Jnana and Woman

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Source: Latha Narasimha Rao

http://www.geocities.com/panchangaminenglish/

Readers are requested to note: Aim of this article is not a fight for the freedom of Women or right for study of Vedas. Kindly read on without any pre conceived notion.

 

Everybody has only one prescription for women’s sadhana and religious duties – seva to husband and household work. Contribution of work and energy (shrama) by both the husband and wife, the two bullocks of the livelihood cart is very important for the happiness of a household (samsara). The husband works outside the house while the wife works inside. Taking care of the requirements of all members of the household meaning welfare (yogakshema) of mother-in-law, father-in-law, other relatives and own children is the responsibility of the lady of the house. Her responsibility is large in proper upbringing of the children and making them good citizens. Who does not want such a sweet and happy family? There are no geographical boundaries or religious limitation for this. This is just a common role of a lady (stree dharma) – a general rule.

 

Let us come to Hindu dharma. Only here, it is said that the husband has to be seen as a God. This is applicable to ladies of all chaturvarnas. How to see God in the husband? Naturally, the husband is a revered person, because he looks after the welfare of her and is her protector. Further, the husband will be richer than her in age, knowledge (jnana - if he has had shastradhyayana), physical strength, financially, and enterprise (vyavahara). (Some of these do not strictly apply these days.) Only an enlargement of this reverence to the husband makes it possible for her to take a liking to his relatives.

 

Puru means body, sha means Hari bestowed with shadgunas. Thus purusha means Hari present in the body who has to be revered. As Hari is omnipresent, he is present as purusha namaka Bhagavantha in the body of woman also. Thus she is also a revered person. Therefore, husband and wife should have mutual respect and love.

 

The rules are: Recognise Hari in the husband. Moksha is attained only by rendering service to the God in the husband.

 

 

Unfortunately, if the husband has bad habits (durachari), unclean (shwapacha), irresponsible (karthavya bhrashta), how to worship the God in him as pathiseva? Is it possible for the helpless lady (abale) to turn him around to religious ways?

Let us look at the other category. Husband has good habits (sadachari), cultured (sadgruhastha) and is rich with good qualities (sadguna sampanna). Wife, wholly (kaya-physically, vacha-through speech, manasa-mentally) takes part in all his Dharmic activities. She sees God in him. Which God?

 

Adishakthi, Gowri is the "bestower of Sowbhagya (Sowbhagya pradayini)" for one. Ganesha who gets the first pooja is "The God (sarvottama)" for another. For a third, Guru sarvabhouma – Shri Raghavendra who bestows rewards (phalas) in the current day (kaliyugadalli kai mele phala) is "the most important " one.

 

Generally, vaishnava women know Hari is the supreme God. Is this knowledge sufficient? Should she not know the internal meanings of Ramayana and Mahabharatha? Let us say, she manages to get a bit of free time after finishing her household activities and attends a discourse (katha-kalakshepa). In the discourse, either because of the large number of women gathered or to make the discourse attractive, interesting stories of Prahlada, Dhruva, Ajamila etc. are narrated. In the short duration of one hour or less, along with these stories, popular humour (but for this, people do not come) will also be presented. Thus, she listens to the very same stories she has been listening from her childhood and learns nothing new.

 

Examples:

 

 

Hirayakashipu had a boon – that he will have no death from human beings (manushyas) and animals (mrugas). Therefore, Bhagavantha took the Narasimha form (roopa). However, Spiritual ones (Pandits) say God always has all the roopas, which means even before the creation (srushti) of Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha roopa existed. Here, we learn greatness (mahima) of the lord?

The Lord granted darshan to Dhruva, a 5 year old child on his performance of penance for just 6 months. But, those learned in shastras (Shastra-karas) interpret, Dhruva had accumulated credits (sadhana) from his previous births and the balance due for darshan of Bhagavantha was just 6 months. Here, we become aware of necessity of sadhana accumulated over several births for darshan of Bhagavantha.

Ajamila, who led a worst type of life called his son Narayana, just at the time of his death. Ajamila obtained salvation (sadgathi) just because he called the lord’s name at the time of his death. In this case, the Learned ones (Vidwamsas) explain that Ajamila was a good person (sathwika jeevi) and had to lead a worst type of life due to some sin committed by him. He being intrinsically a sathwika, called the name of the Lord (and not his son) at the time of his death. Here, we come to know the concept of several types of jeevas.

