Women in Vedic Culture

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1> Mon, 11 Jul 2005 23:09:52 EDT> srinandan (AT) aol (DOT) com>Subject:

Women in Vedic Culture>>Women in Vedic Culture>>By Stephen Knapp>>

There are many civilizations in the world where respect for women>and their

role in society is prominent, and others where regard for them and>their status

should be improved. Yet the level of civility along with moral>and spiritual

standards in a society can often be perceived by the respect and>regard it

gives for its women. Not that it glorifies them for their sexuality>and then

gives them all the freedom men want so they can be exploited and

taken>advantage of, but that they are regarded in a way that allows them to

live in>honor for their importance in society with respect and protection, and

given>the opportunity to reach their real potential in life.> Among

the many societies that can be found in the world, we have>seen that some of the

most venerating regard for women has been found in Vedic>culture. The Vedic

tradition has held a high regard for the qualities of>women, and has retained

the greatest respect within its tradition as seen in the>honor it gives for the

Goddess, who is portrayed as the feminine embodiment of>important qualities and

powers. These forms include those of Lakshmi (the>goddess of fortune and queen

of Lord Vishnu), Sarasvati (the goddess of learning),>Subhadra (Krishna’s

sister and auspiciousness personified), Durga (the>goddess of strength and

power), Kali (the power of time), and other Vedic goddesses>that exemplify

inner strength and divine attributes. Even divine power in the>form of shakti

is considered feminine.> Throughout the many years of Vedic

culture, women have always>been given the highest level of respect and freedom,

but also protection and>safety. There is a Vedic saying, “Where women are

worshiped, there the gods dwell.â€> Or where the women are happy, there will

be prosperity. Due to this>tradition, India’s history includes many women who

have risen to great heights in>spirituality, government, writing, education,

science, or even as warriors on the>battlefield.> In the matter of

dharma, in the days of Vedic culture, women>stood as a decisive force in

spirituality and the foundation of moral development.>Throughout the history of

India and the traditions of Vedic society, women>were also examples for

maintaining the basic principles in Sanatana-dharma. This>honor toward women

should be maintained by the preservation of genuine Vedic>culture, which has

always been a part of India.> Unfortunately, these standards have

declined primarily due to the>outside influences that have crept in because of

foreign invaders, either>militarily or culturally. These foreign invaders who

dominated India mostly>looked at women as objects of sexual enjoyment and

exploitation, and as the spoils>of war to be taken like a prize. The oppression

of women increased in India>because of Moghul rule. As such foreigners gained

influence and converts, decay>of the spiritual standards also crept into Indian

and Vedic culture. The>educational criteria of Vedic culture also changed and

the teaching of the divinity>of motherhood was almost lost. The teaching

changed from emphasis on the>development of individual self-reliance to

dependence on and service to others.>Thus, competition replaced the pursuit for

truth, and selfishness and>possessiveness replaced the spirit of renunciation

and detachment. And gradually women>were viewed as less divine and more as

objects of gratification or property to>be possessed and controlled.>

This is the result of a rakshasic or demoniac cultural influence,>which still

continues to grow as materialism expands in society. Money and>sensual

gratification have become major goals in life, though they alone cannot>give us

peace or contentment. Instead they cause us to develop more desires in>the hopes

of finding fulfillment while leaving us feeling hollow and>ever-more restless

without knowing why.> In Vedic culture it is taught that every man

should view and>respect every woman, except his own wife, as his mother, and

every girl with the>same concern and care as his own daughter. It is only

because of the lack of>such training and the social distancing from the high

morals as this that this>teaching is being forgotten, and the respect that

society should have for women>has been reduced.> In this way, the

change in the attitude toward women in India was>due to a loss of culture and

of the true Vedic standards. Thus, it should be>easy to see the need for

organizations that will keep and teach the proper>views, which were once a

basic part of the genuine Vedic traditions.> When the position of

women declines, then that society loses its>equilibrium and harmony. In the

spiritual domain, men and women have an equal>position. Men and women are equal

as sons and daughters of the same Supreme>Father. However, you cannot bring the

spiritual domain to this Earth or enter>the spiritual strata if your

consciousness is focused on the differences of the>sexes, and thus treat women

poorly. One is not superior to the other, but each>has particular ways or

talents to contribute to society and to the service of>God. So men should not

try to control women by force, but neither should>women try to seize the role

of men or try adopt the masculine nature of men.>Otherwise, imbalance results

in society, just as a car will not move properly when>the tires on one side are

too low or out of balance. Women and men must work>cooperatively like the twin

wings of a bird, together which will raise the>whole society. If there is a

lack of respect and cooperation, how can society be>progressive? After all, how

can their be a spirit of cooperation and>appreciation between men and women when

instead there is a mood of competition? It is>this mood in materialistic society

that is increasing in both family and>corporate life which contributes to social

imbalance and not to a smooth and peaceful>society.>>Motherhood and Family>>

The nature of motherhood of women was always stressed in Vedic>India.

