Mataji sanga Zadar- Dressing and decoration-

[Guest guest]

Hare Krisna dear matajis!

Please accept my humble obeisnace.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Four days ago we had our regular meeting. We got a new member, mataji Sandra

who came from Sarajevo with her little son and now she will live here amon

us in Zadar.

 

The theme was "Dressing and decoration". We started with half an hour

bhajan,then one round japa and discussion.So we talked about dressing, how

should we dress by vaisnava etiquette, how Srila Prabhupada wanted matajis

to dress and why, when and how to decorate.

Also we had a little demonstration how to put on a sari properly in a

brahmin style (which is the only way Srila Prabupada wanted matajis to wear

it). There was a very nice atmosphere. While we were learning, the children,

Visakha and Dino were playing with toys in a corner,and the smaller one Adi

and Nandi were sleping our quietly observing the situation.

 

The following is the material that we used;

 

DRESSING AND ORNAMENTS

 

"In India there are different dresses of woman according to his [her]

different position. There is in käma-çästra, in Manu-sarhitä, they are

mentioned. Of course, nowadays nobody is following. Just like by dress you

can understand "Here is a woman who has got his [her] husband, her husband

at home. Oh, here is a woman who has lost her husband. And here is an woman

whose husband is out of home. Oh, here is a woman. Oh, she is prostitute."

Simply by dress one can understand. Because to address woman is difficult

job, so the society sanctioned different dresses. So according to that Vedic

literature, when the husband is at home a woman is recommended to dress

herself very nicely, very beautifully, just to enliven the husband. The

husband, if he sees the wife nicely dressed and nicely, beautifully looking,

then he takes some encouragement. And similarly, a woman, when her husband

is away from home, she should dress very niggardly, very niggardly. Now, you

find that the dress... At one time the woman is dressing niggardly, and at

one time the woman is dressing very beautifully and nicely. But what is the

purpose? The purpose is the husband."

(Bhagavad-gita lectures 4.39-5.3, New York, August 24,1966)

 

 

"According to our Vedic system, when the husband is out of home, the women

is not supposed to dress herself very nicely. Pronita bhartlkä. It is called

pronita bhartlkä. The system was that one should dress herself in such a way

that people can understand what is her position-whether she's unmarried,

whether she's married, whether she's widow, whether her husband is away,

whether she's a pro..., she's a prostitute, everything. By the dress one

should understand. "She is, she is widow,She has got her husband,Her

husband is now away from home.Oh, she is a prostitute,She's not

married." In this way. Because she's not to be asked. Simply by the dress

one can understand. So the pronita bhartlkä. She does not dress herself, she

lies down on the floor, does not change her clothes very nicely, does not

dress the, comb the hair, pronita bhartlkä. And the same woman, when her

husband is at home, she take twice bath and dresses herself, applies oil and

very nice dress, ornaments, and so many things. Women know how to decorate

themselves. But the... There is no difference. Her not dressing herself

nicely and dressing herself nicely, it may be considered that bhoga and

tyäga. But either of these positions is for center is husband. Center is

husband."

(Nectar of devotion lectures, Bombay, December 26,1972)

 

 

"The gopis used to dress themselves very nicely and go before Krsna. While

dressing they would think, "Oh, He'll be happy to see me." Generally, a boy

or a man becomes happy to see his lover or wife nicely dressed. Therefore it

is the nature of a woman to dress nicely just to satisfy her husband. If her

husband is not at home, then she should not dress nicely. Women dress

differently according to their positions, and by seeing a woman's dress one

can immediately understand what she is. One can understand by seeing the

dress that she is an unmarried girl, a married girl, a widow, or a

prostitute. Dressing is so important."

(Other Srila Prabhuapda's books-Quest for enlightment)

 

 

"I think that all my sisters must have gone to this great sacrificial

ceremony with their husbands just to see their relatives. I also desire to

decorate myself with the ornaments given to me by my father and go there

with you to participate in that assemble."

PURPORT

It is a woman's nature to want to decorate herself with ornaments and nice

dresses and accompany her husband to social functions, meet friends and

relatives, and enjoy life in that way. This propensity is not unusual, for

woman is the basic principle of material enjoyment. Therefore in Sanskrit

the word for woman is stré, which means "one who expands the field of

material enjoyment." In the material world there is an attraction between

woman and man. This is the arrangement of conditional life. A woman attracts

a man, and in that way the scope of material activities, involving house,

wealth, children and friendship, increases, and thus instead of decreasing

one's material demands, one becomes entangled in material enjoyment.

