Women and Vedas

Shivshankararao"Vedic Women well versed in Vedas and Vedic Rituals :
Ghoshaa, godaa, vishvavaraa, apaalaa, adithi, jahu, indraani,
vedavathi, Oorvashi, shachee, shrithaavathi, Siddhaa, Shreemathi,
Shivaa, Sulabhaa, Svadhaa, Vapunaa, Dhaarini, Romashaa, Lopaamudraa,
Yamee, Shaashvathee, Idaa, Gaargi, Maithreyi. Gargi questioned Yagnavalkya about the right of women for Yajnopaveetha DhaaraNa and right to do all Vedic rituals - marriges , upananyanams , and pithru sraaddha karmas . Sandhyavandanam was the first woman in Andhra Pradesh to obtain a doctorate in Vedic studies, she
forayed into the male dominated profession and performs all the sixteen
samskaaras not only in Andhra, but even in Pune and Tamilnadu, she has been conducting Upanayanam for boys and girls also. Other women performing vedic rituals :Suneeti, Vasudhasastry, Oruganti Lakshmidevi (miryalaguda), Sulochana, Saraswathamma (Kamareddy), Swarooparani (east Godavari), Kalyani (Tenali).
ShashiTandon has conducted countless samskaaras in the USA (Illinois,
Michigan, Wisconsin etc.,) Purohits : from Choutpally, Nizamabad-Pranaveswari, Rajeswari, Bhuvaneswari, Gnaneswari etc., not only conduct pourohityam but run Vedic schools for girls. In Kendra Para (Orissa) - Maa Kharakiya temple on the banks of Brahmani River, men are not allowed!! Purohith Sandhya Kulkarni.
BRAHMAA VAA RITVIJAABHMISHAKTAMAHA – Shatapatha brahmana 1.7.4.19.
“Thasyaadyo brahmanishtaha syaath tham brahmaanam kurveeth”
“Atha kena brahmtvam kreeyathe iti trayyaa vidyayethi, trayya vidyayeti ha brooyaath” (Aithareya 5.33) . A woman can be a brahma- Rigveda ( 8.33.-19): sthree hi brahmaa vibhoovidhaha. AachaaryadaNatvam”…Ashtaadhyaayi 4.3.2.49.
“ACHHARYASYA STREE AACHAARYAANEE PUM YOGA ITHYEVA AACHAARYA SVAYAM VYAAKHYAATREE” -Siddhaanta koumudi: ( the woman who conducts the veda pravachana is called an Achaarya). .Aachaarya lakshana :- “UPANEEYA TUM YAHA SHISHYA VEDAMADHYAAPAYED DWIJAHA, SAKALPA SARAHASYAM CHA THAMAACHAARYA PRACHAKSHATHE” ( The one who can conduct the upanayana samskaara and teaches the Vedas is called the Aachaarya). Siddhaanta Koumudi edited by Mahamahopaadhyaaya pandit Shivadatta sarma says,“ITI VACHANENAAPI STREENAM VEDAADHYANAADIKAARO DHVANITHAHA”
(THIS MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WOMEN HAS VEDAADHIKAARA). .Rigveda 10.159-2.3“THADVIDAHA…….UTAAHAMASMI SAM JAYAA…UTTAMAM”
Taandya brahmana, Kumari Gandharva grahathaa in Eithareya , Laatyayana shrouthasootra, Shaankaayana shroutha sootra etc., all confirm the rights of women for Vedas. Women chant saamaved along with veena when a yajna is being performed . Women circumambulate the yajna kunda chanting the veda mantras. Yajurveda , Shatapatha brahmana , Taittareeya samhitha , Aaswalaayana grihya sootra , Kaataka grihyasootra , Paaraskara grihyasootra , Yajurveda 36-24 “tacchakshurdeva sahitam…” is to chanted only by a woman.

AnasooyAathreya-SeshaAnjaneyakrishna