Bharatiya Nari Yuga Yuga Me Aur Aaj

This document, titled "Bharatiya Nari: Yuga Yuga me aur Aaj" (Indian Woman: In Every Era and Today) by Nagrajmuni, discusses the historical and contemporary status of women in Indian society, highlighting their struggles, progress, and the need for a balanced approach to modernity and tradition.

Key themes and arguments presented in the text:

• Historical Subordination of Women: The text begins by referencing Manu's statement, "Where women are respected, there reside the gods," acknowledging the traditional high status of women in Indian culture. However, it immediately contrasts this with the reality: throughout history, men have been the architects of society, consistently confining women within narrow boundaries. This was not necessarily due to malice but rather a perceived societal benefit and a "defect in vision" that sidelined women's individual interests.

• Double Standards and Restrictions: The author points out numerous examples of patriarchal double standards:

  • Women were expected to be monogamous, while men could have multiple wives.
  • Women were expected to perform sati (self-immolation on the husband's pyre), while men were not expected to do the same.
  • Women were expected to wear the veil (ghoonghat), a symbol of chastity, while men were not. The author argues that if men had imposed these rules on themselves, they would have realized their harshness.

• Internalized Limitations: Women have largely accepted and adhered to these restrictive norms for centuries, to the point where their "consciousness has become numb." They have internalized these chains, believing them to be their eternal identity.

• Educational Disparity: Men's intellectual and intellectual development progressed, while women remained stagnant in education. This lack of qualification further led to their neglect, being confined to domestic spheres and excluded from understanding commerce, politics, and other public affairs. Men rationalized this by believing women couldn't handle such matters, thus perpetuating a cycle of incapacity and neglect.

• Spiritual Denigration: Women were also devalued in the spiritual realm. Sages and saints often blamed women for men's downfall, calling them deceitful and the cause of damnation. The author counters this by stating that both men and women were susceptible to vices, and men were often the instigators of women's straying. The text criticizes the notion that women were inherently responsible for men's moral decline.

• Exclusion from Spiritual Authority and Knowledge: Women were denied the right to attain liberation, renounce worldly life, and receive spiritual initiation. The lack of a foundational scripture written by a female sage in Vedic, Buddhist, or Jain traditions is highlighted as a stark example of women's exclusion from the intellectual and spiritual discourse. While a few names might be cited as exceptions, they do not represent the general condition of women.

• The Buddha and the Ordination of Nuns: The text details the resistance of Lord Buddha to ordaining women into the Sangha (monastic community), seeing it as a social and organizational challenge. However, due to the persistent efforts of Prajapati Gautami and Ananda, Buddha eventually allowed women to be ordained but predicted that this would shorten the lifespan of his Dharma by half, reflecting the deeply ingrained patriarchal mindset of the era, even among enlightened figures. The unequal treatment of senior nuns and junior monks is also questioned by Gautami.

• The Jain Tradition and Female Ascetics: While the Jain tradition allowed for the ordination of both men and women, limitations existed regarding leadership roles. Nuns could not become Acharyas (spiritual leaders) unless there was a dire lack of qualified monks, and even then, only after a significantly longer period of monastic life compared to monks. This again points to a perceived lesser capability of women.

• Early Female Voices of Dissent: Figures like Gautami and Yashoda (Buddha's wife) are presented as pioneering women who questioned societal norms and advocated for women's rights. Yashoda's refusal to wear the veil is cited as an example of challenging established traditions.

• The Impact of Goswami Tulsidas: The text notes that the negative portrayal of women, as seen in Goswami Tulsidas's writings, reflected and reinforced prevailing societal beliefs for a long time, creating fear that prevented women from pursuing education.

• The Dawn of a New Era (Modernity): The advent of science and the rise of ideas of equality and individual liberty in the new era have broken many of women's shackles. Education, literature, politics, and public spheres opened up for them. Women have progressed rapidly, achieving high positions, proving that their past limitations were circumstantial, not inherent.

• Men's Evolving Consciousness: The author emphasizes that women did not instigate a revolution for their freedom. Instead, it was a shift in men's thinking, recognizing the injustice of keeping half the society disabled and providing opportunities for women to stand on their own feet and develop their latent potential.

• The Crossroads of Culture and Progress: Indian women are at a crucial juncture, balancing the ideals of chastity and service (like Sita and Savitri) with the demand for equal rights. This is a conflict between culture and modern progress, where cultural practices are mixed with superstitions and outdated traditions. Women must use their wisdom to discern between genuine culture and distorted practices. Modern progress also needs to be tempered and not blind imitation. A new philosophy for Indian women will emerge from the synthesis of ancient and modern.

• Critical Evaluation of Tradition: Women must shed the deep-rooted belief that everything ancient and prescribed by ancestors is superior. The text argues that within antiquity, there were both good and bad elements (e.g., Ram and Ravana existed in the same era). Women should think for themselves in their current context. The author cites Buddha's advice to his disciples to accept teachings not just because they are Buddha's words, but because their conscience affirms them.

• The True Measure is Discerning Wisdom: The ultimate standard should not be antiquity or novelty but human awakened conscience. Indian women should critically evaluate the words of their predecessors and not blindly follow modern thinkers like Darwin, Marx, or Freud.

• Division of Responsibilities: Traditionally, women's roles were limited to household management, food, and childcare, leading to limited personal development. The modern ideal is for women to share all responsibilities with men, contributing to education, literature, politics, commerce, and public life. The concern that this will disrupt home life is dismissed, as women can balance domestic duties with other pursuits, just as men do.

• Economic Independence: The author discusses the tradition of a single earner supporting many dependents, which is becoming increasingly difficult in the modern era with changing economic and legal landscapes. Women need to consider livelihoods that do not compromise their domestic responsibilities or character.

• Arts and Social Acceptance (Acting and Beauty Pageants): The text critiques the growing prominence of acting and beauty pageants. It notes the societal shift in viewing acting, which was once considered disreputable, as now gaining respectability. However, the author questions the social desirability of public performances involving women with men, seeing it as detrimental to culture. Beauty pageants are criticized as a Western import with no constructive aspect, leading to undue fame for participants over more accomplished individuals. The text also points out the superficiality of judging beauty and the lack of alignment with Indian civilization in the judging process.

• The Practice of Purdah (Veil): The veil system is presented as a practice rooted in superstition and cultural distortion. While weakened by modern influences, it persists. Although the text acknowledges the veil's presence in ancient texts like Kalidasa's and Magha's works, it emphasizes that its utility, not its antiquity, is what matters. If it has no use today, it should be abandoned.

• Attire and Adornment: The use of cosmetics and ornate clothing by women is contrasted with the modern male tendency towards simpler attire. The author calls for women to adopt modesty in their dress, similar to men, and to not bear the sole burden of adornment. The trend towards artificiality, revealing clothing, and the blurring of lines between modesty and nudity is strongly condemned as regressive and a decline in character. Women should take the initiative to establish modest dress codes and garner public support to prevent immodesty from gaining social acceptance.

• Conclusion on Progress: The overall message is that women should progress, but this progress must be grounded in truth, restraint, and righteousness.

The text uses a quote from "Indriya Parajayashatak 52" to illustrate that, like caged birds or bound animals, individuals trapped in the "cage of womanhood" experience suffering. The concluding "Sajjan Vani" (Gentle Words) section offers reflections on the role of religion in teaching good conduct, fostering excellence, bringing morality, and promoting peace through adherence to ethical principles and limits.