In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanişad two female philosophers participate in debates whose voices are part of the intellectual narrative constructed in the text. This paper will try to understand how...Show moreIn the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanişad two female philosophers participate in debates whose voices are part of the intellectual narrative constructed in the text. This paper will try to understand how these two female scholars, Maitreyi and Gargi, are integrated into this predominantly male narrative. These two women are alone in an intellectual environment of men and this paper will seek to understand how their gender influences their philosophy. This paper is an exploration of female voices, their talents and unique contributions. We will argue that by granting these characters and their distinctive ways of debating a stage, we can highlight their importance within a classic text as the Upanişads, and also within the contemporary academy. This paper will first explore the character Maitreyi. After a summary and brief analysis of her dialogue with Yājñavalkya, we will explain the significance of Maitreyi’s femininity, which manifests in her role as a wife. In a second chapter, we will focus on Gargi by briefly summarizing and interpreting her dialogues. This will be followed by a study of the relevance of gender for the figure of Gargi who rhetorically reverses her gender and debates in innovative ways. The paper will close with a third chapter aimed at presenting and critiquing past academic readings of the figures and arguing for the importance of giving these characters a voice within a male narrative. This paper will seek to demonstrate the different ways in which gender influences the women’s dialogues: While her femaleness grants Maitreyi access to an intimate discussion with her husband, it allows Gargi to employ innovative debating techniques, setting her apart from her fellow debaters. We will argue, refuting interpretations by Ranade and Madhavananda who present Gargi as superficial and chatty, that Gargi and Maitreyi deserve to be respected and placed in the spotlight due to their innovative perspective, their passion and their special access to the debates that distinguish them and are rooted in their gender. Show less
