Rep: Women & Advaita

[Guest guest]

Greetings:

 

The discussions on Women and Advaita were quite focused without

indulging in meaningless debates. The enclosed comments focus on some

of the unanswered questions.

 

Ram Chandran

Burke, VA

 

Role of Women from the Vedic Times:

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There is historical evidence that during Vedic period, Gayatri Mantra

Initiation ceremony (Thread Ceremony - Upanayana samskaras) was

conducted for all youngsters, both girls and boys. Samskaras are based

on both religious and social beliefs. After this initiation, the

children formally went to Gurukul (school education) to start the

learning process. Rishis and Rishibhathnis (wives of Rishis) were great

scholars and the children of Vedic time learnt lessons from the Rishi

and Rishibhathni. Even during Sankara's period, Mandana Misra's wife

was appointed as the judge for the great debate between Sankara and

Mandana Misra. There is a Sanskrit proverb which suggests that people

shouldn't be judged on the basis of the origin of their birth - " Rishis

are judged by their scholarship and rivers are judged by their purity

irrespective of their origin."

 

Evidence from Manu Smriti:

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Position of Women (Page 227), (Manu Smriti, 3.55-5; 9.3-7, 11, 26) "

Women must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands,

and brothers-in-law who desire great good fortune. Where women, verily,

are honored, there the gods rejoice; where however, they are not

honored, there all sacred rites prove fruitless. Where the female

relations live in grief - that family soon perishes completely; where,

however, they do not suffer from any grievance-that family always

prospers. Her father protects her in childhood, her husband protects her

in youth, her sons protect her in old age-- a woman does not deserve

independence. The father who does not give away his daughter in marriage

at the proper time is censurable; censurable is the husband who does not

approach his wife in due season; and after the husband is dead, the son

verily, is censurable, who does not protect his mother. Even against the

SLIGHTEST provocations should women be particularly guarded; for

unguarded they would bring grief to both the families............"

 

Dharma is not Static!

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Dharma (ethical law) is Not Static (From Manu Smriti, 1.81-86) "The

following passage brings out a very significant characteristic of

dharma, namely, that the concept and content of dharma change in

accordance with the changing circumstances. Ancient tradition speaks of

four ages (Yugas) - Krita, Tretaa, Dvaapara, and Kali -their duration,

respectively, 1,728,000; 1,296,000; 864,000; and 432,000 human years. It

is believed that each of these four succeeding ages is characterized by

an increasing physical and spiritual deterioration. No one uniform set

of dharmas can, therefore, be made applicable to all the four ages. It

is further believed that when one cycle of four ages is completed, there

occurs the end of the universe, which is followed by a new creation and

a new cycle."

 

One of our problem is that we try to judge the customs and traditions of

during an ancient time period by using an yard stick of modern time!

Few years back, we had a Satsang on Ramayana and the discussion got

diverted on the question - Was Sita (Rama's wife) ill-treated by Rama?

The reason for the question is the assumption that universal social

standards exist across the geographical regions and across time!

Discussions on such questions divert the focus of the discussion to

issues away from the character of Rama to social customs and beliefs.

Though social customs and beliefs need careful evaluation but the

objective of the Satsang on Ramayana was to focus on the divine

character of Rama.