Who was Pandita Ramabai Saraswati?
Pandita Ramabai Saraswati was an Indian social reformer, educator, and activist born on 23 April 1858 to a Marathi-speaking Brahmin family. People also knew her as Ramabai Dongre. (Dongre was her family name and Medhavi her married name). Her father, Anant Shastri Dongre, was a well-known Sanskrit scholar and social reformer who advocated for women’s education and the abolition of child marriage.
Early life and education
Ramabai received a rigorous education in Sanskrit, the ancient language of Hinduism, from her father. Her mother, who was an accomplished scholar in her own right, also taught her. Ramabai was a prodigious learner and quickly mastered Sanskrit literature, theology, and philosophy. She could recite the Bhagavad Gita, a central Hindu text, by the age of seven.
During her early life, Ramabai and her family traveled extensively across India, publicly reciting the Purana at pilgrimage sites in order to earn a meager living.
Tragedy struck Ramabai in 1876-78 when the Great Famine orphaned her at age 16. But she and her brother Srinivas continued the family tradition of traveling the country reciting Sanskrit scriptures. Eventually, her fame as a Sanskrit scholar reached Calcutta, and they invited her to speak. In recognition of her knowledge, they conferred upon her the titles of Pandita and Sarasvati.
Keshab Chandra Sen, a social reformer, gave her a copy of the Vedas and encouraged her to read them.
Marriage and daughter
After the death of her brother Srinivas, Ramabai married Bipin Behari Medhvi, a Bengali lawyer, in a civil ceremony in 1880. They had a daughter named Manorama. After her husband’s death in 1882, Ramabai moved to Pune and there she founded Arya Mahila Samaj (Arya Women’s Society). The aim of this organisation was to promote women’s education and deliverance from the oppression of child marriage.
Her exposure to social reforms
Over the course of her life, Ramabai became a pioneer in social reform and the education of women. People remember her for her remarkable life and impact on India’s social fabric.
Besides her studies, Ramabai’s exposure to the social issues of her time, particularly the plight of women, affected her. Ramabai witnessed the suffering of widows. Indian society often treated them as outcasts and denied them education and other basic rights. So these experiences had a profound impact on Ramabai and would shape her activism in later life.
The social and religious reform movements of her time, which sought to challenge the entrenched social norms and traditions that oppressed women and marginalized communities, deeply influenced Ramabai. They also exposed her to the teachings of various religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity.
Despite facing significant obstacles because of her gender, Ramabai continued her education and became one of the most learned women of her time. She established the Arya Mahila Samaj, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls, and was a leading voice in the fight for women’s rights in India.
Ramabai’s Disillusionment with Hinduism
Ramabai’s disillusionment with Hinduism was a significant factor in her conversion to Christianity and her advocacy for social reform. She was born into a Brahmin family and had extensive knowledge of Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures. However, her experiences traveling across India with her family exposed her to the poverty, oppression, and discrimination that many women faced in Hindu society.
Plight of widows
The treatment of widows in Hindu society particularly troubled Ramabai. They often forced widows to shave their heads, wear white clothing, and live in seclusion for the rest of their lives. Society did not allow widows to remarry and often ostracized them and considered them a burden on their families. Ramabai saw the suffering of widows firsthand during her travels, and it pained her.
Exclusion of women from social participation
Besides the treatment of widows, Ramabai was also critical of the caste system and the exclusion of women from education and social participation. She was unwilling to accept such oppressive structures.
Ramabai’s disillusionment led her to explore other religions, including Christianity. She saw Christianity as a way to promote social reform and women’s empowerment. The message of love and equality that she found in the Bible attracted her. Ramabai’s desire to help marginalized and oppressed women and children in Hindu society drew her to Christianity. She actively advocated for social reform through the Mukti Mission.
Conversion to Christianity
Pandita Ramabai’s conversion to Christianity was a significant event in her life, as it had a profound impact on her personal beliefs and social activism. Her decision to convert was a gradual one, shaped by her experiences and her search for spiritual truth.
Over time, Ramabai read the Bible and attend Christian worship services. She felt drawn to the message of love and compassion in the teachings of Jesus. She also appreciated the Christian emphasis on social justice and equality. Ramabai also found solace in the Christian belief in a personal God who cared for and protected all people, regardless of their social status or gender.
Through the influence of Nehemiah Goreh’s (Nilakantha Gore) apologetical writings, she became intellectually convinced that whatever was true in the Brahmo theology was actually Christian in origin.
Pandita Ramabai travelled to England in 1883 for her studies. She witnessed how an Anglican community supported women in need at the London Rescue Home, where they invited her to stay. This experience moved her deeply, and she was particularly impacted by the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. She received baptism. She acknowledged Christ was the divine Saviour, but later wrote she had found the Christian religion but not Christ. However, she later found Christ back in India.
