Marriage/Amma Anasuya Devi..

[Guest guest]

Erica! You have raised a question that bothers many women in India

and abroad who follow the many Gurus and Saints. Though the Gurus and

Saints were all realised souls, when it came to commenting on worldly

maters they reverted back to stereotypes. When the Sharada Act

prohibiting child marriage was passed most of the Gurus and Holy

men/women living at that time opposed it. Most if not all of them

support the reprehensible caste system. Not one of them openly

support Inter-Caste marriage.

 

The term Pathivratha is used to denote slavery of the wife. This is a

medieval view of marriage, which belongs to the feudal age. You will

find that one of the most popular Gurus of modern age has created a

kingdom and a King. The terms Pathivratha and Dharmapathni are used

to perpetuate the dominance of men.

 

The Saints and Gurus are all realised souls. They show you the way to

achieve self-realisation. But do not expect them to show you the way

in mundane and worldly matters.

 

Violence in marriage, Inter caste marriage, Living in marriages,

termination of unwanted pregnancies, divorce etc. are all matters,

which are not spiritual, and we should not expect Gurus and Saints to

advise us regarding these.

 

Sankar

[Guest guest]

True Kathy that the great sages give elucidations that benefit the

respective devotee. One advice will not suit all. The advices differ

depending on the level of the devotee.

One cannot elucidate in the same manner to a PhD student and an 8th

grade student. The elucidations will definitely differ. So too the

explanations do differ for different devotees..

 

However, I will tell the injunctions laid down in the Manu Shastra

pertaining to marriage. :

 

According to the Manu Shastra, women are not required to follow

strict ordinances / austerities prescribed in the Vedas. It's the

man's duty to strictly adhere to him, failing which he incurs sins.

A woman however can lead an easier life, owing to her physiological

constitution. It thus suffices if she serves her husband selflessly.

 

Basically, selfless service amounts to the same result as Bhakti Yoga

or Jnana Yoga --> Mano nasha (destruction of the mind). Achieving the

result thro' strict austerities, is difficult, and it is much easier

to achieve it, when you interact with a physical form. Thus a woman

by just selflessly serving her husband, attains Liberation.

 

However, the above holds good only for a good husband who strictly

adheres to the injunctions of the Vedas, for a woman by serving her

husband attains the same worlds that her husband attains.

 

If a man strictly adheres to the Vedas, he attains the higher worlds,

and finally Liberation. His wife too attains similar worlds just by

serving him.

Nonetheless, if the man fails to live by the injunctions ordained in

the Vedas, and is cruel, he attains the lower worlds after death. A

woman need not be devoted to him, lest she also attains similar lower

worlds.

 

Under those circumstances, where a husband is not good, she can take

refuge in the Lord, Guru. She can acheive mano-nasha (destruction of

the mind) by surrendering to the ONE. She can work her own way to

Liberation.

 

Hari Aum !!!

[Guest guest]

Dear Sankar,

 

You write below how you believe that divorce, etc..worldly matters

are "not spiritual." I think Amma Anasuya Devi would very much

disagree with you, as I believe over and over She made no distinction

as to what is spiritual and is not, and very much spoke against the

Caste system, incidentally. As time goes on, undoubtedly I will find

some of Her words which will speak about such. She was a householder

and Herself bore children, and Her words are very much down to earth

and I believe She helped MANY who had "worldly" problems.

 

You are making a separation/distinction of "spiritual" and "non-

spiritual" (or what is spiritual and what is not spiritual) and I do

not think Amma Anasuya Devi said anything of this matter; quite the

contrary!

 

Kathy

 

 

-- In , sankarrukku <no_reply> wrote:

> Erica! You have raised a question that bothers many women in India

> and abroad who follow the many Gurus and Saints. Though the Gurus

and

> Saints were all realised souls, when it came to commenting on

worldly

> maters they reverted back to stereotypes. When the Sharada Act

> prohibiting child marriage was passed most of the Gurus and Holy

> men/women living at that time opposed it. Most if not all of them

> support the reprehensible caste system. Not one of them openly

> support Inter-Caste marriage.

>

> The term Pathivratha is used to denote slavery of the wife. This is

a

> medieval view of marriage, which belongs to the feudal age. You

will

> find that one of the most popular Gurus of modern age has created a

> kingdom and a King. The terms Pathivratha and Dharmapathni are used

> to perpetuate the dominance of men.

>

> The Saints and Gurus are all realised souls. They show you the way

to

> achieve self-realisation. But do not expect them to show you the

way

> in mundane and worldly matters.

>

> Violence in marriage, Inter caste marriage, Living in marriages,

> termination of unwanted pregnancies, divorce etc. are all matters,

> which are not spiritual, and we should not expect Gurus and Saints

to

> advise us regarding these.

>

> Sankar