Women and Hinduism

DUTIES OF THE TRUE HINDU WOMAN



I. THE BASIC NATURE OF WOMEN (ACCORDING TO HINDU DHARMA SHASTRA)
II. THE DUTIES OF THE TRUE HINDU WOMAN
III. THE BHAGAVAD-GITA'S WARNING AGAINST THE CORRUPT IMMORAL WOMAN AND
DEGRADATION OF SOCIETY


I. THE BASIC NATURE OF WOMEN (ACCORDING TO HINDU DHARMA SHASTRA)

The following quote from Manusmrti elucidates the basic nature of women
which may be virtually as true today (or more so) as it was millennia
ago:

"Good looks do not matter to them, nor do they care about youth; 'A
man!' they say, and enjoy sex with him, whether he is good-looking or
ugly. By running after men like whores, by their fickle minds, and by
their natural lack of affection these women are unfaithful to their
husbands even when they are zealously guarded here. Knowing that their
very own nature is like this, as it was born at the creation by the
Lord of Creatures, a man should make the utmost effort to guard them.
The bed and the seat, jewellery, lust, anger, crookedness, a malicious
nature, and bad conduct are what Manu assigned to women. There is no
ritual with Vedic verses for women; this is a firmly established point
of law. For women, who have no virile strength and no Vedic verses, are
falsehood; this is well established." -- Manusmrti 9:14-18. [Doniger,
Wendy. The Laws of Manu. Pub.: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-044540-4.
p.198].

According to genuine Hindu teachings, women are generally low-grade
creatures, have a crooked nature, and are devoid of Vedic verses as
illustrated in the above quote.


II. THE DUTIES OF THE TRUE HINDU WOMAN

The following excerpt from Manusmrti details the duties of women:

"A girl, a young woman, or even an old woman should not do anything
independently, even in (her own) house. In childhood a woman should be
under her father's control, in youth under her husband's, and when her
husband is dead, under her sons'. She should not have independence. A
woman should not try to separate herself from her father, her husband,
or her sons, for her separation from them would make both (her own and
her husband's) families contemptible. She should always be cheerful,
and clever at household affairs; she should keep her utensils well
polished and not have too free a hand in spending. When her father, or
her brother with her father's permission, gives her to someone, she
should obey that man while he is alive and not violate her vow to him
when he is dead. Benedictory verses are recited and a sacrifice to the
Lord of Creatures is performed at weddings to make them auspicious, but
it is the act of giving away (the bride) that makes (the groom) her
master. A husband who performs the transformitive ritual (of marriage)
with Vedic verses always makes his woman happy, both when she is in her
fertile season and when she is not, both here on earth and in the world
beyond. A virtuous wife should constantly serve her husband like a god,
even if he behaves badly, freely indulges his lust, and is devoid of
any good qualities. Apart (from their husbands), women cannot sacrifice
or undertake a vow or fast; it is because a wife obeys her husband that
she is exalted in heaven. A virtuous wife should never do anything
displeasing to the husband who took her hand in marriage, when he is
alive or dead, if she longs for her husband's world (after death). When
her husband is dead she may fast as much as she likes, (living) on
auspicious flowers, roots, and fruits, but she should not even mention
the name of another man. She should be long-suffering until death,
self-restrained, and chaste, striving (to fulfil) the unsurpassed duty
of women who have one husband. Many thousands of priests (Brahmins) who
were chaste from their youth have gone to heaven without begetting
offspring to continue the family. A virtuous wife who remains chaste
when her husband has died goes to heaven just like those chaste men,
even if she has no sons. But a woman who violates her (vow to her dead)
husband because she is greedy for progeny is the object of reproach
here on earth and loses the world beyond. No (legal) progeny are
begotten here by another man or in another man's wife; nor is a second
husband ever prescribed for virtuous women. A woman who abandons her
own inferior (caste birth) husband and lives with a superior (caste
birth) man becomes an object of reproach in this world; she is said to
be 'previously had by another man'. A woman who is unfaithful to her
husband is an object of reproach in this world; (then) she is reborn in
the womb of a jackal and is tormented by the diseases born of her
evil." -- Manusmrti 5:147-164. [Doniger, Wendy. The Laws of Manu.
Pub.: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-044540-4. pp.115-116].

