In ancient times, women and men were treated equally in Bharat. There was no discrimination or gender bias. Women were deeply revered and honoured as mothers and Goddesses. The choices, voices, and opinions of women were always heard and respected in Bharat. The Women were highly competitive, and they faced no restrictions.

One can find many evidences, and instances in the great itihasa of Mahabharatha and various other scriptures of dynamic, powerful and brave women of our country.

DRAUPADI

Book 1 - Adi Parva (under chapter Swayamvara Parva), records the freedom given to princess Draupadi to choose her husband during the Swayamvara. King Drupada of Panchal, had arranged for a grand Swayamvara for his daughter - Princess Draupadi. He had invited many brave kings and princes from across many kingdoms.

On the day of Swayamvara, the son of King Draupad, Dhrishtadyumna explained to the gathering the rules of the Swayamvara. The bow had to be lifted and strung first then, the arrow had to be shot at the revolving fish-shaped target placed high on a pole. The archer had to look at its reflection ( and not directly at the target ) to shoot. Many kings and Princes tried their hand, but alas, they could not even string the bow. Then, Karna stepped forward to try his luck. He easily lifted the bow and strung it. He placed the arrow and prepared to hit the target. But, Draupadi stood up and loudly said, “I will not marry a Suta”. Hearing these words, Karna dropped the bow and walked away. Draupadi was able to use her freedom of voice. Draupadi’s wish was heard and respected in the court.

GARGI

Gargi Vachaknavi was an ancient philosopher of Bharat. She belonged around the 7th century BCE. She was the daughter of Sage Vachaknu and was a descendant of the lineage of the great sage Garga. From a very young age, Gargi was drawn towards the Vedas and philosophy. She was highly intelligent and soon became proficient in complex philosophies and Vedas that, she often surpassed men (in her intelligence). She was honoured and respected for her knowledge as one of the Navarathnas (Nine Jewels) in the court of King Janaka of Mithila.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad records that King Janaka had arranged for a Rajasuya Yagna. Many scholars and sages were invited for the same. Seeing the assembly of great philosophers and sages, the king announced a competition among them. Amongst the August gathering, Sage Yajnavalkya was present. Sage Yajnavalkya was considered very knowledgeable and he had mastered the Vedas and philosophies. The sages and scholars present in the gathering did not want to challenge Sage Yajnavalkya. Only a few had the confidence to debate with the Sage. One such person was Gargi.

Gargi challenged the Sage for a wordy debate. Sage Yajnavalkya patiently answered all the questions put forward by Gargi. She was given the freedom to participate and debate in the competition in a court full of male scholars. Sage Yajnavalkya had patiently answered all the questions posed by Gargi on the Brahman with clarity. This incident is a reflection of the progressive Vedic ages of Bharat.

THE TWIN STAR SYSTEM - ARUNDHATI AND VASHISTA.

Our ancient astronomers were the Rishis. They identified and named various constellations. They understood how the stars travelled/ rotated. Arundhati and Vashista are one such marvellous twin star system identified by them. The star Arundhati is known as Alcor (in English) and, Vashista is known as Mizar ( in English). These stars are found in the Saptharishi Mandala or the Ursa Major constellation. Usually, in a twin star system, one star remains stationary, and the other star revolves around the stationary star. But, in the Arundhati and Vashista case, both the stars revolve around each other in synchrony.

In Bharat literature, Arundhati is depicted as a devout wife with an unblemished character. She is someone who is inspiring and worthy of imitation. Vashista is a great sage and one of the Saptarishis who respected his wife immensely. Hence this twin-star system was named after them.

The pair of stars - Arundhati and Vashista symbolises a married couple. As a part of the wedding ceremony, the priest takes the couple outside and points out this constellation to the couple. The secret meaning behind this ritual/custom is that the newly married couple derive inspiration from this twin star system and revolve around each other to find harmony and synchrony among them. This custom is still followed during weddings widely in India. This custom clearly shows the equal importance given to the women in Bharat.

MAITREYI

The knowledge of the Vedas and Shastras was always available to the women of ancient Bharat. Maitreyi was one among the Brahmavadhinis (female scholars and practitioners of Vedas who underwent Upanayana ).