She wrote: ‘The Holy Spirit made it clear from the Word of God that the salvation which God gives through Christ is present and not something future. I received, I believed, and I was filled with joy.’
Some members of her family and community opposed her conversion. They saw it as a betrayal of her Indian heritage and culture. However, Ramabai remained steadfast in her beliefs and continued to advocate for social justice and women’s rights within the context of her new faith.
Struggles after conversion
Rejection from Family and Community
After her conversion to Christianity, Pandita Ramabai faced several struggles. One of the biggest challenges she faced was the rejection from her family and community. As a high-caste Hindu woman who had converted to Christianity, she was seen as a traitor and an outcast. She lost many of her friends and family members, and had to face a lot of hostility and discrimination from her former community.
After her conversion, Ramabai dedicated her life to spreading the message of Christianity. She preached in churches and traveled to different villages and towns to share the message of love and salvation that she had found in Christianity.
Lack of Support and Resources
Another struggle she faced was the lack of support and resources for her work. As a woman and a convert, Ramabai faced many obstacles in trying to establish and maintain her orphanages and missions. She faced many financial difficulties and had to rely on donations and support from foreign organizations and individuals.
Resistance from Colonial Government and Indian Society
Ramabai also faced resistance from the British colonial government and the Indian society, who saw her as a troublemaker. People often criticized and ridiculed her for her views on women’s rights and education.
Ramabai’s Mission and Accomplishments
Founding of Sharada Sadan
In 1883, Ramabai founded the Sharada Sadan, a home for widows and orphaned girls in Pune, India. This was the first home of its kind, and it provided education, food and shelter to women who would otherwise have been destitute.
Fundraising and Advocacy in the United States and Great Britain
- In 1889, Ramabai travelled to the United States and Great Britain to raise awareness of the plight of Indian women and to raise funds for her work. Many prominent people, including Queen Victoria, received her with great enthusiasm and invited her to speak. On 26 October 1989, in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of women in India, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp.
Opening of Mukti Mission
In 1901, Ramabai returned to India and opened the Mukti Mission, a Christian mission and an orphanage for girls. Ramabai dedicated the mission to educating and empowering women. It quickly became a model for similar organizations throughout India.
Books written by Ramabai
Here are some of her notable works along with their publication years:
- “The High-Caste Hindu Woman” published in 1887 – This work focused on the condition of women in Hindu society and advocated for their education and empowerment.
- “Stri Dharma Niti”, published in 1882
Honors received by Ramabai
Pandita Ramabai received several honors and recognitions for her notable contributions to social reform and women’s rights in India. Some honors include:
- Kaiser-i-Hind Medal (1919): The British government awarded Ramabai the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal for her outstanding public service.
- Titles of Sarasvati and Pandita (1892): Ramabai received the titles of Sarasvati and Pandita in recognition of her scholarly achievements and contributions to education.
- Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bombay (1921): The University of Bombay conferred an honorary doctorate upon Ramabai in acknowledgment of her significant work in the fields of education and social reform.
These honors reflect the high regard and appreciation for Pandita Ramabai’s dedication to social causes and her efforts to uplift the status of women in Indian society during a time of significant cultural and social change.
Translation of the Bible to Marathi
People also know Ramabai for her translation of the Bible into Marathi, a language spoken in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Ramabai’s interest in the Bible began when she was searching for a religion that would provide her with spiritual comfort and guidance. Christianity’s teachings drew her, and she eventually converted to the faith in 1883.
As Ramabai began studying the Bible in English, its teachings on social justice and human dignity struck her. So she decided to translate the Bible into Marathi, her mother tongue, so that more people in India could have access to its message. She believed that previous translations relied too heavily on Sanskrit and did not speak to this audience. She faced significant challenges in the translation process, including the need to learn Greek and Hebrew to fully understand the original text.
Ramabai died in 1922, having completed the final checking of her translation.
Ramabai made the Bible more accessible to many people through her translations. Her work emphasized how language plays a crucial role in making religious texts understandable. This showcased her dedication to social justice and her belief in the Bible’s transformative power.
Legacy of Pandita Ramabai Saraswati
Inspiration to Women’s Education and Empowerment
Pandita Ramabai’s legacy continues to this day as an inspiration to all who hear it. People remembered Ramabai as a courageous woman. She followed her heart and stood up for what she believed in, despite facing obstacles. She was a pioneer in the education of women and her work opened doors for many women who otherwise would have been destitute.
Testimony to the Transformative Power of Faith.
Her life story is remarkable, and her translation of the Bible into Marathi for lower-caste women is an inspiration. Despite her significant contributions, she may not have received much international prominence. Ramabai always searched for social justice for women of lower castes. She finally found it when she discovered Christ. And so she translated the Bible for people who others had seen as unimportant.
Her work as a Christian social reformer and her translation of the Bible into Marathi remain significant contributions to Indian history and culture.
Source of the article: Pandita Ramabai: the story of her life, written by Helen S. Dyer
