Women and Hinduism

February 7, 2007

Religion and Women's Liberation

Hindu women suffer largely because of religious

dogma

Smita Poudel

OhMy News, Korea

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_

view.asp?no=343098&rel_no=1

or

http://tinyurl.com/yprx4f

[Note: plenty here to stir up conversation!]

Religion has been the guiding force behind many

of the acts that people carry out. Ask an orthodox

Hindu woman about the significance of her acts

and she will point to the codes of her religion

without haste.

"You must not touch the male members in the

family during periods," my grandmother and

mother often warn me. Their reasoning has its

basis in the religious belief that women are

impure during that time. My reluctance wouldn't

work here because they are rigid in their beliefs.

It was after I wrote an article about honor killings

in Islam and the provision cited for it in the

religious text that I became fascinated by the

portrayal of women in religion. Also, because

studies have revealed that most acts like honor

killings are not in accordance with religious

ethics.

Lately I have concentrated on Hinduism because

Hindu women, like Islamic women, have been

suffering largely because of religious dogma.

Women, though the counterpart of males, are

portrayed as the slave. The term "impurity" is

synonymous with female. Women are impure

several times during menstruation and even after

childbirth.

"The religion that suppresses us must be called a

vice, there is no point of virtue," says Susmita, a

female high school student. "What wrong have

we done to God?"

Like Susmita, many blame religious beliefs for

creating favorable ground for discrimination. But

there is a clear contradiction also because

Hinduism worships the goddess with utmost

respect. Rather, say major gods in this particular

religion are female. It is even claimed that

Hinduism has the longest, continuous history of

goddess worship. Female divinities like Laxmi,

Saraswati and Kali are worshipped as mother

goddesses.

But this triumph of the divine feminine has

caused no notable difference for suffering

women. Goddess worship in general has not have

gifted females with greater authority and

independence. Even some of the ways in which

Hindus relate women to the goddess are rather

unfair.

Sita, who is taken as an example of the devoted

wife (of lord Rama), is worshipped for her

sacrifice for her husband. Bur lord Ram made her

take the fire test to prove her purity as she was

abducted by Ravana. Suspecting her purity, Lord

Ram exiled her while she was pregnant and made

her bring up their sons in the jungle. To this day,

a loyal and self-sacrificing wife is compared to

Sita. Likewise, the goddess Laxmi is always

portrayed as massaging the feet of lord Vishnu. In

every Hindu household, wives and mothers are

referred to as the Laxmi of the house, as Laxmi is

the devoted wife as well as the goddess of

fortune.

In religious texts like Swasthani, women are

portrayed as self-sacrificing and submissive for

the sake of their husbands. They are exposed as

fasting for months to get the husband they desire.

Parvati worships and fasts for a month to get

Shiva as a husband.

Twenty-year-old Aruna was in fasting for more

than a month. The fasting is called "Swasthani

brat." There is a popular saying that the fasting is

for the well-being of the husband and for

unmarried ones. It is said that they can get the

husband they desire. For women in Hinduism, the

husband, or pati, is the spiritual lord.

In an essay in a book titled _Is the Goddess a

Feminist: The Politics of South Asian

Goddesses_, Rita Das Gupta points out that the

Smriti literature that is the foundation of Hindu

codes of conduct recognized Stri Dharma as the

proper duty of the women. Stri Dharma stipulates

that the focus of a women's entire religious

devotion should be her husband.

Most of the female divinities are portrayed as

wives of the gods, but their significance has been

overshadowed with various interpretations to

undermine their sovereignty. The tradition of

Shakti worship has dominated Hinduism. Shakti

is the female divinity who represents the power of

her divine male counterpart. In her essay, Gupta

says that though in Devi Mahatmya, or the

glorification of the goddess, the female is

portrayed as absolute, and various concepts of

feminine principles combine with the notion of

ultimate reality to create a great goddess who is

the power inherent in creation and dissolution.

This is not stressed in any Shakta tradition [!!!]

