CONTENTS
Transliteration ix
Abbreviations x
Glossary xii
Preface xxvi
Introduction 1
The Ideological Context of the Early Grhyasutras • The Social Implications of Ritual Practices • The 'Household' as a Function of Social Dynamics • Changing Perceptions on Gender
The Emergence of the Grha as a Sacred 'Space' 62
The Meaning of 'Grha' • The Grha: The Spatial and Sacral Context • Constituents of the Grha: Members bonded through Rituals • The Deification of the Householder • Grhyasutras on the Wife • Comparitive Significance of the Ritual Roles of the Householder and his Wife
The 'Sacred' Activity of Procreation: Marriage, Conception and Birth Rites 119
Marriage Rites and Women • Brahmanical Notions of the ideal' Wife • The Significance of Marriage Rites in Delineating Women's Roles • Brahmanical Forays into Feminine Spaces • Patriarchal Control of the Wife's Sexuality • Conception and Birth Rites: The Brahmanical Preoccupation with the Birth of Sons • The Significance of the Birth of a Son • The Role of the Mother in Pregnancy Rites • The Role of the Father in Birth Rituals
Gender Segregation in the Household: Early
Socialisation of Boys and the Separation of Girls from
'Formal Learning' 177
Child Rearing Rituals in the Grhyasutras • Upanayana • The Overlooking of Young Girls • Upanayana vis-a-vis Marriage: Hierarchies and the Economics of Labour Acquisition • The Social Context of Upanayana: Segregation and Assimilation • Vedic Studies after the Upanayana
The Grha as a Viable Unit for Production, Distribution and Transmission of Resources 239
The Householder as Generator of Wealth and Notions of Wealth • Production Activities and Resource Acquisition in the Household • The Significance of Food, its Management and Distribution in the Grhya Rituals
Creating Social Hierarchies and Channeling Linkages through Rituals 291
Conceptualisation of Social Groups in the Grhyasutras • Social Relations and Role of Rites in Forging Linkages • The Kula and the Role of Women in it • Social Relations • Social Ostracism • The Role of Rituals in 'Cloaking Conflicts' • The presence of the State in the Grhyasutras • The Grha and the
Grama
6. Conclusion 346
Bibliography 355
Index 367