform Karma while edas do no prohibit them.
For other Women rishis kindly Google.
That women were considered to be a Sudra is the interprettion by some who stick to the theory that ny men are entitled to have Upaveedha.
Regds
Very informative. Thanks for sharing this!
You are welcome.