Women in the Teachings of Hinduism

A recent report disclosed by the UN mentioned that women in India are facing a number of problems including malnutrition, poor health care and lack of education.

A recent report disclosed by the UN mentioned that women in India are facing a number of problems including malnutrition, poor health care and lack of education. This is reflected on the ratio of the number of men to women, 960 women for 1000 men3 . Another problem is that men are demanding high dowry from the bride's family, which has put a lot of economical pressure on the bride's family.

Such unfair practice was one of the factors behind the escalating rates of infanticide. Female children face a higher probabil- ity of abortion at late pregnancy due to the ability to diagnose the sex of the baby via ultrasound. Selective abortion is also done because of preference to male babies. Female infan- ticide has become a common practice. As a matter of fact, the burning of the widow Sati alive after the death of her husband is part of the Hindu teachings that has been prac- ticed against women through history. It was very prevalent in India until the British government prohibited it in 1930.

By a girl, or by a young woman, or by a woman advanced in years, nothing must be, even in the dwell- ing-place, according to her mere pleasure. In childhood, a female must be dependent on her mere fa- ther, in youth on her husband, her lord (husband) being dead, on her sons. A woman must not seek inde- pendence.

(Dharma Shastra, Ch. V. pp. 162-3)

According to Manu's teachings, there are certain types of beings who do not deserve any rights

Three persons, a wife, a son and a slave, are declared by law to have in general no wealth of their own. The wealth, which they may earn, is regularly acquired for the man to whom they belong.

Three persons, a wife, a son and a slave, are declared by law to have in general no wealth of their own. The wealth, which they may earn, is regularly acquired for the man to whom they belong.

to worship Hindu gods in their own name, they must pray in their husbands' names.The wife is forbidden the comfort of approaching the gods in her own name. No sacrifice is allowed to women apart from their husbands, no religious rite, no fasting.7

They do not seem to have a personality of their own. They are just attached to man. They are also not allowed to read religious books. According to the Dharma Shastra of Manu,For women no (sacramental) rite (is performed) with sacred texts, thus the law is settled; women who are destitute of strength and destitute of (the knowledge of) Vedic texts, (are as impure as) falsehood (itself), that is a fixed rule.8

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE TEACHINGS,

The Dalit Voice, 1-15 of February, 1994 reported that Shankarachari of Puri Swami Nischalanda publicly stopped a woman from recit- ing verses of the Vedas at a gathering in Calcutta on Janu- ary 16th, 1994.9?

The strict caste system imposed by the Brahmins (the learned Hindu priests and upper caste) has resulted in the degradation of other castes. Women were affected the most, especially those of lower casts. Dr. Chatterjee (1993) referred to a report by the Times of India in which they referred to Devadasi system (religious prostitution) imposed by priests.

" Poor low-class girls, initially sold at private auctions, were later dedicated to the temples. They were then initiated into prostitution".10 In another report The Times of India, in its issue of the 10th of November, 1987 has confirm the wide spread of Devadasi system. The system involves dedicating "young Harijian girls (Mahars, Mangs, Dowris and Chambhar) at childhood to a goddess, and their initiation into prostitution when they attain puberty continues to thrive in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and other parts of South India. This is due to social backwardness, poverty, and illiteracy".

The report mentioned that this system of prostitution flourishes as a result of conspiracy between the feudal class and the Brahmins. With their ideological and religious influ- ence, they had control over the illiterate peasants and crafts- men, and prostitution was religiously sanctioned. The re- port referred to a study by two doctors from the Indian Health Organization that girls from poor families were sold after puberty at private auctions to a master who initially paid a sum of money to the families ranging from Rs. 500 to 5000.11

According to Vedic teachings, the women have no rights. They are just blessed to be subservient to their hus- bands. Whatever be the qualities of the man with whom a woman is united ac- cording to the law, such qualities even she assumes is like a river (united) with the ocean.12

IN ANOTHER VERSE THE VEDIC TEACHINGS OF MANU GIVE NO VALUE, WHATSOEVER, TO WOMEN.

