RishikE

-Translated to English from Article in Sugunamala Dec 1986 Edition

"RishidarshanAt" , those who realized mantras are Rishis. There are many Rishis starting from Madhu,Chandassu. There were many Rishikes (Women who realized mantras.

Sri Kathyayana in his Rigveda Sarvanukramani has listed the Rishikes:

gOdhA GhOShA vishwavArA apAlOpaniShanniShat |

brahmajAyA juhUrnAma agastyasya swasA&ditiH ||

iMdrANi cEMdramAtA ca saramA rOmashOrvashI |

lOpAmudrA ca nadyashca yamI nArI ca shashwatI ||

shrIrlAkShA sArparAj~jI vAk shraddhA mEdhA ca dakShiNA |

rAtrI sUryA ca sAvitrI brahmavAdinya IritAH ||

There are 27 names here

1. gOdhA

2. GhOShA

3.vishwavArA

4.apAlA

5.upaniShat

6.niShat

7.brahmajAyA juhUH

8.agastyasya swasA

9. aditiH

10. iMdrANI

11.iMdramAtA

12. saramA

13. rOmashA

14.UrvashI

15. lOpAmudrA

16. nadyaH

17.yamI

18. shashwatI nArI

19. shrIH

20. lAkShA

21. sArparAj~jI

22. vAk

23. shraddhA

24. mEdhA

25. dakShiNA

26. rAtrI

27. sUryA sAvitrI

Among them upaniShat,niShat,shrIH, lAkshA, mEdhA - manras of these 5 are not found. Research needs to be done about these.

Similarly sikatA, nivAvarI and some other Rishikes are not mentions in kAtyAyana's list. Reason not known.

In olden days Women were classified into two categories

sadyOvadhu and brahmavAdini. This is found in mAdhava saMhite of parAsharasmRuti :

yOpanayanaM kRutwA pashcAd vivAhaM karOti sA brahmavAdinI |

tathaiva yA prathamata upanayanaM kRutwA sadya Eva vivAhaM vidhAya tatO vEdamadhItE sA sadyOvadhUH ||

She who studies vEdAs after upanayana and then gets married is brahmavAdini, she who gets married immediately after upanayana and then studies vEdas is sadyOvadhu.

Above mentioned Rishikes are all brahmavAdinis.

In Vedic times, ladies had upanayana samskAra. They also had eligibility to study and teach vEdas. They got gAyatri Upadesha. There is no correct answer as to when this stopped.

purAkalpE tu nArINAM maUMjIbaMdhanamiShyatE |

adhyApanaM ca vEdAnAM gAyatrIvacanaM tathA ||

But during the later days, there was a tradition where ladies did not have authority over Vedic studies.

strI shIdradwijabaMdhUnAM trayI na shrutigOcarA |

Just like Rishis, Mothers of Rishis, Wife's of Rishis and daughters of Rishis were intellectuals. Why did they loose authority of vEdas ? this question has been around for a long time

There are many people who fought for this : kAvyakaMtha vAshiShTa gaNapati muni - disciple of ramaNa maharShi, maharShi daivarAtaru and others have substantiated vEdhAdhikAra of Women.

Details of Mantras currently available for Rishikes are as below