[Advaita-l] women reading the Vedas

[vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk]

Dear Satish and advaita request list,

Sorry but I am not entirely clear. 

Are women prohibited from even listenning to and understanding a pravachan of Vedanta? By Vedas do we mean Vedanta? ie. Is even listenning and understanding the philosophy of the Upanishads is prohibited to them?? 

Chanting is difficult for most people and so it is understandable that there are restrictions on who does the chanting. However, vedanta (pravachans on Upanishads) seem to be widely available for all to listen to, understand and enjoy these days. 

Surely there is no restriction on a woman attending a talk on the upanishads??? or even imbibing that learning in her life????? 

Thanks

Vijaya.
----Original Message----
From: satisharigela at yahoo.com
Date: 23/09/2009 11:21 
To: <vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk>
Subj: Re: women reading the Vedas






>So vedas can be read by one who is physically male or female so long 
>as they have full consciousness of the play of the three gunas within 
>them.

I have tried in vain to understand why some people insist that some groups should learn the veda when it is clarified in hundreds of works that they are not meant to say the veda.

There are like thousand spiritual options for these groups(like women shUdra-s) mentioned in the purANa-s and Agama-s. Why this fixation with chanting only that which is forbidden and leave all the other options that the tradition provides? 

To me this is simply a case of attraction towards that which is forbidden. Like in the story where "the doctor advises the patient not to think about a monkey... and for the next couple of hours the patient could only think of the monkey". :)

>Thats what I feel is OK in todays world.

Somebody else might feel puruShamedha is ok in today's world based on some vague references and ritually slaughter the guy next door...So you or me feeling something does not make it right. He will be sent to jail for man slaughter...so is it with women saying the veda-s..

I find it really hard to understand this:...why when many many religious options are given and said do not chant the veda-s but you are free to follow any of those thousand options....still people yearn for the one things which is forbidden leaving all legitimate options???

--- On Wed, 9/23/09, vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk <vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:


From: vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk <vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] women reading the Vedas
To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 4:14 AM


Dear Advaita request list,

Sorry to go back to a few weeks ago. But there was a question 
regarding whether women should read the Vedas or not. 

I have been told by a source that the word 'STRI' can be split to SA + 
TRI  meaning one wedded to the three gunas. This could refer to one who 
is physically male or female.

So vedas can be read by one who is physically male or female so long 
as they have full consciousness of the play of the three gunas within 
them.

Thats what I feel is OK in todays world.

Also there have been instances of Sages teaching women the Vedas and 
of women being well versed in the Vedas.

Women brahmacharinis exist in may hindu organistations doing excellent 
work from a good understanding of the hindu religion.

Vijaya Kambhampati.







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