Women in Hinduism

[prasad1]

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Sanjay Kali wrote:
"Women in Hinduism have a rich past. In ancient India, women were treated equal to men and in fact they were considered superior to men in many aspects. It is indeed remarkable to note that the word for strength, virility and power in Hindu culture is represented by the feminine "Shakti". Shakti is the all prevailing universal manifestation of the feminine and she is worshiped as the goddess of strength, valour and power in Hinduism. All male power is said to be derived from this universal power and strength of the feminine principle. As per Hindu Mythology and literature kings and towns were completely destroyed because a single woman was wronged by the state or the people in power. Examples are Ravana in the epic called Ramayana and the Kauravas in Mahabharatha."

Article Source: Women in Hinduism

 

[renuka]

I agree women were glorified in the past but at present times I think its better if equal rights are given sans glorification cos with too much glorification we women have to live up to some set gold standards and then it will be the same vicious cycle of restrictions all over again.

Sometimes glorification are indirect form of restriction imposed...there is actually no freedom woven in words of praise.
We will be still hearing people say "as a woman how could you do that!!blah blah blah..

Thats what I mean..so its better having equal rights and be as ordinary as anyone else so we are free to do right and even wrong.

But one story till now I cant digest is why did one whole town had to suffer the effect of Kannagi's husband death?(who was just intoxicated with Madhavi and was not an Uttaman)
If a Pattini is so powerful she better be married to an Uttaman to be fair to general public and not curse innocent people for her philandering husband.

 

[Anand Manohar]

Dear Renuka

I am reminded of - " Hell knows no fury as a woman's scorn "
AM

 

[renuka]

Dear Renuka

I am reminded of - " Hell knows no fury as a woman's scorn "
AM

But she must remember not to make lives of the innocent hell just for her to get even!!!LOL

Actually sometime I feel this "hell knows no fury as a woman's scorn" thing is some over rated drama yaar..Revenge is not an easy game to play.
It takes lots of energy and at the end of it are we really happy when we get even with someone?

 

[sarang]

Kannagi:

Why did hanuman set fire to palaces and houses when his puchcha was set on fire?
Why narasimha paalvan burnt vatapi?

The citizens do suffer for the misdeeds of the king.

This event also confirms that women have enormous power to punish.

Hindu women had power, respect and equality before the muslim rule. They will regain all the respect they deserve.

 

[renuka]

Its as simple as this..anyone of us can write words of praise of Hindu women but in real life I dont really think most Hindu males means what they write.

 

[sravna]

Just a different perspective Renuka. You know brahman is everything. That one represents everything. The idea is the more good you are the more number of people you are equivalent to. So I would say you can destroy a million wicked men than take away the peace of a single virtuous person. What do you say?

 

[renuka]

Just a different perspective Renuka. You know brahman is everything. That one represents everything. The idea is the more good you are the more number of people you are equivalent to. So I would say you can destroy a million wicked men than take away the peace of a single virtuous person. What do you say?

Dear Sravna,

You see if the King had blundered in his decision and sentenced Kovalan to death for a crime he didnt commit we can see it this way too:

1)The sentence for theft was too harsh,,why death sentence for theft?

2)Kannagi could have thought the King was good in other aspects and if he blundered once after all he is human and to err is human.
After all the King didnt know that Kovalan was innocent.

3)She could have thought that after all her husband was no Uttaman so he finally got was overdue and should have spared the life of innocents instead of cursing them.


Ok in Ramayan the scene is different becos Ravan deliberately kidnapped Sita and Sita was pure and innocent so Ravan had to pay for the price of his misdeed.

 

[sravna]

Dear Renuka,

Being chaste or loyal to a husband says something about the character of a woman. It is totally divorced from what type of a person the husband is.

Tell me how many people hate their father or mother or son or daughter if they are not virtuous? On the other hand they conveniently disown their husband or wife, in the present days I mean. For a meaningful relationship you need to be steadfast in it. Do your homework before you get into it. Even after that you find yourself having committed a mistake, then you have got what you deserved. At the very least you shouldn't complain.

 

[renuka]

Dear Renuka,

Being chaste or loyal to a husband says something about the character of a woman. It is totally divorced from what type of a person the husband is.

Tell me how many people hate their father or mother or son or daughter if they are not virtuous? On the other hand they conveniently disown their husband or wife, in the present days I mean. For a meaningful relationship you need to be steadfast in it. Do your homework before you get into it. Even after that you find yourself having committed a mistake, then you have got what you deserved. At the very least you shouldn't complain.

