Showing 1 of 1 results for “women in vedic period”
What they say
Sati (widow burning) was a core Hindu practice that all widows were forced into.
The Truth
Sati was NEVER a Vedic practice. The Vedas explicitly condemn it. It was a rare, often voluntary act during Islamic invasions — widows chose death over being sold into slavery. The British banned it but also killed millions of cows and destroyed gurukuls.
नैतद् विधितम् आचार्यैः न श्रुतौ न स्मृतौ क्वचित्
“This (sati) is not prescribed by the acharyas, not in Shruti, not in Smriti anywhere.”
— Medhatithi on Manusmriti
The Rigveda (10.18.8) explicitly tells the widow: 'Rise up, O woman, come to the world of the living.' The practice became more common during Mughal rule when widows had no protection. The British used Sati to justify colonization, while they themselves committed far greater atrocities. In most of India, remarriage of widows was common and encouraged.
What they say
Hinduism oppressed women and denied them education.
The Truth
Vedic women were scholars, rishis, and teachers. Gargi debated Yajnavalkya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Maitreyi chose knowledge over wealth. Lopamudra composed Rigvedic hymns. The decline came during Islamic invasions when women needed protection from abduction.
या ब्रह्मणं विदधाति पूर्वं या वै वेदांश्च प्रहिणोति तस्मै
“She who first created Brahma and delivered the Vedas to him.”
— Devi Sukta, Rigveda 10.125
Rigveda has 30+ women rishis (Gargi, Lopamudra, Apala, Ghosha, Romasha, Vishvavara). Women participated in sabhas (assemblies), owned property, and chose their husbands (swayamvara). The Manusmriti (3.56) says 'Where women are honored, there the gods rejoice.' The restriction of women came during foreign invasions, not from Hindu scriptures.