Talk:Woman, Hindu
By Swami Harshananda
General Introduction[edit]
If the estimate of the excellence of a civilization and culture depends upon the degree of excellence of its women, then the women of the Vedic age and the epic period come in that category beyond each doubt. Some of the unique qualities of the all time great women who have shown by their llife as an example to what glorious heights a women can rise is as belows:
- The knowledge of Brahman of Vāgāri-bhṛṇī[1]
- Intellectualism of Gārgī Vācaknavī[2]
- Yogic mysticism of Sulabhā[3]
- Scholarship of Arundhati who was an ācāryā[4] in her own right[5]
- Wifely devotedness of Sāvitrī[6]
- Consummate chastity of Anasuyā[7]
- Perfect personification of all the great womanly virtues called Sītā[8]
Basic Religious Attitude[edit]
This could happen only because Vedānta, the quintessence of scriptures, has declared in unequivocal terms that man and woman are the two aspects of one and the same divinity.[9][10] Hence, both have the same capacity to realize that divinity. Consequently, they should be given equal opportunities to do so. This is established by the examples of Maitreyī as a seeker of Truth[11] and Vāgāmbhṛṇī as a perfected soul.[12]
One more basic factor which has to be remembered here are that both man and woman or every living being in the universe for that matter, are in their essential nature - the ātman or the soul, which is immortal and pure consciousness. For a bound soul,[13] birth as a man or as a woman depends on its karma. The same jīva is sometimes born in a male body and sometimes in a female body. Since the ancient sages kept these basic facts always in their mind always, women were given full freedom to pursue any goal of life, here or hereafter.
A Survey of Woman through the Ages[edit]
In the Rgveda Times[edit]
In the Rgveda itself about thirty women sages like Viśvavārā,[14] Apālā[15] and Ghoṣā Kākṣivati[16] have been mentioned as the seers of hymns. Girls who underwent the upanayana sacrament and studied the Vedas either in the gurukula[17] or at home were known as brahmavādinīs. The sadyovadhus were those girls who did not study the Vedas but were straight-away given in marriage. But even these girls underwent the upanayana sacrament before marriage.
In the Smṛti and the Dharmaśāstra Times[edit]
The tradition of sending the girls to the gurukulas seems to have been gradually given up. The responsibility of educating them was then taken care by the father or other elder men of the family. Even during the epic period, women could undergo upanayana ceremony, study the Vedas and be teachers of the Vedas. This tradition probably disappeared by the time of the Manusmrti.[18]
By the time of the smṛtis and the dharmaśāstras, there was a gradual decline in the status of women. They were even bracketed with the śudras, after giving up all the earlier privileges. Social upheavals brought about by frequent invasions by foreign marauders might have contributed to this development.
In the Middle Ages[edit]
It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that even during these dark middle ages[19] many eminent women of literary fame like Ketalādevī,[20] military generals like Nāyakādevī,[21] administrators like Ahalyābaī Holkar,[22] and saints like Mīrābāī[23] appeared on the country’s horizon keeping the ancient spirit of the country alive. With the advent of political freedom and reform movements within the religion, the condition and status of women have improved a lot.
A Bird’s Eye View of the Social Structure[edit]
Position of Women in Epic Age[edit]
Over the centuries, the position and status of women has seen several changes. During the Vedic and the epic ages, they had access to good education and the freedom as adults to choose their husbands. As wives and mothers, they had a respectable place in the Vedic sacrifices and religious rites, though rarely they had the freedom and opportunity to remain unmarried and devote themselves to spiritual pursuits.
However, the insecurity brought about by the frequent foreign invasions forced the society to subject women to many restrictions, practically confining them to the four walls of the home whether it be parental or those of their husbands. Pre-puberty marriages culminating ultimately in ridiculous child-marriages was one of the evil results of this restriction.
Social Scenario for Widows[edit]
As a corollary arose, the problem of child-widows lead to their wretched life for slaving for others. Attempts to introduce remarriage of such widows by social reformers like īśvaracandra Vidyāsāgara[24] were not very successful.
As for adult widows, including those with children, healthy restrictions were imposed in consonance with the philosophy of life. They were expected to lead an austere life similar to that of sanyāsins. Tonsure of widows existed only in a small section of orthodox brāhmaṇas in South India. Even this has disappeared now. Remarriage of married women was permitted under certain special conditions like the death of the husband before consummation, the husband missing for a long time or taking sanyāsa.[25]
Marriage System[edit]
Since marriage was considered a sacrament and a life-long bond, its dissolution or divorce was not known. Though eight forms of marriage had been mentioned by the dharmaśāstrās, only the first four were recognized to be legal. They are:
- Brāhma
- Daiva
- Ārṣa
- Prājāpatya
While the wife was expected to preserve her chastity at any cost and be devoted to her husband, the husband was required to treat her with love, consideration and respect. She too had an important role to play in religious rites. The place of the mother in the family was supreme. By declaring her to be far superior even to the father,[26] she was raised to the status of a goddess. Her curse could never be averted. Even a sanyāsin[27] had to bow down before his mother whereas all others, including his father had to pay obeisance to him.
