Women in Vedic Culture

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Namaskar.

A long informative article on women in Vedic culture is reproduced

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Chaitaneya

 

Women in Vedic Culture

By Stephen Knapp

 

There are many civilizations in the world where respect

for women and their role in society is prominent, and others where

regard for them and their status should be improved. Yet the level

of civility along with moral and spiritual standards in a society

can often be perceived by the respect and regard it gives for its

women. Not that it glorifies them for their sexuality and then gives

them all the freedom men want so they can be exploited and taken

advantage of, but that they are regarded in a way that allows them

to live in honor for their importance in society with respect and

protection, and given the opportunity to reach their real potential

in life.

Among the many societies that can be found in the world,

we have seen that some of the most venerating regard for women has

been found in Vedic culture. The Vedic tradition has held a high

regard for the qualities of women, and has retained the greatest

respect within its tradition as seen in the honor it gives for the

Goddess, who is portrayed as the feminine embodiment of important

qualities and powers. These forms include those of Lakshmi (the

goddess of fortune and queen of Lord Vishnu), Sarasvati (the goddess

of learning), Subhadra (Krishna's sister and auspiciousness

personified), Durga (the goddess of strength and power), Kali (the

power of time), and other Vedic goddesses that exemplify inner

strength and divine attributes. Even divine power in the form of

shakti is considered feminine.

Throughout the many years of Vedic culture, women have

always been given the highest level of respect and freedom, but also

protection and safety. There is a Vedic saying, "Where women are

worshiped, there the gods dwell." Or where the women are happy,

there will be prosperity. Due to this tradition, India's history

includes many women who have risen to great heights in spirituality,

government, writing, education, science, or even as warriors on the

battlefield.

In the matter of dharma, in the days of Vedic culture,

women stood as a decisive force in spirituality and the foundation

of moral development. Throughout the history of India and the

traditions of Vedic society, women were also examples for

maintaining the basic principles in Sanatana-dharma. This honor

toward women should be maintained by the preservation of genuine

Vedic culture, which has always been a part of India.

Unfortunately, these standards have declined primarily

due to the outside influences that have crept in because of foreign

invaders, either militarily or culturally. These foreign invaders

who dominated India mostly looked at women as objects of sexual

enjoyment and exploitation, and as the spoils of war to be taken

like a prize. The oppression of women increased in India because of

Moghul rule. As such foreigners gained influence and converts, decay

of the spiritual standards also crept into Indian and Vedic culture.

The educational criteria of Vedic culture also changed and the

teaching of the divinity of motherhood was almost lost. The teaching

changed from emphasis on the development of individual self-reliance

to dependence on and service to others. Thus, competition replaced

the pursuit for truth, and selfishness and possessiveness replaced

the spirit of renunciation and detachment. And gradually women were

viewed as less divine and more as objects of gratification or

property to be possessed and controlled.

This is the result of a rakshasic or demoniac cultural

influence, which still continues to grow as materialism expands in

society. Money and sensual gratification have become major goals in

life, though they alone cannot give us peace or contentment. Instead

they cause us to develop more desires in the hopes of finding

fulfillment while leaving us feeling hollow and ever-more restless

without knowing why.

In Vedic culture it is taught that every man should view

and respect every woman, except his own wife, as his mother, and

every girl with the same concern and care as his own daughter. It is

only because of the lack of such training and the social distancing

from the high morals as this that this teaching is being forgotten,

and the respect that society should have for women has been reduced.

In this way, the change in the attitude toward women in

India was due to a loss of culture and of the true Vedic standards.

Thus, it should be easy to see the need for organizations that will

keep and teach the proper views, which were once a basic part of the

genuine Vedic traditions.

When the position of women declines, then that society

loses its equilibrium and harmony. In the spiritual domain, men and

women have an equal position. Men and women are equal as sons and

daughters of the same Supreme Father. However, you cannot bring the

spiritual domain to this Earth or enter the spiritual strata if your

consciousness is focused on the differences of the sexes, and thus

treat women poorly. One is not superior to the other, but each has

particular ways or talents to contribute to society and to the

service of God. So men should not try to control women by force, but

neither should women try to seize the role of men or try adopt the

masculine nature of men. Otherwise, imbalance results in society,

just as a car will not move properly when the tires on one side are

too low or out of balance. Women and men must work cooperatively

like the twin wings of a bird, together which will raise the whole

society. If there is a lack of respect and cooperation, how can

society be progressive? After all, how can their be a spirit of

cooperation and appreciation between men and women when instead

there is a mood of competition? It is this mood in materialistic

society that is increasing in both family and corporate life which

contributes to social imbalance and not to a smooth and peaceful

society.

 

Motherhood and Family

 

The nature of motherhood of women was always stressed in

Vedic India. After all, we often find them to be the foundation of

family life and of raising the children properly. They usually

provide the love and understanding and nurturing for the development

of our children in a way that is unlikely from most men.

Our own life is a gift from our mother's life. We

were

nourished by her, we spent nine months in her womb, and her love

sustained us. Even now we are loved by our mother. This includes

Mother Nature and Mother Earth, which is called Bhumi in the Vedic

tradition. The Earth planet is also like a mother because everything

we need to live, all our resources, come from her. As we would

protect our own mother, we must also protect Mother Earth.

Women in motherhood, after giving birth to a child that

they have carried for nine months, is the first guru and guide of

the child and, thus, of humanity. Through this means, before any

child learns hatred or aggression, they first know the love of a

mother who can instill the ways of forgiveness and kindness in the

child. In this way, we can recognize that there is often a strong

women, either as a mother or as a wife, behind most successful men.

In exhibiting the qualities of motherhood, women must be

warm and tender, strong and protective, yet also lay the foundation

of discipline and the discrimination of right from wrong.

Furthermore, in the home it is usually the woman who lends to

providing beauty in decorating the house and facility for an

inspirational atmosphere. Also, she must usually provide the

nutritious and tasty dishes that give pleasure and strength for the

fitness and health of the body.

By their innate sense of motherhood and compassion,

women also make natural healers, care givers, and nurturers. Those

women who have this intrinsic disposition for caring will also be

natural upholders of moral standards and spiritual principles. By

their own emotional tendencies and expressions, they are also

natural devotees of God.

In ancient India the Sanskrit words used by the husband

for the wife were Pathni (the one who leads the husband through

life), Dharmapathni (the one who guides the husband in dharma) and

Sahadharmacharini (one who moves with the husband on the path of

dharma--righteousness and duty). This is how ancient Vedic culture

viewed the partnership of husband and wife.

When a husband and wife are willing to be flexible to

each other's needs and move forward in love and mutual

understanding, the relationship can go beyond equality to one of

spiritual union. This means that each one appreciates the talents of

the other, and views the other as complimenting what each one

already has. This also makes up for the weaknesses or deficiencies

of the other. In this way, each can provide support, encouragement

and inspiration to the other. This ideal can only be achieved when

they properly understand the principles of spirituality. It is also

said that where the husband and wife get along well, Lakshmi Devi

(the goddess of fortune) Herself dwells in that house.

It is also considered that a wife who serves a

spiritually strong and qualified husband automatically shares in

whatever spiritual merit he achieves because she assists him by her

service.

