Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

VEDIC DAUGHTER Author(s): Uma Chakravarty Source: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 81, No. 1/4 (2000), pp. 179189 Published by: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41694612 . Accessed: 13/01/2014 05:14
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VEDIC DAUGHTER By Uma Chakravarty Introduction : Before going to our discussion on the position of a daughterin a Vedic familywe are to take it for grantedthatVedic culturebelonged to the Indo-European traditionwhich was highlypatriarchal.Consequently, it inheritedthe principal traitsof its mother-culture, i.e. Indo-European. Vedic family,like the Indo-Europeanfamily,was male-dominated. It was the son's duty to pave the path of emancipationof his fatherafterdeath by offeringoblations to him. The daughterhad hardly any scope in this regard. And, here lies the reason why the Vedic girl child was unwanted in the family. Positive aspect of parents-daughterrelationship One does notcome across singlereference to thedesirefora daughter all through the Saiiihit and the Brhmana literature. Following the law of naturethe girls also had to be bornalong withsons. One cannothope to get sons only,even thoughone had so desired. Afterthe girl was born natural made themlove theirdaughters also. So we find parentallove and affection in mythological worldUsas' mother had nicelydecoratedherdaughter before she set out forher day's journey : (i) susarhksmtrmrsteva yos vis tanvankrnusedre kam RV I. 123. 11 ab. 'Fair as a brideembellishedby hermother thoushowestforth thyform thatall may see it.' (tr.Griffith, p. 85) According to the marriage hymn (RV X. 85) Savitr arranged the marriage ceremony of his daughter, Sry, with all pomp and The verse 13ab in thehymnspaks about thegiftsSavitrsentwith grandeur. his daughter:

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Annals BORI, LXXXI ( 2000) Sryy : vahatuhprgt Savit yam avsrjat 'The bridalpomp of Sry,which Savitrstarted, moved along' 1 (tr.Griffith, p. 594)

RV.X. 17.1, AV.III. 31.5 and XVIII. 1.53 tellus thesame story. Instead thebridalcar (or gift?)forhis daughter and all teh of SavitrTvastrarranged gods assembled in thatmarriage. RV. X. 17.1 ab : tvastduhitrevahaturh krnoti idam vivathbhuvanamsameti 'Tvastar preparesthe bridal of his Daughter : all the world hears the tidingsand assembles.' (tr. Griffith, p. 541) The AV. verses read as follows : III. 31.5 : tvastduhitrevahatumyunakti idam vivambhuvanamvi yti : tvastduhitre vahatum as: (HOS 7, p. 140) translates yunakti Whitney a weddingcar iyahatu), 'Tvastar harnesses(yuj) forhis daughter AV. XVIII. 1.53 : tvasta duhitrevahatumkrnoti vivambhuvanamsameti tenedarh an interesting TaiBr. II. 3. 10.1-3 reveals through storycandid, close and sweet relationbetween father and daughter. The storyin brief is as follows : Prajpati had a daughterSt by name. She wantedto get Soma as herhusband.Soma, however,was in love with raddha, Prajpati's other daughter. Helpless Sita approached her she put to him her problem father. Afterhaving paid homage to her father and begged a solution thereof.Prajpati fathomedthe process of solution of her daughter's problem. He turnedher face to a very attractiveone followingritualistic processes. St approached Soma and fullyconquered him. intheage ofBrhmanas a daughter did nothesitate The storyrevealsthat to approachher father seekingsolutionof problemarisenout of her love for

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somebodywho did not respondto heremotionalfeeling.A girlof orthodox Hindu familywould not dare to do so even today. The above delineation is based on mythologicalallusions. One can fiom the storyof gods. logically inferman's lifestyle was undesireablebecause she is : thebirth Our inference of a daughter Her was incapable of paving the path to the heavenlyregionforher father. coming to the family was more a liability than an asset to her father. herbirth was undesirable.But as she grewup quite naturally, Consequently, she was not deprived of the parental love and affection.As she reached awardedherstatus. marriageable age and was goingtobe somebody'swifethat had to be given A Vedic wifenecessarilyenjoyedgood status.She, therefore, as thatwas also theprestigeissue of in marriagewithall pomp and grandeur with the stratum of society. Upadhya's (1942, her father, upper especially, p.208) (1sted. 1933) wordsbear relevancein thisregard: "The daughter, caressed and fondledby her parents who lavished was affectionately her her withpresentsat the timeof marriage."1 In the Br. raU. VI. 4.17 (= atBr. XIV. 9.4.16) special diet has been couple who desiredto have a scholarlydaughter, prescribedforthe married of life.Both thehusbandand wifeare asked to take endowed withfulllength rice mixed with black sesame, cooked with ghee.2 One would nonetheless and a son as one would betweenthe statusof a daughter note the difference read in the next sentencesof the same Upanisad the diet prescribedforthe parentsdesiringson : 'if theydesire a scholarlyand highlyreputedson who would be able to delivergood speeches in theassembly,well-versedin all the Vedas and endowed with full lengthof life thenthe husband and the wife a calf or a bull would have to takebeef mixedwithtucecooked in ghee,either would do.'3

