Education in Ancient India c11.s2.9

c11.s2.9

¹ It is undoubtedly true that Mādhava, who flourishtd in the 14th century, observes in his Nyāya-mālāvistāra (p. 335, Bombay edition) that women are entitled to Upanayana. A similar statement is made by Mitramiśra of the 17th century when discussing Manu II, 66. The statements of these authors in these passages do not warrant the view that Upanayana of girls was performed in some families even in the 17th century A. D. The above authors are simply expounding the views of the earlier writers they are commenting upon, and not attesting to the contemporary practice. This would be quite clear from a wroug construction which Mitramiśra elsewhere places upon a passage in the Pāraskara Gṛhya Sūtra :—बाह्यतः स्त्री बलिमुपहरति II, 17. Mitramiśra combines the twe words स्त्री and बलिम् into स्त्रीबलिम् on the ground that women were incapable of offering any oblations owing to their ignorance. Cf. एतादृशव्याख्याने स्त्रीणां तत्तद्वलिप्रदानानुकूलविद्याकल्पना स्यात् । V. M. S. p. 908.