 

The Feminine Divinities

 

In the Vedic tradition it is common to see the pairing

of the Vedic male Gods with a female counterpart, thus combining

both sets of powers and qualities that each would have. We can

easily see this in Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Lakshmi-Vishnu, Durga-

Shiva, Sarasvati-Brahma, Indrani-Indra, etc. Thus, we have the

combination of male and female Divinities that make the complete

balance in the divine spiritual powers.

Through the medium of pure affection, the feminine

Divinities have been able to break down the most powerful citadels

known to creation, especially those of evil. The divine mystery of

life is that the most powerful forces of the universe are subjugated

by love, and that love is most completely channeled through the

feminine energy and personality.

For example, "Durga" means the one who is

difficult to

know. Yet, being considered the mother of the universe, or the

personification of the material energy, we as her children can

approach her through love. And she will respond with love.

Also, out of love the goddess took the form of

Mahishasuramardini, or the one who destroyed the dark demon known as

Mahishasura. She was generated out of the anger and potency of

Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, and others, and was the combination of their

powers. They could not defeat the demon, but the goddess could.

Symbolically, Durga can destroy the demonic darkness of the mode of

ignorance and the quality of laziness within each of us.

Another example is when Durga expressed her love and

care to the Gods and humanity by manifesting herself from her side

as Kaushika Durga, also called Ambika. By her beauty she attracted

the demons Shumba and Nishumba to her. Thus, they would not disturb

the rest of creation. Then from her forehead she manifested herself

as the dark goddess Kali who killed all the disturbing demons in

that episode. In this way, through love the Divine feminine potency

takes on forms to alleviate powerful disturbances in the universe

and within us.

Out of love also the Divine feminine potency manifests

as Srimati Radharani, the consort of Lord Sri Krishna. One of her

many names is Janagati, which means the goddess of all goddesses.

She is the origin of the divine feminine love and beauty, and the

epitome of devotion to the Supreme Being. Thus, from the ideal

spiritual world, we can see Her divine reflection mirrored here in

this relative world in all that is feminine, beautiful and pure. By

being conscious and aware of such qualities, we can perceive the

spiritual dimension pervading and flowing throughout this temporary

material universe. Thus, we recognize the very qualities of the

Divine Persons from whom they originate in the spiritual world. We

humans are but limited reflected forms of the Divine Couples who

reside in original existence. This is why the Vedic tradition placed

much value in honoring and worshiping the Divine feminine nature

along with the masculine–one without the other is incomplete.

This

is one of the unique traits that distinguishes Vedic culture from

others.

 

The Future

 

Examples in Vedic history have shown that all women

should be respected and honored for the potential and talent they

can provide to keep the family together, as well as bare and raise

children, but also for the many women who have taken up the cause to

preserve, protect and carry on the spiritual standards found in

Vedic culture.

This shows that we should not diminish the potential

that women have to be strong advocates of the Vedic principles. We

should not discriminate and think that women have less to offer. It

is not one's sex that will determine one's strength and

character to

help champion the Vedic cause.

In this world we need people to help in all areas and

all levels of life to protect the Vedic knowledge and traditions,

and women have a very important part to play. As we said, they are

usually the first inspiration and first teachers of our children. So

many of the great men who had become powerful proponents of Sanatana-

dharma also had strong and inspiring mothers or wives.

So, you never know who among the women in society, or

among our daughters we are raising that may become the next Savitri,

Draupadi or Anasuya. Also, you never know who among the boys that

the women may raise that may become a great Vedic saint or scholar

or stalwart protector of our culture. We must look on everyone as if

they have that potential, because somewhere and sometime it will

happen. Another great person may appear, be it man or woman, who

will emerge from among us. We need to arrange for that possibility

to happen by giving all women and children the necessary facility

and training.

Every girl should have the opportunity to learn

spirituality along with modern education to help her reach her full

potential. Of course, this can also be said of boys. No one is born

hating another, but this is learned in materialistic societies from

wrong association. Only later in life does a person learn the ways

of liking their own kind and disliking anyone who seems different.

Genuine spiritual knowledge is the alternative to bring a change in

such a society and stop the hating and quarrel that go on because of

perceiving bodily and external differences between us.

It is the primitive customs as well as the sexist

inventions in modern but materialistic society that force social

trends to limit, subjugate or even exploit women in today's

world.

Such a society does not allow the strength or ingenuity of women to

arise or be recognized, at least not without a struggle both inside

the mind of women and outside in the field of activity and

occupation. Women need to muster the strength to overcome such

limitations. It is not that the world does not need nurturing and

healing right now, which is a common and normal trait in women.

After all, how many times do we hear of women being accused of rape,

or child abuse and molestation, or kidnaping and murder? These are

mostly the crimes of men, imbalanced men but men nonetheless. There

is also a connection between the way men destroy the environment

(Mother Nature) and their exploitative attitude toward women. This

must be corrected.

A faulty beginning or childhood, as well as exposure to

thoughts and ideas and indoctrinations of one's limitations

rather

than of one's superior potential is one of the reasons why women

lose their ability, means or motivation for higher accomplishments

in life. This often causes their spirit of achievement and

contribution to be squelched. This only adds to the struggle of

women which is often passed along from one generation to the next.

Thus, all of society loses the capabilities that women could

otherwise attain and provide. In this way, women often have a built

in fear of stepping forward to help meet the needs that the world is

crying for.

Harmony needs to be restored between the masculine and

feminine natures, which are especially exhibited in the relations

between men and women. This can be done most effectively through

genuine spiritual development, when both masculine and feminine

natures become balanced and complimentary rather than competitive.

This can harmonize not only the external relations between people,

but also the feminine and masculine tendencies within each

individual, both men and women. By genuine spiritual progress we can

rise above our bodily material identities and work with and

compliment the talents and abilities of others, regardless of

whether they are men or women. We must know that within each body is

a spirit soul that is no different than our own. By that I mean that

we must recognize that on the platform of spiritual reality there is

no difference between one soul and the next, no matter whether the

external body is male or female. But while we are in this world and

in different types of bodies, we can work cooperatively for our

survival and for harmony among us, and use our naturally varied

talents together. Women can do what they do best and men can do what

they do best. This certainly makes it easier for all to live

peacefully than in a mood of competition and aggression, or envy and

prejudice. In such a mood of cooperation we can see that we all have

something to offer or contribute, and we all have something for

which we can be appreciated. We only need the right opportunity to

bring that out of each and every one of us. The proper leaders of

society or of organizations who promote such situations are those

who can arrange for such a harmonious environment to exist.

One difference that we often see between men and women

is that there is often nothing harder to penetrate than the typical

male ego, which often causes men to hesitate to show any weakness

and to make a show of a tough exterior, while women often respond

easily to love with love. However, love and compassion are not meant

to be exhibited only by women or mothers. It is a state of being, a

level of consciousness. It is an exhibition of one's spiritual

development to have care and concern, compassion and love for each

and every being. It should be a common interest that everyone should

be able to live a life of opportunity, development and progress for

their own material and spiritual well being. And this concern is

natural for both men and women who have reached this level of

spiritual awareness, recognizing in many ways the similarities

between us all, regardless of our sex. This is what is needed to

help bring more peace and cooperation in the world, and another

reason for protecting and emphasizing the traditional standards of

spiritual understanding as found in the teachings of Santana-dharma.

