Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates 鈥榃oman as a Mother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.
3. Woman as a Mother
Motherhood has ever been the most exalted status of a woman in the history of each and every society of mankind. In other words, no other forms of a woman have been so much glorified as much her form, being a mother. Women鈥檚 position as a mother has been given a higher status in the Atharvaveda too.
An extensive picture of motherhood may be observed in the deification of certain female deities, viz. Aditi, 膧pa岣�, 笔峁泃丑颈惫墨, 搁腻迟谤颈, Vasupatn墨, etc., which is discussed in the following chapter. Aditi has been presented as the universal mother. 笔峁泃丑颈惫墨 has also been deified as the mother goddess. The pair of Heaven and Earth has been displayed as the ideal parents of all.[1] The tie of 搁腻迟谤颈 and Nabhas has also been mentioned as the common parents of all.[2] That cows, in different names have been eulogised as the Mother goddess, is also discussed in the next chapter.
In this context, it is to be noted that, in the Atharvaveda, the words 尘腻迟峁� and 箩补苍颈迟谤墨 are found to be used to denote a mother. S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya has interpreted 尘腻迟峁� mostly as 箩补苍补苍墨,[3] and 箩补苍颈迟谤墨 as 箩补苍补测颈迟谤墨.[4] Thus, no remarkable distinction may be observed between the meanings of these two words, as both of them hint at the productive aspect of a woman. But, the concept of motherhood was not, necessarily, confined within the concept of physical birth, rather it was ascribed to source of creation, to the place of shelter.
Such a concept gets reflected in the character of Aditi, as observed by S. K膩峁環apa-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 Lal,[5] who states thus, 鈥淎s early as in the Vedic period, the generating force of nature was not unnoticed 鈥� the conception of mother, they thought, had to be grandeur. She had to be supreme, for, she was going to be a universal Mother鈥揳 creatrix, a generatrix, and a supernal force where the entire creation would have its source and resort.鈥�
In the Atharvavedic statement g膩vo gh峁泃asya 尘腻迟补谤补岣�, i.e. Cows are the mothers of clarified butter,[6] 尘腻迟补谤补岣� is interpreted as 苍颈谤尘腻迟谤测补岣�, i.e. producer[7] and thus, the cows are called the mother of clarified butter for being their source of the same. The Earth鈥檚 deification as the Mother goddess also is based upon her being the substratum.[8] In the funeral hymn of the Atharvaveda, it is urged to the mother Earth to provide shelter to the deceased one as lovingly and carefully as a caring mother so that the same may not be touched by heat and cold.[9] A mother鈥檚 caring nature is depicted through this reference.
The love of a mother for her child and her desire to nourish the same gets expressed in one Atharvavedic verse, where an appeal has been made to the water to serve her sons-like invokers by means of providing its most propitious savor.[10] Besides, the relation of a mother and the son, in the Atharvaveda, subjects to the comparison of ideal love[11] and protection.[12] A mother鈥檚 womb is presented as a place, to be compared with the source of creation.[13]
A woman as a mother has been portrayed as the suitable one.[14] She is asked to be like-minded with her sons.[15] Similarly, a child鈥檚 attachment with the mother has also been portrayed in an Atharvavedic expression.[16] It is, for the care to one鈥檚 mother and father that Rudra is prayed not to injure them.[17] Moreover, if anyone hurts his mother and father, and do not behave them properly, it is considered to be a sinful deed and the household fire is prayed to protect one from such sins so that it may not become a barrier to his path to the heaven.[18]
Apart from these, in one mantra of the Atharvaveda,[19] well-being has been sought to one鈥檚 mother, father, all the family members, cattle and the kinsmen respectively and prayer has been made to ensure long lives to all of them. S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya,[20] while commenting on that very passage, states that the mother has been enumerated at the first because of her supremacy over all others. He quotes from the 厂尘峁泃颈 texts thus, ebhyo 尘腻迟腻 驳补谤墨测补蝉墨, i.e. the mother is greater than all others.
Thus, in the Atharvaveda, a woman, as a mother is offered a sublime position, having not a single blemish. In the Upani峁dic literature, her position was elevated to the rank of a divinity.[21]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., 2.28.4; 3.9.1; 23.6; 8.7.2; 9.15.12
[2]:
谤腻迟谤墨 尘腻迟腻 苍补产丑补岣� pit膩ryam膩 te 辫颈迟腻尘补丑补岣� / Ibid., 5.5.1
[4]:
厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 3.10.4; 6.110.3; 18.4.1
[6]:
Atharvaveda, 6.9.3
[7]:
厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[8]:
p峁泃hiv墨 尘腻迟腻 sv膩vayav膩va峁ａ弓ambhena 膩dh膩ratvena ca 尘腻迟峁泇aj箩补苍补测颈迟谤墨 / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 3.9.1
[9]:
[10]:
yo va岣� 艣ivatamo rasastasya bh膩jayateha na岣� / u艣at墨riva 尘腻迟补谤补岣� // Ibid., 1.5.2
[15]:
补苍耻惫谤补迟补岣� pitu岣� putro 尘腻迟谤腻 bhavatu sa峁僲an膩岣� / Ibid., 3.30.2 尘腻迟腻 ca sa峁僲an膩岣� putr膩dibhi岣� sam膩namanask膩 bhavatu / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[16]:
[18]:
鈥� yan尘腻迟补谤补峁� pitara峁� v膩 jihi峁僺im / 补测补峁� tasm膩d g膩rhapatyo no agnirudinnay膩ti suk峁泃asya lokam // Ibid., 6.120.1
[19]:
[20]:
[21]:
尘腻迟峁沝evo bhava 鈥� / 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-耻辫补苍颈峁诲, 1.11.2 尘腻迟峁沝evo 尘腻迟腻 devo yasya sa tva峁� 尘腻迟峁沝evo bhava sy膩岣� / 艢补峁卥补谤腻肠腻谤测补, Ibid.