i Alsosee RV.X. 85. 38. 2 Br.AraU.VI. 4.17. athaya icched mepandit duhit jyetasarvam yur iydititilaudanam pcayitva : ivarau sarpismantam asniytm janayitavai 3 Cf.ibidVI. 4.18 : athaya icchet mepandito susrsitm putro vigitah samitigamah bhsit vedn anubruvita sarvamyur vacam, jyetasarvn iyditimmsaudanam isvarau auksena vrsabhena v : sarpismantam pcayitv asniyaum janayitava

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Altekar(1938, p.4) observes we findin one of theearlyUpanisads a certainritualto a householderforensuringthe birthof a recommending that thisritual did notbecome (Br. raU. VI. 4.17). Itis true scholarly daughter so popularas thePumsavanaone,prescribed for thebirth ofa son;...4. producing some ritesto be observedby one who Later,paGs. II. 4.12 prescribed desireddaughters : Yadi kmayetastrir va ityagulirva 'if he wishedonly be born to he seize only thefingers should him, (withoutthe daughters may thumb).' (tr.) Oldenberg,SBE 30, Part II, p. 259 Daugher : unwanted child So farwe triedto explore positiveelementswhatevercould be traced in theVedic daughter'srelationtowardsherparents. There is no denyingthe in anypatriarchal factthata daughter is never bornwitha silverspoon society in her mouth. So how could we except a different scenario in the maledominatedVedic society. (ii) While Nrada had been explainning to thesonless kingHaricandrathe of in a man's lifehe specifiedthestatusof a wife,a son and a necessity son in the daughter followingwords (AitBr.VII. 13) : sakh ha jy krpanamha duhit jyotirha putrahparame vyoman 'A wifeis a comrade,a daughera misery ,and a son a lightin thehighest heaven.' (tr. Keith,HOS 25, p. 300) Sarkar(1085, p. 105 [1sted. 1928]) observeswithreference to Keith's translation of theword krpanamas misery but ' krpanam'theremightas well mean evokingtenderfeelingsand compassions. Sarkarmay be literally correctbut we feel thatwith reference to the storyof sonless Haricandra ' ' 'misery' for krpanam is more contextual.Zimmer (1879, p. 319) holds : "Never do we come across withthedesirefora daughter in thevedic poems. Her birth was outright disliked.5(tr.mine). V. M. Apte (1965 p.458 [1st. ed. in thekeen 1951]) states:"The relativepositionof thetwo sexes is reflected 4 Alsosee.Mookerji, 1947, tri, Subramania, 1961, p. 105; Shas p. 65n.59. 5 "Nirgends finden wirindenvedischen Liedern denWunsch nacheiner ihre Tochter; Geburt wurde offenbar ungern gesehen."

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desire for male progeny.This may be regardedas naturalin a partriarchal was recognizedthrough thefather. But thisnatural societywhererelationship all exceeds bounds of or when we read in the predilection propriety morality Aitar is a source of miseryand a son eya Brhmana (VII. 13.) thata daughter alone can be the saviour of the family." We shall now have a glimpse into a few poems of the AV. in which to arrest thebirth of a girlchild. followingtheatharvanic way itwas intended AV. VIII. 6 has been entitledby Satavalekar' garbhadosanivranam' and Whitney 'To guarda pregnant womanfrom demons.' In verse 25 a desire thatthedemonic forcedoes not change the male child intofemalehas been kr an 'let themnot make the male female' expressed:m pummsamstriyam HO P. Satavalekar entitles VI. II purhsavanam, andWhitney 8, 498). (Whitney 'forbirthof sons'. The third verse goes as follows : prajpatir anumatihsinivly'ciklpat : straisyam anyatra dadhat pummsamamu dadhat iha :: woman Sinivli,hath "Prajpati,Anumati, shaped,mayhe putelsewhere but may he put here a male.' birth, Ill .23 consistingof six verses is a hymnagainst sterility. Each verse, the for for the birth of a son. sixth,prays except B. S. Upadhya(1942, p.33, [1sted. 1933]) observeson thetotalabsence of desire fora daughter in the RV. and the AV. : "We finda veryfrequent It is surprising, however,thatno longingfora male child in theRgveda desire forthe birth of a daughter is ever expressedin theentirerangeof the Rgveda. Her birthis even deprecatedin the Atharvaveda.In this Samhit references are made to mystic charmsforundoingtheeffect of a femalefoetus 6 and forchanginginto male." Even princesses were dealt as property by theirroyal fathers.King Jnaruti his beautiful to thelow caste poor Raikva Pautryana gave daughter inexchangeofhis desiredknowledge( ChndoU . IV. 25). King ryta's sons 6 Alsosee Shakuntala Rao ShasUi, 1954, pp.43-44.

