Part 5 of the ‘Desi Remix’ series [Remix of “The Last Supper” by Juan de Juanes]
Gargi Vachaknavi was an ancient Indian philosopher. From a young age she became known for her intelligence, studying the Vedas and other philosophical scriptures with great proficiency, often surpassing men with her knowledge. One day King Janaka held a gathering, inviting all the educated sages, kings, and princes of India to participate. Janaka, also a scholar, was so impressed by the turnout of learned sages, he decided to hold a debate in search of finding a single scholar with the most knowledge about Brahman. Offering a prize of 1000 cows with golden horns, no one except sage Yajnavalkya was confident in their knowledge of the subject. Many other scholars chose not to debate with him out of uncertainty, however 8 renowned sages decided to challenge him, including Gargi, the only woman at the gathering.
Many of the competing sages debated with Yajnavalkya and asked him many philosophical questions, however his arguments were all too convincing, resulting in a loss for the sages. When it was finally Gargi’s turn to take up the challenge she questioned Yajnavalkya’s superiority, arguing repeatedly with him. She asked him everything from the status of human souls, to the environment, the universe, the origin of all existence, and the interconnectedness of the world. Upon her final question she asked him to define the world of the imperishable (Brahman). At this, he stopped her from questioning him any further and Gargi conceded to his superior knowledge. However, she still made it farther than anyone else at the debate and was Yajnavalkya’s toughest challenger to date. Being the only woman to outsmart a room full of men, she was honored as one of the 9 gems in King Janaka’s court.
As with all the pieces in this series, the point is to highlight stories of feminism and provide examples of non-stereotypical women that stood out for their unique definitions of strength in Indian mythology. This piece especially stands out because it made me reflect on how much we’ve had to fight for our rights as women. We’ve come so far from being viewed solely as child bearers and homemakers to career driven, educated women with opinions that matter and can change the world. We still have a ways to go, and there are still glass ceilings to be broken, but I hope the story of Gargi inspires you to never take no for an answer. And most importantly, never let any one make you feel that being a woman comes with limitations. If you choose to fight, you have the power to prevail and triumph.
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