Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates ‘5b. Freedom of Women in Choosing a Life Partner’ 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.
5b. Freedom of Women in Choosing a Life Partner
[Full title: 5. Women in the Atharvavedic Society, (b): Freedom of Women in Choosing a Life Partner]
The maidens of the Atharvavedic period seem to have enjoyed the freedom to make their choice of husband as appears from the verse, bhagasya nāvamā…, etc.,[1] where the maiden is asked to ascend the boat of Bhaga in order to obtain the husband of her own choice. Besides, from the acceptance of the Aśvins, the twin gods, by Sūryā, the daughter of Savitṛ, as her grooms, is also indicative of the fact that the prevalence of the custom of choosing companions freely by the women for themselves was in practice in those days.[2]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
cf., Ibid., 2.36.5
[2]:
cf., Ibid., 14.1.9