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theevil effects which peltedtheold ghostlike Cyavana withclods. To prevent of his sons towardsCyavana, Sryta mightbe caused by the misbehaviour him his young beautiful offered daughter Sukany ( atBr. IV. 5.1.5). It has the V. 3.17 that a daughter could also be given been prescribed svaSS. by as daksin to the officiating priest( Kanym ca)? W. D. Hambly (1926, p. 286) while discussing the statusof woman womanamongcommoners even though lived amongprimitive people saysthat life: "In Hawaii, descent in matriarchal had to live a veryhumiliating system and often of rankthrough thefemaleline gave woman a place of importance a woman was not elevated herto topmost station But amongcommoners allowed to eat withthe humblestof man,nor of food preparedin the same she viands reserved oven, norof morenutritious by taboo formales. At birth and mpreliable to be thrust alive intothe was less welcome thanherbrother grave." Brotherless daughter : The word abhrt brotherless (maiden) occurs thricein the Samhit literature8 and not at all in the Brhmanasand the Upanisads. A brotherless in daughter theVedic age was like one bornaccursed.In course of describing heaventoearthin herchariot RV. 1. 124.7 therumblings of goddess Usas from a a maiden. Usas about of brotherless moves gives veryhumiliating picture Uke a brotherless maidenwho runsafter men.Thoughthecomparisonis with a goddess yet it is a verynegativeimagery.Accordingto Syana, he went towardsher father and the like persons; bhratrrahit pitrdinprati or she with her forefathers the duties of a son in theabsence oblations, approached of a brother; sati svabhrtarisa va pituhpindadndikam pitrdingacctn.i. however,does not go in accordance withthepoints Syana's interpretation, of comparison drawn between Usas and the brotherless girl. In Syana's one does notget it. As she was brotherless so, accordingto the interpretation her. hardlyanybodywould come ofhis own accord to marry prevailingnorm, So she had to make herown fortune. Situationsled herto become daringand also disgraceful.9 (iii) 7 For onthe ofscholars miserable fate ofthe Vedic see: Winternitz 1920, opinions daughter ed.928): Altekar, 1985, 1938, 1940, p.98 (1st p.22:Sarkar, p.3 : Indra, p.17;Pinkham, 1941, 1990, p. 20,Sharma, p. 60. See RV.I. 124.7; IV. 5.5; AV.I. 17.1. See Geldner, HOS 33,p.l72n.7a.

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" it would seem thatthe Hopkins (1889, pp.340 - 341) observes The thanthe father. was scarcely less necessaryto the girl's fortune brother a since rule from rude brother fate, Aryan prohibits marriage preserved daughter Sarkar(1985, p. 108 [1sted. 1928) holds; "As witha girlthathas no brother." brothers were normallyexpected to be on the look-outfora matchforthe brotherless sister's, boldly towards turning girlshad oftento be veryforward men attracting attention by red garments." RV. IV. 5.5 calls her 'sin', 'untrue'and 'untruthful' alongwithwomen who have lefttheirhusbands : abhrtarona yosano vyantah patir ipo na janayah durevh ppsah santo 'nrt asaty idam padam ajanat gabhlram :: maidens who are chasing men, like women of evil "Like brotherless they (the design who cheat on theirhusbands,bad, dishonest,untruthful, offendersof Mitra and Varuna) have generated this deep (mysterious, deceptive) word." (tr. H.P. Schmidt,1987, p. 30) of all luster: The AV. 1. 17.1 also describes a brotherless girl bereft amr y yantiyosito him lohitavsasah : abhrtara iva jmayas tisthantu hatavarcasah :: like brotherless that 'Yon women (yosit ) go, veins withred garments, sisters let themstop ( sth), withtheirsplendorsmitten. HOS 7, p.18). (tr. Whitney, fatewas so deplorablehas The question,whythebrotherless daughter's been alreadypointedout by Hopkins,Sarkarand otherscholars.Our thought also obviouslyfollowsthem.Precisely,a man is born,accordingto theVedic whichis of themis towardshis forefathers belief,withthreedebts.The third falls on In of a son the to be repaid through sons. the absence responsibility thedaughter herhusbandand his son. Anypersonwho would marry through over his fromhis right a brotherless would have to deprivehimself daughter son who would maintainthe lineage of his rightover his son who would and offer oblations to him maintainthe lineage of his maternalgrandfather in his life. a situation Nobody would welcome such onlyand notto his father.

