The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is once again making headlines, and this time it is for quoting a verse from the Manu-smriti in the class 9 Social Science textbook. The verse in question says that women were accorded respect in the Vedic period, but their position “fluctuated, even declined” over time.
The verse mentioned is:
Yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ |
Yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ ||
— Manu-Smriti 3.56
Translation:
“Where women, verily, are honoured, there gods rejoice; where, however, they are not honoured, there all sacred rites prove fruitless.”
This verse has been mentioned in the topic ‘Role of Women’, which is nestled in the chapter ‘State and Society up to 1000 CE’ in the Class 9 Social Science textbook “Understanding Society: India and Beyond Part 1”.
The text further goes on to claim that: “Over time, the position and roles of women fluctuated, even declined, as social and political conditions changed. However, there are many examples of women continuing to contribute to household management, agriculture, crafts, and religious practices.”
It also states that the Vedic period is “often described as a period during which women held a high and respectful position in society”. It further adds that women participated in scholarly learning and, in certain contexts, performed rituals alongside their male counterparts.
Highlighting women’s active engagement in intellectual and religious life, the chapter states that there are textual references suggest that women took part in activities such as chariot races and attended social gatherings, including the sabha. “Several hymns of the Rig Veda are traditionally attributed to women sages—most notably Apālā, Vishvavārā, Ghoshā, and Lopamudrā—highlighting women’s active engagement in intellectual and religious life. In addition, goddesses such as Usha, the goddess of dawn, and Aditi, the mother of the gods, occupied significant and revered positions in Vedic culture,” the book states.