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Onkara
09 September 2010, 08:12 AM
Namaté all
I came across a recent conversation on another web site between women who were asking if it was allowed to read certain hindu religious scriptures. As I am also reading the Srimad Bhagavata I have had the personal sensation that the role of women was not equal to that of men and society was more patriarchal. Is this so today?

Perhaps this impression is not correct and you can explain why not? Perhaps if women's status is different to men's then this is to women's satisfaction and is a benefit society and women?

I would like to know what people think?

I know this is a sensitive topic, but to keep my blood pressure down I would also be grateful if people avoid argumentum ad hominem or replying when irritated, please. :)

NayaSurya
09 September 2010, 09:25 AM
Snip, I edited this because...I really have no right to comment. I apologize.

Onkara
09 September 2010, 10:09 AM
namasté NayaSurya
My experience is similar to yours in that it would be the norm for me to walk side to side. I look forward to going to the Indian continent and trying to learn how the culture works.

I wonder if it is simply a question of culture and if there is as much beauty and benefit in a patriarchal society with gender differences as we seem to think there is in a universal society?

Perhaps it is wrong to wade in saying that gender differences are a hurdle to spiritualism and there is a spiritual benefit and beautify in gender differences?

Eastern Mind
09 September 2010, 12:19 PM
Vannakkam Snip: This is a can of worms. I think what we have to make sure to do is to distinguish Hindus from Hinduism. I personally know a lot of Hindus from all cultures in India, and within them all there are your chauvinists and your non-chauvinists. Times are changing fast. Change started with the World Wars when women began working in the supply realms.

Aum Namasivaya

Ganeshprasad
09 September 2010, 04:19 PM
Pranam Snip
I know few women who were prolific in Vedas, take for example Gargi she held her own in King Janak court, so there is no question why they could not study Shastra, having said that, the role of a male and women are different, it is another thing that women today choose to pursue a carrier and take up role of even bread winner but could a man do the reverse, I am afraid no, for a start he can not rear offspring’s. What does Shastra says about it I am afraid you will have to do your own research. I know Manu says when she is a child it is father duty to protect her, when married it is husband duty to protect and provide for her and in old age the sons duty to protect her. I know times are changing, the middle bit may not be palatable to many.

Jai Shree Krishna

Onkara
10 September 2010, 02:36 AM
Thank you for your answers and insight Ganeshprasad and EM.

kd gupta
10 September 2010, 08:24 AM
Namaté all
I came across a recent conversation on another web site between women who were asking if it was allowed to read certain hindu religious scriptures. As I am also reading the Srimad Bhagavata I have had the personal sensation that the role of women was not equal to that of men and society was more patriarchal. Is this so today?

Perhaps this impression is not correct and you can explain why not? Perhaps if women's status is different to men's then this is to women's satisfaction and is a benefit society and women?

I would like to know what people think?

I know this is a sensitive topic, but to keep my blood pressure down I would also be grateful if people avoid argumentum ad hominem or replying when irritated, please. :)
Namaste snip
This is a real current topic to discuss , I shall like to continue when I return from my trip .
Here I can quote this vedmantra…
Na mrasha shrantam…..mithunavabhyajav 3/179/mndalam 1rig

We both [ husband and wife ] have achieved the limits of victory , now we should think for our coming child the same .
Tell me how an woman can know this without going thru these Vedas ?

satay
10 September 2010, 10:22 AM
Namaste,

Let's put it this way. Women are held in the highest regard in Hinduism. It is the only religion that has womenhood embedded in the supreme be it Krishna or Shiva. Both at the highest level contain quality of both genders.

Without one's wife, no yagya is successful i.e. one's wife must participate in every puja, every yagya a man wants to be it for spiritual or material reasons. Some say, this life is a yagya thus symbolically, doesn't hinduism teach that without both genders nothing is complete or successful?

Woman is the mother, the janani of the universe. It is the shakti in shiva and laxami in krishna.

dogra
02 October 2010, 02:43 PM
Here is a link with some information:
http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060128.htm


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Hindus have been blessed with a continuous, unbroken chain of women Saints[1] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn1), Yoginis, Nuns[2] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn2), Priestesses[3] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn3), Ascetics[4] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn4) and Seers[5] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn5) who roam all over the world to this day to preach the eternal message of our Dharma.
Meera, Akka Mahadevi, Lalleshvari, Andal and other saintly women of medieval India are considered some of the foremost Hindu Sages. Their writings are treated as scripture, and chanted with great regard to this day. >












<Women warriors are mentioned in the Vedic texts. Vispala, the wife of chief Khela was an aggressive warrior who lost her leg in a battle. The Ashvins, celestial physicians, gave her a metal prosthesis as a replacement for her lost leg.[23] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn23) Mudgalani drove the chariot of her husband in a battle.[24] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn24) In the Mahabharata, Chitraangada, the wife of Arjuna, was an accomplished warrior in her own right.[25] (http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060121.htm#_edn25) Carvings and statues in several ancient Hindu temples depict women warriors. As examples, one may cite the Khajuraho temples in Chattisgarh, or the remnants of the Vishvanath Temple embedded in Aurangzeb’s mosque in Varanasi. When Lord Rama was asked to proceed on fourteen years of banishment from his kingdom, it was proposed that his wife, Devi Sita, could rule as the queen in his absence>

kallol
02 October 2010, 10:22 PM
Where do we start from ?

