Tag: Vedic

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 kumari

Sramana,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