 

Examples of Great Women in Vedic Culture

 

Some of the women that have helped make great strides in

establishing the foundation of Sanatana-dharma and Vedic culture can

be listed and described. They serve as fine examples of historical

importance that have been the basis for inspiration to both men and

women for centuries. From the early Vedic times these include such

women as Sati, Sita, Anasuya, Arundhatee, Draupadi, Queen Kunti,

Shakuntala, Maitreyi, Gargi, Madalasa, Savitri, Ahalya, and others.

It is said simply reciting their names removes sins. There are

additional women from the last few hundred years whose lives we can

recollect as well. Such great women have contributed to the glories

and splendor of Vedic culture. So let us briefly review the lives of

some of these great women.

 

Madalasa was the daughter of Vishvasu, the Gandharva

king. She was also a great inspiration to her sons. Ritdhvaj, the

son of the powerful king Shatrujit, was her husband. When Shatrujit

died, Ritdhvaj took the position of king and engaged in the royal

duties. In due course, Madalasa gave birth to a son, Vikrant. When

Vikrant would cry, Madalasa would sing words of wisdom to keep him

quiet. She would sing that he was a pure soul, that he has no real

name and his body is merely a vehicle made of the five elements. He

is not really of the body, so why does he cry?

Thus, Madalasa would enlighten her son with spiritual

knowledge in the songs she would sing to him. Because of this

knowledge, little Vikrant grew up to be an ascetic, free from

worldly attachments or kingly activities, and he eventually went to

the forest to engage in austerities. The same thing happened to her

second son, Subahu, and her third son, Shatrumardan. Her husband

told her that she should not teach the same knowledge to their

fourth son, Alark, so that at least one of them would be interested

in worldly activities and take up the role of looking after the

kingdom. So to Alark she sang a song of being a great king who would

rule the world, and make it prosperous and free from villains for

many years. By so doing he would enjoy the bounty of life and

eventually join the Immortals. In this way, she trained her son

Alark from the beginning of his life in the direction he would take.

This is how a mother can influence her child in whatever potential

may be possible, whether materially or spiritually, by imparting

noble thoughts to open the avenues of activities for her children.

 

Sati. From the Puranas we learn how Sati would not

tolerate the dishonor of her husband Lord Shiva. Sati was the

daughter of Prajapati Daksha, who was one of the sons of Brahma.

Once Daksha arranged to hold a major religious ritual (yajna) in his

capital, near present day Haridwar. Many kings, emperors and

demigods were invited. However, Daksha did not respect Shiva, so

Shiva was not invited. Nonetheless, Sati wanted to go to see her

father and many sisters. Shiva tried to dissuade her from going,

saying it was not good to go uninvited. But Sati went anyway to

participate in the yajna. Unfortunately, she found that her father

was greatly insulting her husband, Shiva. Not bearing the dishonor

of her husband, she self-immolated in fire and left this world

altogether, leaving her body in ashes.

When Lord Shiva heard about this, he was terribly angry

and taking a hair from his head, he threw it to the ground and it

turned into the demon Veerabhadra who was the anger of Lord Shiva

and who disrupted the yajna. In disappointment, Lord Shiva then bore

the body of Sati to different places in the world. Sati's various

limbs dropped as Shiva carried her body, and wherever a limb dropped

became a Siddhapeetha, which remain major places of Shakti worship.

According to the Devi Bhagavata there are 108 such Siddhapeethas,

while other texts say there are 51. Among these, 42 are in India, 2

in Nepal, 1 in Tibet, 1 in Sri Lanka, 1 in Pakistan, and 4 in

Bangladesh.

Sati then reincarnated as the daughter of the Himalaya

Parvata, and thus she became known as Parvati. She underwent great

austerities and won Lord Shiva as her husband once again.

 

Anasuya was a woman who could bring back the life of a

dead sage due to the power of her own austerity and devotion to her

husband. She showed that devotion to a qualified husband gives the

wife fame, power and is the fulfillment of her dharma. Anasuya was

the wife of the sage Atri. Her mother was daughter of the sage

Svayambhuva and her father was Kardama Muni. Her fame had spread

throughout both the Earth and the planets of the Devas.

According to the Markandeya Purana, there was once a

sage named Mandasya who cursed a brahmana named Kaushika to die the

next morning at sunrise. When Kaushiki, Kaushika's wife, heard

the

news, she vowed that by the power of her chastity the sun would

never rise. When the sun did not rise for many days, everyone

started to become alarmed. Brahma then told the other demigods to go

to Anasuya and she could assist them to continue the sunrise by the

force of her moral power. Anasuya then entreated Kaushiki to allow

the sunrise to resume. Kaushiki then allowed the sunrise to take

place, but her husband immediately expired because of the curse.

Yet, Anasuya brought the husband back to life by the power of her

own austerity and devotion to her husband. Being pleased by this,

the demigods gave Anasuya the blessing to have her wish for three

sons who would be reincarnations of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Thus,

Brahma appeared as Soma, Vishnu as Dattatreya, and Shiva as Durvasa.

Of course she was also greatly honored by her husband who said to

Sri Rama when Rama once visited Atri's ashrama during His exile,

that Anasuya was a great lady, following the path of austerity and

deserves the salutations of all beings. Anasuya was a bright example

among women.

 

Sita is fully described in the Ramayana. She was the

daughter of King Janaka, ruler of Mithila. The king was engaged in

ritually plowing the land to help produce food to counter a famine

at the time, and while using a golden plow, it revealed a pitcher

that had been buried from which Sita appeared. The plow tip is

called a sita, thus Sita was the name given to her. At the time, the

demon Ravana had collected tax from the local sages who had placed

their blood in this pitcher. Thus, when the plow later uncovered and

churned the pitcher, the life-force from the sages produced Sita,

and Sita thus became the cause of Ravana's destruction.

As related in the Ramayana, Lord Rama won Sita's hand

in

marriage. But due to political intrigue, Rama's father,

Dasharatha,

had to keep a promise he had made to his second wife Kaikeyi, who

wanted her own son to ascend the throne and not Lord Rama. So she

had Rama and Sita thrown into exile and made to wander the forests.

During that time, Ravana abducted Sita and kept Her in the Ashoka-

Vatika, the garden of Ashoka trees. He tried to force her to marry

him but she would not. During that time Rama and Lakshmana wandered

the forests in search of Her. In time they found out she had been

taken by Ravana, and having learned where he was, Lord Rama finally

put the end to him and rescued Sita.

Even though some citizens doubted Sita's purity, she

had

undergone the Agni-Pariksha, or witness by fire to attest to her

purity as a devoted wife. Even then it was over-heard that a

washerman had doubts of Sita's character, having spent so much

time

in Ravana's house. So to help ward off any criticism, Rama exiled

Sita to the forest ashrama of Valmiki. While there she gave birth

to, Lava and Kush, the twin sons of Lord Rama. Valimiki once brought

Sita and her sons to Ayodhya, the capital of Lord Rama, where the

sons sang the Ramayana in front of Lord Rama. Valmiki also

proclaimed that Sita was as good as purity and chastity incarnate.

Though Sita's life was full of struggle and hardship,

she was innocent and pure. She gave up all comforts to serve her

beloved husband and uphold sanctity, faithfulness, virtue and moral

standards. Thus she holds one of the highest places among women in

Vedic culture and of woman's character.