After all, we often find them to be the foundation of family life and

of>raising the children properly. They usually provide the love and

understanding>and nurturing for the development of our children in a way that

is unlikely>from most men.> Our own life is a gift from our

mother’s life. We were nourished>by her, we spent nine months in her womb,

and her love sustained us. Even now>we are loved by our mother. This includes

Mother Nature and Mother Earth,>which is called Bhumi in the Vedic tradition.

The Earth planet is also like a>mother because everything we need to live, all

our resources, come from her. As we>would protect our own mother, we must also

protect Mother Earth.> Women in motherhood, after giving birth to a

child that they have>carried for nine months, is the first guru and guide of the

child and, thus,>of humanity. Through this means, before any child learns hatred

or aggression,>they first know the love of a mother who can instill the ways of

forgiveness>and kindness in the child. In this way, we can recognize that there

is often a>strong women, either as a mother or as a wife, behind most successful

men.> In exhibiting the qualities of motherhood, women must be warm

and>tender, strong and protective, yet also lay the foundation of discipline

and>the discrimination of right from wrong. Furthermore, in the home it is

usually>the woman who lends to providing beauty in decorating the house and

facility>for an inspirational atmosphere. Also, she must usually provide the

nutritious>and tasty dishes that give pleasure and strength for the fitness and

health>of the body.> By their innate sense of motherhood and

compassion, women also>make natural healers, care givers, and nurturers. Those

women who have this>intrinsic disposition for caring will also be natural

upholders of moral standards>and spiritual principles. By their own emotional

tendencies and expressions,>they are also natural devotees of God.>

In ancient India the Sanskrit words used by the husband for the wi>fe were

Pathni (the one who leads the husband through life), Dharmapathni>(the one who

guides the husband in dharma) and Sahadharmacharini (one who moves>with the

husband on the path of dharma--righteousness and duty). This is how>ancient

Vedic culture viewed the partnership of husband and wife.> When a

husband and wife are willing to be flexible to each other’>s needs and move

forward in love and mutual understanding, the relationship>can go beyond

equality to one of spiritual union. This means that each one>appreciates the

talents of the other, and views the other as complimenting what>each one

already has. This also makes up for the weaknesses or deficiencies of>the

other. In this way, each can provide support, encouragement and inspiration>to

the other. This ideal can only be achieved when they properly understand>the

principles of spirituality. It is also said that where the husband and wife>get

along well, Lakshmi Devi (the goddess of fortune) Herself dwells in that>house.>

It is also considered that a wife who serves a spiritually

strong>and qualified husband automatically shares in whatever spiritual merit

he>achieves because she assists him by her service.>>The Feminine Divinities>>

In the Vedic tradition it is common to see the pairing of the>Vedic

male Gods with a female counterpart, thus combining both sets of powers

and>qualities that each would have. We can easily see this in

Radha-Krishna,>Sita-Rama, Lakshmi-Vishnu, Durga-Shiva, Sarasvati-Brahma,

Indrani-Indra, etc.>Thus, we have the combination of male and female Divinities

that make the complete>balance in the divine spiritual powers.>

Through the medium of pure affection, the feminine Divinities>have been able to

break down the most powerful citadels known to creation,>especially those of

evil. The divine mystery of life is that the most powerful>forces of the

universe are subjugated by love, and that love is most completely>channeled

through the feminine energy and personality.> For example,

“Durga†means the one who is difficult to know.>Yet, being considered the

mother of the universe, or the personification of the>material energy, we as

her children can approach her through love. And she will>respond with love.>

Also, out of love the goddess took the form of>Mahishasuramardini, or

the one who destroyed the dark demon known as Mahishasura. She was>generated

out of the anger and potency of Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, and others, and was>the

