The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c6.43

c6.43

Many educated women used to follow teaching career either out of love or out of necessity. Sanskrit language found it necessary to coin a special word in order to distinguish them from wives of teachers. The latter, who were not necessarily scholars, were called Upādhyāyānīs, but women who were themselves teachers, were called Upādhyāyās. Women teachers must have been fairly numerous in society; otherwise a new term would not have been coined to designate them. It may be pointed out that the tradition of lady scholars is known to Purāṇas as well; the *Bhāgavata*, for instance, refers to two daughters of Dākshāyaņa as experts in theology and philosophy (IV, 1, 64).