|| Shri Hari ||
For Women
Swami Ramsukhdas
|| Shri Hari ||
For Women
tvameva mata cha pita tvameva
tvameva bandhuscha sakha tvameva |
tvameva vidyaa dravinam tvameva
tvameva sarvam mama devadeva ||
Swami Ramsukhdas
|| Shri Hari ||
For Women
Questioner: Some say that "Om" chanting should not be done by women, to what extent is this proper / fitting?
Swamiji: This is true/proper/fitting. See ! If you look deeply in this question you will notice that there is nothing besides pride in all of these questions. There is no truth in it. Shri Goswamiji Maharaj has also said -
‘samsrta moola soolprada naanaa
sakala sauka daayaka abhimaanaa.’
(Manas, Uttarkaand, 74:3)
Pride is the root of metapsychosis and the cause of all pain and grief.
Besides pride there is no real meaning in this question. We want rights to chant "Om"! Now, what will you do from obtaining such rights? In rights (adhikaar) that is reproach, insult (dhikaar). He who holds on to his entitlement, foregoing acts of kindness, in his entitlement (Adhikaar) the "A" is missing, only reproach and insult (dhikaar) is left.
Are you interested in your salvation or are you interested in exerting your rights? Please try to understand this in depth. For women, freedom has been given for their salvation – -
‘Ek hi dharma, ek hi vrat namo, kaaye vachan man patipad premo’. ‘Only one duty, only one religious observance, devoted to her husband in mind body and speech.’
We feel hate and contempt that why such things are written? Modern day reformers are saying that the scriptures have shown disrespect for the women folks. Yet now there is aborting of female fetus. I cannot understand such things that are taking place. Destruction of the female power is a major senseless, incomprehensible act that is taking place. We were all born of a mother, all those that are sitting here, it is mothers who have raised us, and the mother herself was the first Guru. To destroy that power, that energy source itself, is such an ungrateful act. Even in this destruction, you are holding on to your rights ! I do not believe these to be rights. There is greater good that can take place from chanting Ram-Ram, than from chanting "Om".
This happened in Calcutta, many years ago, it might be about 60 years back. I remember the entire incident well. At that time this topic was being discussed when I said to chant Om, to study the Gayatri by which you can attain salvation, however, if that salvation is possible far more easily than what objection do you have? In the scriptures it is written, in the Vishnupuran and also in other places, that in Kaliyug salvation is so easy and particularly for a shudra (labor class), and for a woman, more so than others. You have contempt for those hardships that you have been released from, by being shown the easy simple methods of salvation. It is all due to pride that we must have our rights. Oh! What is in rights? We must attain our salvation. The salvation-liberation that is so very difficult for a Brahmin, is not as difficult for a Kshatriya. Let me tell you one point out of Gitaji.
For Brahmins nine dharmas are laid out in Gitaji - –
shamo damastph saucham kshatinraarjavmewa ch |
gyaanam vigyaanamaastikyam brahmakarma swabhaavajam || (Gita 18/42)
"Serinity, control of the senses, austerity, purity, forgiveness, uprightness, knowledge (wisdom), experience of the proper performance of sacrifice and belief in God and Vedas etc., these are the duties of a Brahmana, intrinsic to his nature. (Gita 18/42)
For Kshatriya there are seven dharmas –
śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṁ yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam |
dānam īśvara-bhāvaś ca kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam ||
(Gita 18/43)
"Heroism, radiance, firmness, resourcefulness (dexterity), not fleeing from battle, generosity and authoritative, are the natural duties of a Kshatriya (a member of the warrior class) inherent in his nature. (Gita 18/43)
For Vaishya- there are three dharmas -
kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam
(Gita 18/43)
Agriculture, cow-rearing and commerce are the duties of a Vaishya, inherent to his nature.
And for Shudra there is only one dharma -
paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam
(Gita 18/44).
Actions consisting of service are the duties of a Shudra, born of his nature (Gita 18/44)
All this says that for Brahmins there are nine duties that he must abide in for his salvation. For the same there is only one dharma (righteous duty), that is to be followed by a Shudra, and he can attain salvation.
sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ
(Gita 18/45).
By one's own duties, when followed with firm conviction and faith, one can attain perfection (God Realization, Salvation).
Such an easy path has been shown to us. And for women, there is -
‘Ek hi dharma, ek hi vrat namo, kaaye vachan man patipad premo’.