 

Draupadi was the daughter of Drupada who was the king of

Panchala. She was born from the fire ritual and for this reason was

also called Yajnaseni. Her dark complexion also gave her the name of

Krishnaa. Queen Kunti was the mother of the five Pandava brothers,

Arjuna, Bhisma, Yudhisthira, Sahadeva and Nakula. When the Pandavas

brought Draupadi back to their home, they wanted to show her to

their mother, but Kunti, without having seen Draupadi, told them

that whatever they have they must all share equally. So Draupadi

became the wife of all five Pandavas. It is said that Draupadi in a

previous life had been the wife of Indra, the King of heaven, and

she took five separate forms in serving her Pandava husbands. Thus,

she was most devoted to her five husbands and was also a great

devotee of the Supreme Lord, and regarded Lord Krishna as her

ultimate protector.

One episode that shows this was when in the court of the

Kauravas, wicked Dushashana tried to disrobe her in front of

everyone. Draupadi became hopeless and fervently prayed to Krishna

for protection. Krishna heard her prayers and though He was in

Dwaraka, He protected her by providing an endless supply of cloth to

her sari so that it never ended, and she was always covered and not

dishonored in such a way.

Another time was when Durvasa Muni, who was known for

his quick anger, suddenly decided to drop in on the Pandava camp,

along with his many thousands of disciples. He would also want

something to eat for himself and his followers. But the Pandavas had

just ate and there was nothing more to prepare. Lord Krishna asked

for whatever remnant grains were left in the pot. Being the Supreme

Lord, if He was satisfied, then everyone would be satisfied. So He

took what few grains were there and when Durvasa Muni arrived, they

were all so full that they no longer wanted anything to eat, and

thus left peacefully.

In Draupadi's service to her husbands, she had said

that

she rises before anyone else, tolerates hunger and thirst, and goes

to bed after the others. She also gave birth to five sons, all of

whom were killed by the wicked Ashwatthama. But since he was the son

of the family guru, and she had such respect for their gurus, he

forgave him.

When the Pandavas had reached the end of their lives and

were setting out to ascend to heaven by climbing up into the

mountains, she was the last in line. But she was the first to fall

and thus rise to heaven after her death. Her dedication and devotion

make her one of the great personalities of Vedic culture.

 

Maitreyi was the wife of the great sage Yajnavalkya. His

second wife was Katyayani. Both were devoted to their husband and of

lofty character. However, Maitreyi had a higher regard for spiritual

knowledge and devotion to God than did Katyayani. The

Brihadaranayaka Upanishad relates that finally, the sage Yajnavalkya

wanted to renounce householder life and accept the sannyasa order of

life, and divide his possessions between his two wives. Maitreyi

then questioned to herself what greater thing her husband must have

found if he is willing to give up his present status in householder

life. Surely no one will give up his position unless he finds

something better. So she asked her husband if she had all the riches

in the world, could she still attain immortality. Her husband said

certainly not, it is not possible. All the happiness and

conveniences from wealth will not lead you to God. So Maitreyi then

asked why she should acquire wealth if it is not going to deliver

her from future rounds of birth and death. She requested that he

tell her about the Supreme Being, for which he was happily giving up

household life.

Therefore, Yajnavalkya explained to Maitreyi all about

the divine knowledge of the Self. He informed her that no being in

this world has any capability of being dear to another without the

presence of the soul within. Even to enjoy the beauty of this world

has no meaning without the soul within our own body, for the soul is

all that we are. Understanding the depths of spiritual knowledge is

the way to attain moksha, liberation from the continued rounds of

birth and death. Thus, Yajnavalkya took sannyasa and Maitreyi

attained supreme bliss by hearing her husband's discourse and by

diving deep into this spiritual understanding. In this way, Maitreyi

showed how all women can achieve the heights of spiritual

understanding simply by careful listening and practicing the Vedic

path.

 

Gargi was the daughter of Vashaknu, and was also called

Vachakni. But because she was born in the line of the Garga Gotra or

family line, she was also called Gargi, a name by which she became

well known. The Brihadaranayaka Upanishad explains that she asked

the sage many questions on spiritual science and became highly

educated in this way. Once in the court of King Janaka there was

arranged to be a debate on the spiritual sciences. He wanted to find

out who was the person who knew best the science of the Absolute,

and that person would receive 1000 decorated cows with horns plated

with gold. None of the local brahmanas complied because they were

afraid they would have to prove their knowledge, and may not be up

to the task. However, the sage Yajnavalkya told his disciple to take

all the cows to his place, which started the debate.

Yajnavalkya answered the questions from many scholars

who approached him, setting aside all of their concerns and doubts.

However, then came Gargi's turn to ask the sage whatever she

wanted.

But she asked many different and complex questions on the

immortality of the soul, the arrangement of the universe, and many

other topics. Finally Gargi herself bowed to the sage and proclaimed

that there was no one else who was more greatly learned in the Vedic

Shastras than Yajnavalkya. In this way, Gargi showed that in Vedic

culture it was not unexpected for women to become greatly learned in

the Vedic sciences, nor that they could not discuss such topics with

wise and kindly sages who also shared their knowledge with them.

Thus she is a luminous example of women in the Vedic tradition.

 

Savitri was the only child of a king named Ashwapati,

the king of Madra-Desha, as explained in the Mahabharata and Matsya

Purana. He had performed austerities to please Lord Brahma and his

consort, Savitri Devi, to have progeny by chanting the Savitri

prayer. When a daughter arrived, he named her Savitri, and she grew

to be a girl of great beauty and character, and wonderful

personality and qualities. Unfortunately, her father could find no

suitable husband for her when she became of age. So he sent her to

different parts of the country so she could find a husband she

deemed acceptable. After some time Savitri decided to marry

Satyavana, but he was the son of Dyumatsena who was the blind and

exiled king of Shalya-Desha. Because of this, they lived in the

forest. Satyavana was simple but bore a countenance of royalty,

which attracted Savitri.

Savitri returned to her father to relate the news,

however the sage Narada Muni happened to be there and heard it and

revealed that Satyavana was highly qualified but was to live for

only one year longer. But Savitri had made her decision and would

not marry another. So to fulfill Savitri's intention, the king

arranged for a wedding.

One day, after living in the forest for a year,

Satyavana went off to chop some wood as usual. Savitri had been

observing penance for many months and followed him into the woods.

On this day Satyavana fell down with a headache. At that same time,

Savitri saw a ferocious person approaching and could recognize that

it was Yama, the lord of death, who was coming to take Satyavana

since his life was ending. After Yama had taken Satyavana, Savitri

started to follow Yama. He asked her not to follow him and even

promised her many boons, all but the life of her husband.

Nonetheless, Savitri continued to follow him until he granted her

wishes.

Savitri asked Yama for her father-in-law's eyesight

to

return, along with his lost kingdom. Then she asked for one hundred

sons for her father. All these were granted as Yama became

increasingly impatient. Then she asked for one hundred sons for

herself as well, all of them as handsome and wise as Satyavana, to

which Yama also agreed without much thought. But then he realized

his mistake and had to allow Satyavana to continue with his life.

Thus by the power of Savitri's austerity, wisdom and devotion,

she

conquered death for her husband and blessed her own father and

father-in-law as well.

 

GREAT WOMEN IN MORE RECENT TIMES

 

Sri Gangamata Goswamini was born as Sachi, the princess

daughter of King Naresh Narayana in the present state of Bengal. She

was a great devotee of God from her early childhood. As she grew and

entered into her education, she studied grammar and poetry but soon

spent all her time studying the Vedic scriptures. All the boys were

attracted to her and her father began to think of arranging for her

marriage. But she was not the least bit attracted to any young men.