As described in the above quote, women are not fit for independence and
must worship their husbands as gods; these are the duties required of
virtuous Hindu women. The Visnusmrti, quoted below, also delineates
very similar duties of the true Hindu woman:

"Now the duties of a woman (are as follows): To live in harmony with
her husband; To show reverence (by embracing their feet and such-like
attentions) to her mother-in-law, father-in-law, to Gurus (such as
elders), to divinities, and to guests; To keep household articles (such
as the winnowing basket and the rest) in good array; To maintain saving
habits; To be careful with her (pestle and mortar and other) domestic
utensils; Not to practise incantations with roots (or other kinds of
witchcraft); To observe auspicious customs; Not to decorate herself
with ornaments (or to partake of amusements) while her husband is
absent from home; Not to resort to the houses of strangers (during the
absence of her husband); Not to stand near the doorway or by the
windows (of her house); Not to act by herself in any matter; To remain
subject, in her infancy, to her father; in her youth, to her husband;
and in her old age, to her sons. After the death of her husband, to
preserve her chastity, or to ascend the pile after him. No sacrifice,
no penance (vow), and no fasting is allowed to women apart from their
husbands; to pay obedience to her lord is the only means for a woman to
obtain bliss in heaven. A woman who (apart from her master) keeps a
fast or performs a penance (vow) in the lifetime of her lord, deprives
her husband of his life, and will go to hell. A good wife, who
perseveres in a chaste life after the death of her lord, will go to
heaven like (perpetual) students, even though she has no son." --
Visnusmrti 25:1-17. [Jolly, Julius. The Institutes of Vishnu. Sacred
Books of the East (vol. 7). Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1880.
pp.110-111].


III. THE BHAGAVAD-GITA'S WARNING AGAINST THE CORRUPT IMMORAL WOMAN AND
DEGRADATION OF SOCIETY

The Bhagavad-Gita recognizes the wisdom of guarding women (and
children) from their evil tendencies. The following quote from the
Gita not only further confirms the above excerpts, but also clearly
warns that in societies where religion is lacking, women resort to
their polluted tendencies, and unwanted progeny therefore results;
Arjuna explains to Krishna:

"When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krsna, the women of the
family become polluted, and from the degradation of womanhood, O
descendant of Vrsni, comes unwanted progeny." -- Bhagavad-Gita 1:40.
[Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Bhagavad-Gita As It Is:
Complete Edition, Revised and Enlarged. Los Angeles: Bhaktivedanta
Book Trust, 1986. p.66].

To elaborate on this pertinent and common sense principle, the full
purport regarding the above verse from the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is is
excerpted below:

"Good population in human society is the basic principle for peace,
prosperity and spiritual progress in life. The varnasrama religion's
principles were so designed that the good population would prevail in
society for the general spiritual progress of state and community. Such
population depends on the chastity and faithfulness of its womanhood.
As children are very prone to be misled, women are similarly very prone
to degradation. Therefore, both children and women require protection
by the elder members of the family. By being engaged in various
religious practices, women will not be misled into adultery. According
to Canakya Pandita, women are generally not very intelligent and
therefore not trustworthy. So the different family traditions of
religious activities should always engage them, and thus their chastity
and devotion will give birth to a good population eligible for
participating in the varnasrama system. On the failure of such
varnasrama-dharma, naturally the women become free to act and mix with
men, and thus adultery is indulged in at the risk of unwanted
population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in society, and
thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and
pestilence." [Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Bhagavad-Gita As
It Is: Complete Edition, Revised and Enlarged. Los Angeles:
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1986. pp.66-67].

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