Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates 鈥榃oman as a Wife鈥� of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2. Woman as a Wife
The highly exalted position of a woman as a wife, during the days of the Atharvaveda, may be well-assumed from her epithet 办耻濒补辫腻, which denotes her chief responsibility in protecting the entire dynasty of her husband by means of her devotion and loyalty to her husband.[1] In one passage of the 峁欢惫别诲补,[2] a woman herself is called as the home, and S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya while commenting on the relevant passage, quotes a sentence from the 厂尘峁泃颈 literature thus, 箩腻测补颈惫补 驳峁沨补峁� bhavati / na 驳峁沨补峁� g峁沨amity膩hurg峁沨i峁嚹� g峁沨amucyate iti sm峁泃e岣�鈥� / This means that a home itself is not the home, if it is without a wife and in the real sense, the wife is the home. She is the most auspicious one.[3] The different roles, played by a woman, in a family and in a society as being a wife may be well-understood with the derivation of the exact meaning of the words, which were used to denote a wife.
Four such terms, viz. jani, 箩腻测腻, 辫补迟苍墨 and 惫补诲丑奴 were used in the Atharvaveda in the sense of a wife. But, each of these terms differs from one another in meaning and suggests different aspects of a woman as a wife.
The term jani occurs in different contexts for several times in the Atharvaveda. Explaining the word, S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya states, j膩yantesy膩m apaty膩n墨ti janir箩腻测腻, i.e. as a wife is capable of begetting offspring, hence, she is called jani.[4] He also gives an alternate meaning of the same word thus, 辫耻迟谤别峁噊迟辫补迟迟颈谤箩补苍颈岣�, i.e. the birth of a son is called jani, and hence, a wife was expected always to give birth to sons only, which is interpreted to the term jani.[5] The term, which is used in most of the cases, to denote a wife is 箩腻测腻. It appears for almost twenty-nine times in the Atharvaveda.[6] Like jani, 箩腻测腻 also hints at the generative aspect of a woman. The word, as derived by 厂腻测补峁嚹乧腻谤测补,[7] has the root jan as its origin and a wife is called 箩腻测腻, as she gives birth to her husband in the form of a child. The 础颈迟补谤别测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺[8] also gives a similar derivation of the word.
In the 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈,[9] the word is derived thus,
patirbh膩ry膩峁� sa峁僷ravi艣ya garbho bh奴tveha j膩yate /
箩腻测腻y膩staddhi 箩腻测腻tva峁� yadasy膩峁� j膩yate puna岣� //
This means that one鈥檚 husband enters into the womb of his wife and he himself is, again, given birth to by her, and this is because a wife is called 箩腻测腻.
The association of a wife to her husband in religious observances is expressed by the term 辫补迟苍墨. Because of her being a co-partner to her husband in religious duties, she is called as a dharma辫补迟苍墨[10] also. As the term bears relation to rituals, hence, its derivation is fully discussed in the context of rituals, in the fifth chapter.
痴补诲丑奴 is also used to denote a wife. Though this term is used in the sense of a wife in general and the commentator[11] has interpreted it simply as a 箩腻测腻, but, it is observed that while referring to a bride or to a recently married woman, preferably, the term 惫补诲丑奴 has been used in the Atharvaveda.[12] As marked by S. Tiwari,[13] 惫补诲丑奴 denotes the meaning that she was brought from one home to another with due honour.
