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Sabari
 There were women saints after the Vedic era also. Sabari is one such example of it. Sage Valmiki has written about Sabari, who lived in the Ramayana period.
Sabari belonged to the hunters tribe. She was attached to the ashram of Mathanga rishi even when she was young. The sweat of Mathanga rishi's disciples that would fall on the ground transformed into flowers that never died.
When Rama and Lakshmana set out in search of Seetha, en route they killed Kabandakan who had been transformed into an Asura due to a curse. After being released from the curse, he told Rama that Sabari has been waiting for them at Mathanga risihi's ashram.
So Rama and Lakshmana visited the ashram where Sabari told them that Mathanga rishi and his disciples had attained moksha and gone to heaven
(swargam).
She also said Mathanga rishi had told her that Rama and Lakshmana would visit the ashram and that she could reach heaven after serving them.
As part of her hospitality, Sabari offered fruits to Rama and Lakshmana before taking them around the ashram and showing the place where Mathanga rishi and his disciples did
yagas.
She then sought Rama's permission to leave this world. On getting his consent, Sabari entered the fire wearing deer skin and emerged out of it as a beautiful woman wrapped in a silk dress and adorned with beautiful jewels. She attained swargam with Rama's permission.
Sabari rejoined Mathanga rishi and his disciples in heaven.
(Valmiki Ramayanam, Aranya Kandam, Sargam 73-74)
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