1. Shakuntala - moves the court of Dusyanta to claim her rights as wife of the king.

2. Kunti choosing to be virgin mother

3. Sita choosing to go along with Rama to forest

4. Satyabathi challenging Yama to return Satyaban

5. Durga, Kali, Saraswati, Laxmi, etc

6. Several historical greats like Gargi, Amarapali,

7. Several spiritual yoginis upto the present era.

Andal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andal) - A 8th century Tamil saint-poet and one of the twelve Alvars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvars).
Karaikkal Ammeiyar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaikkal_Ammeiyar) - A 6th century Tamil saint-poet, one of the sixty three Nayanmars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayanmars)
Mangayarkkarasiyar (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mangayarkkarasiyar&action=edit&redlink=1) - A Pandya Queen, wife of King Nedumaranan, one of the sixty three Nayanmars
Isaignaniyaar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaignaniyaar) - A Tamil saint-poet, one of sixty three Nayanmars
Avvaiyar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avvaiyar) - A Sangam period (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangam_period) Tamil saint-poet, ethicist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethicist), social reformer.
Akka Mahadevi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akka_Mahadevi) - A prominent figure and Kannada poet of the 12th century Veerashaiva (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veerashaiva) Bhakti movement.
Mirabai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirabai) – Hindu mystical poet whose works are known all over India. She deeply objected to the practice of sati.
Lalleshwari (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalleshwari) – Hindu saint-poetess, and a mystic of the Kashmiri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmiri_people) Shaivites (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaivites).
Bahinabai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahinabai) and Kanhopatra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanhopatra): Hindu poetess-saints of the Varkari (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varkari) sect of Maharashtra. Kanhopatra was a courtesan and dancing-girl by profession
Sarada Devi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarada_Devi) – Wife of the saint Ramakrishna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramakrishna)
Amma Sri Karunamayi (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amma_Sri_Karunamayi&action=edit&redlink=1) – Considered an incarnation of the Divine Mother
Mother Meera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Meera) – Considered an incarnation of the Divine Mother
Shree Maa (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shree_Maa&action=edit&redlink=1) – Born in the Indian province of Asom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asom), near the Shakta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakta) pilgrimage site of Kamakhya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakhya). Those who saw her in samādhi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam%C4%81dhi) (or deep trance), would refer to her as "goddess of the mountain."
Amma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Amritanandamayi) (Mata Amritanandamayi) – From a backward caste of fishers, the Arayan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arayan). She is considered by many, including non-Hindus, to be a divine saint. It is believed that a hug from her will help people deal with any pain and suffering. She tours the world, literally hugging worshippers. In 1993 she was a representative at the Parliament of the World's Religions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_the_World%27s_Religions). She practices Karma Yoga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_Yoga), and is called "Amma", meaning "mother." She also provides for the poor through her organization, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Amritanandamayi_Math).
Anandamoyi Ma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandamoyi_Ma)
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chidvilasananda) – a leader of Siddha Yoga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddha_Yoga).
Nirmala Srivastava (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirmala_Srivastava) – guru and self-proclaimed goddess of Sahaja Yoga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahaja_Yoga).

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Hinduism

The advent of the muslim had a profound impact on the hindu society. The insecurity of the women increased and the gunghat be came prominent and a symbol. They were pushed into the four walls of the house and killed the spirit of their expression.

But still we have Sarada ma, Bhagini Nivedita, Sri Ma and amny others even in modern era.

The urban India is slowly opening up again to the glory of old where men and women vie each other for any space.

Rural India is still to come out of the 1000 years of imposed culture.

Love and best wishes

TatTvamAsi
05 October 2010, 01:24 AM
Namaste,

Let's put it this way. Women are held in the highest regard in Hinduism. It is the only religion that has womenhood embedded in the supreme be it Krishna or Shiva. Both at the highest level contain quality of both genders.

Without one's wife, no yagya is successful i.e. one's wife must participate in every puja, every yagya a man wants to be it for spiritual or material reasons. Some say, this life is a yagya thus symbolically, doesn't hinduism teach that without both genders nothing is complete or successful?

Woman is the mother, the janani of the universe. It is the shakti in shiva and laxami in krishna.

Namaste Satay,

Very well put!

Except, the dumb feminists (redundant ? :D) forget that without men, they too would be incomplete!