combination of their powers. They could not defeat the demon, but the>goddess

could. Symbolically, Durga can destroy the demonic darkness of the mode>of

ignorance and the quality of laziness within each of us.> Another

example is when Durga expressed her love and care to the>Gods and humanity by

manifesting herself from her side as Kaushika Durga, also>called Ambika. By her

beauty she attracted the demons Shumba and Nishumba to>her. Thus, they would not

disturb the rest of creation. Then from her forehead>she manifested herself as

the dark goddess Kali who killed all the disturbing>demons in that episode. In

this way, through love the Divine feminine potency>takes on forms to alleviate

powerful disturbances in the universe and within>us.> Out of love

also the Divine feminine potency manifests as Srimati>Radharani, the consort of

Lord Sri Krishna. One of her many names is>Janagati, which means the goddess of

all goddesses. She is the origin of the divine>feminine love and beauty, and

the epitome of devotion to the Supreme Being.>Thus, from the ideal spiritual

world, we can see Her divine reflection mirrored>here in this relative world in

all that is feminine, beautiful and pure. By>being conscious and aware of such

qualities, we can perceive the spiritual>dimension pervading and flowing

throughout this temporary material universe. Thus, we>recognize the very

qualities of the Divine Persons from whom they originate>in the spiritual

world. We humans are but limited reflected forms of the Divine>Couples who

reside in original existence. This is why the Vedic tradition>placed much value

in honoring and worshiping the Divine feminine nature along>with the

masculine–one without the other is incomplete. This is one of the

unique>traits that distinguishes Vedic culture from others.>>The Future>>

Examples in Vedic history have shown that all women should be>respected

and honored for the potential and talent they can provide to keep the>family

together, as well as bare and raise children, but also for the many>women who

have taken up the cause to preserve, protect and carry on the

spiritual>standards found in Vedic culture.> This shows that we

should not diminish the potential that women>have to be strong advocates of the

Vedic principles. We should not discriminate>and think that women have less to

offer. It is not one’s sex that will>determine one’s strength and character

to help champion the Vedic cause.> In this world we need people to

help in all areas and all levels>of life to protect the Vedic knowledge and

traditions, and women have a very>important part to play. As we said, they are

usually the first inspiration and>first teachers of our children. So many of

the great men who had become>powerful proponents of Sanatana-dharma also had

strong and inspiring mothers or>wives.> So, you never know who

among the women in society, or among our>daughters we are raising that may

become the next Savitri, Draupadi or Anasuya.>Also, you never know who among

the boys that the women may raise that may>become a great Vedic saint or

scholar or stalwart protector of our culture. We>must look on everyone as if

they have that potential, because somewhere and>sometime it will happen.

