Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates ‘Woman as a Sister’ of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.
4. Woman as a Sister
A woman’s form as a sister has gained a distinct treatment in the Atharvaveda. The seers have used the terms jāmi, svasṛ, etc., to mean a sister. As a sister too, her child-bearing aspect was not unnoticed. She was called jāmi because some other person produces children through her.[1] Yāska has derived the word jāmi from the root jam, meaning to go.[2] According to Sāyaṇācārya,[3] jāmi is the sister, born of the same mother. On the other hand, svasṛ is interpreted by Sāyaṇācārya[4] as svayaṃ sāriṇī, i.e. moving herself. This term indicates her freedom in moving elsewhere.
The Atharvavedic seers have paid attention to the relationship between a brother and a sister. It may be known from the commentary of Sāyaṇācārya,[5] on one particular mantra of the Atharvaveda, that the physical union between these two were strictly prohibited and one could not achieve the heaven if did so. In the story of Yama and Yamī, the twin brother and sister, occurring both in the Ṛgveda[6] and the Atharvaveda,[7] the prohibition of such relation is enjoined. In the story, Yama declined the proposal of his twin sister, Yamī, to have conjugal relation with her. Yama argued that it was against the law of Mitra and Varuṇa and hence, he advised her to get married with another person.[8] The derivative sense of the term jāmi seems to stand in such cases.
It is prayed in the Atharvaveda to assign a capable and fit spouse to one’s sister.[9] But, the lives of those sisters, who had no brothers, were full of trouble. Such maidens had to remain in their father’s home, being unmarried.[10] It was considered to be their duty to perform funeral oblations such as piṇḍadāna, to the manes.[11] From this, it can be assumed that after the death of the sonless father, an unmarried daughter became the master of the home.
Besides, it is recorded in the Atharvaveda that the stock of riches and clothes of a home was maintained by the sisters.[12]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
jamatervā syādgatikarmaṇaḥ / Nirukta, 3.6
[4]:
Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 7.48.1
[5]:
[6]:
Ṛgveda, 10.10
[7]:
Atharvaveda, 18.1
[8]:
Ibid., 18.1.10-16
[10]:
abhrātara iva jāmayastiṣṭhantu hatavarcasaḥ / Ibid., 1.17.1
[11]:
yathā abhrātṛkā jāmayaḥ bhaginyaḥ / tā yata utpannāstatraiva pitṛkule saṃtānakarmaṇe piṇḍadānāya ca tiṣṭhanti tadvadityarthaḥ / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.
[12]:
antaḥ kośamiva jāmayopi … / Atharvaveda, 114.4 jāmayaḥ striyaḥ bhaginyādirūpāḥ / tāḥ antaḥ gṛhamadhye avasthitaṃ kośamiva dhanavastrādisthāpanārtham āvṛtaṃ sthānamiva / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.