[really???], and interpreted from the male point of

view.

But an ignored fact is that Hinduism stresses the

balance between Shiva and Shakti. Shiva, a male

here, has to be accompanied by Shakti, a female.

The two beings are so inseparable that they fuse

together to create Ardhanareshowr, who takes on

a half-male and half-female form and is

considered most powerful. We celebrate many

festivals praising the Shaktis, like Kali. In

mythology, when the gods couldn't defeat the

demon called Maishashur, they worshipped the

goddess Durga, who manifested as the destroyer

Kali and killed it, saving the gods.

Interpretations of religious texts have always

been from a male point of view because

throughout religious history they have been in

power -- similar to the notion that the winners

write the history. Women are always denied self-

determination. Who knows if the goddess Laxmi

sits at the feet of lord Vishnu. Whoever drew the

sketch must have been a male; or, the truth could

have been altered. None of the religious texts is

the truth; they are fictions produced and

reproduced many times as per the convenience of

those in power, or those who sought power. To

liberate women from male-dominated tradition,

we need to reinterpret everything. The liberation

of women is a huge challenge as religious

misconceptions of vice are deep rooted in society

as a whole.

Further reading:

Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine

Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition by

David Kinsley.

Victory to the Mother: The Hindu Goddess of

Northwest India in Myth, Ritual and Symbol by

Kathleen M. Erndl.

Is the Goddess a Feminist?: The Politics of South

Asian Goddesses edited by Alf Hiltebeitel and

Kathleen M. Erndl.

February 7, 2007

The author forgot Kaula affection for kundondbhava. Last time I checked that was Hindu, rather disturbing, but still Hindu.

msbauju <msbauju > wrote: Religion and Women's Liberation

Hindu women suffer largely because of religious

dogma

February 7, 2007

Kartik,

Could you elaborate?

You've used a term I don't recognize; what is "kundondbhava?"

What do you mean by "disturbing"?

Do you mean that this supports or refutes Ms. Poudel's contention

that religion (Hinduism, specifically) is mis-used to excuse the

subjugation and neglect of women?

, kartik gaurav <omkaaraya

wrote:

>

> The author forgot Kaula affection for kundondbhava.

> Last time I checked that was Hindu, rather disturbing,

> but still Hindu.

>

> msbauju <msbauju posted:

> Religion and Women's Liberation [by Smita Poudel]

> Hindu women suffer largely because of religious

> dogma

>

February 8, 2007

Namaste and Pranams,

I think the general idea of this topic has been successfully disputed by Mahahruda and Shari Shankar. Both had given exceptionally better responses than myself. However just so that I dont get off sounding all vague and mystical, I think on your enquiry I should present at least some relevant information about what I had written.

First of all, I am not of Uttara Kaula lineage. Mine is seperate and I choose not to include that into this discussion at all. Having said that as my disclaimer I would also like to add that I feel I am not qualified to give indepth accounts of such philosophies. So if you are still interested then please by all means read:

The breakdown of Kundondbhava refers to two major roots in my opinion, that being kunDa and the other being bhava. Uttara Kaulas hold the view of externalizing the pancha makaras and in doing so understand the kunDonDbhava as being the yoni of a woman. This is due to two reasons, first it can be seen as a vessel that has liquid [which qualifies it as kunDa] and that it can potentiate life [bhava - to cause something]. So it is a vessel that causes life to occur.

In saying so, the term and its aformentioned application qualifies to serve one view, that all women are the [some consider it at the most mundane level] aspects of the divine mother herself. The fact that women can potentiate life suggests that the actual potential is the nature of the Divine herself.

As most practitioners know, a true Kaula must be a master of his/her senses before appreciating such forms of spirituality. One must not merge into the senses, but the outward senses must merge inwards into the true self. The process of which can only be accessed with the grace of a woman.

