[Advaita-l] rAmAyaNa quotes with regard to stree upanayana

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010, Kathirasan K wrote:

> Namaste Jaldhar,
>
> 'sAkshauma vasanA hrushvA nityaM vrataparAyaNA, agniM juhOtisma tadA
> maNtravat krutamaMgalA, pravishyatu tadA rAmO mAturaMtaHpuraM shubhaM,
> dadarshamAtaraMtatra hAvayanteeM hutAshanaM '
>
> The above verse appears in the version archived at the University of 
> Goettingen's site: 
> http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gretil/1_sanskr/2_epic/ramayana/ram_02_u.htm
>

Aha!  It is 2.17.7-8 in the critical edition, and 2.20.15-16 in the 
Nirnaya Sagara edition.

It is interesting to observe that the commentator does not consider it 
noteworthy that Kaushalya is sacrificing.  His only comment is that 
Kausalya is doing it because she is the jyeShTapatni "senior wife." 
Dasharatha has three altogether but according to dharmashastra only one 
can be considered the dharmapatni who has the adhikara to contribute to 
the household worship,

Preceding shlokas describe the scene Shri Rama sees upon entering the 
antahpura.

pravishya prathamAM kakShyAM dvitIyAM dadarsha saH |
brAhmANAnvedasampannAnvR^iddhAnrAGYAbhisatkR^itAn || 11 ||

praNamya rAmastAnvR^iddhAMstR^itIyAyAM dadarsha saH |
striyo bAlAshcha vR^iddhAshcha dvArarakShaNatatparAH || 12 ||

The presence of Brahmanas who are "vedasaMpanna" strengthens the 
interpretation that she was presiding over the agnihotra not actually 
performing it.  The Agnihotra is fairly simple and doesn't even require a 
purohit if one is "Vedasampanna" and Kausalya is not described as such.


-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>