Hypatia philosophy

Women philosophers in history

Gargi Vachaknavi was a great philosopher and astrologer who lived in India in Treta Yuga about eight thousand years ago. In Vedic literature, Gargi Devi is revered as a natural philosopher and an expert on the scriptures. She is known as the interpreter of the Vedas and Brahmavadini, who attained knowledge of Brahman. In the sixth and eighth brahmana sections of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishads, her name comes to the fore as she participated in the Brahmayagya, a philosophical discussion organized by King Janaka.

She also composed many hymns in the Rig Veda, one of the four Vedas. Gargi remained celibate all her life and is revered among the followers of Vedic culture. Rishi Gargi, a renowned sage even mentioned in Rigveda, was also a leading scholar who significantly contributed to the spread of education. Gargi Vachaknavi born in the 9th to 7th centuries is the daughter of Garga Muni, a famous philosopher, and astrologer who made an astrological prediction for Krishna.

She was born to a long lineage of sage Garga. Though the name Yajnavaklya appears a lot in the Puranas and Mahabharata, there is no particular mention of Gargi. Gargi is mentioned in the Upanishads and Brahmin literature only in the context of the dialogue of the Spiritual Assembly of Mithila. It is said that from a young age, Gargi had a strong inclination toward the Vedic scriptures and quickly gained proficiency in philosophy.

She was well-versed in the Vedas and Upanishads. She was also known for her engaging intellectual discussions with other philosophers during Vedic times. He invited all the elite scholars, sages, kings, and queens of India to participate in it. King Janak himself, being a scholar, was impressed by the great gathering of Indian sages.