Advaita for women

[Guest guest]

Dear Shri thollmelukaalkizhu (I suppose that is how I should address you),

 

My previous post seems to have created the impression that I myself hold the

view that women are not entitled to learn the vedas or Vedanta. The

formation of such an impression seems to have been helped by my age and my

name. All that I had said was that in olden days women were not allowed to

learn the vedas. I did not say that it was my view als. I have studied

vedanta under two renowned traditional scholars for more than 15 years.

Right from the beginning and throughout this period my wife also attended

these classes along with me, with the result that her knowledge of Vedanta

and Sanskrit is not in any way less than mine. I hope this is enough to

remove the wrong impression about me.

 

The famous yoga exponent Shri Krishnamachari who led a life strictly

according to the tenets of the scriptures insisted on all his women students

learning some mantras from the vedas. My daughter-in-law who was one of his

students engaged a teacher to teach her vedic mantras. Thus even among

orthodox people there are those who hold liberal views in this matter.

Another orthodox brahmin who held such liberal views was Anna Sunrmanian

whose Tamil translations of many Sanskrit works have been published by the

Ramakrishna Mission, Chennai. The conservative view is also held even now by

some religious heads, but since, unlike in some other religions, in our

religion there is no one who has the power to issue a 'fatwa', these views

are not binding on anybody. I request to be excused for this digression.

 

Now to come to your question. Sri Sankara says in his bhAshya on gita,

5.18that the learned are habituated to see the same brahman in every

creature.

The idea is that we, even the unenlightened, should look upon every creature

as brahman appearing in that form. This idea has been brought out in the

Bhagavata also where it is said that a person who merely worships God in an

image, but does not recognize the fact that God dwells in every creature,

and treats other human beings with contempt or exploits them, makes a

mockery of worship. Such worship is of no use at all. (Skandha III, Ch.29,

Slokas 21 to 25).

 

At the same time difference has also to be recognized in practical life. A

company cannot obviously give the same pay and perquisites to its CEO and

its sweeper. Difference has to be accepted here. There is a verse attributed

to Sri sankara which says that 'bhava-advaita' should always be practised,

but not 'kriya-advaita'. That means that, while we should look upon every

living being as divine, and give all the respect due, we have also to

observe the differences based on the practical situation.

 

Sloka 5.19 and the commentaries quoted by you only say that those whose

minds are established in brahman will not be born again on this earth; they

attain liberation from samsAra. This Sloka does not say anything even

implicitly on the question whether liberation is dependent on the varna in

which a person is born.

 

As regards your statement that birth is not a condition to become a sage,

this is what is accepted by all. Vidura, who was born of a Sudra woman

became a jnAni. It is accepted that any one can attain brahmajnAna. Only,

according to the traditional view, those not belonging to the three varnas

can attain knowledge through the purANas instead of the vedas.

 

S.N.Sastri

 

How would you translate this verse from the Srimad Bhagvat gita ?

> vidya-vinaya-sampanne

> brahmane gavi hastini

> suni caiva sva-pake ca

> panditah sama-darsinah ( chapter 5 . verse 18)

> thollmelukaalkizhu