19 08 14
Dear friends,
The following information may be relevant.
There was, perhaps still is, one Prācya Vāṇī Pariṣad founded and promoted by the late Dr. J. B. Choudhry, formerly Principal, Government Sanskrit College, Calcutta and subsequently Secretary, Sanskrit Education Council (Sanskrit Shiksha Parishad, Govt. of WB) and his wife late Dr. Rama Choudhri, Vice-Chancellor, Rabindra Bharati University. The couple regularly staged dramas some of which had been written by pre-modern women Sanskrit poets. The said Pariṣad also brought out quite a few pre-modern Sanskrit works by women.
The amount of literary production was sizeable. Copies should be still available but I do not know how to contact the organization. The R.B. University or Asiatic Society might be of help.
The knowledge of their production came to me like mother's milk and orally. Many manuscripts with their writings perished in the male dominated ancient families of traditional scholars. It goes to the credit of the Choudhury couple that they tried to bring some of these into light.
I cannot desist myself from citing a stanza which I still remember though I learnt it in my early youth. It is by a woman poet whose husband had long remained away on business. It was out of despair that she sent it through a messenger (and secretly) and got what she desired from a newly charmed husband taken unawares.
Jitadhūmasamūhāya jitavyajanavāyave/ maśakāya mayā kāyaḥ sāyam ārabhya dīyate//
I do not claim it to be by any of my direct ancestors.
Best
DB
Dear Agathe,
Tharu, S. and Lalita, K. 1991. Women writing in India : 600 B.C. to the present. New York : Feminist Press at the City University of New York.
Unfortunately, the sections on the ancient and medieval periods are rather limited and could be expanded with more recent research.
––
Michael Slouber
Assistant Professor of South Asia
Department of Liberal Studies
Western Washington University
> _______________________________________________
On Aug 19, 2014, at 4:44 AM, Agathe Keller wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I have been asked by a non indologist colleague for references on women scholars in ancient and medieval India. Do you know of an article or a book which would deal directly with this subject?
>
> I have noted so far for him:
>
> Witzel, Michael. 2009. Female Rishis and philosophers in the
> Veda? Journal of South Asia Women Studies 11(1).
> http://asiatica.org/jsaws/11-1/female-rishis-and-philosophers-veda/
>
> And
>
> Mary McGee, Ritual Rights The Gender Implications of Adhikdra in L. Patton ed Jewels of Authority, OUP 2002. 32-50 (esp. p.42)
>
> but this is very meager and vedic...
>
> I can't help but feel that there is a very obvious reference that I must be lacking
>
> thanking you in advance for your help,
>
>
> Agathe
>
> --
> Agathe Keller
>
> tel : +33 1 57 27 68 87
>
>
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