Jain Aur Bauddh Paramparao Me Nari Ka Sthan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Jain aur Bauddh Paramparao me Nari ka Sthan" (The Position of Women in Jain and Buddhist Traditions) by Muni Nemichandra, covering the five aspects of a woman's life discussed in the text:

Overall Theme: The text analyzes the position of women in Jain and Buddhist traditions by examining their roles as daughters, brides, mothers, widows, and nuns. It argues that while Vedic traditions often relegated women to secondary status, Jainism and Buddhism significantly elevated their social and spiritual standing, granting them equal opportunities for religious pursuit and personal development.

1. Daughter (Putri):

• Early Life and Upbringing: The daughter's life is the first stage where foundational education, values, and sanskaras (impressions) are laid. Her upbringing significantly influences all subsequent stages of her life.
• Contrast with Vedic Era: In the Vedic period, daughters were not as cherished as sons, especially in the later Vedic period where sons were believed to be essential for fulfilling ancestral debts and ensuring salvation for ancestors. Texts like the Valmiki Ramayana and Aitareya Brahmana portray daughters as sources of sorrow, becoming someone else's property upon marriage, and even causing problems in youth.
• Jain and Buddhist Equality: Jainism and Buddhism, as part of the Shramanic culture, rejected the reasons given for prioritizing sons. They did not recognize the Vedic sixteen sanskaras. Both religions emphasized pure celibacy for ascetics (monks and nuns) in their renunciate life, whereas Vedic dharma considered marriage mandatory for a girl upon reaching puberty.
• Rishabhdev's Example: In the time of Lord Rishabhdev (Jainism's first Tirthankar), there was no discrimination between sons and daughters. He personally educated his daughters, Brahmi and Sundari.
• Religious Equality: Jain and Buddhist scriptures recognized women as equal to men in religious pursuits. Both genders were granted equal rights to practice asceticism and attain liberation or detachment (Vitragata). This religious equality was a boon for the development of daughters' lives.
• Inheritance of Values: Daughters inherited their mothers' thoughts, actions, and sanskaras, living under their mothers' discipline.
• Independent Religious Pursuit: While Buddhist texts mention mothers instilling religious sentiments in daughters, Jain texts do not explicitly highlight this within the family. This is attributed to the developed status of women by the Jain Agamic period, where the negative Vedic influences had largely waned. Daughters could directly seek guidance from monks and nuns to lead a religious and peaceful life. They often sought clarification on religious doubts from great spiritual figures. Examples include Princess Chundi going to the Buddha and Princess Jayanti posing profound philosophical questions to Lord Mahavir.
• Pursuit of Renunciation: Due to the lingering influence of the post-Vedic period, women in the Buddhist era often sought freedom from dependence and suffering by pursuing religious education and spiritual peace. Married women required their husbands' permission for renunciation, whereas unmarried girls could obtain permission from parents or guardians more easily. This led to many young girls renouncing worldly life unmarried in both eras. By the Jain era, as women's status improved, only those with a strong desire for knowledge or those who remained unmarried took up the monastic life.
• Daughter-Related Festivals: Texts like the "Jnatadharmakatha" mention festivals like "Varschgath" (birthday) and ritualistic baths, indicating social recognition for daughters, though often associated with royal families.
• Education: Jain Agamas mention sending sons to art teachers for skills like crafts and arts, as men were the primary breadwinners. Men lacking these skills were considered unfit for marriage. While some merchant women like Thavachcha and Bhadda are mentioned as engaging in trade, girls were generally not taught crafts for livelihood. Their education focused on imparting principles of conduct and morality to ensure a happy married life, sometimes through specific individuals. They were also taught respect for all family members, proper behavior towards servants, and the skills to manage a household and protect the husband's wealth. Royal daughters received training within the royal household.