Another great person may appear, be it man or woman, who>will emerge from among

us. We need to arrange for that possibility to happen>by giving all women and

children the necessary facility and training.> Every girl should

have the opportunity to learn spirituality>along with modern education to help

her reach her full potential. Of course, this>can also be said of boys. No one

is born hating another, but this is learned>in materialistic societies from

wrong association. Only later in life does a>person learn the ways of liking

their own kind and disliking anyone who seems>different. Genuine spiritual

knowledge is the alternative to bring a change in>such a society and stop the

hating and quarrel that go on because of perceiving>bodily and external

differences between us.> It is the primitive customs as well as the

sexist inventions in>modern but materialistic society that force social trends

to limit, subjugate>or even exploit women in today’s world. Such a society

does not allow the>strength or ingenuity of women to arise or be recognized, at

least not without a>struggle both inside the mind of women and outside in the

field of activity and>occupation. Women need to muster the strength to overcome

such limitations. It>is not that the world does not need nurturing and healing

right now, which is>a common and normal trait in women. After all, how many

times do we hear of>women being accused of rape, or child abuse and

molestation, or kidnaping and>murder? These are mostly the crimes of men,

imbalanced men but men nonetheless.>There is also a connection between the way

men destroy the environment>(Mother Nature) and their exploitative attitude

toward women. This must be>corrected.> A faulty beginning or

childhood, as well as exposure to thoughts>and ideas and indoctrinations of

one’s limitations rather than of one’s>superior potential is one of the

reasons why women lose their ability, means or>motivation for higher

accomplishments in life. This often causes their spirit of>achievement and

contribution to be squelched. This only adds to the struggle>of women which is

often passed along from one generation to the next. Thus, all>of society loses

the capabilities that women could otherwise attain and>provide. In this way,

women often have a built in fear of stepping forward to help>meet the needs

that the world is crying for.> Harmony needs to be restored between

the masculine and feminine>natures, which are especially exhibited in the

relations between men and women.>This can be done most effectively through

genuine spiritual development, when>both masculine and feminine natures become

balanced and complimentary rather>than competitive. This can harmonize not only

the external relations between>people, but also the feminine and masculine

tendencies within each individual,>both men and women. By genuine spiritual

progress we can rise above our bodily>material identities and work with and

compliment the talents and abilities of>others, regardless of whether they are

men or women. We must know that within>each body is a spirit soul that is no

different than our own. By that I mean>that we must recognize that on the

platform of spiritual reality there is no>difference between one soul and the

next, no matter whether the external body>is male or female. But while we are

in this world and in different types of>bodies, we can work cooperatively for

our survival and for harmony among us, and>use our naturally varied talents

together. Women can do what they do best and>men can do what they do best. This

certainly makes it easier for all to live>peacefully than in a mood of

competition and aggression, or envy and prejudice.>In such a mood of

cooperation we can see that we all have something to offer>or contribute, and

we all have something for which we can be appreciated. We>only need the right

opportunity to bring that out of each and every one of us.>The proper leaders

of society or of organizations who promote such situations>are those who can

arrange for such a harmonious environment to exist.> One difference

that we often see between men and women is that>there is often nothing harder to

penetrate than the typical male ego, which>often causes men to hesitate to show

any weakness and to make a show of a tough>exterior, while women often respond

easily to love with love. However, love and>compassion are not meant to be

exhibited only by women or mothers. It is a>state of being, a level of

consciousness. It is an exhibition of one’s spiritual>development to have

care and concern, compassion and love for each and every>being. It should be a

common interest that everyone should be able to live a>life of opportunity,

development and progress for their own material and>spiritual well being. And

this concern is natural for both men and women who have>reached this level of

spiritual awareness, recognizing in many ways the>similarities between us all,

regardless of our sex. This is what is needed to help>bring more peace and

cooperation in the world, and another reason for protecting>and emphasizing the

traditional standards of spiritual understanding as found>in the teachings of

Santana-dharma.>>Examples of Great Women in Vedic Culture>> Some of

the women that have helped make great strides in>establishing the foundation of

Sanatana-dharma and Vedic culture can be listed and>described. They serve as

fine examples of historical importance that have been>the basis for inspiration

to both men and women for centuries. From the early>Vedic times these include

such women as Sati, Sita, Anasuya, Arundhatee,>Draupadi, Queen Kunti,

Shakuntala, Maitreyi, Gargi, Madalasa, Savitri, Ahalya, and>others. It is said

simply reciting their names removes sins. There are>additional women from the

last few hundred years whose lives we can recollect as well.>Such great women

have contributed to the glories and splendor of Vedic>culture. So let us

briefly review the lives of some of these great women.>> Madalasa

was the daughter of Vishvasu, the Gandharva king. She>was also a great

inspiration to her sons. Ritdhvaj, the son of the powerful king>Shatrujit, was

her husband. When Shatrujit died, Ritdhvaj took the position>of king and

engaged in the royal duties. In due course, Madalasa gave birth to>a son,

Vikrant. When Vikrant would cry, Madalasa would sing words of wisdom to>keep

him quiet. She would sing that he was a pure soul, that he has no real>name and

his body is merely a vehicle made of the five elements. He is not>really of the

body, so why does he cry?> Thus, Madalasa would enlighten her son

with spiritual knowledge>in the songs she would sing to him. Because of this

knowledge, little Vikrant>grew up to be an ascetic, free from worldly

attachments or kingly activities,>and he eventually went to the forest to

engage in austerities. The same thing>happened to her second son, Subahu, and

her third son, Shatrumardan. Her>husband told her that she should not teach the

same knowledge to their fourth son,>Alark, so that at least one of them would be

interested in worldly activities>and take up the role of looking after the

kingdom. So to Alark she sang a song>of being a great king who would rule the

world, and make it prosperous and>free from villains for many years. By so

doing he would enjoy the bounty of life>and eventually join the Immortals. In

this way, she trained her son Alark from>the beginning of his life in the

direction he would take. This is how a>mother can influence her child in

whatever potential may be possible, whether>materially or spiritually, by

imparting noble thoughts to open the avenues of>activities for her children.>>

Sati. From the Puranas we learn how Sati would not tolerate

the>dishonor of her husband Lord Shiva. Sati was the daughter of Prajapati

Daksha,>who was one of the sons of Brahma. Once Daksha arranged to hold a

major>religious ritual (yajna) in his capital, near present day Haridwar. Many

kings,>emperors and demigods were invited. However, Daksha did not respect

Shiva, so>Shiva was not invited. Nonetheless, Sati wanted to go to see her

father and many>sisters. Shiva tried to dissuade her from going, saying it was

not good to go>uninvited. But Sati went anyway to participate in the yajna.

Unfortunately, she>found that her father was greatly insulting her husband,

Shiva. Not bearing>the dishonor of her husband, she self-immolated in fire and

left this world>altogether, leaving her body in ashes.> When Lord

Shiva heard about this, he was terribly angry and>taking a hair from his head,

he threw it to the ground and it turned into the demon>Veerabhadra who was the

anger of Lord Shiva and who disrupted the yajna. In>disappointment, Lord Shiva

then bore the body of Sati to different places in>the world. Sati’s various

limbs dropped as Shiva carried her body, and wherever>a limb dropped became a

Siddhapeetha, which remain major places of Shakti>worship. According to the

Devi Bhagavata there are 108 such Siddhapeethas, while>other texts say there

are 51. Among these, 42 are in India, 2 in Nepal, 1 in>Tibet, 1 in Sri Lanka, 1

in Pakistan, and 4 in Bangladesh.> Sati then reincarnated as the

daughter of the Himalaya Parvata,>and thus she became known as Parvati. She

underwent great austerities and won>Lord Shiva as her husband once again.>>

Anasuya was a woman who could bring back the life of a dead sage>due to

the power of her own austerity and devotion to her husband. She showed>that

devotion to a qualified husband gives the wife fame, power and is

the>fulfillment of her dharma. Anasuya was the wife of the sage Atri. Her

mother was>daughter of the sage Svayambhuva and her father was Kardama Muni.