Maitreyi was born to Rishi Maitri in Mithila during the rule of King Janaka. She was married to Sage Yajnavalkya. From a very young age, Maitreyi was keen on learning the Vedas. She learned Vedas under her husband, the great sage Yajnavalkya. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ( Chapter 2; Section IV) there is a deep discussion about the Brahman, knowing the self and reaching immortality between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi. Once she listened to the discourse (about the soul ), Maitreyi liberated herself from world things and set on a path to find eternal bliss and moksha. She finally liberated herself from the endless cycles of birth and death.

SAVITRI & SATYAVAN

Detailed information about Savitri and Satvayan can be found in the 3rd book ( Vana Parva) of the itihasa, Mahabharatha. The story of Savitri is narrated by the sage Markendeya to Yudhishthira ( when Draupadi was forcibly abducted by Jayadrata).

King Ashvapathi was childless. He observed penance and performed many poojas to please the Gods and Goddesses. After 18 years, he was blessed with a baby girl, whom he named Savitri. Savitri was very beautiful, intelligent and very smart. Soon, it was time for her marriage and many Princes were intimidated to come forward to ask her hand in marriage. Hence, King Ashvapathi asked Savitri to select a suitable husband for herself. Savitri searched in many places and finally chose Satyavan ( a poor exiled Prince living in the forest, belonging to the Shalva dynasty) to be her husband.

Sage Narada warned Savitri that Satyavan had only one more year to live. But she married him. A few days before the predicted death day, Savitri performed many austerities and followed Satyavan around. Yama personally came to collect Satyavan’s soul. Savitri debated with Yama and tricked Yama into giving her a boon of 100 sons with Satyavan. Yama finally had to return to Satyavan. Thus, women were highly learned, talented and sharp. They had all the freedom and were valued and respected all over Bharat.

WOMEN AS SEED BANKS

In modern times, Seed banks are huge places maintained by the governments of different countries to ensure the preservation of native plant species and their genetics for the future. They are usually bomb, radiation, floodproof vaults holding jars of seeds from different plant species. They are typically kept at low humidity and in cold conditions. The most famous one is in the Netherlands - Svalbard Global Seed Vault. India too has a seed bank in the high mountain pass of Ladakh, Chang La.

But since time immemorial, women of Bharat always partook in the process of Agriculture and farming. They had an essential role in supplying seeds for their farm. They had a very important responsibility - to identify, select and control the selection of seeds for the next crops in their fields. They always had a wide variety of seeds stored in their homes. Often they would exchange their carefully selected seeds among other women in the village for crop rotation.

RULING QUEENS

Many women ruled in Bharat too. One of the finest examples is Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. She is still considered one of the finest female rulers of Bharat. After the death of her husband, she took over the kingdom. On many occasions, she led the army herself from the front like a brave warrior. She was armed with bows and arrows and rode an elephant. She is renowned for her good governance and religious welfare. She established many temples. She is responsible for re-installing the Kashi Vishwanath temple and other ghats nearby ( one among many temples she helped restore).

The queen of Jhansi - Rani Lakshmibai is an iconic queen. She was a trained archer. She also excelled in horse riding and sword fighting. She was educated and spoke Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu. She is hailed as a symbol of resistance against the British and a national hero.

Rani Durgavathi was the queen of the Gond kingdom. She was a great leader and excelled in administrative skills. She is remembered fondly even today for her resistance against the Mughals.

Many such accomplished women lived in Bharat and followed Sanathana Dharma. From powerful Goddesses to Queens, from women thinkers and philosophers to saints, Women have been in all fields of Bharat since time immemorial. These women are inspiring icons for the people of this great country to look up to and follow in their footsteps.

Vaishnavi Gurusankar is a passionate educator, a wife and a mother. She has over a decade of experience as an educator and has been closely working with teachers and children of all ages. She is also an active parenting blogger and founder of Magical Unicorn, an exclusive parenting blog founded on Indian ethos, values and stories at its core. She has also authored the book "Bharatyam : Science behind Hindu Practices & Way of Life"