Women Rights and Veda

Women Rights and Veda

Dou you think that women are weak in the Veda or Vedic culture? How can we compare the present poor mentality guided by the western Christian culture with our eastern philosophy based on Veda? Are the women really suppressed in the given roles by the Veda? Now time has come to think ourselves only standing in our own eastern philosophies and not to run after the doctrines set by the western culture and women. Our women respects are far better than the other is. Among the many societies that can be found in the world, we have seen that some of the most honoring regard for women has been found in Vedic culture. The Vedic practice has believed a high regard for the qualities of women, and has reserved the greatest respect within its tradition as seen in the rectitude it gives for the Goddess, who is described as the feminine incarnation of important qualities and powers. These forms include those of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Subhadra, Durga, Kali, and other Vedic goddesses that exemplify inner strength and divine attributes. Even celestial power in the form of shakti is well-thought-out feminine.

Throughout the many years of Vedic culture, women have always been assumed the highest level of esteem and liberty, but also fortification and care. According to Manu Smriti part III, there is a Vedic saying, "Where women are adored, there the gods reside." Or where the women are pleased, there will be opulence. "Women must be pleased and festooned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers‑in‑law, who desire their own well-being. Where women are pleased, there the gods are happy; but where they are not pleased, no holy rite yields rewards. Where the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly deceases; but that family where they are not unhappy ever flourishes. The houses on which female relations, not being duly honored, pronounce a curse, perish completely, as if destroyed by magic. Hence, men who seek well-being, should always integrity women on holidays and festivals."

            Furthermore, in the Vedas, especially in Atharva-Veda, it is mentioned that when a woman is invited into the family through marriage, she enters "as a river enters the sea" and "to rule there along with her husband, as a queen, over the other members of the family." This kind of equality is rarely found in any other religious scripture or in the western societies. More than that, a woman who is devoted to God is more highly regarded than a man who has no such devotion, as found in the Rig-Veda: "Yea, many a woman is more firm and better than the man who turns away from Gods, and offers not." Additional quotes can be found in other portions of the Vedic literature. This is the proper Vedic standard. If this standard is not being followed, then it represents a diversion of the genuine Vedic tradition. In fact, again citing from Atharva Veda, in early Vedic civilization women were always encouraged to pursue spiritual advancement without hindrance: "O bride! May the knowledge of the Vedas be in front of you and behind you, in your centre and in your ends. May you conduct your life after attaining the knowledge of the Vedas. May you be benevolent, the harbinger of good fortune and health, and live in great dignity and indeed be illumined in your husband's home."

Unfortunately, these standards have declined primarily due to the outside influences that have stolen in because of foreign cultures. And gradually women were viewed as less divine and more as objects of gratification or property to be possessed and controlled, or even exploited. In real 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 our society was due to a loss of culture and of the true Vedic standards and a lack of  understanding true Vedic spiritual knowledge. 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, spiritually speaking, 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 forcefully try to seize the role of men or try to 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. Of course, there are exceptions in which some men are naturally good at feminine roles and some women are talented in masculine occupations. But, the point is that 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 there be a spirit of cooperation and appreciation between men and women when instead there is a mood of competition, or of disrespect for one towards the other? 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. Thus, let's respect women and women should respect themselves. Have self-esteem.

The Vedas say, man himself (aatmanah) is only half or incomplete (ardha), as long as  (yaavat) he does not obtain (Vindate) a wife (jaayaa). According to the Vedic teachings and ancient Aryan scriptures, women have been placed at a higher status than man. She has been given preference to man in every field, so much so that when giving a boy a joint name of a god and goddess, the name of the goddess is always placed before the god. For example: In the name “Sita Rama”, Sita is wife of Rama. In “Radhe Shyama” Radha is the beloved of Krishna. Again, in “Gori Shankar”, Gori is Shankar’s or lord Shiva’s wife. We call our country motherland, mother is superior to father. We are taught to be more indebted to mother than father — “Maat devobhava” before “Pita devobhava”.

In our country, there is a festival to worship womanhood as early as when they are little girls, called “Kanya Poojan”, on the eighth day of the moon, or the Asthami. On this day, little boys call their sisters, cousin sisters, relatives and neighbouring girls, to their homes. The girls come with great affection to their brothers, properly dressed and bedecked. The boys first wash the feet of the girls as a token of great respect and service. They feed them sweets and other food prepared by their mothers for the girls. The boys feel great privilege and honour in serving the girls. The mothers guide the boys to perform their duty of serving their sisters and also tell them their duties towards their sisters in future life. Respect of womanhood starts at that age.

Woman stands paramount in Vedic culture. We go as far as saying that if one wants to understand culture and civilisation of a nation, one has only to observe how that nation treats its women folk. She is the symbol of culture.

lord Manu forcefully states, Wherever women (naaryah) are adored and regarded (Poojyante), believe i, there reside godly people  (ramante tatra devataah). And where they are not regarded or are neglected, there, all efforts (kriyaa) of men (aphalaa) will bear no fruit.

In the field of education, women were given equal opportunities. They had their own Gurukulas — covents — where they studied and acquired knowledge of science and arts. There were highly educated and wise women. There have been great women like Shila Bhattaarikaa, Maarutee, Morikaa and Subhadra etc. Vijayaanganaa is counted next to Kalidasa as a dramatist.

The Gita says that a woman should have the keen desire and capability to give shelter and support to others, have a good memory (smriti) to remember her duties, deep thinking power and good intuition, the courage and boldness to face odd times, and the kindness to pardon others.

In Vedas, the bride-to-be, is called Kanya and it is she who has the birth right of choice and of obtaining a matrimonial partner. The word Kanya is a derivative of root knee deeptow which means “to shine” or be illustrious or to illuminate.”

The women at home are mahaabhaagaah or the source of great fortune. They are poojaarhaah or worthy to be worshiped, they are the lights, who by their behaviour, brighten the whole family atmosphere. It is they who are gracefully good to give us our progeny. In the family or at home, there is no difference between (shree) the wealth and fortune of the family and (striyah) the ladies at home, that is, they are the emblem of prosperity and good fortune.

It is also said that if a husband, in his family, protects and provides well his wife, actually he protects his family prestige, traditions, his progeny and the social laws; much depends on the wife. A man without a wife cannot even perform any ritual or ceremony without his wife, according to the Vedas.