Her fame had>spread throughout both the Earth and the planets of the Devas.>

According to the Markandeya Purana, there was once a sage

named>Mandasya who cursed a brahmana named Kaushika to die the next morning

at>sunrise. When Kaushiki, Kaushika’s wife, heard the news, she vowed that by

the power>of her chastity the sun would never rise. When the sun did not rise

for many>days, everyone started to become alarmed. Brahma then told the other

demigods>to go to Anasuya and she could assist them to continue the sunrise by

the>force of her moral power. Anasuya then entreated Kaushiki to allow the

sunrise to>resume. Kaushiki then allowed the sunrise to take place, but her

husband>immediately expired because of the curse. Yet, Anasuya brought the

husband back to>life by the power of her own austerity and devotion to her

husband. Being>pleased by this, the demigods gave Anasuya the blessing to have

her wish for three>sons who would be reincarnations of Brahma, Vishnu and

Shiva. Thus, Brahma>appeared as Soma, Vishnu as Dattatreya, and Shiva as

Durvasa. Of course she was>also greatly honored by her husband who said to Sri

Rama when Rama once>visited Atri’s ashrama during His exile, that Anasuya was

a great lady, following>the path of austerity and deserves the salutations of

all beings. Anasuya was a>bright example among women.>> Sita is

fully described in the Ramayana. She was the daughter of>King Janaka, ruler of

Mithila. The king was engaged in ritually plowing the>land to help produce food

to counter a famine at the time, and while using a>golden plow, it revealed a

pitcher that had been buried from which Sita appeared.>The plow tip is called a

sita, thus Sita was the name given to her. At the>time, the demon Ravana had

collected tax from the local sages who had placed>their blood in this pitcher.

Thus, when the plow later uncovered and churned the>pitcher, the life-force

from the sages produced Sita, and Sita thus became the>cause of Ravana’s

destruction.> As related in the Ramayana, Lord Rama won Sita’s

hand in>marriage. But due to political intrigue, Rama’s father, Dasharatha,

had to keep a>promise he had made to his second wife Kaikeyi, who wanted her

own son to ascend>the throne and not Lord Rama. So she had Rama and Sita thrown

into exile and>made to wander the forests. During that time, Ravana abducted

Sita and kept Her>in the Ashoka-Vatika, the garden of Ashoka trees. He tried to

force her to>marry him but she would not. During that time Rama and Lakshmana

wandered the>forests in search of Her. In time they found out she had been

taken by Ravana,>and having learned where he was, Lord Rama finally put the end

to him and>rescued Sita.> Even though some citizens doubted Sita’s

purity, she had>undergone the Agni-Pariksha, or witness by fire to attest to her

purity as a devoted>wife. Even then it was over-heard that a washerman had

doubts of Sita’s>character, having spent so much time in Ravana’s house. So

to help ward off any>criticism, Rama exiled Sita to the forest ashrama of

Valmiki. While there she gave>birth to, Lava and Kush, the twin sons of Lord

Rama. Valimiki once brought>Sita and her sons to Ayodhya, the capital of Lord

Rama, where the sons sang the>Ramayana in front of Lord Rama. Valmiki also

proclaimed that Sita was as good>as purity and chastity incarnate.>

Though Sita’s life was full of struggle and hardship, she was>innocent and

pure. She gave up all comforts to serve her beloved husband and>uphold

sanctity, faithfulness, virtue and moral standards. Thus she holds one of>the

highest places among women in Vedic culture and of woman’s character.>>

Draupadi was the daughter of Drupada who was the king of>Panchala. She was

born from the fire ritual and for this reason was also called>Yajnaseni. Her

dark complexion also gave her the name of Krishnaa. Queen Kunti was>the mother

of the five Pandava brothers, Arjuna, Bhisma, Yudhisthira, Sahadeva>and Nakula.

When the Pandavas brought Draupadi back to their home, they wanted>to show her

to their mother, but Kunti, without having seen Draupadi, told>them that

whatever they have they must all share equally. So Draupadi became the>wife of

all five Pandavas. It is said that Draupadi in a previous life had>been the

wife of Indra, the King of heaven, and she took five separate forms in>serving

her Pandava husbands. Thus, she was most devoted to her five husbands>and was

also a great devotee of the Supreme Lord, and regarded Lord Krishna as>her

ultimate protector.> One episode that shows this was when in the

court of the>Kauravas, wicked Dushashana tried to disrobe her in front of

everyone. Draupadi became>hopeless and fervently prayed to Krishna for

protection. Krishna heard her>prayers and though He was in Dwaraka, He

protected her by providing an endless>supply of cloth to her sari so that it

never ended, and she was always covered>and not dishonored in such a way.>

Another time was when Durvasa Muni, who was known for his quick>anger,

suddenly decided to drop in on the Pandava camp, along with his many>thousands

of disciples. He would also want something to eat for himself and

his>followers. But the Pandavas had just ate and there was nothing more to

prepare.>Lord Krishna asked for whatever remnant grains were left in the pot.

Being>the Supreme Lord, if He was satisfied, then everyone would be satisfied.

