Ancient texts didn’t bar anyone from temple rites

Ancient texts didn’t bar anyone from temple rites

Subject : Art & culture

Context: Kalaiarasi Natarajan writes, politician need not to go to temples or worship God. He is blessed if his actions improve the lives of the poor and those facing discrimination. That is why I appreciate the decision of the DMK government to allow women priests in state temples.

Concept :

• According to the Agama Shashtra (a manual for worship at temples) neither women nor any particular caste is barred from performing rituals.
• Any other interpretation would be a misreading of the manuals. Also, menstrual bleeding of women was never seen as an issue of impurity but only a biological process, just like discharging urine and human waste.

Agama Shashtra

• The religious literature of Hinduism is broadly divided into two parts viz. Shruti and Smriti.
• Shruti makes the central canon of Hinduism and included Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads.
• Smriti, which literally means “that which is remembered” in the entire body of post Vedic classical literature.
• It includes Vedanga, Shaddarsana, Puranas, Itihasa, Upveda, Tantras, Agamas, Upangas. The term Agama is used for religious scriptures in Buddhism, Jainism as well as Hinduism.
• Agama Shastra refers to a collection of ideas pertaining to matters like construction of temples, idol creation and conduct of worship of the Deity.
• For example, South Indian idols are made in black stone as per the Agama Shastra, which stipulates that idols be made from black stone.
• Agamas also contain details about who is allowed to perform temple rituals, and who is entitled to worship and from which portion of the temple. They are the guiding principles for many people of the Hindu faith.
• The compendium is a result of assimilation from various sources over a number of years. As a whole they cannot be dated; some of them belong to Vedic times and some other belongs to post Vedic period. The collections of Sanskrit scriptures are revered as shruti.
• Each of the major denominations viz. Saiva, Vaishnava and Shakta has their unique Shastra. Some of the Agamas incorporated the necessity of performance of the Poojas by priests belonging to a particular and distinct sect or denomination.