She was always filled with thoughts of Madana Gopala, Krishna.

Gradually the king and queen grew old and left this

world, leaving the responsibilities of governing the kingdom to

Sachi. She accepted these, but later arranged to allow other

relatives to govern in her place as she went to see the holy places

on the plea of traveling throughout the kingdom. After so much

travel, she still was not satisfied and wanted to find a spiritual

master. Then she went to Jagannatha Puri and while having darshan of

the Deities she was inspired with an inner message to go to

Vrindavana.

After arriving in Vrindavana she met Haridas Pandit, who

was solely devoted to Lord Gauranga and Nityananda. Sachi was filled

with ecstasy and after meditating for several days Haridas Pandit

gave her shelter, upon which she prayed to him with tearful eyes

begging for his mercy for spiritual advancement. Haridas discouraged

her from staying in Vrindavana, telling her that it is not possible

for a princess to remain absorbed in bhajan with little to eat and

no comforts. But she stayed and gradually gave up her nice clothes

and opulent ornaments. Noticing this determination, Haridas

instructed with his blessings that she could wander throughout

Vrajamandala and beg from place to place as a renounced devotee.

Having accepted Haridas as her guru, she was filled with joy.

Thereafter, freed from her false ego and dressed in rags, she went

begging alms and exhibited her intense renunciation which astonished

all the devotees.

Her body grew thin and physically exhausted. She would

sleep on the banks of the Yamuna and rise to sweep the Lord's

temple, have darshan and listen to the Bhagavatam classes. Haridasa

became very happy seeing the intent of Sachi and promised to give

her initiation into the mantra. Haridasa Pandit had another disciple

named Lakshmipriya who at that time arrived in Vrindavana. She used

to chant 300,000 names of Krishna everyday. Haridasa sent her to

live near Sachi on the banks of the Radhakunda. Everyday

Lakshmipriya and Sachi would circumambulate Govardhana Hill. Thus

they continued in their devotional service to the Lord with great

determination. Then one day Haridasa Pandit instructed Sachi to

return to Jagannatha Puri to continue her bhajan there and preach

what she learned of Sri Chaitanya's teachings. However, most of

Sri

Chaitanya's associates had already left the planet.

Sri Sachidevi returned to Jagannatha Puri and stayed in

Sarvabhauma's house where she engaged in bhajan and gave classes

on

the Srimad-Bhagavatam. She also established first class worship of

the Damodara Salagram in that house, which was crumbling and where

few people ever visited. However, her classes became famous and many

people started to attend to listen to her discourses. One day even

the king of Puri, Mukunda Dev, came to hear her Bhagavatam class,

and he was astounded. He wanted to make a nice offering to her in

appreciation for her worship to Lord Krishna, and that night he had

a wonderful dream in which Lord Jagannatha appeared to him and said

to offer her a place on the banks of the Sveta (White) Ganges.

The next day the king went to make the offering to

Sachidevi, but she was not inclined to accept any wealth or comforts

and wanted to refuse. The king persisted and not wishing to violate

Lord Jagannatha's order, he issued a decree dedicating a holy

ghat

by the side of the White Ganges after Sri Sachidevi. The decree

stated that she was a princess that gave up everything to come to

Puri and preach the teachings of Lord Chaitanya.

One day Sri Sachidevi wanted to go to the Ganges to

bathe, but remembered the order of her spiritual master never to

leave Jagannatha Puri. That night she had a dream wherein Lord

Jagannatha appeared to her and told her not to worry, that the day

when Varuni will take bath is approaching when you must go to bathe

in the White Ganges. Gangadevi had been praying for Sachidevi's

association, so she should go.

Sachidevi was extremely happy, having had this divine

vision. The day of the Varuni-snana came and in the middle of the

night Sachideva went to the White Ganges to bathe, but the current

of Gangadevi overflooded the pond and carried her away to the

Jagannatha Mandira. Seeing this, thousands of devotees became

ecstatic and also took their holy bath in the Ganges.

In the midst of the commotion, the guards of the

Jagannatha temple awoke and were speechless to see all that had

happened. Hearing the noise, they went inside the temple. The king

had also awoken and ordered the gates of the temple to be opened.

When the doors were open, Sachidevi was standing there alone inside

the temple. The servants and priests concluded that she must be a

thief to steal Jagannatha's valuable ornaments. Then Sachidevi

was

taken to the dungeon where she was imprisoned to stand trial for

theft. Sachidevi was indifferent and remained absorbed in chanting

the Lord's holy names.

Later that night, Lord Jagannatha appeared to Mukunda

Dev in a dream and demanded that he release Sachidevi. The Lord

explained that it was because of His personal arrangement to wash

Sachidevi's holy feet that He had the Ganga bring Sachidevi to

His

temple. If the king wanted his life to be auspicious, then he better

have all of the pandas and priests bow at her feet and beg for

forgiveness, and the king must take initiation from her. The next

day the king did as he was told, making sure that everyone paid full

obeisances to her while asking for forgiveness for the offenses made

at the feet of a devotee. He also begged that she accept him as a

disciple and give him initiation.

Sachidevi become very joyful, understanding that this

was all due to the arrangement of the Lord. Placing her hand on the

king's head, she blessed him, and soon thereafter she gave him

initiation into the eighteen syllable Radha-Krishna mantra. Many of

the priests also took shelter of her on that day. It was from that

day that Sachidevi became known as Gangamata Goswamini.

One day a strict smarta-brahmana, Mahidhara Swami, came

to the banks of the Sveta-Ganga and wanted to have darshan of her

holy feet. He had come to offer worship for his ancestors and while

in discussion with Sri Gangamata Goswamini, she instructed the

Srimad-Bhagavatam to him. The brahmana was astonished by her

explanations and asked to take shelter of her. On an auspicious day

she initiated him into the Radha-Krishna mantra of ten syllables. On

the order of Sri Gangamata Goswamini, he preached the message of

nama-prema, ecstasy of the holy name, and the teachings of Lord

Chaitanya throughout Bengal.

 

Sri Sita Thakurani is the eternal wife of Sri Advaita

Acharya, who is considered an avatara of Maha-Vishnu. Sita Thakurani

is to be worshiped as much as Mother Sachideva, the mother of Sri

Chaitanya. She married Advaita Acharya in Phuliya Nagara and they

moved to Shantipura. Sita Thakurani was always absorbed in motherly

devotion to Sri Chaitanya and would instruct Jagannatha Misra, Sri

Chaitanya's father, on how to care for the boy.

Advaita Acharya was the one who did special worship near

the Ganges in Shantipur to call the Lord to appear in this world,

having felt that the conditions were so bad that only the Lord

Himself could help. Thus, both Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani

were in great bliss when Sri Chaitanya appeared in this world, and

she brought Him many presents. From then on, Sri Sita Thakurani

would often come to Mayapur from Shantipur to see the child and to

give instructions to Sachimata about how to care for the child.

The Gaura-Ganodesha Dipika explains that Sri Sita

Thakurani is an incarnation of Yogamaya. The Gaura-Parshada-

Chiritvali says that in the Krishna pastimes she was Purnamasi, the

mother of Sandipani Muni, grandmother of Madhumangal and Nandimukhi,

and a disciple of Narada Muni. The Gaura-Ganodesha Dipika however

says that Purnamasi in the Krishna pastimes went on to become Sri

Govinda Acharya in the Chaitanya pastimes.