A married woman has only one duty of being devoted to her husband in mind body and speech. Hearing this nowadays the talk is that in the scriptures the women have been insulted, they have been shown great disrespect and contempt. Oh! You are the great Mother-Divine Energy (Maatru-shakti). Is it respect to abort a child? It is a great disrespect. It is hatred for the women race, but "vinaash kaale viparit buddhi", which means when your time for destruction has come the first thing to get destroyed is your brain.
When women are asked to refrain from "Om" chanting, then you are being released from hardships. In Gayatri there are many hardships. You have to have a bath three times, you have to keep up the sacrificial fire, you have to read the Vedas. Manu had written that for women, simply to live within the dharma of the husband is the same as attending the Gurukul, and cooking food is same as keeping the sacrificial fire burning. So simple, so easy is the path that has been shown for salvation. But you want hardships, that my rights to chant "Om" must be exerted!
It surprises me that women are actively promoting abortion and operations to prevent child birth. Similarly, women are also promoting getting initiation from a Guru. Those that have Gurus, what extra-ordinariness have you seen in them? Tell me? Any of you may speak up and tell me? It is only an added reason to have pride that I have made a Guru, and you do not have one. Pride is the primary reason for one’s downfall. It is a demoniac tendency leading to bondage. Deliberate and discuss with me. Bring forth your points! Tear my words apart with scriptures, with reasoning!
Do you want salvation or do you want to increase your pride and go to hell? Do you want to go to hell? Tell me, what are your thoughts/plans? One who is interested in salvation, will never increase his pride. Rather he will leave pride, he will give up egoism. Do you want to increase your pride that I want the rights to chant Gayatri, that I have rights to "Om" chanting? In doing so, I will become great! So, have we become great? What is this body by which you have become great? It is a surprising thing. Tell me what is this body? It is only a machine for producing urine and excrement. Even if the best of best foods that offered to God are consumed by this body, it turns into waste matter. Even if the purest of waters from Gangaji - Yamunaji are given to it, it turns it into urine. Tell me! tear apart what I am saying! Refute it, argue against it! Any of you! Now to have pride in that body, that "I am great!" is only pride of the machine that ultimately produces urine and excrement. Will you be able to attain salvation, spiritual benefit with it? It is not ever possible.
See! There is one very important point that is being shared. There is nothing that is good or bad at all. It is proper utilization that leads to salvation and mis-utilization that leads to downfall. Therefore properly utilize every single thing. There is immense glory of proper utilization and much criticism of mis-utilization.
In Uttarkand, in a conversation between Kaakbhushundiji and Garudji there are seven questions. In this the first question is - What is the rarest form of body? Now pay attention to this! Have mercy! The answer was -
‘Sabse durlabh manushya dehi, jeev charaachar jaachat jehi’.
The rarest form is the human body that everyone desires.
First singing the glories of this human body, he further says -
‘Narak swarg apavarg niseni, gyaan viraag bhakti shubh deni.’
The first word mentioned in the glories of this human body is "hell". With this body he can attain hell, heaven, knowledge, detachment and devotion. The fruits of human birth can take one immediately to hell due to mis-utilization. But if properly utilized, it can take you to heaven. The glories are not of this human body, rather they are of its proper utilization. Therefore whether it be a male body or a female body, if utilized properly, it will lead to salvation, or else it will lead one to hell. There is no greatness of male or female body.
Per our shastras (holy texts), the woman rightfully gets half the benefit of good deeds performed by the man, such as "sandhyaa, gayatri, study of Vedas" The hard work is done by the man, and the woman without any effort attains benefits. If she performs her duty (dharma), than half her virtues are accrued to the husband. But if she commits sins, than the husband has a share in the sins as well. Therefore she is called "Dharmapatni", not Paap-Patni. Simply by staying at home she gains without much effort the virtues as prescribed by the scriptures. As you may have all seen in many instances, that man goes to earn a living, while woman happily spends it. If husband is learned, and wife is not, then too she is called "Padhitaani," even if she cannot read a single word. Then what rights are you going to get that are greater than this by chanting Om, or reading Gayatri etc.? Mother's post is very great, far greater than father's. What will you do with all the rights? Why are you unnecessarily causing problems for yourself? Simply by serving and following your dharma, you will get everything. Think about this!
Jai Sita Ram Sita Ram Sita Ram Jai Sita Ram !
From summary of discourse in hindi on Jan 27, 1992 at 3 p.m. by Swami Ramsukhdasji
You can also read message in Hindi titled "Striyon ke liye" - in April 2010 at: http://satcharcha.blogspot.com/
Narayana ! Narayana ! Narayana !
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