The Angels of the Vedic Age
By: Bhavesh Parekh
Tags: Women, Spirituality, India, Hinduism, Mythology

At the dawn of civilization in India, on the banks of a now lost river, a group of thinkers meditated. Their meditation was so profound that the Cosmos whispered Its secrets to them. These secrets were transcendental truths expressed in vibrations, that held more reality in them than mere words. The Rishis cognized the mantras of the Vedas and the dialogues of the Upanishads.

These rishis included some remarkable women. Vedic India gave women an equal status to men. This is an introduction to four great Vedic Rishikas.

Rishika Arundhati

Twin stars observed during a marriage ceremony

The seven primeval Rishis are known as the Saptarishis. They were actually eight. The eighth was the wife of Rishi Vashista, Rishika Arundhati. Arundhati even gave discourses to the Saptarishis!

The couple, Rishi Vashista and Rishika Arundhati, are identified with the Ursa Major constellation. Marriage rituals in some parts of India include the couple taking the blessing of Ursa Major! In most twin star systems, one star is stationary and the other rotates around it, while Arundhati and Vashista both rotate in synchronity.



The significance is that husband and wife move through life in perfect synchronity — husband does not rotate around wife and vice versa.

Rishika Arundhati played a cosmic role in persuading Lord Shiva to meet Parvati Devi! This is described by Kalidasa, in his great poem, Kumarasambhava.

Rishika Gargi

Rishika Gargi is honored as a Brahmavadini, i.e. a person with knowledge of Brahma Vidya. Many Rig Vedic hyms are attributed to her. Rishika Gargi in her Vedic hymns delved deep into the origin of all existence. Her views are present in the Chandogya Upanishad.

From a young age Gargi evinced a passion for Vedic scriptures and became very proficient in philosophy. She became highly knowledgeable and held intellectual debates with other philosophers.

Gargi was honored as one of the Navaratnas (nine jewels) in the court of King Janaka of Mithila. It was in his court that the immortal dialogue took place between Rishi Yajyavalkya and Rishika Gargi. Janaka invited several acclaimed philosophers to debate on Reality, announcing a reward for the philosopher who was the wisest. Yajnavalkya claimed the reward even before the debate started, and the other philosophers did not have the courage to question him! All except Gargi, and thanks to her the world received possibly the first glimpse of Reality. The dialogue between them is immortalized in the Brihadaranayaka Upanishad. (an excerpt below).

“O Yajnavalkya, which is that above the sky, which is beneath the earth, that which is between these two, that which is beyond past, present, and future?”

“Space”

“What is Space woven of?”

“O Gargi, if one performs sacrifices and worship and undergoes austerity in this world for many thousands of years, but without knowing that Imperishable, limited indeed is this. Across this Imperishable is the Unseen, O Gargi, from which Space arises.’’

Rishika Lopamudra

Lopamudra was the wife of the sage Agastya. Many hymns have been attributed as her contribution to the Rig Veda.

Rishika Lopamudra visualized the “Hadi Panchadasi” mantra.

HA SA KA LA HRIM

HA SA KA HA LA HRIM

SA KA LA HRIM

Rishika Lopamudra was the first to propagate the Sri Lalita Sahasranaama across the world.

In the Rigveda, Agastya and Lopamudra are considered as “mantra drashta” (those who cognized mantras). Rishika Lopamudra is mentioned in the Yajurveda, Brihaddevtakara, and in the Agama Granthas, and is revered as a “Mantradrika” (an expert in mantras).

The river Kaveri in Karnataka is named after one of the alternative names of Lopamudra.

Rishika Maitreyi

The Rig Veda contains about one thousand hymns, of which about 10 are accredited to Rsihika Maitreyi. She was recognized as a Brahmavadini — one who has cognized the Supreme Brahman.

Rishika Maitreyi was married to Rishi Yajnavalkaya. She was his intellectual equal. In a legendary dialogue from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the Rishi informs Maitreyi that he is renouncing the world, and will surrender his material possessions to his family. Maitreyi asks her husband if all the wealth in the world would make her immortal. The sage replies that wealth can only make one rich, and nothing else. Maitreyi asks for the wealth of immortality. Yajnavalkya then imparts the doctrine of the soul and the knowledge of attaining immortality.

Maitreyi is considered a symbol of Indian intellectual women, and an institution is named in her honor in New Delhi.

At the International Religious Conference 1899, held in Chicago, Rishika Maitreyi was honored, and her immortal verse was recited:

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।

तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।

मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om

Lead me from Falsehood to Truth

Lead me from Darkness to Light.

Lead me from Death to Immortality

Om Peace Peace Peace.

Referrences:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundhati_(Hinduism)

http://www.revivaloftrueindia.com/2013/07/twin-stars-arundhati-and-vashistha.html

https://www.facebook.com/221120145150194/posts/story-of-arundhati-nakshatraarundhati-vashista-alcor-mizar-marriagearundhati-san/415339929061547/

https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/chastest-woman-arundhati-in-literature

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargi_Vachaknavi

https://encyclopedia-womannica.simplecast.com/episodes/beautiful-minds-gargi-vachaknavi-FWq5TyZV/transcript

https://rashtram.org/bramahcharini/

https://edtimes.in/rishi-gargi-worlds-oldest-icon-feminism-ancient-hinduism/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lopamudra

https://www.anandhianand.org/single-post/women-in-vedic-india-lopamudra

https://www.learnreligions.com/famous-female-figures-of-vedic-india-1770399

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitreyi#:~:text=Maitreyi%20(Sanskrit%3A%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%80)%20(,around%20the%208th%20century%20BCE.

https://www.hinduscriptures.in/gurus/rushi-women/maitreyi

https://srividyasadhana000101.blogspot.com/2013/10/01-panchadashi-fifteen-syllable-sri.html

Copyright Bhavesh Parekh