The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c15.s1.63

c15.s1.63

We may discuss here the controversial question as to whether stitched clothes were in vogue in the Vedic age. In the Indo-Iranian times the Aryans were undoubtedly living in a cold climate, where stitched clothes would have been welcome; but they had not at that time probably sufficiently advanced in civilisation to begin their use. The Ṛigveda refers to Varuṇa as wearing a *drāpi*, while sitting in his heavenly court (1, 25, 13). But whether it was a mantle or an overcoat we do not know. In the marriage hymn the bride is described as wearing a *śāmulyam* on her wedding night, which was discarded the next morning. But this was probably a *sari* rather than a short. According to the *Kātyāyana Śrauta Sūtra* (p. 686), the wife of the sacrificer was given a *chaṇḍātaka* or *dahara* to wear, when she had to ascend by a very high step to the top of the sacrificial pillar. While doing so, the thighs were likely to be exposed to view if there was no under-wear, as the *sari* was very probably worn in the *vikachchha* fashion. So a *chaṇḍātaka*, which has been expressly described as a short by the commentator of the Śrauta Sūtra¹, would have been very desirable. The original Vedic passages, where this ceremony is described, do not however refer to any *chaṇḍātaka* being worn by the wife on the occasion; the word is also not known to Pāṇini, Patañjali and Amara. Kātyāyana is therefore probably referring to an innovation of his age, when he refers to a short or *chaṇḍātaka* being worn by the wife on the occasion. In the Vedic age very probably only a *dahara* or *kaupīna* i.e., a strip of cloth worn on a girdle in between the legs, was used on the occasion. Though therefore sewing was known in the Vedic age, there is no evidence of stitched clothes having come into general vogue at that time.