#GreatIndianWomen
#RealIcons
#RishiMaitreyi
In the early Vedic period of Indian history, women’s education was given equal priority, despite the dominant preference of begetting sons in every household.A large number of young girls received both literary and cultural education.
#RealIcons
#RishiMaitreyi
In the early Vedic period of Indian history, women’s education was given equal priority, despite the dominant preference of begetting sons in every household.A large number of young girls received both literary and cultural education.
The Rigveda contains hymns written by 27 women scholars. One of the prominent Brahmavadinis among these is Maitreyi. (Sanskrit: मैत्रेयी). Sage Maitreyi lived in ancient India during the later Vedic period (around the 8th century BCE).
She is renowned as one of the most intellectual and virtuous women philosophers of the Vedic period. She is also known as Brahmavadini, a scholar of the Vedas. The Rig Veda contains about one thousand hymns, of which 10 are accredited to Maitreyi.
In the Asvalayana Gṛhyasūtra, she's referred to as Sulabha Maitreyi and is mentioned in the Gṛhyasūtras with several other women scholars of the Vedic era. She was the daughter of Rishi Maitri and named after him. She was also the niece of Rishi Gargi, a renowned woman scholar.
Maitreyi was born in Mithila at the time of the rule of King Janaka.From a very young age she was taught all the Shastras by her father.She was unattached to material pleasures & had reached the stage of high spiritual purity.She became a religious disciple of Rishi Yajnavyalka.
But Yajnavyalka was a householder Rishi. He was married to Katyayani who was devoted to him and her three sons. When Katyayani saw the spiritual devotion of Maitreyi and her fervour for gaining more knowledge, she agreed to let her marry her husband.
While Maitreyi was well versed in the Hindu scriptures and was a 'Brahmavadini', Katyayani was an ordinary woman. One day, Yajnavyalka decided to renounce the world by taking up ascetic vows. He wanted to make a settlement of his worldly possessions.
He asked Maitreyi for permission,telling her that he wanted to divide his assets between her and Katyayani.The learned Maitreyi said that she was not interested in wealth. She asked him if all the wealth in the world would make her immortal!
He replied that wealth could only make one rich, nothing else. She then asked for the wealth of immortality. He was happy to hear this and imparted to her the doctrine of the soul and his knowledge of attaining immortality. He said that immortality is eternal.
What we see with our eyes is temporal.Anything that gives us comfort,physical or social,is called wealth.He further enlightens her abt Chudamani or crown jewel of the Advaita philosophy, which is that the root of all bliss is the self and that nothing exists apart from the self.
Once Maitreyi finished hearing Yajnavyalka’s discourse on the soul and the way to attaining immortality, she set forth on the path to finding eternal bliss. She liberated herself from the endless cycles of birth and death by gaining a deep understanding of spiritual knowledge.
She attained Moksha or immortality. Maitreyi is an icon for the present generation of women to follow as an ideal. She is cited as an example of the educational opportunities available to women in Vedic India, and their philosophical achievements.
She showed that it is important to be acquainted with self or Atma and love it, in order to be loved by others. She also showed by example how women can achieve the heights of knowledge; simply by listening to and following and practicing the path shown in the Vedas.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
