Ancient History: General Knowledge (Brahmavadini)

Hanuman STUDIES

 Question: Some hymns of the Vedas were composed by the Brahmavadini, who among the following was a Brahmavadini who composed some hymns of the Vedas?

(A) Gargi
(B) Lopamudra
(C) Leelavati
(D) Savitri

Answer:

The answer to this question is option (B).

Explanation:

 In Hindu philosophy, Brahmavadini are those women who strive for the highest philosophical knowledge of Brahman. Brahmavadini was a woman who studied the Vedas after the Yajnopavitam Sanskara (Sacred thread ceremony) and got married later or stayed as spinster in further pursuit of the Vedic knowledge.

Some prominent Brahmavadinis were Lopamudra, Vishwawara, Sikta, Ghosa, Nivavari and Maitreyi. Lopamudra was the wife of sage Agastya. A hymn in the Rigveda is attributed to her.

Vedic Literature (Few important points):

1. There are four Veads - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. The first three Vedas are jointly called Vedatrayi i.e. trio of Vedas.
2. Of the four Vedas, the Rig Veda also known as collection of lyrics is the oldest text in the world. It contains 1028 hymns and 10,580 verses, divided into 10 mandalas. The hymns of Rig Veda were recited by Hotri.
3. The Yajur Veda also known as book of sacrificial prayers is a ritual veda. Its hymns were recited by Adhvaryus. It is divided into two parts - Krishna Yajur Veda and Shukla Yajur Veda.
4. The Sama Veda also known as book of chants had 1549 verses. All the verses of the Sama Veda were taken from the Rig Veda excluding 75 of it. This Veda has its importance in Indian Music. The hymns of this were recited by Udgatri.
5. The Atharva Veda also known as book of magical formulae. It contains charms and spells to ward off evils and diseases. For a long time it was not included in the category of the Vedas.

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