So He>took what few grains were there and when Durvasa Muni arrived, they were

all so>full that they no longer wanted anything to eat, and thus left

peacefully.> In Draupadi’s service to her husbands, she had said

that she>rises before anyone else, tolerates hunger and thirst, and goes to bed

after the>others. She also gave birth to five sons, all of whom were killed by

the wicked>Ashwatthama. But since he was the son of the family guru, and she

had such>respect for their gurus, he forgave him.> When the

Pandavas had reached the end of their lives and were>setting out to ascend to

heaven by climbing up into the mountains, she was the>last in line. But she was

the first to fall and thus rise to heaven after her>death. Her dedication and

devotion make her one of the great personalities of>Vedic culture.>>

Maitreyi was the wife of the great sage Yajnavalkya. His second>wife was

Katyayani. Both were devoted to their husband and of lofty character.>However,

Maitreyi had a higher regard for spiritual knowledge and devotion to>God than

did Katyayani. The Brihadaranayaka Upanishad relates that finally,>the sage

Yajnavalkya wanted to renounce householder life and accept the sannyasa>order

of life, and divide his possessions between his two wives. Maitreyi>then

questioned to herself what greater thing her husband must have found if he>is

willing to give up his present status in householder life. Surely no one>will

give up his position unless he finds something better. So she asked her>husband

if she had all the riches in the world, could she still attain>immortality. Her

husband said certainly not, it is not possible. All the happiness

and>conveniences from wealth will not lead you to God. So Maitreyi then asked

why>she should acquire wealth if it is not going to deliver her from future

rounds>of birth and death. She requested that he tell her about the Supreme

Being, for>which he was happily giving up household life.>

Therefore, Yajnavalkya explained to Maitreyi all about the divine>knowledge of

the Self. He informed her that no being in this world has any>capability of

being dear to another without the presence of the soul within.>Even to enjoy

the beauty of this world has no meaning without the soul within our>own body,

for the soul is all that we are. Understanding the depths of>spiritual

knowledge is the way to attain moksha, liberation from the continued>rounds of

birth and death. Thus, Yajnavalkya took sannyasa and Maitreyi attained>supreme

bliss by hearing her husband’s discourse and by diving deep into

this>spiritual understanding. In this way, Maitreyi showed how all women can

achieve>the heights of spiritual understanding simply by careful listening

and>practicing the Vedic path.>> Gargi was the daughter of

Vashaknu, and was also called Vachakni.>But because she was born in the line of

the Garga Gotra or family line, she>was also called Gargi, a name by which she

became well known. The>Brihadaranayaka Upanishad explains that she asked the

sage many questions on spiritual>science and became highly educated in this

way. Once in the court of King Janaka>there was arranged to be a debate on the

spiritual sciences. He wanted to find>out who was the person who knew best the

science of the Absolute, and that>person would receive 1000 decorated cows with

horns plated with gold. None of the>local brahmanas complied because they were

afraid they would have to prove>their knowledge, and may not be up to the task.

However, the sage Yajnavalkya>told his disciple to take all the cows to his

place, which started the debate.> Yajnavalkya answered the

questions from many scholars who>approached him, setting aside all of their

concerns and doubts. However, then came>Gargi’s turn to ask the sage whatever

she wanted. But she asked many different>and complex questions on the

immortality of the soul, the arrangement of the>universe, and many other

topics. Finally Gargi herself bowed to the sage and>proclaimed that there was

no one else who was more greatly learned in the Vedic>Shastras than

Yajnavalkya. In this way, Gargi showed that in Vedic culture it>was not

unexpected for women to become greatly learned in the Vedic sciences,>nor that

they could not discuss such topics with wise and kindly sages who>also shared

their knowledge with them. Thus she is a luminous example of women in>the Vedic

tradition.>> Savitri was the only child of a king named Ashwapati,

the king of>Madra-Desha, as explained in the Mahabharata and Matsya Purana. He

had>performed austerities to please Lord Brahma and his consort, Savitri Devi,

to have>progeny by chanting the Savitri prayer. When a daughter arrived, he

named her>Savitri, and she grew to be a girl of great beauty and character, and

wonderful>personality and qualities. Unfortunately, her father could find no

suitable>husband for her when she became of age. So he sent her to different

parts of>the country so she could find a husband she deemed acceptable. After

some time>Savitri decided to marry Satyavana, but he was the son of Dyumatsena

who was>the blind and exiled king of Shalya-Desha. Because of this, they lived

in the>forest. Satyavana was simple but bore a countenance of royalty, which

attracted>Savitri.> Savitri returned to her father to relate the

news, however the>sage Narada Muni happened to be there and heard it and

revealed that Satyavana>was highly qualified but was to live for only one year

longer. But Savitri had>made her decision and would not marry another. So to

fulfill Savitri’s>intention, the king arranged for a wedding.>

One day, after living in the forest for a year, Satyavana went>off to chop some

wood as usual. Savitri had been observing penance for many>months and followed

him into the woods. On this day Satyavana fell down with a>headache. At that

same time, Savitri saw a ferocious person approaching and could>recognize that

it was Yama, the lord of death, who was coming to take>Satyavana since his life

was ending. After Yama had taken Satyavana, Savitri started>to follow Yama. He

asked her not to follow him and even promised her many>boons, all but the life

of her husband. Nonetheless, Savitri continued to follow>him until he granted

her wishes.> Savitri asked Yama for her father-in-law’s eyesight

to return,>along with his lost kingdom. Then she asked for one hundred sons for

her father.>All these were granted as Yama became increasingly impatient. Then

she asked>for one hundred sons for herself as well, all of them as handsome and

wise as>Satyavana, to which Yama also agreed without much thought. But then

he>realized his mistake and had to allow Satyavana to continue with his life.