Of these four terms, by the first two terms, i.e. jani and 箩腻测腻, the procreative nature of a woman gets expressed. It was the prime expectation from a wife to beget offspring to her husband and the family. Such expectations are beautifully revealed in the welcome address to the freshly married bride, furnished in the marriage hymns of the Atharvaveda, at the time of her entrance to the new home. She is asked to procreate children to her husband鈥檚 family.[14] For her fertile aspect, she is adorned with the epithet 耻谤惫补谤腻.[15] Aryaman, Bhaga and the 础艣惫颈苍蝉 are prayed to bless the bride so that she may prosper with progeny.[16] She is wanted to be a 辫谤补箩腻惫补迟墨, i.e. possessing children.[17] By the epithet 惫墨谤补蝉奴, attributed to one鈥檚 wife, the desire of a male child is expressed.[18] A wife is wished to deliver a male child, specially, for the first issue.[19] For such expectations of male child, a wife is called as 辫耻迟谤颈峁嚹�, i.e. possessing sons.[20] In the 峁欢惫别诲补, Indra is prayed to bestow ten sons to one鈥檚 wife.[21]
Thus, a woman, as a wife, was paid much importance for her productivity. Indeed, she was basically treated as the source of progeny. A wife, without her power of procreation was given no such importance. As for instance, in the hymn, starting with the mantra, 迟峁涐梗峁璱办别鈥�, etc.,[22] which is applied to cause misfortune to a hated woman, barrenness is desired to the woman and then, the same is equated with 痴补艣腻, the barren cow. It is there stated that as a barren cow has no value before the bull and is worthy to be left out by the same, likewise, the woman may also become an infertile one and thus, to be valueless before a male person.[23]
Apart from this prime duty of begetting children for the continuation of the lineages, a wife had to maintain some other responsibilities in the family. She is presented as a symbol of peace and prosperity of a family.
One鈥檚 wife is asked to be 蝉测辞苍腻, i.e. pleasant to her father-in-law, her husband, to the home, to the entire clan for their prosperity.[24] She is called 蝉耻尘补峁単补濒墨, i.e. of excellent omen; pratara峁嚹� g峁沨膩峁嚹佱箖, i.e. extender of the houses; propitious to her husband; well off her father-in-law and pleasant to her mother-in-law.[25] These epithets for women clearly advocate that the high regard was bestowed on a woman as a wife. Moreover, her supremacy is also besought over her father-in-law, brother-in-law, sisterin-law and mother-in-law.[26] She is compared with the rivers, having supremacy over the streams.[27] Desiring her affection specially to the brother-in-law, she is called 诲别惫峁沰腻尘腻.[28] In many a context, the Atharvaveda sets the ideal of joint family in fine language where it desires union of hearts and minds and freedom from hate, and wishes the members to love one another as the cows loves the calf, she has borne.
A newly married woman is advised to wake up early at the dawn,[29] to sit near the fire with her husband[30] and to worship the fire.[31] By means of scattering shrivelled grains, she appeals long life for her husband.[32] This means that the responsibility of familial happiness and the long run of the same were chiefly concerned to the wife. A wife鈥檚 association to her husband in sacrificial performance has also been mentioned in the Atharvaveda. A sacrificer is enjoined to offer oblations along with his wife reciting the 辫谤补颈峁 and nivid mantras.[33] Specially, her assistance in the Brahmaudanasava sacrifice is remarkable. For the performance of the sacrifice, women were assigned to carry water over their heads from certain reservoir.[34] The wife of the sacrificer was asked to stand up and receive the women, who would arrive the sacrificial ground after collecting water for the sacrificial purpose.[35]
Nevertheless, a wife was jointly regarded as the owner of the house as it is denoted by the term 诲补尘辫补迟墨.
厂腻测补峁嚹乧腻谤测补,[36] while explaining a 峁歡vedic passage, interprets the term as:
诲补尘辫补迟颈峁� g膩rhapaty膩dir奴pe峁嘺 g峁沨asya p膩lakam / dama iti g峁沨an膩ma鈥� /
The tie of a husband and a wife is likened with that of two 颁补办谤补惫腻办补蝉 and their conjugal success in producing children, in maintaining a good home and in living long lives, is prayed to Indra.[37] Thus, it is observed that the woman as a wife should be devoted to the pleasure and prosperity of her husband, which would promote the three 辫耻谤耻峁Ｄ乺迟丑补蝉, viz. dharma, artha and 办腻尘补, and the household is also expected to act according to her desire.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[3]:
鈥� kaly膩峁嚹玶箩腻测腻 sur膩峁嚹佱箖 g峁沨e te / Ibid., 3.53.6 办补濒测腻峁嘺岣� 产丑补诲谤补谤奴辫腻岣� 鈥� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 4.58.8
[4]:
厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 6.82.3
[5]:
Ibid.
