Women have always been accorded high respect in the Nepalese culture. They have been regarded more pious than men. They are often addressed as Devi. Girls are named as Shanti Devi, Gang Devi, and Dayadevi. The word Devi is thus often annexed to their names. Girls are adorned not by degrees etc. but by their inherent God-given feminine virtues.
Gods and great personalities are often known through the names of their wives. In various names like; Sitaram, Radheshyam, Gaurishankar, Lakhyaminarayan, Umamahesh, Maya-Brahma, Savitri-Satyavan; women, have been given precedence over man. All thoughtful and wise persons has regarded women more prominent in respect of virtues like chastity , loyalty, mercy, compassion, service, sympathy, love, affection, generosity, devotion etc.
Women have, in general been given prominence and respect in all religious and spiritual pursuits. If one goes through the Vedas it will appear that not only Rishis but several wives of Rishis were also seers to whom Vedic hymns were revealed. How could the great God who is kind-hearted just and impartial discriminate between man and women who are his own children?
The Rishi of the Mantras of Rig Veda (10/85) is a female named Surya Savitri (sun). In Nirukta, a Rishi has been defined as one who is a seer of Mantras, who understands the secret behind them and transmits it to others ("Rishi darshanat stoman dadarshanti, Rishyo Mantra drastarah").
In twenty-fourth chapter of Vrihad Devta, a list of women rishis in Rigved has been given which includes the names of Ghosha, Godha, Vishavara, Aapala, Upnishad, Juhu, Adity, Indrani, Sarama, Romasha, Lopamudra, Yami, Shaswati, Surya, Savitri as being brahmavadinis. The seers of RigVeda's sukta 10-134, 10-39, 10- 40, 10-91, 10-95, 10-107, 10-109, 10-154, 10- 159, 10- 189, 5-28, 8-91 etc. were women. There is ample evidence which proves that, like males, females used to perform Yagya. They were experts in Yagya technique and religious learning. Several women used to guide their fathers/husband in this respect. Ida had told Manu that she would do avadhan on fire in such a way that he would get worldly riches, pleasures and respect and attain heaven. In Shatpath Brahman, Yagyavalkya's wife Maitreyi has been called brahmavadini, which means brahmavadin-sheel. Brahma means Veda and brahmavadan-sheel means one who gives discourses on Vedas.
Adi-Shankaracharya had to enter into a spiritual debate with Bharati Devi. Her exposition of the scriptures was so marvelous that even eminent scholars were wonder-stuck. Shankaracharya was unable to answer her profound questions and had to seek one month's time to respond. In Shankar Digvijaya (3/16) it is written that Bharati Devi was well-versed in all the Vedas and other scriptures and branches of knowledge. None excelled her in knowledge. How can a ban now be imposed on study of this scripture by women? If there had been such restriction in the ancient times, how could there have been women who could have philosophical debates with persons like Yagyavalkaya, Shankarcharya etc.? In fact, in those days all men and women had equal opportunities for studying the Vedas.
Why should there be Restriction on Women
The meaning of Gayatri worship is to regard God as mother and sit in her lap. Of all the relations in the world, the relationship of mother and child is most loving and intimate. With whatever devotion we turn to God, he responds according to our faith. When the devotee visualizes God in the form of mother and sits in her lap he gets affectionate response accordingly.
The qualities of love, affection, compassion, tenderness, generosity are by nature, found in greater degree in women than in man. Rishis have, there fore, been worshipping God in the form of mother since days immemorial and they have directed every person having faith in region to adopt this easy and safe path of Sadhana. Gayatri worship is supposed to be the daily religious routine of e very Nepali. Whatever may be the system of Sandhya vandan, Gayatri is an essential element in it. One may or may not perform Gayatri Sadhana for a specific worldly or spiritual purpose but he is guilty of neglecting has religious duties, if he does not perform daily routine of Sadhana.
Daughter and son both are beloved children of the mother. Man and women are both equally dear to God. No impartial and just parents discriminate between their children on the ground of sex. God has provided facilities for performance of religious duties and Sadhana for self-realization both to man and women. This is but appropriate on the grounds of equality, justice and impartiality and is proved by logic as well. This simple truth hardly calls for debate and dispute.
