Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c9.94

c9.94

**Women as Ṛishis.** Women were then admitted to full religious rites and consequently to complete educational facilities. The wife was a regular participator in the sacrificial offerings of the husband [*Ṛv.* i, 122, 2; 131, 3; iii, 53, 4–6; v, 43, 15; viii, 31, 5; x, 86, 10; etc.]. Women-sages were called *Ṛishikās* and *Brahma-vādinīs*. The Rigveda knows of the following Ṛishikās, viz. (1) Romaśā [i, 126, 7], (2) Lopāmudrā [i, 179, 1–6], (3) Apālā [viii, 91, 1–7], (4) Kadrū [ii, 6, 8], (5) Viśvavārā [v, 28, 3], and several others mentioned in the tenth Maṇḍala, such as: (6) Ghoshā, (7) Juhū, (8) Vāgāmbhṛiṇī, (9) Paulomī, (10) Jaritā, (11) Śraddhā-kāmāyanī, (12) Urvaśī, (13) Śārṅgā, (14) Yamī, (15) Indrāṇī, (18) Sāvitrī, (19) Devajāmī, while the Sāmaveda adds the following, viz. (20) Nodhā [Pūrvārchchika, xiii, 1], (21) Ākṛishṭabhāshā, (22) Sikatānīvāvarī [Uttarārchchika, i, 4], and (23) Gaupāyanā [ib., xxii, 4].