When Sri Chaitanya was grown, he went to Gaya and became

initiated by Iswara Puri. Afterwards he returned to Mayapur and

started His sankirtana pastimes. Sri Advaita Acharya and Sita

Thakurani were the first to worship Sri Chaitanya at the beginning

of His real purpose in this world.

After Sri Chaitanya took sannyasa and went to Jagannatha

Puri to live, Sri Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani would go and

visit Him, bringing their own son, Achyutananda. On one such

occasion Sita Thakurani made many of the Lord's favorite

preparations and invited Him to their place to take lunch. Simply to

increase their ecstasy, the Lord honored their invitation. Always

being absorbed in motherly affection, she treated Him like her own

son and He returned the sentiment. Sri Sita Thakurani bore three

sons, Achyutananda, Krishna Mishra and Gopala Mishra. Thus, she was

an inspiration for spreading the mission of the sankirtana movement.

 

Sri Jahnava Mata was born of Sri Suryadasa, along with

her sister Sri Vasudha. The Gaura-Ganodesha-dipika explains that

They are both expansions of Varuni (Sri Vasudha) and Revati (Jahnava

Mata), and that they are both incarnations of Ananga-manjari. In

time the daughters became of marriageable age and Suryadasa gave it

much thought. The one night he had a dream in which he gave both of

his daughters to Sri Nityananda. Surya dasa then told a brahmana

friend about this and it was arranged to deliver the message to Sri

Nityananda Himself. Upon hearing of it He agreed, after which the

ecstasy of Suryadasa knew no bounds.

Arrangements were made for the wedding at Borogacchi

Gram, and many devotees from all around attended (the full details

of which are recorded in the Bhakti-Ratnakara). Thus, Suryadasa was

most fortunate to have given both of his daughters to Sri Nityananda

Prabhu. Lord Nityananda stayed in Shaligrama Pura for a while but

then went to Nabadvipa to show His mother Sachideva His two wives.

Sachimata was delighted to see them. On the order of Sachimata,

Nityananda went to the house of Advaita Acharya in Shantipura. When

his wife Sita Thakurani saw Vasudha and Sri Jahnava, she floated in

waves of ecstasy. Sri Nityananda wandered from place to place

performing many sankirtana pastimes (congregational singing of the

Lord's holy names). In due course, Sri Vasudhadevi gave birth to

a

daughter named Ganga and a son named Virachandra. However, Sri

Jahnavadevi had no children.

As time passed, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya,

Shrivasa Pandita, and many other members of Lord Chaitanya's

personal entourage left this world to return to the spiritual

domain. Sri Jahnava Mata still wanted to inundate the world with a

flood of sankirtana nectar. In Kheturi Gram at that time was a great

festival to be held on the celebration day of Chaitanya

Mahaprabhu's

advent. Many devotees attended, like Narottama, Shyamananda and

Shrinivas. The festival had been arranged by King Santosh Dutta. Sri

Jahnava herself attended the festival and cooked the food for

offering to the Gaura-Nitai Deities there. After the festival for

one night, they went on to Nabadvipa. However, Sri Jahnava did not

get to see Sachimata, Lord Chaitanya's mother, and felt very

unhappy. She went on to the home of Sripati and Srinidhi, but again

was heartbroken because of not seeing Srivasa Pandit and Malinidevi

there. After spending the night they went on to Shantipura and again

discovered that Sri Advaita Acharya and his wife Sita Thakurani had

also both passed away. Though greeted by their sons, Achyutananda

and Gopala, Sri Jahnava was filled with grief.

Sri Jahnava Mata continued to travel with her associates

and devotees, always gathering to perform sankirtana, the

congregational chanting and singing of the Lord's holy names. In

this way, many devotees were able to drown themselves in the nectar

of kirtana, and even many atheists and sinners were greatly

purified. On one special occasion at Kheturi Gram, even Lord

Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, who had already left this world, made

Their divine appearance again in the midst of the kirtana.

Sri Jahnava Mata was a wonderful cook and would prepare

herself such dishes as rice, vegetable preps, and other foods to be

offered to the Deities at such festivals. Thereafter, she would

distribute the prasada (offered food) herself with her own hand to

the great souls who were gathered there.

When Sri Jahnava went to visit Vrindavana, she was

greeted by many great devotees, and her ecstasy was unlimited. The

Gosvamis offered their pranams and she also offered her obeisances

in return. She was very happy seeing the efforts of the Gosvamis in

renovating the holy land. She toured the holy places of Vrindavana

and saw the different Deities. After visiting the many pilgrimage

places, she returned to Gaudadesha, Bengal. While there she also

visited the town of Sri Nityananda's birth, Ekachakra, and was

filled with ecstasy to see where He partook of childhood pastimes.

She continued her travels, returning to Nabadvipa and seeing the

birthplace of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu where she fainted in

ecstasy. She then went to the nearby courtyard of Srivasa, where she

spent the night and the devotees engaged in a great sankirtana, for

this is where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began His sankirtan movement.

That night she had a dream of Lord Chaitanya in which He performed

different pastimes.

In this way, Jahnava Mata continued in her pastimes of

traveling to visit various devotees and engaging in sankirtana

festivals, cooking food to be offered to the Deities, and even

witnessing the appearance of Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda in the

midst of some of those ecstatic kirtans. She continued to deliver

the love of bhakti (devotion) to numerous people, even atheists and

materialists by her mercy. Thus, being considered the divine shakti

of Lord Nityananda Himself, she continued the mission of Lord

Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda by her activities, which centered

around sankirtana and cooking and distributing prasada to everyone.

 

Vishnupriya devi is the wife of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

and appeared to assist with His mission of spreading the holy name

of Krishna. She is said to be the internal potency of the Lord known

as Bhu-shakti. Thus, Sri Chaitanya and Vishnupriya are as Vishnu and

Lakshmi combined again.

Vishnupriya was the daughter of Sanatana Mishra. He was

a highly developed Vishnu bhakta. He was pious and generous and

would feed, clothe and shelter many people. He was famous as the

king of pandits. It is said that he was a king named Satrijit in the

age of Dvapara-yuga. It was a result of his great devotion that he

was blessed with such a qualified daughter.

Vishnupriya was devoted to her parents and would bathe

in the Ganga three times a day and observed many different vows of

spiritual austerity, and was devoted to the shastric principles.

Everyday when she would bathe in the Ganga, she would also bow at

the feet of Mother Sachi, the mother of Sri Chaitanya, and Mother

Sachi would bless her that Krishna may provide her with a qualified

husband. Upon further enquiry Mother Sachi learned that she was the

daughter of Sanatana Mishra, a qualified pandita of Nabadvipa, and

she began to think that Vishnupriya may make a good wife for her own

son Nimai, Sri Chaitanya.

At this time, Sri Chaitanya's first wife,

Lakshmipriya,

had passed away and entered the spiritual domain. So Mother Sachi

was in great pain at first, but started to think how to arrange for

her son's happiness. When she learned that He did not mind the

idea

of marrying again, Sachi began to make plans in earnest to have her

son remarried, and proposed that a match be made with Vishnupriya.