It is gratifying to note that in the recent past wise and farsighted eminent person men have been trying to abolish evil customs of the dark Middle Ages. They have started realizing that our nation will not be able to regain its ancient glory so long as women are not liberated from the iron grip of narrow-mindedness in which they have been encased since the middle ages. Since women constitute half of our population we will be able to make all-round progress only by restoring them to their rightful position of dignity, which they enjoyed in the golden era of our hoary past. The blind adherence to orthodoxy which considers evil traditions and conventions prevalent since middle ages as religion is bound to oppose enlightened reforms tooth and nail but it has to be faced boldly by such reformist movements
Gods and great personalities are often known through the names of their wives. In various names like; Sitaram, Radheshyam, Gaurishankar, Lakhyaminarayan, Umamahesh, Maya-Brahma, Savitri-Satyavan; women, have been given precedence over man. All thoughtful and wise persons has regarded women more prominent in respect of virtues like chastity , loyalty, mercy, compassion, service, sympathy, love, affection, generosity, devotion etc.
Women have, in general been given prominence and respect in all religious and spiritual pursuits. If one goes through the Vedas it will appear that not only Rishis but several wives of Rishis were also seers to whom Vedic hymns were revealed. How could the great God who is kind-hearted just and impartial discriminate between man and women who are his own children?
The Rishi of the Mantras of Rig Veda (10/85) is a female named Surya Savitri (sun). In Nirukta, a Rishi has been defined as one who is a seer of Mantras, who understands the secret behind them and transmits it to others ("Rishi darshanat stoman dadarshanti, Rishyo Mantra drastarah").
In twenty-fourth chapter of Vrihad Devta, a list of women rishis in Rigved has been given which includes the names of Ghosha, Godha, Vishavara, Aapala, Upnishad, Juhu, Adity, Indrani, Sarama, Romasha, Lopamudra, Yami, Shaswati, Surya, Savitri as being brahmavadinis. The seers of RigVeda's sukta 10-134, 10-39, 10- 40, 10-91, 10-95, 10-107, 10-109, 10-154, 10- 159, 10- 189, 5-28, 8-91 etc. were women. There is ample evidence which proves that, like males, females used to perform Yagya. They were experts in Yagya technique and religious learning. Several women used to guide their fathers/husband in this respect. Ida had told Manu that she would do avadhan on fire in such a way that he would get worldly riches, pleasures and respect and attain heaven. In Shatpath Brahman, Yagyavalkya's wife Maitreyi has been called brahmavadini, which means brahmavadin-sheel. Brahma means Veda and brahmavadan-sheel means one who gives discourses on Vedas.
Adi-Shankaracharya had to enter into a spiritual debate with Bharati Devi. Her exposition of the scriptures was so marvelous that even eminent scholars were wonder-stuck. Shankaracharya was unable to answer her profound questions and had to seek one month's time to respond. In Shankar Digvijaya (3/16) it is written that Bharati Devi was well-versed in all the Vedas and other scriptures and branches of knowledge. None excelled her in knowledge. How can a ban now be imposed on study of this scripture by women? If there had been such restriction in the ancient times, how could there have been women who could have philosophical debates with persons like Yagyavalkaya, Shankarcharya etc.? In fact, in those days all men and women had equal opportunities for studying the Vedas.
Why should there be Restriction on Women
The meaning of Gayatri worship is to regard God as mother and sit in her lap. Of all the relations in the world, the relationship of mother and child is most loving and intimate. With whatever devotion we turn to God, he responds according to our faith. When the devotee visualizes God in the form of mother and sits in her lap he gets affectionate response accordingly.
The qualities of love, affection, compassion, tenderness, generosity are by nature, found in greater degree in women than in man. Rishis have, there fore, been worshipping God in the form of mother since days immemorial and they have directed every person having faith in region to adopt this easy and safe path of Sadhana. Gayatri worship is supposed to be the daily religious routine of e very Nepali. Whatever may be the system of Sandhya vandan, Gayatri is an essential element in it. One may or may not perform Gayatri Sadhana for a specific worldly or spiritual purpose but he is guilty of neglecting has religious duties, if he does not perform daily routine of Sadhana.
Daughter and son both are beloved children of the mother. Man and women are both equally dear to God. No impartial and just parents discriminate between their children on the ground of sex. God has provided facilities for performance of religious duties and Sadhana for self-realization both to man and women. This is but appropriate on the grounds of equality, justice and impartiality and is proved by logic as well. This simple truth hardly calls for debate and dispute.
It is gratifying to note that in the recent past wise and farsighted eminent person men have been trying to abolish evil customs of the dark Middle Ages. They have started realizing that our nation will not be able to regain its ancient glory so long as women are not liberated from the iron grip of narrow-mindedness in which they have been encased since the middle ages. Since women constitute half of our population we will be able to make all-round progress only by restoring them to their rightful position of dignity, which they enjoyed in the golden era of our hoary past. The blind adherence to orthodoxy which considers evil traditions and conventions prevalent since middle ages as religion is bound to oppose enlightened reforms tooth and nail but it has to be faced boldly by such reformist movements
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Spiritual spirit comes from the very inner layer of our body. This is known as feeling of an individuals.