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a brotherless maiden,for Accordingto Yska (III.5) 'One should not marry of the girl).10 his (husband's) son belongs to him (to the father Schmidt's comment in this regard (1987, p.38) : "The aversion to a brotherless maidenwas motivated thebride'sfather bythefearthat marrying with the prospectof would claim the future son and leave the bridegroom without a son of his own who would continuehis lineage and offer remaining the ancestorworship." The deep-rooted faith that theessentialduty ofa Vedic householder was a debt whichhe owned t to maintainthelineage and worshiptheancestors, his fore-fathers all the plightsin the since the momentof his birth, brought vedic daughter'sfate.11 brotherless The later literaturedealt with this problem in details and tried to theacutenessof theproblemto some bringforth ways and means to mitigate extent.12 Conclusion : The Vedic culture belonged to the Indo-Eruopean tradition.Quite it inherited themaintraits of itsmother-culture i.e. Indo-European. naturally, Male-dominationwas one of theprincipaltraits of boththesecultures.This factlies at therootof a vedic daughter being unwelcometo herparents.We could collectthepicture ofa pleasantrelationship between anddaughter parents fromthe mythologicalsphere in the storiesof Uas, Sry, and Prajpati's daughterSita. The storyin real life,as could be collected fromthe relevant texts,however,is totallydifferent. Concisely, a girl was not welcome'in a The AV. and the AitBr.give evidence in supportof thisobservation. family. Of all the Vedic daughters, the one who had no brother, suffered the most deplorable fate. >o Nifukta III. 5 : : abhrtrky upaymanapratisedhah : pitu ca putrbhvalf : pratyaksah 1 1 RV.III. 31.1isoneofthe difficult verses ofthis Saitihiti. Thefirst two verses ofthis hymn about the father and his brotherless The third line of the first verse, go daughter. probably, a father-daughter incest inquest ofa sononthe ofthe father. suggests part III. 31.1 : flV. onthenext (Continued page)

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Chakravarty : Vedic Daughter Abbreviations AitBr. paGS. svaS AV. Br. raU. ChndoU. HOS RV. SBE SVOU J TaiBr. Aitareyabrhmana Apastambagrhyastra Avaldyanarautastra Atharvaveda Brhadranyakopanisad Chndogyopanisad HarvardOrientalSeries Rgveda acred Books of the East Sri VenkateswaraUniversity OrientalJournal,Tirupati Taittirlyabrhmana

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Bibliography Aitareyabrhmana Altekar,A. S. 1938 Anandashram SanskritSeries 32 Press. Pune : Anandashram inAncient The Positionof Women India , : Benares Hindu University The CulturalPublicationHouse. Kashi SanskritSeries 59 ed. Umesh Chandra Pandey Varanasi. ChowkhambaSanskritSeries.

Apastambagrhyastra

(Continued from p. 186) Ssadvahnir duhitur gd naptvam : vidvn dldhilirh saparyan rtasya duhituh sekam pityatra rftjant :: samiagmyena manas dadhanve See Schmidt, 1987, p. 32. 12 HansPeter related to with theproblems ibid.pp.30-75hasdealtindetails Schitiidt, with a comparative Vedastothe brotherless from the study Smjtis alongwith daughter Greek etc. likePersian, reference toother tranditions

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188 Apte, V. M.

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Chakravarty : Vedic Daughter Sarkar,S. C. 1928 (1st Indian ed. 1985) Some Aspectsof teh Earliest Social Historyof India. Patna : JanakiPrakashan

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