That is why All Kaulas respect women. This trend is not limited to them by any means. Parashurama Kalpasutra itself is primarily concieved as a samaya text, well atleast the bhasya I have of his aphorisms suggests that it is. In saying so the concluding remarks within the bhasya of the Varahi kalpa gives one clear warning to aspirants. Respect women, do not censor them and also advises to engage in behavior which would obtain their pleasure and favour.

Jaya Jaya Shri Tripura

Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.

February 10, 2007

-Dear Shri Kartik Gaurav,

Namaste

I entered into the discussion since I view

spirituality as part of our social lineage and not a different

faculty.I am putting forward an important issue that much injured our

social fabric.How many among the spiritual followers have given due

respect for women or have responded to brutal violence against women

in society? I say few. Even among the christian communities, at least

in Kerala and Tamil Nadu Mary, the mother of Christ has been

accredited with divinity by the church due to mounting pressure from

the females and of course males in society. The remarks by Mata

Amritanandamayi Devi who is one of the foremost preachers of Lalitha

Sahasranam in the world is inspiring-Women need not be treated above

males nor in par with males-Male and female should be perceived as one

single divinity.

Harishankar

-- In , kartik gaurav <omkaaraya

wrote:

>

> Namaste and Pranams,

>

> I think the general idea of this topic has been successfully

disputed by Mahahruda and Shari Shankar. Both had given exceptionally

better responses than myself. However just so that I dont get off

sounding all vague and mystical, I think on your enquiry I should

present at least some relevant information about what I had written.

>

> First of all, I am not of Uttara Kaula lineage. Mine is seperate

and I choose not to include that into this discussion at all. Having

said that as my disclaimer I would also like to add that I feel I am

not qualified to give indepth accounts of such philosophies. So if

you are still interested then please by all means read:

>

> The breakdown of Kundondbhava refers to two major roots in my

opinion, that being kunDa and the other being bhava. Uttara Kaulas

hold the view of externalizing the pancha makaras and in doing so

understand the kunDonDbhava as being the yoni of a woman. This is due

to two reasons, first it can be seen as a vessel that has liquid

[which qualifies it as kunDa] and that it can potentiate life [bhava -

to cause something]. So it is a vessel that causes life to occur.

>

> In saying so, the term and its aformentioned application qualifies

to serve one view, that all women are the [some consider it at the

most mundane level] aspects of the divine mother herself. The fact

that women can potentiate life suggests that the actual potential is

the nature of the Divine herself.

>

> As most practitioners know, a true Kaula must be a master of

his/her senses before appreciating such forms of spirituality. One

must not merge into the senses, but the outward senses must merge

inwards into the true self. The process of which can only be accessed

with the grace of a woman.

>

> That is why All Kaulas respect women. This trend is not limited to

them by any means. Parashurama Kalpasutra itself is primarily

concieved as a samaya text, well atleast the bhasya I have of his

aphorisms suggests that it is. In saying so the concluding remarks

within the bhasya of the Varahi kalpa gives one clear warning to

aspirants. Respect women, do not censor them and also advises to

engage in behavior which would obtain their pleasure and favour.

>

> Jaya Jaya Shri Tripura

>

> Send instant messages to your online friends

http://au.messenger.

>

February 10, 2007

Namaskar,

I, like all other human beings who hold themselves as being somewhat sensible, agree with you whole heartedly in the sense and spirit of this discussion. That is to say, crimes against women are unacceptible.

I think you've got scriptures like the Quran and Manu Smriti to blame for at least part of the crimes commited against women in most traditionalist societies. This is why I also strongly support the view that societies should be regulated by a secular government and that religious ideologies should be actualized at an individual level rather than that of communities.

If a person goes by being a Pundita or a Mullah and they are caught beating their wife in a secular society, then their religious disposition will carry very little weight, if any. Law and religious conviction here are completely seperate.

If we see the same in a strongly village minded community, be it that they follow smriti or shariah,there would be a higher probablity that they'd get off scot-free.

Jaya Jaya Shri Tripura

bsharishankar <bsharishankar > wrote: -Dear Shri Kartik Gaurav,