A writeup by Shri Nilesh Oak gathered my attention considerably on ‘Women doing ‘Sandhya’ & ‘Homa’ and wearing ‘Yajnopavit’ – 14000+ years long Indic tradition. 'https://nileshoak.wordpress.com/2017/10/28/women-doing-sandhya-homa-and-wearing-yajnopavit-14000-years-long-indic-tradition/#comment-1142
Pic courtesy by Sahana Singh ji from Bharhut gallery
On the comment side, Dr. Shridhar Iyer’s suggestion limits the yajnopavit ritual only till the Agnichayan Yajna or the like which has this type of arrangement for Hota’s patni-wife. The Iconography of women bearing the yajnopavita in different postures do suggest her invariably wearing of it despite of any yearly ritual happening. So bearing of the yajnopavit clearly suggests girls wearing them from very tender age when they were induced in learning of the Vedas and Shastras equally like boys.
यथे मां वाचं कल्याणीमावदानि जनेभ्य:। ब्रह्मराजन्याभ्यां शुद्राय चार्याय च स्वाय चारणाय॥यजु। अ ,२६।२॥
yathe māṃ vācaṃ kalyāṇīmāvadāni janebhya:। brahmarājanyābhyāṃ śudrāya cāryāya ca svāya cāraṇāya॥yaju। a ,26।2॥
which says “As I have given this word (i.e, the 4 vedas) which is the word of salvation for all making-Brahmanas, Kshatriya, Vaishya, shudra, women, servants,aye, even the lowest of the low, so should you all do, i.e, teach and preach veda. Let all men therefore read and recite, teach and preach the veda and thereby acquire true knowledge, practice virtue, shun vice, and consequently being freed from all sorrows and pain, enjoy true happiness.”
ब्रह्मचर्येण कन्या३ युवानं विन्दते पतिं॥अथर्व ११,१६,३,१८
brahmacaryeṇa kanyā3 yuvānaṃ vindate patiṃ॥atharva 11,16,3,18
which says “ Just as boys acquire sound knowledge and culture by practice of Brahmacharya and then marry girls of their own choice, who are young, well educated, loving and of like temperament, so should a girl practice Brahmacharya, study the Veda, and other sciences and thereby perfect her knowledge, refine her character, give her hand to man of her own choice, who is young, learned and loving.” it follows, therefore, that girls should also practice Brahmacharya and receive education. It was mandatory to curtail any imbalance of knowledge, thoughts and warfare between Husband and Wife. For initial years of their begotten children mother is always held as first Acharya for her child. In ancient India, Gargi and other ladies, were highly educated and perfect scholars of the Vedas. this is clearly written in Shatapatha Brahmana
कन्यानां सम्प्रदानं च कुमाराणां च रक्षणम्॥मनु ७।१५२॥( this shloka is a misplace in original Dayanand Saraswati ji's anuvāk/works; trying to figure out the correct one)
kanyānāṃ sampradānaṃ ca kumārāṇāṃ ca rakṣaṇam॥manu 7।152॥
Manu says, “The State should make it compulsory for all to send their children of both sexes to school at the said period( 5th or 8th year) and keep them there for the said period(minimum the 16th year for girls and the 25th year for boys) till they are thoroughly well-educated.
In other words , let no child - whether a girl or a boy be allowed to stay in the house (father’s house) after the 8th year; let him remain in the seminary till his samāvartana time, (i.e, period of Return Home) and let no one be allowed to marry before that.
The above elaboration clearly suggests what a refined society we had in the Vedic times where women equally got education, and thus she was equally entitled to bear/wear yajnopavit.
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