ISKCON Social Model

[Guest guest]

> > > Is it not that the wife must be inferior in all respects to the

> > > husband?

> >

> > Could you unpack this statement prabhu? What do you mean by 'all

> > respects'?

>

> From the story of Sita devi we learn that She had to be married to someone

> who was superior to her in physical strength. This, and many other

> examples, suggests that husband should be superior to his wife in as many

> aspects as possible.

>

>

> > Also, how in this day and age would you ascertain this to be

> > the case?

>

> Dharma means the intrinsic nature of something. Dharmic laws are tailored

> according to this eternal nature and are thus eternally applicable.

 

 

 

My understanding is that the wife should be equal in quality with the

husband. But by "equal" I don't mean in the post-modern feminist way or that

she can bench press as much as her husband can. But rather she is equal in

adherence to dharma. The girl should be as well trained in performing her

dharma as a woman as the man is in performing his dharma as a man. For

example she should be as faithful to her husband as the husband is faithful

to his guru. (It would be very instructive for any disciple to study what

are the duties of a chaste wife in regard to her husband, most of them can

be applied in relationship to the guru.) So the real equality is that they

should be equal in their adherence to Krsna's Vedic culture, though that

adherence will be different because men and women have different prescribed

duties (dharma) to perform for pleasing Krsna.

 

Sita Devi has been mentioned. It would be very instructive for anyone

interested in advancing in Vedic culture to read the complete unabridged

versions of the Ramayana (and Mahabharata) as it gives many instructions by

example of how most of the relationships in life are to be performed. The

relationship between father and son, between husband and wife, between older

and younger brother, between King and his subjects, between Brahmanas and

Kshatriyas, between followers of VAD and those outside of VAD, etc.

 

Though Sita was a suitable wife for Rama because She was His equal in

regards to feminine perfection as He was in masculine perfection this didn't

mean that She was His EQUAL going around killing demons. She was always

submissive to Lord Rama etc. There are many beautiful instructive passages

in the Ramayana about how They dealt with each other. Once after meeting

with Agastya muni in Dandakaranya Rama was asked to go to Janasthana to kill

all the Raksasas who had colonized the area. On the way there Sita wanted to

advise Rama that in Her opinion they should not kill the Raksasas for

various reasons. Did she start nagging Rama? Did she say I am your wife and

equal so you have to listen to Me? Did she become a pushy loud mouthed

woman? No, none of the above. In a very humble and touching way she first

stated that since she was a woman and subject to female frailties she

probably should not say anything in this way she was very self effacing and

humbly put Her case to the Lord. And what was Rama's response? Did He just

brush Her off as a silly woman or an idiot? Did He belittle what She had to

say? No, none of the above. He was genuinely appreciative of Her advice as

it indicated that She was thinking of His best interest and that She loved

Him. Then He said Her advice was wrong and that He would kill the Raksasas.

The whole exchange between these two Supreme Transcendental Personalities is

the epitome of Vedic culture and sets the ideal for others (us) to follow.

 

It is texts like Ramayana and Mahabharata which were read by one and all

which have had the most lasting efffect in maintaining Krsna's Vedic

culture.

 

So to reiterate the point, when the sastras speak of the prospective bride

and groom being on equal level (for ideal marriage) what is meant is that

they are both at the same level of expertise in the execution of their

respective dharmas. Not the artificial equality promulgated by feminism, the

bane of Vedic culture.

 

 

yhs

 

Shyamasundara Dasa

 

www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com