(S.B.4.3.9)

 

 

"Every woman, every girl, has the aspiration for nice ornament, nice dress.

But they don't get it. Therefore dissatisfied. In the Manu-sarhitä it is

recommended that if you want to keep your wife satisfied, you must give

sufficient ornament. These are the psychological things."

(S.B.lectures 2.9.11)

 

 

"It is specifically mentioned in this verse that they approached with their

husbands, for when a woman is decorated nicely, her husband becomes more

cheerful. The nice decorations, ornaments and dress of the wives of the

demigods and sages and the cheerfulness of the demigods and sages themselves

were all auspicious signs for the ceremony."

(S.B.4.3.4)

 

 

"And woman's nature is that if she gets good ornaments, saris, good food,

she's satisfied. She doesn't want anything. She'll never become faithless to

her husband. So these things are disappearing. Now rich man, rich man's

wife, no ornament. (indistinct). Only the widows, they were without

ornaments. Any woman who has got husband must have ornaments. Otherwise,

insult."

(Morning Walk)

 

 

"The ornament of the earth is the king, and the ornament of a woman is a

good husband. The ornament of night is the moon, and knowledge is the

ornament of everything."

(Canakya Pandit)

 

 

"Therefore by nature, women are beautiful, they dress themselves

beautifully. This is nature, to invoke the lusty desire of man. So according

to Vedic civilization, woman, when she is dressed nicely and she is

beautiful, she must invoke lusty desires. Therefore Vedic civilization does

not allow a woman to be nicely dressed unless she is before her husband,

unless she is before her husband. Because if she, I mean to say, agitates

the lusty desires of all others, that is not very good. So woman is allowed

to dress herself very nicely when her husband is present. Otherwise she will

not dress. There are some restrictions. Pronita-bhartlkä. By the woman's

dress, one will understand who is she-whether she is living with her

husband, whether she is widow, whether she is unmarried, or whether her

husband is out of home, or whether she is prostitute. The culture is so

nice, simply by the dress one will understand that "Here is a woman; her

husband is not at home. Here is a woman; she is widow. Here is a woman; she

is prostitute." In this way, there are. "Here is a woman, she is not

married." By dress, one will understand. That vermillion sign means she is

married. When she is nicely dressed, oh, she has her husband at home. When

she is in white cloth without any ornament, she is widow. When the

sémanta... What is called in English, sémanta? This? Parting. If it is not

in the middle, it is in side, she is a prostitute. So woman should dress in

such a way that man will understand. And not married, she will not have this

veil. It must be open. So anyway, these are social customs in the Vedic

civilization."

(S.B.lecures 1.8.47)

 

 

 

"Women in general are very much sexually inclined. Indeed it is said that a

woman's sex desire is nine times stronger than a man's. It is therefore a

man's duty to keep a woman under his control by satisfying her, giving her

ornaments, nice food and clothes, and engaging her in religious activities.

Of course, a woman should have a few children and in this way not be

disturbing to the man. Unfortunately, if the man becomes attracted to the

woman simply for sex enjoyment, then family life becomes abominable."

(Brahmacari reader by Bhakti Vikasa Swami)

 

 

"A chaste woman must dress nicely and decorate herself with golden ornaments

for the pleasure of her husband. Always wearing clean and attractive

garments, she should sweep and clean the household with water and other

liquids so that the entire house is always pure and clean. She should

collect the household paraphernalia and keep the house always aromatic with

incense and flowers and must be ready to execute the desires of her husband.

Being modest and truthful, controlling her senses, and speaking in sweet

words, a chaste woman should engage in the service of her husband with love,

according to time and circumstances."

 

The wife must dress herself very nicely, putting on her golden ornaments,

wearing clean attractive sari and clothes. She may also do this at other

times, such as going to the temple or out to the market, visiting family and

friends, etc. But what is specifically mentioned in this verse is that she

must dress this way at home, even while doing the housework. The object

being that she must dress nicely not so that others will be attracted to

her, but simply for the pleasure of her husband. So that her husband will

remain always attracted to her. Srila Prabhupad has instructed that it is

the duty of the wife to keep her husband attracted to family life. This way

he will not fall down from his grahsta duties.

(SB 7.11.26-27)

 

 

"Why are you disturbing the whole situation in my absence. I never ordered

you to speak like that. They must continue to have robes & tilak & flags &

they must distinguish themselves from the hippies. I never objected to any

of my students dressing like nice American gentleman, clean shaved; those

who are my disciples must have flag, tilak & beads on neck without fail."

(Prabhupada's letter to Kirtanananda)