Satī System[edit]
The Satī system, where the widow sacrificed her life on the funeral pyre of her dead husband was optional. This system was confined mostly to the princely class. It was never encouraged, though during a certain period in the 18th century Bengal, most inhuman widow burning did take place. This was successfully eliminated by the efforts of enlightened leaders like Rājā Rāmmohan Roy.[28]
Jauhar System[edit]
Mention should also be made here of the practice of jauhar by the women of Rājaputāna. It is a type of self-immolation resorted by them to escape capture, molestation, captivity or slavery, as a last resort, during war, when defeat was certain. These women dressed themselves well, took the blessings of the elders, came in a procession and fell into a huge blazing fire, sacrificing their lives. For them their honor as women was more valuable than even their own lives. This has shown to what great heights womanhood could rise in periods of national disaster. Historians have recorded at least three such jauhars at Chittor in Rajasthan during A. D. 1303, 1534 and 1568.
Devadāsī System[edit]
Another social practice which gradually deteriorated into a social evil was the devadāsī system. Originally, unmarried girls were dedicated to a local deity in a temple. They lived with their parents and served as the handmaids of the gods through dancing and singing on special occasions until they were married. When this ‘marriage’ to the deity became a permanent affair, it gave rise to concubinage and prostitution. Vigorous efforts by social reformers have practically elimi¬nated this system but for some remnants in South India.
Legal Rights of Women[edit]
Up to the pre-independence days women did not have rights over the properties of their fathers. Their control over that of their husbands, even after their death, was very limited. However the laws by the Indian Parliament during the period A. D. 1954-1956 have brought about revolutionary changes in their favor.
Other Customs[edit]
A few other customs also may be mentioned here:
- The practice of niyoga or levirate was abandoned long back and was declared sinful in the Kaliyuga or Iron Age.
- The purdah system, women wearing veils to cover their faces, existed only in the royal and very rich families, that too in North India, probably due to the influence of Islamic culture.
- Even for serious crimes committed by women, the punishment or expiation was less severe.
- Death penalty was practically unknown.
- Women raped were never to be abandoned but taken back after expiations and purificatory rites.
- The wife of the head of the family was the matron of the home. With regards to the deśācāras, local religious customs, not specifically mentioned in the religious works, she and other elderly ladies of the family had to be consulted.
In the Modern Context[edit]
Political freedom of the country has brought about political unity of the whole country. However, partition has also had its tragic effects. As a result of these two simultaneous phenomena the life pattern of women has changed profoundly over the last fifty years than over several centuries. Normally, it is the educated middle class that shapes the cultural life of a society. Women of this class had been holding on to their values and ways of life, good or not-so-good with great tenacity for ages. But, the sudden social upheavals due to the partition and also the new found freedom gradually unshackled them, making them venture into many new fields of life, formerly thought to be the prerogatives of men only.
Now they are able to receive good education in any field and get suitable jobs to earn their own money thereby increasing their standard of living without depending on the men-folk of the family. This has contributed to their self-confidence and boldness in public life. It is not uncommon to see qualified and able women even in the fields of government administration, law-courts, police, armed forces, business houses and institutions of higher education. These employment opportunities have had a very healthy effect on the widows with young children to take care of. They can now keep their independence and dignity. Women now have equal rights of inheritance over the properties of their fathers and husbands.
Polygamy which existed for millennia has been abolished and monogamy has been enforced. Divorce is easier and is allowed to both the sexes. Age of marriage for girls has been raised to 18 plus. However, women are generally marrying late, after the age of 20 or more. Women are also exercising the option of remaining single or join the monastic organisations for women which was almost unheard of in the earlier days.
However, in their hurry to become ‘modern’, they seem to be falling a prey, like men, to imitate the Western culture to the detriment of the time-tested religious values of life. The ancient and eternal ideal of the perfect wife-hood and the perfect motherhood, as demonstrated in the life of Sāradādevī,[29] the divine spouse of the Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahamsa[30] seems to be slowly fading. This does not augur well for the society. The earlier the women wake up to this danger, the better.
References[edit]
- ↑ Rgveda 10.125.1-8
- ↑ Brhadāranyaka Upanisad 3.6.1
- ↑ Mahābhārata, Sāntiparva 320
- ↑ Ācāryā means teacher.
- ↑ Mahābhārata, Anuśāsanaparva, 130
- ↑ Mahābhārata, Vanaparva 297
- ↑ Mahābhārata, Ādiparva 65
- ↑ Rāmāyana
- ↑ Śvetāśvatara Upanisad 4.3
- ↑ Brhadāranyaka Upanisad 1.4.3
- ↑ Brhadāranyaka Upanisad 2.4.3-5
- ↑ Rgveda 10.125
- ↑ It is called as the jīva
- ↑ Rgveda 5.28
- ↑ Rgveda 8.91
- ↑ Rgveda 10.39
- ↑ Gurukula means the house of the guru.
- ↑ Manusmrti was written in 200 B. C.
- ↑ Middle ages commenced from A. D. 900.
- ↑ She lived in 12th century A. D.
- ↑ She was from Gujarat and lived in A. D. 1158.
- ↑ She lived in A. D. 1735-1795.
- ↑ She lived in A. D. 1547-1614.
- ↑ He lived in A.D. 1820-1891
- ↑ Sanyāsa means monastic life.
- ↑ Manusmrti 2.145
- ↑ Sanyāsin means monk.
- ↑ He lived in A. D. 1772-1838.
- ↑ She lived in A. D. 1853-1920.
- ↑ He lived in A. D. 1836-1886.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore