your question

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Dear Tim

Hare Krishna!

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Pamho.

 

Lets approch your question from a different angle:

You will find that woman as a class are generally more materialistic then

men and are considered to be in the mode of ignorance. BUT---they are NOT

neglected. On the contrary few women devotees of Lord Krishna are also

worshiped eg Kunti devi, gopies. Infact in Kunti could UNDERSTAND that

Krishna was God whereas other philosophers could NOT.

 

TQK 3 The Most Intelligent Woman

 

tatha paramahamsanam

muninam amalatmanam

bhakti-yoga-vidhanartham

katham pasyema hi striyah

 

You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional

service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental

speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter

and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?

--Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.20

Even the greatest philosophical speculators cannot have access to the

region of the Lord. It is said in the Upanisads that the Supreme Truth, the

Absolute Personality of Godhead, is beyond the range of the thinking power

of the greatest philosopher. He is unknowable by great learning or by the

greatest brain. He is knowable only by one who has His mercy. Others may go

on thinking about Him for years together, yet He is unknowable. This very

fact is corroborated by the Queen, who is playing the part of an innocent

woman. WOMEN IN GENERAL ARE UNABLE TO SPECULATE LIKE PHILOSOPHERS, BUT THEY

ARE BLESSED BY THE LORD BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE AT ONCE IN THE SUPERIORITY AND

ALMIGHTINESS OF THE LORD, AND THUS THEY OFFER OBEISANCES WITHOUT

RESERVATION. THE LORD IS SO KIND THAT HE DOES NOT SHOW SPECIAL FAVOR ONLY TO

ONE WHO IS A GREAT PHILOSOPHER. HE KNOWS THE SINCERITY OF PURPOSE. FOR THIS

REASON ONLY, WOMEN GENERALLY ASSEMBLE IN GREAT NUMBER IN ANY SORT OF

RELIGIOUS FUNCTION. IN EVERY COUNTRY AND IN EVERY SECT OF RELIGION IT

APPEARS THAT THE WOMEN ARE MORE INTERESTED THAN THE MEN. THIS SIMPLICITY OF

ACCEPTANCE OF THE LORD'S AUTHORITY IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN SHOWY INSINCERE

RELIGIOUS FERVOR.

Kuntidevi prayed to the Lord very submissively, and this is the symptom

of a Vaisnava. The Lord, Krsna, had come to Kuntidevi to offer respect to

her by taking the dust of her feet. Because Krsna considered Kuntidevi His

aunt, He used to touch her feet. But although Kuntidevi, a great devotee,

was in such an exalted position, practically on the level of Yasodamayi,

Krsna's mother, she was so submissive that she prayed, "Krsna, You are meant

to be understood by the paramahamsas, the most advanced transcendentalists,

but I am a woman, so how can I see You?"

According to the Vedic system, there are four social divisions

(catur-varnyam maya srstam). The highest members of the social order are the

brahmanas, those who are intelligent, and then come the ksatriyas (military

men and administrators), the vaisyas (farmers and businessmen), and finally

the sudras (ordinary laborers). One's place in this system is determined by

one's qualities and work (guna-karma). The Bhagavad-gita mentions striyo

vaisyas tatha sudrah, and the Srimad-Bhagavatam speaks of

stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam. According to these references women, sudras, and

dvija-bandhus are considered to belong to the same category. The word

dvija-bandhu refers to one who is born in an exalted brahmana or ksatriya

family but who has no qualifications of his own. One's social standing,

according to the Vedic system, is determined by one's qualifications. This

is very practical. Suppose a man is born the son of a high-court judge. This

does not mean that he himself is also a high court judge. Yet because one

happens to take birth in a brahmana family, even if he has no qualifications

and is rascal number one, he claims to be a brahmana, and although his

qualifications are less than those of a sudra, people accept him as a

brahmana. This has caused the downfall of the Vedic civilization. The

brahmanas in India are sometimes very much against my movement because I

train and accept brahmanas from Europe and America. But we do not care about

their arguments, nor will any other reasonable man. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

said:

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama

sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

"In every town, city, and village of the world, the Krsna consciousness

movement will be preached." How is it, then, that Europeans and Americans

will not become brahmanas? In fact, one who comes to Krsna consciousness has

already surpassed brahmanism. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):

 

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa gunan samatityaitan

brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

 

"One who takes to bhakti-yoga surpasses the modes of material nature and

comes immediately to the transcendental platform [brahma-bhuta]." Not to

speak of becoming a brahmana, the person who fully engages in bhakti-yoga

attains the highest transcendental platform.

The stereotyped, crippled idea that only a person born in a brahmana

family can become a brahmana has killed Vedic civilization, but now we are

reviving the correct understanding that the attainment of perfection is

meant for everyone. In Bhagavad-gita (9.32) Lord Krsna says:

 

mam hi partha vyapasritya

ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah

striyo vaisyas tatha sudras

te 'pi yanti param gatim

 

"O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me--though they be lowborn,

women, vaisyas, or sudras--can approach the supreme destination." Thus

although women, sudras, and vaisyas are ordinarily considered to belong to a

lower class, when one becomes a devotee he or she goes beyond such

designations. Women, sudras, and vaisyas are ordinarily regarded as less

intelligent, but if one takes to Krsna consciousness one is the most

intelligent, as stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta (krsna yei bhaje sei bada

catura). And Caitanya Mahaprabhu says:

 

ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva

guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

 

" Among all the living entities wandering throughout the universe, one

who is very fortunate receives, by the mercy of the spiritual master and the

mercy of Krsna, the seed of devotional service." (Cc. Madhya 19.151) The

Krsna consciousness movement does not consist of wretched, unfortunate men.

No. It consists of the most fortunate. One who has taken to Krsna

consciousness is to be considered the most fortunate because he has found

the way to act so that his life will be perfect. One who is Krsna conscious

and discharging his duties nicely is the most fortunate and the most

perfect. This is humbly stated here by Kuntidevi.

ALTHOUGH KUNTI HAD THE BODY OF A WOMAN, SHE WAS A DEVOTEE. THEREFORE SHE

WAS NOT LIKE AN ORDINARY UNINTELLIGENT WOMAN. RATHER, SHE WAS THE MOST

INTELLIGENT, FOR SHE RECOGNIZED KRSNA TO BE THE SUPREME GODHEAD: "HE HAS

COME TO ME TO OFFER ME RESPECT, MATERIALLY APPEARING TO BE MY NEPHEW, BUT HE

IS THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD." THEREFORE IN A PREVIOUS VERSE SHE

SAID, ALAKSYAM SARVA-BHUTANAM ANTAR BAHIR AVASTHITAM: "YOU ARE NOT SEEN BY

ORDINARY MEN, ALTHOUGH YOU ARE EVERYWHERE, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE." IN ANOTHER

VERSE ALSO SHE SAID, NA LAKSYASE MUDHA-DRSA: "FOOLS AND RASCALS CANNOT SEE

YOU." THIS INDICATES THAT KUNTI SAW HIM. UNLESS SHE WERE ABLE TO SEE KRSNA

AS HE IS, HOW COULD SHE SAY, NA LAKSYASE MUDHA-DRSA? SHE ALSO SAID, PRAKRTEH

PARAM: "YOU ARE TRANSCENDENTAL TO THIS MATERIAL CREATION."

Now here also, in this verse, Kunti continues to express herself with

humility. This humility is very good in devotional service. Therefore Sri

Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us, trnad api sunicena taror api

sahisnuna: "One should be more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the

grass to make progress in spiritual life." This is necessary because for one

who is living in this material world there will be so many disturbances,

just as if one were traveling on the ocean. One cannot expect a very

peaceful situation on the ocean; even a big ship may also be unsteady, and

at any moment there may be tumultuous waves. Similarly, in this material

world we should always expect danger; one cannot expect a very peaceful life

within this material world. The sastra, the Vedic literature, says, padam

padam yad vipadam (Bhag. 10.14.58): at every step there is danger. But if

one becomes a devotee, then one can escape (mayam etam taranti te).