For me I view marriage as a contract..so when either party doesnt follow the contract its terminated.

Father,mother,brother and sisters we do not sign contract with them in anyway and neither do we stay with them for the rest of our lives.

Anyway there is a saying that goes..an indiscriminate person can be sacrificed for the sake of a family, an family for the sake of a village,a village for the sake of country.
Never heard of anyone saying to sacrifice a country for the sake of an indiscriminate person.

BTW just a question..if a man stands by his immoral wife he will be not be looked up as virtuous by society..he might even resort to killing his wife himself.

So lets rephrase this:

Being chaste or loyal to a wife says something about the character of a man. It is totally divorced from what type of a person the wife is.


What say you??

 

[sravna]

BTW just a question..if a man stands by his immoral wife he will be not be looked up as virtuous by society..he might even resort to killing his wife himself.

So lets rephrase this:

Being chaste or loyal to a wife says something about the character of a man. It is totally divorced from what type of a person the wife is.


What say you??

I differ from your view that marriage is a contract in the sense you mean it as more like a business commitment than a personal commitment but leaving that aside for the moment let me respond to the above more interesting observations.

You are trying to redefine the very essence of a man and a woman. The difference between them is not just physical and outward only but also emotional and inward. If it were the former then what you say would be correct. Now let me ask you something first. Would it be acceptable to someone as a woman if she is the breadwinner of the family and the husband does the house chores?

 

[renuka]

Now let me ask you something first. Would it be acceptable to someone as a woman if she is the breadwinner of the family and the husband does the house chores?

Dear Sravna,

I have seen many cases of Househusbands here and the couples are fine with that arrangement.

On a personal note I would not like a housewife or househusband scenario cos when only one party is working there is a risk of us being left with nothing if in event a divorce takes place.
Further more just imagine a housewife or househusband who has never worked before and now a divorcee and he/she have to look for work after such a long time..it wont even be actually easy to earn a decent income.
Alimony might not be enough too.

On a personal note I am a working person mainly becos I want to stand on my own feet.
My father always says " I made you a doctor so that you can stand on your own feet and never depend on any male for your sustenance for the rest of your life"

 

[sravna]

Dear Sravna,

I have seen many cases of Househusbands here and the couples are fine with that arrangement.

Dear Renuka,

There is an ugly emotion called perversion that rules when something contrary to nature happens. Just because something is in vogue doesn't make it right. It could well be the onset of a decay.

 

[renuka]

Dear Renuka,

There is an ugly emotion called perversion that rules when something contrary to nature happens. Just because something is in vogue doesn't make it right. It could well be the onset of a decay.

Dear Sravna,

Why do you think its againts nature?
Even Prakirti and Purusha are in state of equilibrium.
Prakirti doesnt rule Purusha and vice versa.

 

[sravna]

Yes Renuka equality in importance and what better way to do it other than each being a complement of the other?

 

[ozone]

On a personal note I am a working person mainly becos I want to stand on my own feet.
My father always says " I made you a doctor so that you can stand on your own feet and never depend on any male for your sustenance for the rest of your life"

With such thoughts, you cant expect a marriage to be anything but an extension of a business, right?
No matter what, you can't stand on your own legs, even if by that definition you meant money in your hands is enough to get the right to spend and fetch whatever you want. Even after being a doctor, you still need patients

 

[C RAVI]

Shri Sravna,

I went through all the posts between you and Renuka.

Hats off to your patience and your talent to put forward the right things in a right manner.

 

[sravna]

Shri Sravna,

I went through all the posts between you and Renuka.

Hats off to your patience and your talent to put forward the right things in a right manner.

Thanks Ravi

 

[renuka]

With such thoughts, you cant expect a marriage to be anything but an extension of a business, right?
No matter what, you can't stand on your own legs, even if by that definition you meant money in your hands is enough to get the right to spend and fetch whatever you want. Even after being a doctor, you still need patients

I know that as a doc I am dependent on my patients for my income just like how most people are dependent on their employers for income..you guys are getting me wrong.
As a earning women I do not have to be looking for a source of income or live at the mercy of anyone else if the marriage doesnt work out.

So many cases where women have lost everything when a 3rd party is involved in a marriage.As a women my first priority is my child to make sure his education and life does not get destroyed if a divorce takes place.

Yes I do view marriage as a contract..I do not see any harm in that after all when I die I die alone..even the best husband will not jump into my pyre.

We cant be too emotional about life ..we have to be practical.No one knows tomorrow so always be prepared for the worst case scenario.

I view life like this:

I came,I saw, I did what was needed and I left.

