Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates 鈥榃oman as a Sister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.
4. Woman as a Sister
A woman鈥檚 form as a sister has gained a distinct treatment in the Atharvaveda. The seers have used the terms 箩腻尘颈, 蝉惫补蝉峁�, etc., to mean a sister. As a sister too, her child-bearing aspect was not unnoticed. She was called 箩腻尘颈 because some other person produces children through her.[1] 驰腻蝉办补 has derived the word 箩腻尘颈 from the root jam, meaning to go.[2] According to S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya,[3] 箩腻尘颈 is the sister, born of the same mother. On the other hand, 蝉惫补蝉峁� is interpreted by S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya[4] as 蝉惫补测补峁� 蝉腻谤颈峁嚹�, i.e. moving herself. This term indicates her freedom in moving elsewhere.
The Atharvavedic seers have paid attention to the relationship between a brother and a sister. It may be known from the commentary of S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya,[5] on one particular mantra of the Atharvaveda, that the physical union between these two were strictly prohibited and one could not achieve the heaven if did so. In the story of Yama and 驰补尘墨, the twin brother and sister, occurring both in the 峁欢惫别诲补[6] and the Atharvaveda,[7] the prohibition of such relation is enjoined. In the story, Yama declined the proposal of his twin sister, 驰补尘墨, to have conjugal relation with her. Yama argued that it was against the law of Mitra and 痴补谤耻峁嘺 and hence, he advised her to get married with another person.[8] The derivative sense of the term 箩腻尘颈 seems to stand in such cases.
It is prayed in the Atharvaveda to assign a capable and fit spouse to one鈥檚 sister.[9] But, the lives of those sisters, who had no brothers, were full of trouble. Such maidens had to remain in their father鈥檚 home, being unmarried.[10] It was considered to be their duty to perform funeral oblations such as 辫颈峁囜笉补诲腻苍补, to the manes.[11] From this, it can be assumed that after the death of the sonless father, an unmarried daughter became the master of the home.
Besides, it is recorded in the Atharvaveda that the stock of riches and clothes of a home was maintained by the sisters.[12]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
jamaterv膩 sy膩dgatikarma峁嘺岣� / Nirukta, 3.6
[4]:
厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 7.48.1
[5]:
[6]:
峁欢惫别诲补, 10.10
[7]:
Atharvaveda, 18.1
[8]:
Ibid., 18.1.10-16
[10]:
abhr膩tara iva j膩mayasti峁ａ弓hantu hatavarcasa岣� / Ibid., 1.17.1
[11]:
yath膩 abhr膩t峁沰膩 j膩maya岣� bhaginya岣� / t膩 yata utpann膩statraiva pit峁沰ule sa峁僼膩nakarma峁噀 pi峁囜笉ad膩n膩ya ca ti峁ａ弓hanti tadvadityartha岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[12]:
补苍迟补岣� ko艣amiva j膩mayopi 鈥� / Atharvaveda, 114.4 j膩maya岣� 蝉迟谤颈测补岣� bhaginy膩dir奴p膩岣� / t膩岣� 补苍迟补岣� g峁沨amadhye 补惫补蝉迟丑颈迟补峁� ko艣amiva dhanavastr膩disth膩pan膩rtham 腻惫峁泃补峁� sth膩namiva / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.