If you read Vedas thoroughly you will find many texts wherein women have been glorified. Vedas does not discriminate against women. But instead say that women have an important role to play in the society and family.
However, there are so called scholars who say that Vedas denigrate women. According to them “any wrong happening in India especially against women is the outcome of Vedic culture.”
It seems that they have not read the Vedic literatures completely or are wilfully distorting the Vedic texts. To substantiate their point, they selectively quote Vedas but mostly wrongly. They argue that “Vedas treat women as a second-class citizen and the holy book justifies violence against women.”
It is no denying the fact that women in India, in rural as well as in urban areas, are often the victims of crimes. I too was confused and sometimes thought that there must be some truth in it. However, close scrutiny of Vedic literatures revealed something else.
Instead of denigrating women, the Vedic literatures give women a very respectable position in the society.
Vedic quotes on Women
Below are quotes from the scriptures, it can help us to understand Vedic perspective on women.
- “A woman must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers in law, who desire their own welfare. Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards. Where the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes; but that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers. The houses on which female relations, not being duly honored, pronounce a curse, perish completely, as if destroyed by magic. Hence men who seek (their own) welfare, should always honor women on holidays and festivals with (gifts of) ornaments, clothes and (dainty) food. In that family, where the husband is pleased with his wife and the wife with her husband, happiness will assuredly be lasting.” (Manusmriti: The Laws of Manu, Chapter 3, 55-60)
- Vedas state that when a woman marries then 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”. (Atharva-Veda 14.1.43-44)
These quotes echo that Vedas do not demonize women.
Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1860-1888) an Indologist and head of the Oxford’s Boden Chair, has written: “Indian wives often possess greater influence than wives of Europeans.”
Why Vedas are criticized?
Then why so much negative propaganda against Vedic literatures. Delving deep into history will help us to understand this. When Britishers set their foot to colonize India then they were amazed to see a society which was God – centered. The Indians had extraordinary faith in Vedas which they considered sacred and their lives revolved as per the injunctions of these literatures.
In spite of hundreds of years of Muslim subjugation, majority of the Indians did not compromise with their religious beliefs and remained Hindus. The Britishers wanted to know what these Vedas are and so they deputed Max Muller to translate these literatures which was in Sanskrit language into English.
Along with this Max Muller also had the responsibility to indoctrinate the Indians into believing that what they are revering is filled with filth. This would ensure that the Hindus would start doubting their sacrosanct Vedic literatures, would start feeling inferior and will then easily accept the doctrines of British Colonists.
Max Muller’s vicious agenda could be easily understood by the letters he wrote to his wife and to the Duke of Argyle.
To his wife he wrote: It (the Rig Veda) is the root of their religion and to show them what the root is, I feel sure, is the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last three thousand years.”
To the Duke he wrote: “The ancient religion of India is doomed. And if Christianity does not take its place, whose fault will it be?”
Vedic Historical facts have been undermined
During their reign in India, the Britishers continued their anti Vedic teachings. Among the Indians they only allowed those scholars to be part of the academic institutions who agreed with their viewpoints. These academicians who were picked and indoctrinated by the British Colonists continued dominating the educational institutions even after India achieved independence.
These academicians – historians, sociologists etc – formed a cartel wherein they never allowed those who disagreed with their opinions or tried to have a different perspective to be part of the mainstream academia.
The history textbooks in India misinterpret, misrepresent and misquote facts to present Vedas, ancient Vedic culture and Indian history in a biased way. Several of the facts as how Hindus were persecuted and how thousands of Hindu temples were razed have never found its place in the history textbooks.
For e.g. in Goa in 1560s AD several orders were passed (which are well documented) by Viceroy D Constantine de Braganca and Governor Antonio Morez Barreto to drive away Brahmins, to confiscate their properties and to forcibly convert the Hindus but these facts are rarely highlighted.
In the book “Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India”, Prof K.S. Lal, former chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR), specifies that Hindus were ruthlessly persecuted by the Muslim rulers and gives the figure that the Hindu population decreased by over 80 million from 1000 AD to 1500 AD.
However these facts and figures are never mentioned in the history textbooks and are never taught in schools and colleges. In fact today if anyone tries to speak about such misinterpretation of Indian history & Vedic literatures then they are immediately rebuked and are painted as sectarian, fascist, illogical and even unscientific.
