(1/n) Seeing tweets of people about how women are not allowed to do rituals, upanayan e.t.c.
I know I may face some backlashes on this topic.
I AM READY FOR THAT
[THREAD]

(2/n) The oldest literature of the world is the Veda, composed in India over many millennia ago and last recompiled 5100 years ago by the banks of the river Sarasvati.
The Veda had not been a male preserve alone. About 24 of the Vedic Rishi were women, who had themselves composed

(3/n) some of the Vedic verses. Their names, as authors of respective verses can be traced in the Veda

(4/n) These women Rishi were called Rishika, seers, who were intellectuals, could interact with Nature, who had questioned the scientific phenomenon in Nature and by composing the hymns of the Vedic Samhitha had recorded for posterity, the answers they had seen.

(5/n) Brahmavadini

Here, we need to see a clear distinction between the Rishika who were composers of the Veda and Brahmavadini, the women who practised the Veda and educated themselves and others in Veda.

(6/n) They were wonderful women on par with men, who practised, lived by and shared the greatest, longest surviving literature of the world.
Since the Vedic times, there have been thousands of Brahmavadini, spread all across the land in different generations.

(7/n) Their names, knowledge and stories are local lores

Savitri Vachana

It is pertinent to note here, that it was not only boys who underwent the thread investiture ceremony called Upanayana.

(8/n) The Brahmavadini too underwent the thread ceremony. The term used for the thread ceremony and Vedic studies undertaken by the girls was Savitri Vachana.

(9/n) Yama said, (pic 1)
Panini (pic 2)
Panini in his Ashtadyayi in 400 BCE wrote,

Same thing was also said by Patanjali.

(10/n) Rishi Harita, in the Harita Dharma Sutra classifies women into 2 main types. The relevant sloka being

(11/n) The Sadyovadhu women, who underwent basic studies of some of the Veda, chanted the Vedic hymns too, equally with their husbands, at ceremonies, as a regular practice. This aspect is also expressed in the

(12/n) Shrauta Sutra authored by Latyayana and Katyayana and Grihya Sutra authored by Parasara.

Rishika Gargi

Raja Janaka, had once, hosted a spiritual conference, which was attended by Rishi Yagnavalkya, Rishika Gargi Vachaknavi and many other Rishi and Rishika.

(13/n) During the conference, there was a debate between Rishika Gargi and Rishi Yagnavalkya. Rishika Gargi was accepted as a leader by the male Rishi present there and considered qualified enough to debate with Rishi Yagnavalkya, who was one of the foremost Rishi of those times.

Dedicated to @Dharma__Shastra and all other girls facing these problems from these idiots.

@threadreaderapp roll it