Thus by>the power of Savitri’s austerity, wisdom and devotion, she conquered

death for>her husband and blessed her own father and father-in-law as

well.>>GREAT WOMEN IN MORE RECENT TIMES>> Sri Gangamata Goswamini

was born as Sachi, the princess daughter>of King Naresh Narayana in the present

state of Bengal. She was a great>devotee of God from her early childhood. As she

grew and entered into her education,>she studied grammar and poetry but soon

spent all her time studying the Vedic>scriptures. All the boys were attracted

to her and her father began to think>of arranging for her marriage. But she was

not the least bit attracted to any>young men. She was always filled with

thoughts of Madana Gopala, Krishna.> Gradually the king and queen

grew old and left this world,>leaving the responsibilities of governing the

kingdom to Sachi. She accepted these,>but later arranged to allow other

relatives to govern in her place as she went>to see the holy places on the plea

of traveling throughout the kingdom. After>so much travel, she still was not

satisfied and wanted to find a spiritual>master. Then she went to Jagannatha

Puri and while having darshan of the Deities>she was inspired with an inner

message to go to Vrindavana.> After arriving in Vrindavana she met

Haridas Pandit, who was>solely devoted to Lord Gauranga and Nityananda. Sachi

was filled with ecstasy and>after meditating for several days Haridas Pandit

gave her shelter, upon which>she prayed to him with tearful eyes begging for

his mercy for spiritual>advancement. Haridas discouraged her from staying in

Vrindavana, telling her that it>is not possible for a princess to remain

absorbed in bhajan with little to>eat and no comforts. But she stayed and

gradually gave up her nice clothes and>opulent ornaments. Noticing this

determination, Haridas instructed with his>blessings that she could wander

throughout Vrajamandala and beg from place to>place as a renounced devotee.

