Women Seers of the R̥gvedic Era
Vedas are the earliest treatises of Indian literature. Veda literally means ‘jñāna or knowledge. All Vedic knowledge is regarded as ‘seen/envisaged or perceived by Rsis or seers in their deep meditative moments (samādhi), which they expressed in the form of mantras or hymns. The Rșis were therefore also known as ‘Draşţă (literally seer). The Vedic mantras which are ascribed to women seers thus primarily qualify as the earliest known expression in verses, by women. Some of these mantras are also located in the Samaveda Samhita, which contains the earliest reference to music in India. This establishes them as the first songs, as Sama mantras were sung. These Sama or ‘songs’ were passed down over the millennia through oral traditions. In the present day, they are preserved by traditional Vedic experts of various śākhās or schools, across India.
The Brihaddevata (at 2.82-84) and Arshanukramani (at 10.100-102) record twenty seven ‘Brahmavādini’ or women Seers from the Rgveda, to whom hymns are attributed.
‘Ghoşă godhā viśvavārā apālopanişannişat Brahmajäyä juhürnāma agastasya svasāditi. Indrāņi cendramătă ca saramă romaşorvaśī Lopamudrāśca nadyaśca yamī nārī ca śaśvati. Śrīrlākṣā sārparājñī vāk śraddhā medhā ca dakşiņā Rātrī sūryā ca savitrī brahmavādinya īritāḥ.”
They are Viśvavară, Apala, Upanişt and Nist, Brahmajaya, Juhu, Agastyasvasť: the sister of Agastya, Aditi, Indrānī, Indramătarah, Sarama, Romaşă. Urvasi, Lopamudra, Nadyah (the rivers), Yami. Śaśvati, Sri, Lakşă, Sarparājñā, Āmbhriņi Vāk, Śraddhā, Medhā, Dakşiņā, Rātri and Sürya- the daughter of Savitri. Scholars consider some of these women as ‘real women of flesh and blood’ and others as ‘non human objects, mythical characters or celestial beings”.
Altekar comments in The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization:
From Prehistoric Times to the Present Day, that although some women seers of Rgveda may have been mythical personages, Lopamudra, Viśvavára and Ghoșă were women of flesh and blood, who once lived in Hindu society. He argues that the authors of hymns 10.145 and 10.159 of Rgveda are “undoubtedly women’, though whether their real names were Indrăņi and Šaci remains a question. Many scholars suggest that seers such as Romaşă, Apālā, Śaśvati, Vasukrapatnī, Agastysvasr, Vak, Godha, Nişat and Upanişat and Yamī were also real women of flesh and blood. Contemporary academic Mau Dasgupta infers that as a sequel to Altekar’s view, Romaşă, Apālā, Śaśvati, Vasukrapatni, Agastasvasť, Vak, Godha, Nishat and Upanishat and, to some extent, even Yami were indeed women of this soil. Their hymns contain substantial material on the position of Vedic women.
Whether or not they were real women may remain a matter of conjecture and needs further investigation, yet their mention as ‘Brahmavādini’ or “Women Seers’ in Brihaddevata and Arshanukramani cannot be disregarded. They are also mentioned with Devata and Chandas before each hymn as per the general tradition of Vedic texts, where the names of the Rși, Devată and Chafidas (seer, God and meter) of a particular hymn are always mentioned before each hymn.
Vedic Women Seers with Reference to Samaveda and Sämagăna
After a thorough study of Rgveda Samhita, Samaveda Samhita and Samagana Samhita, it is found that women seers to whom hymns are ascribed in Samagana Samhitā are Indramātarah, Godhā, Sarparājñi, and Väk. They are located as the seers of hymns in Samaveda Samhita as well as in Samagana Samhita. Some hymns which are ascribed to them in Rgveda and Samaveda Samhită are ascribed to other seers in the Samagang Sathită. This indicates that a particular Sama mantra may be perceived by a seer in Rgveda and Samaveda Samhita and ‘sung’ or ‘perceived as Sama’ by another seer in the Samagana Samhita. The hymns of Rşikäs Godha and Sarparājñi are ascribed to the same seers in Rgveda Sarhhita, Samaveda Samhita and Samagana Samhita, which indicates that they were the seers of the Mantra as well as the Sāma (song).
Women seers who have hymns attributed to them in Samaveda Samhita
and are named in the list of Rşikas/brahmavadinis in the Brihaddevata and
Arshanukramani are Indramătaraḥ, Godha and Särparājñi.