[6]:
Atharvaveda, 3.4.3; 30.2; 4.37.12; 5.17.5; 6; 6.60.1; 78.1; 3; 82.2; 3; 118.3; 9.5.30; 10.1.3; 11.10.1; 17; 12.3.17; 39; 47; 14.1.25; 2.35; 18.1.53; 2.51 etc.
[7]:
j膩yatesy膩m apatyar奴pe峁嘺 patiriti 箩腻测腻 / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 6.78.3
[9]:
惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 9.8
[10]:
cf., Atharvaveda, 14.1.51
[12]:
cf., Atharvaveda, 14.1.58; 63; 2.7; 20; 28; 73
[13]:
Vide, Tiwari, S., Op.cit., p.7
[14]:
s膩 va岣� 辫谤补箩腻峁� janayad vak峁峁嚹乥hyo bibhrat墨 dugdham峁涐梗abhasya reta岣� / 膩 v膩峁� 辫谤补箩腻峁� janayatu 鈥� / Atharvaveda, 14.2.40
[15]:
膩tmanvaty耻谤惫补谤腻 鈥� / Ibid., 14.2.14
[16]:
t膩maryam膩 bhago a艣vinobh膩 辫谤补箩腻辫补迟颈岣� prajay膩 vardhayantu / Ibid., 14.2.13
[17]:
Ibid., 14.2.7, 18, 32
[18]:
Ibid., 14.2.17, 18
[20]:
Ibid., 14.1.62
[21]:
im膩峁� tvamindra m墨岣峢va岣� suputr膩峁� 蝉耻产丑补驳腻峁� k峁涐箛u / da艣膩sy膩峁� putr膩n膩 dhehi patimek膩da艣a峁� k峁沝hi // 峁欢惫别诲补, 10.85.45
[22]:
Atharvaveda, 7.118.1
[23]:
pariv峁沰t膩 yath膩sasy峁涐梗abhasya va艣eva / Ibid., 7.118.2 iya峁� 测辞峁迟 svapuru峁sya pariv峁沰t膩 sa峁僢hogena tyakt膩 bhavet / tatra 诲峁涐梗峁乶迟补岣� / 峁涐梗abhasya va艣eveti / yath膩 pu峁僩avasya 惫补苍诲丑测腻 gaur产丑辞驳测腻 na bhavati evam iya峁� puru峁sya 产丑辞驳测腻 na 蝉测腻诲 iti / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[24]:
蝉测辞苍腻 bhava 艣va艣urebhya岣� 蝉测辞苍腻 patye g峁沨ebhya岣� / 蝉测辞苍腻syai sarvasyai vi艣e 蝉测辞苍腻 pu峁ａ弓膩yai峁Ｄ佱箖 bhava // Atharvaveda, 14.2.27
[25]:
蝉耻尘补峁単补濒墨 pratara峁嚹� g峁沨膩峁嚹佱箖 su艣ev膩 patye 艣va艣ur膩ya 艣补峁僢丑奴岣� / 蝉测辞苍腻 艣va艣rvai pra g峁沨膩n vi艣em膩n // Ibid., 14.2.26
[26]:
samr膩j帽yedhi 艣va艣ure峁 samr膩j帽yuta dev峁涐梗u / nan膩ndu岣� samr膩j帽yedhi samr膩j帽yuta 艣va艣rv膩岣� // Ibid., 14.1.44
[27]:
yath膩 sindhurnad墨n膩峁� s膩mr膩jya峁� su峁ve 惫峁涐梗腻 / ev膩 tva峁� samr膩j帽yedhi patyurasta峁� paretya // Ibid., 14.1.43
[28]:
辫谤补箩腻惫补迟墨 惫墨谤补蝉奴r诲别惫峁沰腻尘腻 鈥� / Ibid., 14.2.18
[30]:
suma峁単alyupa s墨deyamagni峁� sa峁儽璨钩俨阅� prati bh奴峁ha dev膩n / Ibid., 14.2.25
[32]:
iya峁� n膩ryupa brute p奴ly膩ny膩vapantik膩 / d墨rgh膩yurastu me patirj墨v膩ti 艣补谤补诲补岣� 艣atam // Ibid., 14.2.63
[34]:
[35]:
[36]:
厂腻测补峁嘺 on 峁欢惫别诲补, 1.127.8