प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

IX] FEMALE EDUCATION 219
na med Kaumudīmahotsava has been recently discover-
ed' which is from the pen of a poetess, whose
name seems to have been Vidyā or Vijjakā. The
plot dramatises the incidents of a political revolution
at Pātalīputra, showing thereby that ladies were
not uninterested in the incidents of political history.
Subhadrā, Sītā, Marulā, Indulekhā, Bhavadevī and
Vikaṭanitambā are some other poetesses quoted in
later anthologies¹. It is a pity that we should have
lost their works. Lady scholars of this age took interest
in criticism also ; Rājaśekhara's wife was both a
critic and poetess. The umpire in the controversy
between Śaṅkara and Maṇḍanamiśra was the
accomplished wife of the latter²; she must
have been well grounded in Mīmāṁsā, Vedānta
and literature. Some ladies were attracted by medical
studies also ; the majority of these must be specialising
in gynæcology. Some of the lady doctors had also
written authoritative works on the medical science.
Among the Hindu works on medicine translated
into Arabic in the 8th century A.D. was a book on
midwifery, written by a lady doctor, whose name
appears as Rūsā in the Arabic garb³.
Female Education in ordinary Families :—
Achievements of lady scholars in cultured families
were thus fairly high. Cultured families are, however,
relatively few in society. They could afford to

1. पार्थस्य मनसि स्थानं लेभे खलु सुभद्रया ।
   कवीनां च वचोवृत्तिचातुर्येण सुभद्रया ॥ K. M.,
   See also M. Krishnamachariar, Classical Sanskrit
   Literature, pp. 301-3
2. विधाय भार्यां विदुषीं सदस्यां विधीयतां वादकथा सुधीन्द्र ॥
   Śaṅkaradigvijaya, VIII. 51.
3. Nadvi, Arab aur Bharat ke Sambandha, p. 122.