2. Bride (Vashu):

• Entry into New Family: A woman's second role is that of a bride, entering her husband's family. Here, she earned respect through diligence and pleasant behavior, showing reverence to all family members, especially in-laws and her husband.
• Bride's Subservience in Buddhist Era: In the Buddhist era, brides lived under the strict control of their in-laws. While parents might dissuade a son from renouncing worldly life, his wife would not attempt to stop him and might not even speak to him when he left. Brides had fewer permissions and facilities for religious practice compared to other women. Disobedience could lead to severe punishment or reprimand. The text recounts a harsh incident where a mother-in-law beat her daughter-in-law to death for giving food to a monk without permission.
• Requirements of a Bride: A bride was expected to wake up early, bow to her in-laws, wear the dust from their feet on her head, sleep after them, wake before them, obey their commands like a servant, and speak and behave pleasantly. She had to relinquish any sense of ownership over family members and show due respect.
• Jain Agam Perspective: Jain Agamas also highlight the bride's subservient role. An example is given of a bride being expelled from the house on suspicion of attachment to another man for a minor mistake while serving food in her father-in-law's presence.
• Positive Examples: Despite these expectations, some brides earned the affection of their fathers-in-law through their conduct, like Rishidasi. There are also instances where fathers-in-law provided essential items to their daughters-in-law.
• Task Division: In families with multiple daughters-in-law, task division was based on intellect rather than seniority, as seen in the story of Ujjhiya, Bhakkhia, Rakkhia, and Rohini in the "Jnatadharmakatha."
• Housewife Role: After her in-laws passed away or when children grew up, the bride transitioned into the role of a housewife.

3. Housewife (Grihapatni):

• Religious Rights: In the Jain and Buddhist eras, housewives gained the right to practice dharma alongside their husbands. They could be lay devotees (Upasika) or disciples (Shravika).
• Bhagwan Buddha's View: Lord Buddha considered a virtuous housewife superior in social standing. A man acting with his wife's well-being in mind was considered a good man.
• Developing Personality: The housewife's personality began to develop. She was respected in society, managed the household, enforced discipline, was considered her husband's best friend and well-wisher, and protected his wealth.
• Moral Influence: If a husband acted against morality or dharma, the housewife could express displeasure and compel him to adhere to righteous conduct. Her duties included respecting her husband's associates, excelling in domestic tasks, taking care of family members, and safeguarding wealth.
• Husband's Duty: In return, the husband was expected to remain faithful, provide for his wife's needs, and offer her respect.
• Wife's Nature: The Anguttara Nikaya categorizes wives into seven types based on their nature: destructive, thief-like, servant-like (domineering, lazy, greedy), mother-like (nurturing), sister-like (modest, obedient), friend-like (joyful, companionate), and slave-like (patiently enduring harsh treatment). This classification was aimed at correcting the uncontrolled behavior of some housewives.
• Increased Freedom: The newfound freedom from subjugation might have led some housewives to become too unrestrained, even resorting to violence.
• Jain Era Restraint: By the Jain era, such unrestrained behavior became rare. Jain Agamas mention few instances of wives acting independently, with Revati being an exception who killed her co-wives for property and began a life of sin against her husband's wishes. However, this was an exception.
• Wife's Submissiveness: Most examples in Jain Agamas depict wives as humble and obedient to their husbands. Jain housewives displayed modesty along with freedom, although husbands generally held significant authority.
• Wife as Property: In the Agamic society, wives were often considered personal possessions (parigraha) of their husbands, leading to their inability to voice opposition. Some husbands might even kill their wives for misconduct or for being victims of rape.
• Wife's Influence on Husband: However, the scriptures also discuss instances of wives influencing their husbands through beauty, wealth, social status, children, or moral strength. Even young wives could exert dominance, as seen in King Okkaka banishing his children at the behest of his young wife.
• Dampatya Jivan (Marital Life): For the strength of marital life, a wife's faithfulness was crucial. The text mentions a wife reassuring her dying husband that she would not transgress after his death, leading to his recovery. Couples often shared similar values and conduct. Religious differences could sometimes cause discord.

