Freedom of Women in Ancient India
If we date back to 2200 BC, to the ancient India -the flourished, rich Inca culture, we found it more civilized and critically superior compare to modern India. The context of independence -be it to live or to conquer the quest of life -let it be spiritual, religious, artistic, or even mundane one – everywhere the traces and foot prints of that glorious past took us back to that era where equality was practiced practically amongst genders.
Despite of cast, creed, religion differences or social strata, everyone was given unique opportunity to do progress in their personal as well democratic life. The evidences collected from Harappan culture or scriptures of Pre- Vedic and Vedic texts, the remnants of Lothal or temple of Khajuraho and Ajanta -Elora, everything pointed toward one most ignored fact which we are embarrassed to accept today, that is, the ‘Freedom of Women’ and their equal participance in each single area of life.
Here, it looks so relevant to consider example of Illustrated one – Lady Gargi and Lady Maitreyi who are glorified examples of women’s freedom and independence they have enjoyed in that contemporary time, where other countries yet to think about those advances in the similar era. They have set an example like Sun in midday, fully glowed and illuminating entire sky for rest of world who might think that women were subsidiary entities and supposed to be treated with partial judgements and bunches of barbarian rules. One example could be enough to throw light on those greatest days.
Once, King Janak, the emperor of Mithila kingdom, who was known for organizing religious and spiritual conferences and used to invite knowledgeable people, wise sages, preachers and commoners around the world to participate in to it, had arranged one same alike ‘Knowledge Summit’ at his own kingdom. He had invited seekers, scholars and renowned saints from everywhere to participate in that great summit. Lady Gargi, the fierce scholar, enlightened soul and established teacher whose reputation already reached four corners of the world, entered with her disciples and challenged Sage Yagnavalkya to have spiritual audience with her. Sage Yagnavalkya was equally known and well reputed for his status – ‘someone who already reached Nivvana’. To challenge him for spiritual dialogues would be consider act of ignorant or either the person who asked for was too much prudish. Howsoever, the challenge was gladly accepted by Sage Yagnavalkya, who thought that Lady Gargi might have something valuable for entire world to preach, wanted to bring it on surface. Asking for audience could be merely an excuse to let the world know the spiritual enlightenment of them together. Lady Gargi of course had different agenda but. She started asking question not on any routine subjects which usually discussed at this kind of conferences but she overlapped the border and asked Sage Yagnavalkya to clear his understanding about – ‘Nature, Form, Scope and Work of ParBrahma- The Almighty God itself’. The questionnaire came in close ended formation and Sage Yagnavalkya had to answer it to save his reputation as ‘wisest one.’
The conference continued with peace treaty between two most intellectual souls of time and ended up in developing valuable friendship with Lady Maitreyi – wife of Sage Yagnavalkya. Lady Maitreyi already earned a reputation of someone who went beyond even Nivvana but chose to stay on earth to attain some mundane duties.
The overall context here if to look in detail, can be easily notified that women in ancient time enjoyed much freedom in term of literacy, education, general audience of public and even participated in warfare, took strategic decisions, advice the kings and queens with their sheer wisdom.
Even if talked about sexual freedom and women’s participation in to it, the carvings on old Khajuraho and other temples depicts those sexual acts mostly worshipped as an art and not just an act of doing, that too one sided, mainly male dominant in following era. The dogma was much clear that regardless gender and age two matured persons with mutual consent can contribute their best toward one important segment of life. Sex was never treated as obscene act and women, who were treated as important counter part of it, always have their fair share in to it.
The war art was something mandatory for both genders to learn and Gurukuls or Ashramas were focal point in establishing the gender equality. The deities who worshipped in ancient time also magnified the fact that female goddess always worshipped equally by their devotees and majority deities were couple to let laymen understand the eternal and unbroken union of masculine and feminine forces.
One particular and enticing practice of spiritualism was Tantra – which was established and made famous by Lord Shiva and his devotes for pre-definining the essential importance of female and her feminine energy in every aspect of life. Tantra and its theories originated from one old science called Sri Vigyan or Shri Vidya, which better to understand as knowledge of cosmology. In to it, the perfect mingling of two primordial forces at quantum level, very beautifully narrated. The science which now a day mostly ignored and understood as a way to earn wealth only.
The civic life and artistry were at command of women, we can say in ancient time, because pre medieval and ancient culture of India was mainly matriarch than patriarch one. Majority decisions of households were taken by women only and they were gladly complemented by males. The warrior goddesses like Durga, Sati, Ambika or Shakti were highly worshipped and their empowerment was widely accepted by male worshipper even today.
It seems in medieval India and afterwards the women era was diminished under influence of certain intruders who crossed the Hindu-Kush mountaineering range and ruled India for few centuries. But if looked back to Old India, the inspiration, the great ideology still awaits us to reform those lost traces and think again to reestablish women’s position in contemporary time and not just treat her as a showcase item.
