All posts in this series
- Position of Women in Sanatana Dharma
- A Mother
With the passage of time and distortion of our traditional culture, there are many misconceptions on the position of women in sanatana dharma. In addition to the birth of a crude culture that has surfaced in Bharat, arising from the fall of dharma and moving away from traditional values, there is also growing false propaganda against sanatana dharma that seems to project a poor treatment and view of women as part of sanatana dharma. Every Hindu must make a careful effort to learn what the position of women or matri shakti, is, in our ancient sanatana culture.
In this article we shall understand how sanatana dharma views women through the explanations given by Jagadguru Puri Shankaracharya.
Shakti & Women
When Bhagavan manifests creation after dissolution of the world (pralaya), he has to engage in five activities or tasks. For this, he manifests in five forms, while His original form remains the same. The five forms are of Brahma or Surya (creation), Vishnu (sustenance), Shiva (dissolution), Devi or Bhagavati ( restraining/control), and Ganapati (blessing). Bhagavan manifests as Shakti or Bhagavati to undertake the activity of restraining or controlling. In Kaliyug, the worship of Bhagavati and Ganapati fruits sooner.
While Bhagavati or Devi is worshipped as Saccidananda Sarveshvar, Herself, along with the main four devas, their respective Shaktis are also worshipped – Brahmani, Vaishnavi, Rudrani, and in the form of the wife of Ganapati. Shakti is prevalent within the four devatas and along with them too. This is how matri shakti has immense importance in our shastras.
To defeat the asuras, the shakti of the Devatas combined to create Devi. This has been described in detail in the Durga Saptashati.
When Bhagavan Rama killed the ten headed Ravana, there emerged a Ravana with one thousand faces. He was so powerful that all soldiers who tried to attack him, were sent back to their homes or the place they came from. Thus, war could not go further. Bhagavan Rama was concerned since all returned to their place with one arrow of this Ravana. Narad Muniji said that only when Bhagvati Sita joins war, will this Ravana be killed. Then, Bhagavati Sitaji came to war and killed the thousand headed Ravana.
While the Durga Saptashati is the oldest itihasa potraying the strength of women in war, in modern times, the Rani of Jhansi, sets the example of a great warrior lady.
As per the Bhagvad Gita, creation comes into being through the Maya Shakti of Bhagavan called Prakriti. The creation of women has been done in such a way that they are an amsha avatar of Jagat Janani or Devi. Women are worship-able by birth itself.
“Matri devo bhav”, (mother is divine and worship-able) is our sanatana principle. We address Bhagavan also as “mata” or mother first in our prayers as “tvameva mata” and then only, as pita or father. Such is the importance of women in our culture.
The Mahavidyas
Amongst the ten Mahavidyas – the Vidyas (in the form of Devi) are worshipped as a young girl, a married women as well as a widow. Thus, women of all ages are worshipped.
Small girls are considered a form of Devi Herself. Gurudev narrates an incident when He saw a gentleman touch the feet of a little 9-year-old girl who was sleeping on the upper birth in the train. After touching her feet, he touched his forehead, folded his hands and then went and sat on his seat. Such is our tradition. Karpatriji Mahabhag, during Navaratri, worshiped kumari kanyas (small girls), Himself. The girl child is considered the form of Bhagavati.
A married woman is called “Ardhangini” implying one half of the body. The dharma patni or ardhangini is made to sit on the right side of men to conduct vedic rituals (yajna). Without the wife of a yajman, a yajya is not completed.
To consecrate Rameshwaram, Bhagavan Rama had to perform yajna. For this, Ravan played the role of the pandit. He brought Sitaji only for the performance of the ritual since without her presence, the yajna could not be done by Bhagavan Rama, while the war was to continue.
Draupadi Devi used to offer her mother-in-law Kunti Devi a more expensive sari than that of hers. This is because, she was widowed and thus, Draupadi devi never wanted to hurt her sentiments or make her feel inferior in any way due to that.
Today, it is said that women are subjugated but that is a falsehood that has been propagated. We pray to Ardhanarishwar. Half of the body is of Bhagavan Shiva and the other half is of Ma Parvati. Similarly, Bhagavan Sri Krishna is also worshipped with Radha Rani and their forms are united and viewed as one.
Position of Mother
Even if a person who is on the seat of The Shankaracharya, which is far higher than that of a Prime Minister or President, He must humbly prostrate before His mother. The Shankaracharya, owing to His position, is not to bow down even before an elder brother. The shastras say that the traditionally obtained consecrated “danda” of the Shankaracharya must not bow before smaller devis and devatas either. However, the position of mother is highly revered, and it is the duty to bow before her.