If one takes to Krsna consciousness, in the beginning there will be many

disturbances caused by Maya, the material energy of illusion. Maya will test

us to see how firmly we are fixed in Krsna consciousness. Because she is

also an agent of Krsna, she does not allow anyone the freedom to disturb

Krsna. Therefore she tests very rigidly to see whether we have taken to

Krsna consciousness to disturb Krsna or are actually serious. That is Maya's

business. So in the beginning there will be tests by Maya, and we shall feel

so many disturbances while making progress in Krsna consciousness. But if we

follow the rules and regulations and chant regularly as prescribed, then we

shall remain steady. If we neglect these principles, Maya will capture us

immediately. Maya is always ready. We are in the ocean, and at any moment we

may be disturbed. Therefore one who is not disturbed at all is called

paramahamsa.

KUNTIDEVI THEREFORE SAYS, TATHA PARAMAHAMSANAM: "YOU ARE MEANT TO BE

UNDERSTOOD BY THE PARAMAHAMSAS." THE WORD PARAMA MEANS "ULTIMATE," AND HAMSA

MEANS "SWAN." SO PARAMAHAMSA MEANS "THE PERFECT SWAN." IF WE GIVE A SWAN

MILK MIXED WITH WATER, THE SWAN WILL TAKE THE MILK AND LEAVE ASIDE THE

WATER. SIMILARLY, THIS MATERIAL WORLD IS MADE OF TWO NATURES--THE INFERIOR

NATURE AND THE SUPERIOR NATURE. THE SUPERIOR NATURE MEANS SPIRITUAL LIFE,

AND THE INFERIOR NATURE IS MATERIAL LIFE. THUS A PERSON WHO GIVES UP THE

MATERIAL PART OF THIS WORLD AND TAKES ONLY THE SPIRITUAL PART IS CALLED

PARAMAHAMSA.

One should know that the activities of the body are due to the soul

within the body. That is the real fact. The body is only the outward

covering. Similarly, one should know that Krsna is the real center of all

activities, and one who knows this is a paramahamsa. Thus bhakti-yoga is for

the paramahamsa, one who knows that Krsna is the central fact. Krsna says in

Bhagavad-gita, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate: "I am the

source of everything; everything emanates from Me." So one who knows, not

only theoretically but practically, that Krsna is the cause of all

causes--one who is convinced of this--is a paramahamsa.

KUNTIDEVI SAYS, "YOU ARE MEANT FOR THE PARAMAHAMSAS, NOT FOR THE RASCALS

AND FOOLS. YOU ARE MEANT FOR THE PARAMAHAMSAS AND MUNIS." THE WORD MUNINAM

REFERS TO THOSE WHO ARE THOUGHTFUL OR TO MENTAL SPECULATORS, AND THE WORD

AMALATMANAM REFERS TO ONE WHO HAS NO DIRTY THINGS IN HIS HEART. THE HEART OF

A MATERIALISTIC PERSON IS FULL OF DIRTY THINGS. WHAT ARE THOSE DIRTY THINGS?

LUST AND GREED. ALL MATERIALISTIC PERSONS ARE LUSTY AND GREEDY, AND

THEREFORE THEIR HEARTS ARE UNDERSTOOD TO BE FULL OF DIRTY THINGS, BUT

AMALATMANAM REFERS TO THOSE WHO ARE FREED FROM THESE TWO CONTAMINATIONS.

Bhakti-yoga is meant for those whose hearts are cleansed, not for the

lusty and greedy. Of course, those who are lusty and greedy may try to

advance, and gradually they may do so, but once one is situated in

bhakti-yoga there is no more lust or greed. Viraktir anyatra ca (Bhag.

11.2.42). This is the test--when one is free from lusty desires and greed,

then he is situated in bhakti-yoga and is actually a paramahamsa. Kuntidevi

humbly submits, "You are meant for the paramahamsas and munis, those who are

cleansed in heart and are engaged in bhakti-yoga. But what are we? We are

simply women. We are in a lower class. How can we understand You?" Although

she understands everything, she still takes the position of an ordinary

woman and says, "How can I understand You?" This is humility.

 

Hoping this has solved your question.

ys mahesh