Position of Women in Vedic Period

The PPT describes in brief the position and status of women in the Vedic Period

1. POSITION OF WOMEN
IN VEDIC PERIOD
BY-SAKSHEE SAHAY
(Enrolment No.-CUSB1813125084)
Section ‘B’, Fifth Semester, Int. B.A. L.LB.(Hons.)

2. Introduction
•InIndia,itisnowadays,quitemordanttomentionthatitisanationwhere
Goddessisworshipped.AccordingtotheNationalCrimeRecordBureau,
thenationhadexperiencedover7%ascendinthemalefactionagainst
womenin2019followedby87ravishesperdayatanaverage.NCRB
recorded4,05,861malefactionsagainstwomenin2019.
•DuringtheVedicera,thestatusofwomenwasquitegood.Infact,itwillnot
beerroneoustoverbalizethat,theVedicperiodwasthe‘GoldenEra’or
‘FeminineGlory’coupledwithprestigiouslifeforwomen.

3. Education
•Toprovideeducationtoallchildrenandtoavailthemtosettleinlifewerethetwin
obligationsoftheVedicparentandinthis,therewasinitiallynodiscrimination
betweenamaleandafemalestudent.
•TheFemalestudentswerecategorisedintotwo:a)Brahmavahadinisorperennial
studentsoftheologyandphilosophy,andb)Sadyodvahasorthosewhoperpetuated
theirstudiestillespousement.Brahmavadiniswerewomenofhighscholarship.
•ManyofthemcomposedhymnswhichenrichedtheVedicliterature.
•ManyofthewomentookteachingasaprofessionandwereknownasAchagyas.

4. Profession
•WomenoftheearlyVedicperiodenjoyedabsoluteeconomicfreedom.
•Theyengagedinprofessionsforincreasinghealthandwell-being,aswellasin
teachingprofessionsasachāryāsinRigVedicsociety.
•Duringthisperiod,womenadditionallyearnedmoneythroughthespinningand
weavingofapparelathome,whilewithalavailingtheirhusbandsinagricultural
activities.
•Womenhadsomeassociationwithfolkpublicassemblies.
•Bloomfield'sviewthattheVedicwomenhadnothingtodowiththepubliclifehas
beenrefutedbyR.S.Sharma,asitpertainstoaperiodwhenthepatriarchalsociety
wasestablishedonafirmfootingandwomenhadlostherholdoversocialand
politicalstructures.

5. Marriage
•InearlyVedicfamilyaffairs,womenwhoenjoyedboththeirautonomyandtheir
roleaswiveswereconsideredtobeardhangini(betterhalf)andsahadharmini(equal
partner).
•MarriagewasneverforciblyimposedonwomeninRigVedicsocietyandtherewas
noconceptofChildMarriage.
•Dowrysystemassuchwasnotknownthoughinsomecaseswhengirlshadsome
physicaldefects,dowrieshadtobegiven.
•Thewidowhadapurposefullifetolead.Shehadthreepathsopen.Firstly,she
couldspendherremaininglifeinwidowhoodandwasnotconsideredasconvivially
inauspicious.Secondly,shecouldraisechildrenbythesystemofN~yogaorlevirate.
Thirdly,shecouldremarry.

6. Conclusion
•ThedignifiedroleandpositionofwomenintheearlyVedicperiod,theEpic
period,andtheJainismandBuddhismperiodwasplenarilyabbreviatedtooneof
virtualsubservienceduringtheageofDharmaśāstras,Mánusmṛiti.
•WomenhadasignificantroletoplayinthesphereofreligionintheearlyVedic
period.
•Historicalstudiesandwomen’scontemporarystatushavedisclosedthatalbeit
Indiansocietyhasneveracceptedwomanhoodasbeingequalsincetheageof
Dharmaśāstras,Mánusmṛiti,eventodaywomen’sstoriesarereflectedperpetuallyas
intriguingepisodesfromthearchaicperiodofIndiancivilization.