 

[C RAVI]

I know that as a doc I am dependent on my patients for my income..you guys are getting me wrong.
As a earning women I do not have to be looking for a source of income or live at the mercy of anyone else if the marriage doesnt work out.

So many cases where women have lost everything when a 3rd party is involved in a marriage.

Yes I do view marriage as a contract..I do not see any harm in that after all when I die I die alone..even the best husband will not jump into my pyre.

Dear Renuka,

A women if she works it helps her in many ways. She can keep herself updated with outside world intellectually; she can earn money that would help with financial requirements of the family, sharing husband's burden; she can earn and do some charity from her own earning if the situation allows; she can earn money to keep reserves as much as possible that would help her family and herself in case of any unpleasent eventuality and she can earn money to keep her sense of self respect, self dignity and self security up (if she feels all this are imperative) doesn't matter if future husband turns out to be a good or "bad" person.

All the above perceptions and intentions are good/healthy and appreciable.

If it is primarily with the sense of cynical ideas, negative perceptions and with the wrong ideas that, a non working women would be zilch in the eyes of MEN commonly and that such women are powerless/valueless/meaningless, then it would be a very destructive and or pitiable understanding.

Yes, even the best husband and best wife will not jump into spouse's pyre. But do you feel unless some one die with you, attempting to not to make you travel alone to the other world, there is no sense or importance associated with that Man/Woman during the life time?

Does it mean that we are so mean with our spouse?

If it is like a business contract would you file a case against your husband if he happen to go wrong in his decisions by which you have to lose some part of your money too?? Or would you charge him with interest if he takes loans from you? Do you have any strict rules to process his request and grant him a personal loan for a genuine reason?

Please don't take my questions personal. I am just questioning the idea of equalling marriage relationships with that of business contracts.

 

[renuka]

Dear Renuka,

A women if she works it helps her in many ways. She can keep herself updated with outside world intellectually; she can earn money that would help with financial requirements of the family, sharing husband's burden; she can earn and do some charity from her own earning if the situation allows; she can earn money to keep reserves as much as possible that would help her family and herself in case of any unpleasent eventuality and she can earn money to keep her sense of self respect, self dignity and self security up (if she feels all this are imperative) doesn't matter if future husband turns out to be a good or "bad" person.

All the above perceptions and intentions are good/healthy and appreciable.

If it is primarily with the sense of cynical ideas, negative perceptions and with the wrong ideas that, a non working women would be zilch in the eyes of MEN commonly and that such women are powerless/valueless/meaningless, then it would be a very destructive and or pitiable understanding.

Yes, even the best husband and best wife will not jump into spouse's pyre. But do you feel unless some one die with you, attempting to not to make you travel alone to the other world, there is no sense or importance associated with that Man/Woman during the life time?

Does it mean that we are so mean with our spouse?

If it is like a business contract would you file a case against your husband if he happen to go wrong in his decisions by which you have to lose some part of your money too?? Or would you charge him with interest if he takes loans from you? Do you have any strict rules to process his request and grant him a personal loan for a genuine reason?

Please don't take my questions personal. I am just questioning the idea of equalling marriage relationships with that of business contracts.

Dear Ravi,

I see emotionally charged questions here.

Money is not my motive in any relationship.I always believe in getting only what I rightfully earned cos taking more than what I earned will form a Karmic Debt.
And neither will I impose any rules and regulations on anyone else which will make them lose cos that again will cause a Karmic Debt.

When I said Marriage is a contract..I meant that marriage has to be preformed and we are not born married.
There has to be a invoking ceremony and a new bond formed by the coming together of 2 individuals.
Isnt that a contract?

Why go so far..even our very existence is a contract..when it expires we drop dead.

 

[ozone]

Why go so far..even our very existence is a contract..when it expires we drop dead.

And when that happens, whom have you contracted with to get you a fitting last rites? Why?

 

[renuka]

And when that happens, whom have you contracted with to get you a fitting last rites? Why?

As I said I dont know tomorrow..If no one wants to do the rites,,the government will dispose the body in the cooperation crematorium.

 

[ozone]

As I said I dont know tomorrow..If no one wants to do the rites,,the government will dispose the body in the cooperation crematorium.

So, you are not just for yourself? and if you want to stand on your own, shouldnt you finish these yourself

 

[renuka]

So, you are not just for yourself?

See actually I do not really care what happens to my body after death.
For sanitary reasons people will need to dispose it.
I do not even want to impose on anyone that he/she have to do any rites.
I am never the imposing types.