Women & their varna

[Guest guest]

There has been some requests in regards to references from Srila Prabhupada

about a lady taking the varna of her husband. It seems the following will

substantiate the point.

________

Therefore, according to Vedic system, a boy born in a brähmaëa family, he is

allowed all the saàskäras, reformatory, purificatory process, but the girl

is not. Why? Now, because a girl has to follow her husband. So if her

husband is brähmaëa, automatically she becomes brähmaëa. There is no need of

separate reformation. And by chance she may be married with a person who is

not a brähmaëa, then what is the use of making her a brähmaëa? That is the

general method. So therefore the, even born in a brähmaëa family, a woman is

taken as woman, not as brähmaëa. But Kåñëa says, “Never mind. Even if she is

woman, even she is çüdra, even she is vaiçya, or any other, I mean to say,

family born in, never mind.”

Çré Çré Rukmiëé Dvärakä-nätha, Deity Installation, Los Angeles, July 16,

1969

 

Brahmänanda: She’s asking where does woman fit into this structure?

Prabhupäda: Now, woman is supposed to be assistant of man. If woman is

faithful wife of the first-class man, then she also becomes first-class. If

she is assistant of the second-class man then he is also second-class. If

she is assistant of the third-class man, then she is also third-class.

Because she is assistant, so, according to her husband, or protector, she

becomes first, second, third, fourth.

Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago

____

Brahmänanda: Is it possible for a woman to become a brähmaëa?

Prabhupäda: He is... Woman is a brähmaëa’s wife. Then she is automatically a

brähmaëa.

Indian man (6): Suppose she doesn’t want to get married for the rest of her

life, just wants to serve the Lord?

Prabhupäda: So in his spiritual position everyone is a brähmaëa.

Brahmänanda: But you give brahminical initiation to unmarried women.

Prabhupäda: Yes. But on spiritual point she is brähmaëa. On the spiritual

platform there is no such distinction.

Devotee (7): Oh, it’s not possible for a woman to become a sannyäsé.

Prabhupäda: No.

Morning Walk -- November 2, 1975, Nairobi