Neither by sale nor by repudiation is a wife released from her husband; such we know the law to be, which the lord of creatures (Pragapati) made of old.13

Women according to authentic Hindu Vedic teachings are just like property that can be inherited and used by oneís relative. The wife of an elder brother is for his younger (brother) the wife of a Guru... 14

Manu implemented a similar law regarding the in- heritance of the wife of the deceased husband by his If the (future) husband of a maiden dies after troth verbally plighted, her brother- in-law shall wed her ... 15

In Christian literature, crucifixion is not the only contentious issue by any means, as the life of Jesus (pbuh) himself is much shrouded in mystery, except for the three main years of his ministry. The Orthodox Christian Church makes it a cardinal point of its doctrine that Jesus’ (pbuh) life was taken on the cross, that he was crucified and was buried, that he rose on the third day in body and soul with wounds intact, that he walked about and conversed, that he ate with his disciples, and that he was afterwards taken up bodily to heaven.

The rigid and unfair caste system has favored the Brahmins at the expense of other castes. Women of lower casts and their offspring have suffered in many ways. Receiv- ing unfair share of inheritance was only one issue. According to Manu's law; The Brahmana (son) shall take four shares, the son of the Kashatriya (wife) three, the son of the Vaisya shall have two parts, the son of the Sudra may take one share.

Women according to Manu's Hindu teachings do not have the right to question their husbands or take legitimate measures to correct their husband's behavior. She who shows disrespect to (a husband) who is addicted to (some evil) passion, is a drunkard, or dis- eased, shall be deserted for three months (and be) deprived of her or- naments and furniture.17

Unrestricted po- lygyny is legalized by Hindu teachings. Ram fa- ther has several wives in addition to many concu- bines.18 Krishna, the hero of Mahabharat and an in- carnation of Vishnu (Hindu god) had eight chief wives. He married another six- teen thousand and one hundred women on the same day.19 Swami Vamdev of VHP, is in favor of issuing permission to Hindu males to have a maximum of 25 wives.20 In Hindu society, on the other hand, the life of women whose husbands have perished becomes unbearable to the extent that they have to commit suttee, a form of suicide. Gustave le Bon wrote about this aspect of the Indian society by saying.

The immolation of widows on the funeral of their husbands is not men- tioned in the Shastra, but it appears that the practice had become quite common in India, for we find refer- ences to it in the accounts of Greek Chroniclers.

This disdain for females is also seen in reports by the Indian media, which report that great numbers of young girls are buried alive because the females are viewed as an eco- nomic burden to their parents. UNICEF revealed that the phenomenon of infanticide is widespread in most of India's 60,000 villages where 70% of Indians live. 40% of girls at school age do not go to school. Thus, the vast majority of the 84% India's illiterate population is made of women.

The Times reported the one-child-only policy applied in China nowadays has led many Chinese to desire a male child. Consequently, they abort female babies, kill their female tod- dlers or sell their older girls to mobile slave merchants. In this regard, the Chinese police have recently arrested 49 mem- bers of a gang whose job it was to buy, smuggle, and sell girls all over China. As a result of this savage treatment of female children in China, the Chinese Committee for State Planning reported that the number of males is 36 million more than the number of females.23 O'Connell 1994 reported that more than one million female babies were killed in China as a result of the one-child policy that was imposed by the state.

O'Connell 1994 reported that more than one million female babies were killed in China as a result of the one-child policy that was imposed by the state.

In this section, a general view of some aspects of the status of women in Hindu teachings was briefly introduced. The complex caste system that divides people into certain socio-economic categories with unequal rights has very much affected the position of women in the Hindu teachings. I am turning my focus on the image and status of women in the Old Testament. The following section will bring into perspec- tive the way women are presented in the Old Testament.