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orlando
06 May 2006, 12:06 AM
Namaste all.
By http://www.srivaishnavam.com/faq.html#28
28.What’s role of women in our sampradayam? Why they are not allowed to recite Veda or even Vishnu sahasranamam?
Just like the man is entitled to uphold his dharma, the woman has to uphold her dharma. Both have to follow what the saastra has prescribed to each one of them specifically. The dharma-saastras, aaknika-grantas and smruthies categorically prescribe these dharmas. Women are equally entitled to get the knowledge about Brahman Shreeman Narayana but the way in which she has to get it is different from that of man. This should not be misunderstood as “restriction”. The recitation of Veda is not like telling the slokas. The Veda has to be learnt, comprehended and applied with its six accessories namely siksha, chandas, vyaakaranam, niruktham, jyothisham and kalpam. This is suitable only for man. Vishnu Sahasranamam is also a mantra, which has to be chanted only by men because it has to be chanted with nyaasa, pranavam etc. The woman can get the same knowledge through listening to itihaasaas, satvika puraanas, pUrvaacharya-stotras-grantas and divya-prabandams. She has to accompany the man in doing all the vaidika karmas like yaagas. The Parama-vaidika-matham considers both man and woman as its two eyes. She can adopt prapatti and get salvation just like the man.

Please read Srimad Bhagavata Purana,Canto 1,Chapter 4:
(24) In order to have the Veda assimilated as much by the less intellectual ones, the great sage of lordship Vyâsa took care to edit it for the masses. (25)Due to his compassion, the sage (Vyasa) thought it wise to do something which would aid those who were ignorant of how to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Therefore he compiled the Mahabharata for the benefit of women, sudras and brahmana-bandhus (so-called brahmanas) who were not eligible to study the Sruti.


bharata-vyapadesena hyamnayarthah pradarsitah
vedah pratisthah sarve sarve purane natra samsayah

"On the pretext of writing the Mahabharata, Vyasa explained the meaning of the Vedas. Certainly all the topics of the Vedas have been established in the Puranas." (Vishnu Purana)

My questions is:do not the scriptures really allow women to recite Vishnu Sahasranamam?
By reading a good commentary or translation,everyone can understand the meaning of it.
This rule that doesn't allow women to recite Vishnu Sahasranamam really perplexs me.

Regards,
Orlando.

Arjuna
06 May 2006, 02:27 AM
From Vedas and Upanishads it is known that originally women were allowed to study Vedic knowledge, and only later they were stopped from that.

Equal position of women in this regard was maintained in Tantric tradition and in some other sects of Hinduism.

orlando
06 May 2006, 03:10 AM
Namaste all.
Please note verse the two Bhagavata's verse:
(24) In order to have the Veda assimilated as much by the less intellectual ones, the great sage of lordship Vyâsa took care to edit it for the masses. (25)Due to his compassion, the sage (Vyasa) thought it wise to do something which would aid those who were ignorant of how to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Therefore he compiled the Mahabharata for the benefit of women, sudras and brahmana-bandhus (so-called brahmanas) who were not eligible to study the Sruti.


It is wrote that women are not eligible to study Sruti.And Srila Vyasadeva compiled the Mahabharata for their benefit.
Vishnu sahasranamam isn't part of the Vedas.It is part of Mahabharata.So I am absolutely sure that women can recite it of course.
Regards,
Orlando.

orlando
12 June 2006, 11:24 AM
Namaste all.
Please could someone reply?
Regards,
Orlando.

ramkish42
12 June 2006, 01:53 PM
Namaste all.
Please could someone reply?
Regards,
Orlando.

You are right in your conclusions

Vishnu Sahasranama can be receited by all. However, there seems to be references to injunctions to women on Veda

The idea seems to be attached with sacred thread - as it is required at times to change the way it is worn, it is possible only when the person who wears it happens to be a person not wearing a shirt, hence so

As I can recall your quote in some other thread of Om, Vadakalai sects treat this word as Veda in single word hence women are adviced not to use this word.

While discussing man and woman, one has also to ponder over nabumsaka. As per practise, nabumsakas are identified as woman as far as injunctions are concerned, hence are also barred from reading Veda

orlando
13 June 2006, 12:09 PM
Namaste Shri Ramkish42.
What is nabumsaka?

Regards,
Orlando.

ramkish42
13 June 2006, 12:23 PM
Namaste Shri Ramkish42.
What is nabumsaka?

Regards,
Orlando.

When I quote Man, woman and Nabumsaka I thought you will make it out.

It means Eunuch

Arjuna
13 June 2006, 01:19 PM
It means Eunuch

It is not only eunuch, but hermaphrodite as well. Possibly it may also mean a homosexual by birth (i am not sure).

Correct spelling is napuMsaka.

Parnah Dhanika
10 July 2006, 07:27 AM
From what i know, napuMsaka simply means 'neither of the two genders' because brahman is addressed to in napuMsaka gender if i'm not mistaken...

Znanna
10 July 2006, 08:19 PM
Gender is entirely irrelevant, unless one observes differences in terms of physicality.

In other words, in space, nobody hears you scream :)

YMMV


ZN


____________
Just a girl :)