Millions of women in India never lost faith in Vedas
But in spite of enormous negative campaign, Vedas did not lose its sheen. Women did not get disillusioned by Vedas because nothing obnoxious is there in holy Vedas.
This is why millions of women including those who are highly educated occupying important positions in the society respect Vedas. A woman since her childhood sees that the Indian society does not lampoon her. And she never feels that she is treated as a second class citizen.
She grows up hearing anecdotes of Mahabharata and Ramayan wherein women are often the central characters. She never finds that the scriptures promote, propagate and advocate physical or psychological violence against them.
At her home she finds that her mother plays a vital and central role in the family decision making process. She finds that the society derives inspiration from the lives of Mother Sita, Mother Yashoda, Draupadi and Kunti. Millions of Hindus revere and worship Goddess Lakshmi, Durga, Subhadra and Kali, the feminine divine form.
She reads about saint Mirabai, Maharani Laxmibhai, and several women who actively participated in India’s freedom struggle.
She thinks, “If Vedic culture were against women then how did these women gained so much prominence in Indian society.“
Vedas do not preach hatred; it’s a gross misrepresentation of truth. Vedas preaches all to live with love and harmony. If a person studies the Vedic literatures with an open mind then he will develop admiration for Vedic culture.
Crime against women is a fact in present day society
However there is no denying the fact that there are crimes against women in Indian society which needs urgent attention. The rape cases, dowry death, bride burning and other evils have penetrated Indian society. It is because people have given up Vedic way of life. Materialism which has spread its wings has created a godless culture.
It instigates people to satisfy their wanton desires by adopting any means. Close scrutiny would reveal that proponents of materialism in fact have no respect for women. They use women as a tool to further their business interests.
Scantly dressed women are used in advertisements to sell almost all the products – be it men’s shaving cream, a shoe polish, an electronic gadget, an air – conditioner or a tooth paste.
Crime against women is because people are not following Vedas
We do not find any instance in Vedic literatures wherein women were objectified or used as a commodity. If anyone tried to do so they were severely punished. Duryodhana, Dushasana and Karna had to pay with their life for insulting and disrespecting Draupadi.
Vedas say men and women are equal. They are children of same God. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 14.4, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā – I am the seed-giving father. He is the Supreme father of both men and women. So, men should not disrespect and exploit women. And women should also not disrespect and exploit men. But instead, they both should come together to create a beautiful world and live happily. Once this understanding develops, the exploitative mentality will stop.
The crime against women is not because of Vedas but it is because people are not following Vedas.
If we want to end all kinds of crime against women (or even against men) then we should endeavour to create God centered society as explained in Vedas.
Just making strict laws won’t end crimes completely. All over the world there are laws against murder, kidnapping, rape, theft etc. But still there are felons who commit such heinous deeds. So, there is a necessity of spiritualty.
When Vedas are honored Women live in honor
Spirituality helps to burn the seeds of sin which is the root cause of all sinful activities.
Srila Prabhupada explains, “The only way to permanently change the criminal habit is to change the heart of the criminal. As you well know, many thieves are arrested numerous times and put into jail. Although they know that if they commit theft they will go to jail, still they are forced to steal, because of their unclean hearts. Therefore without cleansing the heart of the criminal, you cannot stop crime simply by more stringent law enforcement. The thief and the murderer already know the law, yet they still commit violent crimes, due to their unclean hearts.”
So to uproot the problems completely, it is important to develop and nurture a God centered society. Vedas help in creating a God centered life.
In a God – centered society, a person cultivates genuine love for God which cleanses his heart. And it helps him to understand that all – men and women – are children of God.
In such a spiritual society both men and women will honor each other. Men will respect women as they respect their own mother, own sister and own daughter. And women too will respect men as they respect their own father, own brother and own son.
If entire world starts following Vedic literatures, there will be no crime against women.
Women will be honoured everywhere when everyone will begin honouring the teachings of Vedas.
Are there any concrete verses in your Vedas which state to honor women and to give them equal rights that a man poses or are you simply putting in your two coins to justify something which has not weight. Just one question, if you really want people in India to follow the basic way of life will you and other who believe in you restart the practice of sati which a Christian missionary had abolished in India? I want a very simple newer. Yes or no.