She made consultation with Sanatana Mishra and he agreed and was

pleased. It was arranged by the people and devotees to be a grand

event. (This is fully explained in the Chaitanya Bhagavata.)

Sri Vishnupriya spent her life as a devoted wife. Even

when Sri Chaitanya took sannyasa to engage completely in His purpose

of preaching and spreading the glories of Krishna's holy names,

Vishnupriya stayed with Mother Sachi, engaging in service to the

Lord together. Later, Vishnupriya had her own Deity of Sri Chaitanya

and worshiped that Deity until she left this world at the age of 92.

This Deity is still worshiped in Nabadvipa in a temple where you can

visit and have darshan of this same Deity. In this way, she also

assisted in the continuation of Sri Chaitanya's sankirtana

movement

and in the principles of Vedic culture.

 

Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi was one of the most brave

and legendary of warrior women of India. The city of Jhansi was an

important center in the 18th century, but in 1803 the British East

India Company took over control of the state. The last raja at the

time died without a son in 1853. The British had passed a law that

allowed them to assume control of any state under their patronage if

the ruler died without a male heir. The Rani of Jhansi, however, did

not like this enforced retirement and preferred to rule on her own.

So she was ready for the rebellion at Jhansi when the Indian Mutiny

began. The British in Jhansi were killed, but the next year the

British took Jhansi because of the disunity among the rebel forces.

The rani fled to Gwalior and while there made a defiant last stand.

Disguised as a man, she rode out to battle against the British, but

was unfortunately killed. Her qualities of boldness, patriotism, and

generalship were highly appreciated, even by her foreign rivals.

Since then she has been a heroine of the independence movement of

India.

The hilltop fortress of Chittorgarh was another but more

general example of the chivalry of the Rajputs and the warrior

spirit of the women. The fort has a long history. In 1303 was when

the Pathan King of Delhi, Ala-ud-din Khilji, attacked the fort in an

attempt to capture the queen Padmini, wife of Bhim Singh, the

Rana's

uncle. When it was obvious that defeat was inevitable, the Rajput

noblewomen, which included Padmini, committed Sati while Bhim Singh,

knowing of his certain defeat, nonetheless took his men and put on

the saffron robes of martyrdom and rode to battle and to their

deaths. Honor was more important than death to them, and the women

also would rather die than submit to the enemy and certain

humiliation.

Another such event at Chittorgarh took place in 1535

when the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, besieged the fort, and

once again the Rajputs did what they could. It is said that13,000

Rajput women and 32,000 Rajput warriors died in the battle. The last

of such scenes took place in 1568 when the Moghul Emperor, Akbar,

took the town. The women again performed Sati and 8000 saffron clad

warriors rode out to their deaths. Again death was better than

submitting to the Muslim invaders.

 

Devi Ahalya Bai Holkar, the queen of Indore (Madhya

Pradesh) has set an excellent example of efficient administration.

Her contribution to encourage free trade and the concept of the

welfare state is very admirable. Her practices for maintaining

integral nationality, her quick impartial justice were very

effective. She led a very simple and selfless life, not utilizing

anything from the royal treasury for her personal use.

 

Jijabai was not exactly a warrior herself but was the

mother of Shivaji, one of the great protectors of the country and

its religion. She was the guide who shaped his mind from his early

years. She was the embodiment of self-respect. She nurtured her

child to fight and bring back Hindu Rastra and became a constant

source of inspiration to her heroic son.

 

Mira Bai is another name that many people will recognize

for her saintly loving attachment to Lord Krishna. Her history is

not so clear, but it is generally accepted that she was born in 1498

in a village near Merta about 40 to 50 miles northwest of Ajmer. She

was the daughter of Ratna Singh, a Rajput noble and warrior who was

much involved in fighting. Mira's mother died when she was still

very young. For these reasons she was sent to live with her

grandfather, Rau Dudaj, who had taken the town from the Muslims to

repopulate it with Hindus.

Mira was a devotee of Krishna from very young. One story

is that even before her mother died, Mira begged for an image of

Krishna from a holy man who had visited her home, which she

received. She became so attached to the Deity that her mother would

joke that Krishna would become her bridegroom. Mira's family were

all Vaishnavas and regular worship was a common event in their home.

Later, Mira's grandfather died and her uncle Viramji took

responsibility of her.

In 1508 Rana Sangh, the great Rajput warrior, tried to

arrange for the defense of the oncoming Muslims by marrying Dhan Bai

of the Jodhpur branch of the House of Rathor, and thus establish

alliances with other local rulers. He also arranged with Viram Dev

for the marriage of Mira to his own heir, Prince Bhoja Raj, in 1516.

This was supposed to secure an alliance of power to the north.

So in 1516 Mira was married to Bhoja Raj, but the

marriage was childless. Mira was never interested in the marriage

and was completely preoccupied with her devotion to Lord Krishna,

who in her poems she refers to as her husband, and to herself as a

virgin. It is said that Bhoja Raj was frustrated with her for a

while but gradually understood the devotional nature of Mira and did

not expect her to play the typical role as a wife. There is a temple

that is said to have been built for Mira Bai at the Chittorgarh Fort

where she would worship her Deity of Lord Krishna. You can still

visit this temple if you ever go to this fort.

War was common place at the time and in one such battle

Mira's father, Ratna Singh, was killed. Even Mira's uncle was

attacked by an opposing family, and Mira was increasingly left alone

to her own devices. This was most often based on her devotion to

Krishna.

The marriage of Mira to help military alliances did not

work out well for Mira because 15 years later, in 1531, when Rana

Sangh had been dead for 3 years, Vikramajita (Vikramaditya), who was

a mere boy of 14, acceded the Kingdom of Mewar and was most

temperamental. [Rana Raymal reigned at Chittor 1473-1508. Rana Sangh

was his son.] This put Mira in the spite of members of a rival

family. Vikramajita did not like Mira and it is said at one point he

locked her in a room with a guard. This did not have the desired

effect, so he tried to poison her, but that also failed. She refers

to this in her poems as the intervention of her Lord Krishna.

It is thought that Mira took refuge of her uncle Viram

Dev in Merta until Viram was expelled from his own capital by the

King of Jodhpur in 1538. From this point, the rest of Mira's

story

is unclear. However, there are a few bits and pieces that seem to

stand correctly. In the first half of the 17th century Mira is said

to have visited Vrindavan. She may have been a wandering ascetic

after Viram was forced from Merta. The poet of Priyadas who was at

Vrindavan at the time says that Mira went to see Jiva Gosvami of Sri

Chaitanya's association, but Jiva refused to see her because she

was

a woman. She replied that she thought Lord Krishna was the only male

in Vrindavana and all others were female gopis (cowherd

maidservants). This led to Jiva Gosvami admitting her into see him.

There is also an old temple in Vrindavana that is still dedicated to

her presence there, and there is an altar with nice Krishna Deities

you can see there.

Other histories say that she went to Dwaraka and lived

there for a considerable time, worshiping at the temple there.

The death of Mira Bai in 1614 is also unclear, but it is

said that in course of time, evil fell on the fort of Chittor where

Mira's family members lived, and where they began to think that

the

decline of the fortress was because of their persecution of a great

devotee, namely Mira. The king sent a message begging for her to

return, but she took shelter at the temple of Ranchor (Krishna) to

pray, and it is said that her body melted into the Deity.