4. Mother (Mata):

• Universally Revered: Mothers are revered in all religions, philosophies, and societies due to their selfless sacrifices, love, guidance, and education for their children. A child's connection with the mother is strongest from before birth until after death.
• Greater than Heaven: Motherhood is considered greater than heaven itself, making it the most glorious phase of a woman's life.
• Indebtedness: Jain and Buddhist Agamas emphasize the difficulty of repaying parental kindness. Supporting and pleasing parents is considered a virtuous act, earning the doer praise as wise and noble. Families respecting their mothers were considered superior. A capable person failing to support their parents was considered low (vrishal/shudra).
• Lord Mahavir's Example: Lord Mahavir, in his mother's womb, ceased movement to prevent her discomfort. When this caused her anxiety, he resumed movement. He took a vow not to renounce worldly life until his parents were alive, demonstrating profound maternal devotion.
• Peace in This and Other Worlds: Serving parents was believed to bring peace in this life and the next.
• Mother's Unparalleled Affection: Jain Agamas beautifully describe a mother's affection. Upon hearing of her son's desire for renunciation, a mother would faint and, upon regaining consciousness, try to dissuade him through various means. A mother valued her son's life more than her own, even if he were a killer, oppressor, or wicked. The Jain mother's primary aim was to dedicate her life to her son's protection.
• Maternal Service: While Buddhist Agamas preach maternal service, detailed practical examples are scarce. Jain Agamas, particularly "Vivagasuyam," describe King Pushyanandi's dedicated service to his mother, including bathing her, massaging her with oils, and then partaking in food after she did.
• Mother's Property and Authority: Buddhist Agamas mention mothers possessing property inherited from their parental home, which they could spend at will. A woman became the head of the household only after becoming a mother; childless wives were not considered heads.
• Mother-Killing (Matruvadha): Killing one's mother was a grave sin in Buddhist Agamas, leading to severe punishment. Such an act prevented entry into the monastic order. While this heinous act existed in the Buddhist era, it was less prevalent in the Jain era. Jain Agamas have minimal mentions of mother-killing. Even when a son renounced, parental permission was necessary if they were alive, highlighting the immense importance of serving the mother in Jainism.
• Desire for Motherhood: Jain texts mention women like Sulasā making efforts to attain motherhood.

5. Widow (Vidha):

• Dual Perspective: Widowhood, while socially considered inauspicious, is seen as a golden period for spiritual practice and achieving the ultimate goals of Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct (Ratnatraya) and liberation.
• Status: While Vedic and post-Vedic periods saw a pitiable and inauspicious status for widows, with restrictions on their participation in celebrations and limited property rights (especially for childless widows), the Buddhist and Jain eras did not generally have such a pitiable social status.
• Rights and Freedoms: Widows in Jain and Buddhist periods enjoyed the same rights in family and society as married women. There are no mentions in Jain scriptures of widows being prohibited from using colorful clothing, jewelry, or participating in auspicious ceremonies or cutting their hair. If a widow experienced a sense of incompleteness or voluntarily chose not to adorn herself, it was her personal choice. Thavachcha, the merchant's wife, participated prominently in her son's wedding. Radpal and Sudinna's wives continued to use adornments even after their husbands renounced.
• Definition of Widow: Jain Agamas mention categories like "balavidhva" (child widow) and "mruta-patika" (woman whose husband has died), indicating any woman separated from her husband due to any reason was considered a widow. The Mahavagga also refers to the wives of renounced men as widows.
• Sati Pratha (Widow Immolation): The text notes that Sati Pratha (widow immolation) existed in India until the 18th century, where a widow was expected to burn herself on her husband's pyre, especially among Brahmins and Kshatriyas. However, ancient Vedic literature and even post-Vedic texts like the Ramayana and Mahabharata have only scattered and minor references, making it difficult to ascertain its prevalence among the general population.
• Absence in Jain and Buddhist Texts: Crucially, Jain and Buddhist Agamas do not mention or support Sati Pratha. The text argues that if it were prevalent, Lord Buddha or Lord Mahavir, being opponents of violence, would have certainly condemned it. Therefore, it is clear that widows did not immolate themselves on their husbands' pyres.
• Livelihood: Widows had three main options for livelihood: (1) from property inherited from their husband, (2) from the support of their caste/family, or (3) by accepting a relationship with another man. Thavachcha, the merchant's wife, utilized her husband's wealth. Sona became the owner of her husband's property upon his renunciation. Widows without independent means relied on their families. Widows from impoverished families who were childless, or had lost their family, faced significant hardship. Acceptance of another man was not common, and sometimes a man was reminded that his wife was young and could go to another man.
• Remarriage: While Vedic times allowed "niyoga" (levirate marriage) for procreation, Jain and Buddhist eras did not socially accept or condone widow remarriage or niyoga, considering them blameworthy. This was because procreation or continuing lineage was not mandatory in Jain-Buddhist life. An unloved or childless widow was likely considered inauspicious, making remarriage undesirable.

6. Nun (Bhishuni):

• Special Status: Nuns held a distinguished position among women in the Agamic period. The religious revolution in Jain and Buddhist eras, characterized by renunciation, detachment, and self-control, earned nuns great respect and attraction from society.
• Jain vs. Buddhist Nuns: Both traditions offered nunhood as a path to liberation from suffering, peace, and attainment of Ratnatraya. While the goal was the same, societal attitudes, attraction, behavior, and practice differed, creating distinctions between nuns of the two traditions.
• Reasons for Becoming Buddhist Nuns: Buddhist Agamas suggest women often sought to enter the Sangha due to dissatisfaction, fear, or distress from social and family life. This led to a large number of nuns, prompting Lord Buddha to establish a separate code of conduct for them. Despite this, issues like the insecurity of nuns' conduct, Sangha disorder, and societal distrust created ongoing challenges for Lord Buddha, necessitating new rules.
• Differences in Monastic Orders: The Jain nun order was more disciplined and regulated. Jain nuns had rigorous practices, and separate dwelling places for monks and nuns. The Jain nun order existed even during the time of the first Tirthankar, Lord Rishabhdev, suggesting its practices were mature, experienced, and socially accepted. The Buddhist Bhikkhuni Sangha was established five years after the Bhikkhu Sangha. This delay is attributed to Buddha's initial reluctance to admit women, seeing them as a cause of worldly suffering and an obstacle to liberation. While he believed women had equal capacity for dharma, he was hesitant about their admission into the Sangha, preferring a purely celibate order. The Buddhist Sangha of that era was also unable to adequately protect nuns.
• Jain Superiority: According to Jain Agamas, women had equal rights in household life and were not restricted from becoming nuns. Jain tradition also recognized women's potential to achieve omniscience (Kevaljnan), become Tirthankaras (like Mahali), and attain liberation (like Kali, Mahakali, Krishna, Mahakrishna). Lord Buddha believed women could not become Samyak Sambuddhas (fully enlightened beings). Therefore, Jain nuns were religiously superior to Buddhist nuns, both theoretically and practically, enjoying equal rights in the religious sphere with monks.
• Jain Nun Sangha's Stability: By the Jain era, the nun Sangha was well-established, making the protection of nuns' conduct less of a complex issue than in the Buddhist era. The Jain Sangha's structure was not based on republican principles; the senior monks were responsible for the Sangha's supervision and management, adhering to existing rules and creating new ones as needed. They remained vigilant in protecting the Sangha, especially the nuns. This allowed Mahavir and later Acharyas to ordain women without hesitation or restriction. Jain Agamas have no mention of societal disrespect or misconduct towards nuns.
• Reduced Vulnerability: The risk of insecurity faced by Buddhist nuns from society was significantly reduced by the Jain era. Nuns held a special place in society, with even the highest individuals rising from their seats to greet, welcome, and show respect.
• Reasons for Becoming Jain Nuns: In the Jain era, the allure of nunhood decreased. Only women with a strong desire for knowledge, insight, liberation from suffering, or those finding it difficult to live in family life due to being undesirable to their husbands, unable to bear children, or neglected as widows, took up nunhood. Such women, upon renouncing worldly life, easily obtained acceptance from their guardians. Initially seeking solutions to their suffering from Jain nuns, women were often compelled to adopt nunhood when the nun advised them to take up the path of faultless nun life instead of worldly remedies. Thus, women in this era often became nuns due to dissatisfaction with worldly life rather than the glamour of the nun's life.
• Rules for Nuns: Jain nuns were organized into groups of three or four (Sanghada or Sanghataka), with the senior-most nun leading each. A "Pravartini" or "Mahattara" (senior nun) was chosen to oversee all these groups, managing their Chaturmas (four-month retreat), education, service, and penance for purification. Most rules were common for both monks and nuns, with specific rules for nuns to ensure their safety from individuals with corrupt intentions. While Acharyas and Upadhyayas were senior officials and protectors of both Sanghas, they did not interfere in the internal affairs of the nun Sangha, which was managed by the Pravartini.
• Buddhist Nun Rules: General rules for Buddhist nuns were based on those for monks, but specific rules were created for nuns' lives, primarily in three categories: (1) physical needs to prevent mockery or disrespect in society, (2) to curb tendencies towards accumulation and behaviors contrary to self-control, and (3) to strengthen celibacy and prevent straying from the path of chastity.
• Reputation: Both Jain and Buddhist nuns were expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upheld the Sangha's reputation and avoided public criticism. Their lives were to be exemplary, virtuous, knowledgeable, and goal-oriented, representing the highest ideal of renunciation, austerity, detachment, and self-control.

Conclusion: The text concludes that women, in all their five roles, held a dignified position in both Jain and Buddhist traditions. Their past was bright, and their future is also projected to be bright, signifying that dharma is the guiding light in the ocean of existence.