Bhagavan Adi Shankaracharyaji told His mother that He is her only child, and thus, requests for permission to be offered for sannyasa for the protection of the nation and dharma. He vowed, that in her last moments, He will appear and fulfil her wish. Bhagavan Shankaracharyaji was in Sringeri when His mother thought of Him in her last moments. He reached her and proceeded to perform her final rites as per her wish. However, to perform the rites, He faced an obstacle from the people of His community (Namboodhiri Brahmins) who objected to Him performing her rites, being a sanyasi and having renounced fire. Yet, despite this objection, He went ahead to fulfil her desire. He produced fire with His yogic powers and completed the final rites. He cursed his community that they will have to burn their mothers and family before their door and not in the shamshan (as He was compelled due to their lack of cooperation), and they will lose the knowledge of the vedas. This story shows the powerful position of a mother in sanatana dharma.
World Wars to Protect Modesty of Women
We Sanatanis, have undertaken two world wars to protect the modesty of two individual women. This is what our culture teaches us.
Ravan tried to harm the modesty of Devi Sita, and Bhagavan Rama wiped out his entire clan. In the same way, when Draupadi Devi was harmed by her brother-in-laws (the Kauravas) of the house, Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Veda Vyas ji, etc, guided to destroy them entirely. The Mahabharata war took place, and the Kauravas were killed.
To share some more detail, Draupadi Devi said that she will not tie her hair till they are washed with the blood of the Kauravas. When Bhagavan Krishna was on his way to mediate the talks between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, she told Sri Krishna that since the Pandavs are sending him as a peacemaker to the Kauravas, then what will happen to her open hair. She warned Sri Krishna that in case He considers preventing war, then, her five sons will be made soldiers and the son of Subhadra, Abhimanyu, shall lead them as chief to declare war and kill the Kauravas. Bhagavan Sri Krishna assured her that while He will try for peace but the vow of Draupadi Devi will be fulfilled, and her hair will be washed with the blood of Dushhsasan. He said it is His duty to ensure your vow is fulfilled.
When Bhagavan takes birth in a kshatriya family through his Lila or divine play as Rama or Krishna, He too, is afraid of two – a brahmin and chaste women. Within the two, the chaste women have even more power.
Ma Lakshmi
In the Manusmriti, it is written that Ma Laksmi resides in homes where women are respected, where they are happy, and their comforts and conveniences are taken care of. If women are disrespected in a home, it will be poverty struck and hence not witness the abundance and wealth granted by Ma Lakshmi.
The Shukra Niti
As per Shukra Niti, it is the responsibility of the ruler/king to punish a man who tortures or unreasonably subjugates his wife. Thus, women have immense significance, and they have a great position in sanatana dharma. This privilege is not available in the households of any other religions or cults.
Such is the exalted power and position of women in Hindu society. Divinity resides where women are protected and worshiped.
Privilege of Motherhood
Matri shakti has been given such a right that women alone can give birth to Bhagavan in the form of a son as Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, or Bhagavati Devi in the form of Radhaji or Sitaji. She is the one to give birth to great seers and sages, rishis and siddhas. It is from the womb of a mother that Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji was born too.
Mothers have immense authority in the lives of their children. Jagadguru Puri Shankaracharyaji shares from the Ramcharitmanas. Mata Kaushalya told Bhagavan Ramaji to eat something sweet since he will have to spend much time in the court, having become the King of Ayodhya. Bhagavan Rama told His mother that He has been assigned the duty of the king of the forest and Bharat will be the king of Ayodhya. Quoting the Manusmriti, Mata Kaushalya said that she has 100 times more right on Bhagavan Rama than His father. The mother has the power to cancel the order of the father as per Manusmriti and there will be no sin incurred by the son if he then disobeys the father. However, since this decision is based on the wish of the stepmother Kaikeyi, then Mata Kaushalya has to honour it and Bhagavan Rama must go to the forest. Mata Kaushalya then blessed Bhagavan Rama for exile in the forest.
Thus, the above gives us a brief overview on the position of women in sanatana dharma. We can see how women are honoured in our culture and have a very crucial role to play in maintaining the strength of our Hindu society. Our traditions never view women as objects of lust or wealth. It is the responsibility for Hindus to learn more about such sensitive issues via traditional Acharyas, rather than fall for all kinds of distorted information on the subject.
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