The hymns of the women seers which appear in Rgveda and Samaveda Samhită are as follows:
Rşikā Rgveda Samhitā Sāmaveda Samhitā Sāmagăna Saṁhitā
(hymn) (in Pūrvārcika)
Indramātarah 10.153.2 2.1.6 194, 195, 196
2.7.1 313
Godha 10.134.7 2.7.2 314
Särparājñi 10.189.1,2,3 6.5.4,5,6 276, 277, 278*
(in Uttarārcika) (*in Śukriyaparva)
Godha 10.134.6-7 7.5.2 (Uttarārdha)
Sārparājñí 10.189.1, 2, 3 11.3.1.2.3 630, 631, 632
In certain instances, hymns are ascribed to other seers in Samagana Samhita.
ऋषिका इन्द्रमातरो देवजामय
त्वमिन्द्र बलादधि सहसो जात ओजसः ।
त्वङ्सन् वृषन् वृषेदसि ॥ 2.1.6
ऋषिका इन्द्रमातरो देवजामय
ईड्ङ्खयन्तीरप्स्युव इन्द्रञ्जातमुपासते ।
वन्वानासः सुवीर्यम् ॥ 2.7.1
ऋषिका गोधा
नकि देवा इनीमसि नक्यायोपयामसि ।
मंत्रश्रुत्यञ्चरामसि ॥ 2.7.2
ऋषिका सार्पराजी
आयङ्गौः पृश्निरक्रमीदसदन्मातरम्पुरः ।
पितरञ्च प्रयन्त्स्वः ॥ 6.5.4.
अन्तश्चरति रोचनास्यप्राणादपानती ॥
व्यख्यन्महिषो दिवम् ॥ 6.5.5
त्रिशद्धाम विराजति वाक्पतङ्गाय धीयते ॥
प्रतिवस्तोरहद्युभिः ॥ 6.5.6
ऋषिः Vamadeva (ऋग्वेदः ऋषिका वाक (सामवेदः)
कयानश्चित्र आ भुवदूती सदावृधः सखा ।
कया शचिष्ठया वृता ॥ 2.6.5
(Sāmagāna Saṁhitā 304, 305)
Although little is known about Indramātarah, Godha and Särparājñi through traditional sources, and they are considered by many scholars as mythical beings, the inclusion of their hymns are significant with reference to the present study as they are all mentioned as ‘Brahmavădini or women seers in Brihaddevata and Arshanukramani and also located in the Samaveda, which is considered as the earliest (literary) source of Indian
music, where hymns were sung in four, five, six and even seven svaras in some cases, for the first time in the history of Indian music. This section of the study is an attempt to document the hymns ascribed to the women seers of Samaveda Samhita and their chanting/singing traditions prevalent in the present times. These hymns may be considered as the first songs ascribed to women, expressed in verses and sung in Saman Svaras, which are sung till the present day in the Samavedic tradition
of chanting.
It is widely known that the Rcas when sung became Sāma. Thus, when
a R̥cā of a particular R̥și is sung by another seer, it comes to be known as his or her Sama or song. A second list of seers may therefore be considered. which would include hymns that are ascribed to women seers in Rgveda (RV) and Samaveda (SV), but sung as gana or song by some other Rși in Samagana Samhita (SS). For instance, Tvamindra baladadhi’ of Indramātarah (in RV. 10.153 and SV. 2.1.6.) is ascribed to Rși Śaryati (in SS. 194, 195, 196); ‘Imkhayantirapasyuvah’ of Indramatarah (in RV. 10.153 and SV. 2.7.1) is ascribed as a Sama to Rşi Tvaşță (in SS. 313) in the Sämagana Samhitä.
A third and final list of women seers would include those seers, whose Rcās are well-known in Rgveda Samhitā as well as in the (Pürvārcika and Uttarārcika of) Samaveda Samhita, and who are also the seers of the Sama (in the grame geya and aranye geya gana) of Samaveda (gana) Samhitä. For instance, ‘Naki devā inīmasi’ of Godha (RV.10.134; SV.2.7.2) finds its place as a Grâme geya gana or prakṛti gāna (in SS. 314) in the Aindra kandam as Godhāsāma’, i.e. it is ascribed to the seer Godha both as Rcă as well as a Sama. The famous trca (group of three hymns) of Särparājñi Antaścaratirocana…, Ayamgau prśnirakramid… and Trṁśaddhama virajati…’ (at RV. 10.189.1-3 and SV.Uttarārcika, 11.3.1-3) are sung as Aranye geya gana, in the Sukriya parvan of the Aranyaka portion of Samaveda Samhitā (in SS. 276, 277 and 278) are ascribed to Särparājñānī.
Godhā
The last half of the sixth stanza and the entire seventh stanza of the hymn RV 10.134 (2.7.2 in SV) are ascribed to Godha. The seer of the remaining hymn is Mandhaty, the son of Yuvanaśva. According to Brihaddevatā (8.48), this stanza is addressed to Vishve devāḥ (All gods). Apart from the fact that Godha is the seer of the second half of the sixth and the entire seventh stanza of 10.134, nothing else is known about her through any other source. Brihaddevata and other sources remain silent on any details about this seer.
According to an observation made by Mau Dasgupta, 10.134.7 strikes a note of intimacy with the god invoked, which is also heard in the hymns of Apälä and Ghoshā.
In this stanza Godhā says,
“Naki deva inīmasi, nakya yopayāmasi, mantraśrutyañcaramasi O gods, we never injure you or cause you annoyance, we follow the instruction of the holy texts and we cling to you closely with wings and arms (in our prayers and sacrifices)’. (RV 8.91.3, 4; RV 10.39.6, 12; RV 10.40.1, 2, 4, 11)
Indramātaraḥ
The hymn 10.153 is ascribed to Indramātaraḥ or Devajämayah. The mantras 2.1.6 and 2.7.1 appear in Samaveda also. Katyayana in his Sarvanukramanj and Sayana maintain that Indramatarah or the ‘Mothers of Indra’ are also the ‘Sisters of Gods’. Wilson and Griffith concede that the word devajamaya’ does not mean ‘sisters of gods’ but ‘consorts or wives of gods. Brihaddevata does not provide any information about the seers of this Sūkta.
Indra’s might and glory are described in the five stanzas of this hymn. In SV.2.1.6, the Mothers of Indra praise their ‘son’ as ‘one who is born from overpowering strength and energy and is the showerer of blessings”, Tvamindra baladadhi, sahaso jataojasah. Tvamsan vrşan vrşedasi.
In SV.2.7.1, the Mothers of Indra, after begetting a son like him (through worship and praises), and desirous of fulfilling their functions, worship him as he is born and beget affluence (together with male progeny): Imkhayantirapasyuva, indrañjātamupāsate. Vanvānāsaḥ suviryam’.
(Translation: Wilson)
Sārparājñí
The hymn RV.10.189 is ascribed to Särparājñi. The complete hymn also appears in 6.5.4-6 in the Pürvārcika and in 11.3.1-3 in the Uttararcika of Samaveda and III.6-8 in Yajurveda.
Traditional commentators identify Särparājñi with Kadru, the wife of sage Kaśyapa, and the mother of the serpent race.
According to commentators Uvata and Mahidhara, the deity of the first line of the first stanza is Agni, and thereafter Agni in the form of the Sun (as per commentary on Vājasaneyi Samhita:3.6.8, where this hymn is also found).
In this hymn the seer eulogises the glorious Sun as ‘the moving and many-hued Sun, who has arrived and sat before his mother in the east and moves to his father, the heaven’, ‘Ayamgauh prśnirakramīdasadan mátarampurah. Pitarañca prayantsvah. Wilson identifies the ‘mother in the east’ with the ‘earth’, while Griffith maintains it as the ‘dawn’. In the next mantra the seer again praises the mighty Sun as one whose radiance penetrates internally (through the Dyavăprthivi – the earth and the sky); setting after having risen (commentary by Sayana), the great/mighty Sun lights up the sky (‘beholds the sky’: Translation by Wilson).
Vāk
The famous hymn RV.10.125 is ascribed to Vak, the daughter of sage Ambhrņa. The hymn is also known as Devi Süktam. The Bashkala Mantropanishad is based on this hymn.
Although there are various opinions about the seer among scholars, Sayana and other traditionalist commentators consider Våk, the daughter of sage Ambhrņa (comm. on 10.125.1) as the seer of this hymn”.
Generally the hymns of the Vedas are considered as ‘perceived’ by a Rși/ mantradraşțā’/a seer, who expresses them in the third person, as if addressing a deity. The Väk Sükta is one of the rarest hymns where a seer speaks in the first person and also in the feminine gender. This strongly indicates that the seer was a woman and not just speech personified (as contended by many scholars), where she identifies herself with the entire universe, the Cause and the Creation.
Though the Vak Sūkta is traced only in the Rgveda Samhita, and not in any other Veda, the name of Rşikā Vak is again found in the Samagana Samhită at 2.6.5. This hymn, which is attributed to Rşi Vämadeva in Rgveda Samhită is located in Samagana Samhitā at 304, 305 as ‘Vacassāmāni dve’ or ‘Two Songs of Vak’. It may be therefore inferred that as Sama or songs these hymns are attributed to Vāk.