In any case, Mira's poems remain an inspiration to

many,

and stir the heart toward devotion to Krishna in many ways. They

also emphasize the means of developing attraction to Krishna's

form,

pastimes and the chanting of His names, and exemplifies a love

relationship with the Lord.

 

Vandaniya Lakshmibai Kelkar (Kamal as she was known as a

little girl) is another woman who did a tremendous amount of work of

India and its culture. She was born on July 6, 1905 to Bhaskar Rao

Datey and her mother Yasodabai. Kamal grew up in a congenial

environment which molded her into a sensitive and intelligent girl.

She learned the qualities of serving others to assist in their needs

from her aunt who continually worked to ease the plight of people

affected by the plague. Kamal was also imbued with devotion to India

and its culture, and developed an acute sense to organize and

execute plans for its preservation. This was due to her mother who

would read to the local ladies the national newspapers to enlighten

them about the oppressions committed by the British. Though this was

viewed by the British rulers as an act of treason, she asserted that

as a free person and not a Government servant she had the right to

read such papers.

In the meantime, Kamal was admitted to the only

available convent school in town, but shortly left because of the

Christian domination in it. She grew to be a lovely teenager but was

determined not to marry anyone that demanded dowry. So she later

married a widower, Purushottam Kelkar. He had two daughters from his

first marriage. In the wedding, Kamal was given the name Lakshmi,

meaning prosperity. In her marriage she took care of her two

daughters, managed the household and in time became the mother of

six sons.

Laxmi was not satisfied with mere household duties. She

also had the spirit of patriotism, sacrifice and social reform. She

was waiting for the chance to participate in the freedom movement.

She attended meetings and listened to the top leaders of the

movement and observed the effects of the Law Defiance Movement,

along with the gradual change in the social psyche. She felt that

obtaining political freedom was necessary, but that every citizen of

free Bharat must come forward with a firm common will and total

identification with the national interests, ancient glories, the

Vedic culture and traditions of Bharat. But how to put this all

together was the issue.

During this time some eminent personalties were striving

for the education of women. Due to Western impact, Indian women were

struggling for equal rights and economic freedom. Yet this led to

progress of the individual but not for the society as a whole, and

to self-centerdness. This presented the risk of women losing their

commitment to love, sacrifice, service and other inborn qualities

that glorify Hindu women. She felt that this attraction to the easy

and showy way of western life that lead to this unnatural change in

the attitude of women could also lead to the disintegration of

family, which has been a primary and important factor in Vedic

society for imparting the proper Vedic culture. So Lakshmibai was

worried by this.

After attending discourses by Gandhi and hearing him

advising the ladies to follow the life of Sita and Savitri, she

studied the Ramayana and Mahabharata. She was attracted to the

literature of Swami Vivekananda who professed that men and women are

equally important constituents of the nation just like two wings of

a bird. Lakshmibai came to the conclusion that women should boldly

come forward and share the responsibility in solving the various

problems of the society.

Lakshmibai lost her husband in 1923 and was left to look

after eight children and a vast property. She faced the situation

and still pursued her national commitments. Later, through her sons,

she learned of an organization based on individual contact, mutual

love and voluntary discipline called the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak

Sangh. She thought that this type of organization would also work

well for meeting the challenge among women. After meeting with Dr.

Hedgewar about her ideas, she formed an organization for women

called Rashtra Sevika Samiti on Vijaya Dashami Day, October 25,

1936. She sketched the working plan for the organization and

shouldered all the responsibility herself.

As the organization grew, among its members Lakshmibai

was called by her family nickname of "Mousiji", but they

prefixed it

with "Vandaniya" to show their respect. Vandaniya

Mousiji's talent

of nursing became especially useful, since she had to nurse a number

of ailing minds from all kinds of weaknesses. It was difficult in

those days for a socially and economically well placed young widow

to get involved in work wherein prestige, honor and fame were never

to be aspired for.

In the beginning she was also too shy to deliver

speeches and often would ask a friend to do it for her. But through

perseverance, firm will and relentless practice she slowly acquired

most of the qualities to lead the organization.

The basic premise of the organization was the practice

and promotion of Vedic culture in its relevance to modern times. She

convinced many women to do the same by protecting it through the

natural process of imparting the proper impressions at home,

especially to her children. It is through this process that a

mother's power can build a strong character-based society.

To set the proper example, she introduced Devi

Ashtabhuja, a symbol of the ideal Hindu woman with eight (ashta)

specific qualities, such as chastity, boldness, affection,

alertness, etc., that every woman should have. To organize and

inspire the women, there were regular meetings. And to spread it,

Mousiji started touring with what little transportation that could

be arranged, traveling alone and with her small son, depending on

God to avoid the risks. Gradually, the Samiti grew to a national

organization, holding special gatherings in places like Mumbai.

Taking a special interest in education, the

"Bharatiya

Shri Vidya Niketan" was registered in 1983 to reorganize the

system

of girls' education.

Having studied the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata

Purana, she gave discourses on them and inspired many women to

inculcate the firm will, sanctity of thought and deed, and the self-

protecting spiritual power like that of Sita and Draupadi. Her

discourses became popular and large numbers of people would throng

to hear her sweet voice and logical interpretation. She could

convince many younger generations to look on Vedic culture as their

national heritage and the divine personalities such as Sri Krishna,

Sri Rama and Sita, and Savitri as national heroes and heroines.

Vandaniya Mousiji was very affectionate and loving as a

mother but equally strict as a general in organizational matters.

The individual attention that she showed on each sevika volunteer

made them feel that Mousiji loved her the most.

Vandaniya Mousiji passed away on November 27, 1978 at

the age of 73. The news spread quickly and many members came to pay

their last homage to one of the recent architects of "Modern

Vedic

Women". Through her foresightedness she had already made

arrangements and had appointed leaders to continue the work without

any confusion after her passing. The Samiti was then lead by

Vandaniya Saraswatibai (Taiji Apte) until her passing on March 9,

1994. During her tenure the organization even spread outside India.

The Samiti has since been lead under the loving and careful guidance

of Vandaniya Ushatai Chati, who had been appointed by Taiji Apte

herself. Thus, from the efforts of Mousiji, the women volunteers of

the Samiti are continuing in the protection and promotion of Vedic

culture.

 

* * *

 

There are many other women I could have included in this

article, especially those who have been recognized as saints and

guardians of Vedic culture, such as Anandamayi Ma who lived in

Vrindavana. And presently there are such women as Mother Karunamayi

and Mother Amritanandamayi Ma whose life stories are also

inspirational, and who are traveling throughout the world and

actively preserving and expanding the understanding of various

aspects of the Vedic tradition. Because they offer the unconditional

love of a spiritual mother for their spiritual children, their

popularity is one of the reasons why thousands of people, especially

women, have been attracted to such lady pioneers in spirituality.

The world is like a desert craving for the rejuvenation and

reciprocation of such love. Why would it not be attractive? Even now

there are a host of other women that I have met, whether they are in

the Rashtra Seviki Samiti, Iskcon, Vivekanandra Kendra, Arun Jyoti,

Swadyaya, Kalyan Ashrama, or other organizations, all working in

various ways in their humble service to God, as well as for the

protection and advancement of Vedic culture.

So these are just a few stories of the examples of

strong and influential women in Vedic culture, from the early Vedic

times up to modern date, and how women can further their development

in spirituality and reach a higher potential and contribution to

society.