Importance of Women in Vedic scriptures

Hello readers! In this blog we will discuss about the condition of women in Vedic period and scriptures. Today many people and sites like truth about Hinduism points some verses of our scripture and spread wrong message through it. I will also respond to them. But in this blog I will discuss only those verses which talks about the importance of women.

Birth of Girls

Brihadarankya Upanishad 6:4:17

 Yajur Veda 22.22 “O Brahman, may here be born in the kingdom, the Brahmin illustrious for poetic knowledge; let there be born the Rajanya, heroic, skilled archer, piercing with shafts, mighty warrior; the cow giving abundant milk; the ox good at carrying; the swift courser; the industrious woman. May Parjanya send rain according to our desire; may our fruit-bearing plants ripen; may acquisition and preservation of property be secured to us.”

Atharvaved 10:3:20:-As glory dwelleth in a maid, and in this well-constructed car. 

Asvalayana Grihya Sutra 1.2.1-5 “Now various indeed are the customs of the (different) countries and the customs of the (different) villages: those one should observe at the wedding. What, however, is commonly accepted, that we shall state. Having placed to the west of the fire a mill-stone, to the north-east (of the fire) a water-pot, he should sacrifice, while she takes hold of him. Standing, with his face turned to the west, while she is sitting and turns her face to the east, he should with (the formula), ‘I seize thy hand for the sake of happiness seize her thumb if he desires that only male children may be born to him; Her other fingers, (if he is) desirous of female (children); The hand on the hair-side together with the thumb, if desirous of both male and female children.“

Agni Purana 33.14 ” O twice born one! Otherwise twenty four or thirty six garlands should be consecrated to the sun with the ring and middle fingers by those who desire for a daughter.” 

Matsya purana 154:414-417

Agni Purana 325. 20-22a “By this worship, a person desirous of getting a daughter would get a daughter, a person not having a son would get a son, an unfortunate woman would get fortune….”

Shiva Purana I.21.19 “A person having no sons shall make fifty thousands Phallic images of Shiva. One shall get daughters by causing ten thousands such to be made.”

Devi Bhagavatam too mentions rituals which can be performed for begetting sons or daughters or progeny in general.

Devi Bhagavatam 11.24 21-51″…….O Nârada! Now I will tell you how nourishment and wealth are attained. Wealth is attained if the Homa be performed with red lotus or fresh Jâtî flower or with the S’âli rice or with the fuel of Bel tress, leaves, flowers, fruits or roots or with any portions thereof. If for one week the oblations be offered with fuel of Bel tree mixed with Pâyasa or with ghee one hundred times, then Laksmî Devî will surely be attained. If the Homa be performed with Lâja (fried rice) mixed with curd, milk, and ghee, the daughter will be obtained.If for one week, the Homa be performed with red lotus, then gold is obtained. If the Tarpanam (peace offering) be offered to the Sun, then the treasures, gold hidden under the water, are obtained. If the Homa be performed with food (Anna) then Anna is obtained; if Homa be performed with rice, then rice is obtained. If Homa be performed with calfdung, dried and powdered, then animals are obtained. If Homa be performed with Priyangu, Pâyasa or ghee then the progeny is obtained. If the oblations of Pâyasânna be offered to the Solar Deity and if the Prasâdam (remnant) be given to one’s wife under menstruation to eat, then excellent sons will be obtained.“

Equality for girls

 Skand Puran I:ii:23:46

 Padma Puran 1.43.153-158

Manusmriti 9:130

Manusmriti 4:184

Mahabharata, Anushasan Parva 13.47.26 “The daughter, O king, has been ordained in the scriptures to be equal to the son.”

Matsya purana 2:155

Education of girls

Harita Smriti 30.21 “Among two kinds of women, Brahmavadini women can undergo sacred thread ceremony and undergo Vedic lessons. They even have the right for Bhiksha”

Garun purana 1:95:4

Padma puran 1:43:369b"Is a great wonder O daughter, you ha be a spotless form of knowledge  by restoring to bhava pleasing our hearts.

Devi sita too was well versed in Vedas.

Padma Purana 6:242:100-104. Then Lakṣmī, the chief goddess of the worlds, who was beautiful, who resembled a crore of young suns, whose hands were like red lotuses, who was endowed with all (good) characteristics, who was adorned with all ornaments, who, the beautiful one, had worn on her bosom a garland of fresh flowers, was born in Janaka’s house, at the opening of a furrow, at an auspicious moment in an auspicious field dug up by Indra’s plough. Seeing that girl, auspicious and full of all Vedas, the lord of Mithilā took her out and nourished her as (his) child. The chief goddess, dear to the lord of worlds, grew in the charming house of Janaka for the protection of the entire world.

 One should not harm a women

Valmiki Ramayana 2:18:21.Seeing that enraged Shatrughna, Bharata said: "Among all beings women are not to be killed. Hence she is to be pardoned."

Markandeya Purana 15:18. For slaying an unarmed man, a man is born an ass. The murderer of a women also and a child slayer are born worms.

 Vishnu Purana 1:13:73.“Know you not, king of men,” said the Earth, “the sin of killing a female, that you thus perseveringly seek to slay me.” 

S.B. 1:7:36.Someone who knows the principles of religion does not kill an enemy who is careless, intoxicated, insane, asleep, of tender age, a woman, foolish, a surrendered soul, afraid or who has lost his chariot.

S.B. 4:17:20.If no one should ever strike a woman, not even when she is sinful, then what to speak of a personality like you, oh King, a human being so merciful and affectionate to the poor?