Gargi's Fires: Gender, Caste, Rebirth, and the Metaphysics of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Echoes Of India: A History Podcast
00:00
Brahmin Women in the Late Vadic Period
The opanisha makes gargi describe herself as a fierce warrior, son of kashi or videha. By putting her in the role of a man, the composers are saying she finally becomes equal to the great theologian. But ultimately, he, their hero, is still the one with he superior knowledge. So there might be a grain of truth in the depiction of gargi. And there may, indeed, have been women who had the social capital they needed to break free of traditional gender rules.
Transcript
Play full episode