 

Thus, eventhough the same story is heard during the childhood and adulthood, new concepts come to light. How else can we enrich our knowledge of Bhagavantha, without learning new and new information?

 

Bhagavantha is responsible for creation (srushti), existence (sthithi), laya (extinction), control (niyamana), knowledge (jnana), wrong-knowledge (ajnana), attachment (bandha), salvation (moksha). He does not have any kind of incompleteness (apoornathwa), non permanency (anithyathwa), loss of body (deha-hani), sorrowfulness (duhkha-prapthi). He does not have the six states (shadoormis) of living in the womb (garbhastha), birth (janana), development (abhivruddhi), transformation (parivarthana) etc.

 

His body is made of knowledge (jnana) and happiness (ananda) (jnananadaswaroopi). He is the leader of the entire universe (akhilanda-koti brahmanda-nayaka). He is present in every atom (anu-renu-vyaptha). His name embraces all sounds (sarva-shabda-vachya). He neither has a beginning nor an end (adi-anthya-rahitha). He has absolutely no black spots (dosha-rahitha). He is full of countless right qualities (guna-paripoorna). If one knows some of these important characteristics of the God, which turns into respect for the Lord, reverence (bhakthi) and allows one to relate qualities like protector of the bhaktha (bhakthavathsala), merciful (karuna-sagara) in the God.

 

If only this kind of a God can be related (anusandhana) to the husband, the life of the wife who is taking equal part in the daily good chores (sathkarma) of the husband is really meaningful (sarthaka).

 

Bhagavatha is a sacred text (shreshta grantha) for us. Displaying the various mahimas of Lord Shriman Narayana is the aim of this text. Shri Vedavyasa, authour of this text, in his glorious voice has only said "see the Lord with countless attributes (mahima) in your husband" and has not said "get immersed in routine household work". This is also illustrated with Goddess Lakshmidevi performing household work. Household work is not something lowly, but relating it to God (anusandhana) is important.

 

 

"koti-koti bhruthyariralu haatakambarana seve

saati illade poorna gunana thane seve maduthihalu"

 

Eventhough crores of servants are available at her beck and call,

She is herself performing uncomparable seva of Hari by herself.

 

To be able to relate to God (anusandhana), knowledge about God (jnana) is absolutely essential. Various dasas have taken birth to uplift the lives of laymen. Shri Jagannatha dasa created "thathwasuvvali" with an aim to uplift the life of his widowed daughter. This has turned out to be an essenceful (sarabharitha) text for the benefit of all women. He has also created a towering text (merukruthi) in "Harikathamruthasara". Shri Vadiraja has created "Pancheekarana" only for women. Kapila roopi Bhagavantha’s preaching to Devahoothi also shows the requirement of jnana by women! It is agreed that we do not possess Devahoothi’s level of deserving and capacity to understand. Still, can’t we try to listen (shravana), recapitulate (manana) and understand (grahana) to the level of our own individual capabilities!

 

Shrimadacharya’s texts (granthas) are the sole authority (pramana) for realising the undisputed leadership of Hari (Hari-sarvotthamathwa). Therefore, women should be welcome to the places of learning / discourses of Shrimadacharya’s granthas. The essence of Dwaitha siddhantha should be spread to women.

 

Just as the saying "nahi jnanena sadrusham", elders say salvation (moksha) is attained only through knowledge (jnana). Listening (shravana) leads to recapitulation (manana), recapitulation leads to memory (smarane), memorising leads to knowledge (Jnana), reverence (Bhakthi) and renunciation (Vairagya).

 

It is hoped, the society which has given many important positions to women will also give scope for acquiring knowledge.

 

Combination of knowledge (vichara) with routines (aachara) will lead to greater interest (aasakthi) and keenness (shraddhe) in taking care of husband (pathi seve) and becoming duty conscious (karthavya nishte).

 

This article was published in Achara Vichara (English) as a reaction to an earlier published article (by some other author) prescribing the conventional role of women: seva to husband and household work.