Having accepted Haridas as her guru, she was filled>with joy. Thereafter, freed

from her false ego and dressed in rags, she went>begging alms and exhibited her

intense renunciation which astonished all the>devotees.> Her body

grew thin and physically exhausted. She would sleep on>the banks of the Yamuna

and rise to sweep the Lord’s temple, have darshan and>listen to the

Bhagavatam classes. Haridasa became very happy seeing the intent>of Sachi and

promised to give her initiation into the mantra. Haridasa Pandit>had another

disciple named Lakshmipriya who at that time arrived in>Vrindavana. She used to

chant 300,000 names of Krishna everyday. Haridasa sent her to>live near Sachi on

the banks of the Radhakunda. Everyday Lakshmipriya and Sachi>would

circumambulate Govardhana Hill. Thus they continued in their devotional>service

to the Lord with great determination. Then one day Haridasa Pandit>instructed

Sachi to return to Jagannatha Puri to continue her bhajan there and>preach what

she learned of Sri Chaitanya’s teachings. However, most of Sri>Chaitanya’s

associates had already left the planet.> Sri Sachidevi returned to

Jagannatha Puri and stayed in>Sarvabhauma’s house where she engaged in bhajan

and gave classes on the>Srimad-Bhagavatam. She also established first class

worship of the Damodara Salagram in that>house, which was crumbling and where

few people ever visited. However, her>classes became famous and many people

started to attend to listen to her>discourses. One day even the king of Puri,

Mukunda Dev, came to hear her Bhagavatam>class, and he was astounded. He wanted

to make a nice offering to her in>appreciation for her worship to Lord Krishna,

and that night he had a wonderful dream>in which Lord Jagannatha appeared to

him and said to offer her a place on the>banks of the Sveta (White) Ganges.>

The next day the king went to make the offering to Sachidevi, but>she

was not inclined to accept any wealth or comforts and wanted to refuse.>The

king persisted and not wishing to violate Lord Jagannatha’s order, he>issued

a decree dedicating a holy ghat by the side of the White Ganges after

Sri>Sachidevi. The decree stated that she was a princess that gave up

everything to>come to Puri and preach the teachings of Lord Chaitanya.>

One day Sri Sachidevi wanted to go to the Ganges to bathe, but>remembered

the order of her spiritual master never to leave Jagannatha Puri.>That night

she had a dream wherein Lord Jagannatha appeared to her and told her>not to

worry, that the day when Varuni will take bath is approaching when you>must go

to bathe in the White Ganges. Gangadevi had been praying for Sachidevi’>s

association, so she should go.> Sachidevi was extremely happy,

having had this divine vision. The>day of the Varuni-snana came and in the

middle of the night Sachideva went to>the White Ganges to bathe, but the

current of Gangadevi overflooded the pond>and carried her away to the

Jagannatha Mandira. Seeing this, thousands of>devotees became ecstatic and also

took their holy bath in the Ganges.> In the midst of the commotion,

the guards of the Jagannatha>temple awoke and were speechless to see all that

had happened. Hearing the noise,>they went inside the temple. The king had also

awoken and ordered the gates of>the temple to be opened. When the doors were

open, Sachidevi was standing>there alone inside the temple. The servants and

priests concluded that she must be>a thief to steal Jagannatha’s valuable

ornaments. Then Sachidevi was taken to>the dungeon where she was imprisoned to

stand trial for theft. Sachidevi was>indifferent and remained absorbed in

chanting the Lord’s holy names.> Later that night, Lord

Jagannatha appeared to Mukunda Dev in a>dream and demanded that he release

Sachidevi. The Lord explained that it was>because of His personal arrangement

to wash Sachidevi’s holy feet that He had the>Ganga bring Sachidevi to His

temple. If the king wanted his life to be>auspicious, then he better have all

of the pandas and priests bow at her feet and>beg for forgiveness, and the king

must take initiation from her. The next day>the king did as he was told, making

sure that everyone paid full obeisances to>her while asking for forgiveness for

the offenses made at the feet of a>devotee. He also begged that she accept him

as a disciple and give him initiation.> Sachidevi become very

joyful, understanding that this was all due>to the arrangement of the Lord.

Placing her hand on the king’s head, she>blessed him, and soon thereafter she

gave him initiation into the eighteen>syllable Radha-Krishna mantra. Many of the

priests also took shelter of her on that>day. It was from that day that

Sachidevi became known as Gangamata Goswamini.> One day a strict

smarta-brahmana, Mahidhara Swami, came to the>banks of the Sveta-Ganga and

wanted to have darshan of her holy feet. He had>come to offer worship for his

ancestors and while in discussion with Sri>Gangamata Goswamini, she instructed

the Srimad-Bhagavatam to him. The brahmana was>astonished by her explanations

and asked to take shelter of her. On an auspicious>day she initiated him into

the Radha-Krishna mantra of ten syllables. On the>order of Sri Gangamata

Goswamini, he preached the message of nama-prema,>ecstasy of the holy name, and

the teachings of Lord Chaitanya throughout Bengal.>> Sri Sita

Thakurani is the eternal wife of Sri Advaita Acharya,>who is considered an

avatara of Maha-Vishnu. Sita Thakurani is to be worshiped>as much as Mother

Sachideva, the mother of Sri Chaitanya. She married Advaita>Acharya in Phuliya

Nagara and they moved to Shantipura. Sita Thakurani was>always absorbed in

motherly devotion to Sri Chaitanya and would instruct>Jagannatha Misra, Sri

Chaitanya’s father, on how to care for the boy.> Advaita Acharya

was the one who did special worship near the>Ganges in Shantipur to call the

Lord to appear in this world, having felt that the>conditions were so bad that

only the Lord Himself could help. Thus, both>Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani

were in great bliss when Sri Chaitanya appeared>in this world, and she brought

Him many presents. From then on, Sri Sita>Thakurani would often come to Mayapur

from Shantipur to see the child and to give>instructions to Sachimata about how

to care for the child.> The Gaura-Ganodesha Dipika explains that

Sri Sita Thakurani is an>incarnation of Yogamaya. The Gaura-Parshada-Chiritvali

says that in the>Krishna pastimes she was Purnamasi, the mother of Sandipani

Muni, grandmother of>Madhumangal and Nandimukhi, and a disciple of Narada Muni.

The Gaura-Ganodesha>Dipika however says that Purnamasi in the Krishna pastimes

went on to become>Sri Govinda Acharya in the Chaitanya pastimes.>

When Sri Chaitanya was grown, he went to Gaya and became>initiated by Iswara

Puri. Afterwards he returned to Mayapur and started His sankirtana>pastimes.

Sri Advaita Acharya and Sita Thakurani were the first to worship>Sri Chaitanya

at the beginning of His real purpose in this world.> After Sri

Chaitanya took sannyasa and went to Jagannatha Puri to>live, Sri Advaita

Acharya and Sita Thakurani would go and visit Him, bringing>their own son,

Achyutananda. On one such occasion Sita Thakurani made many of>the Lord’s

favorite preparations and invited Him to their place to take lunch.>Simply to

increase their ecstasy, the Lord honored their invitation. Always>being

absorbed in motherly affection, she treated Him like her own son and

He>returned the sentiment. Sri Sita Thakurani bore three sons,

Achyutananda,>Krishna Mishra and Gopala Mishra. Thus, she was an inspiration

for spreading the>mission of the sankirtana movement.>> Sri Jahnava

Mata was born of Sri Suryadasa, along with her sister>Sri Vasudha. The

Gaura-Ganodesha-dipika explains that They are both>expansions of Varuni (Sri

Vasudha) and Revati (Jahnava Mata), and that they are both>incarnations of

Ananga-manjari. In time the daughters became of marriageable age>and Suryadasa

gave it much thought. The one night he had a dream in which he>gave both of his

daughters to Sri Nityananda. Surya dasa then told a brahmana>friend about this

and it was arranged to deliver the message to Sri Nityananda>Himself. Upon

hearing of it He agreed, after which the ecstasy of Suryadasa>knew no bounds.>

Arrangements were made for the wedding at Borogacchi Gram, and>many

devotees from all around attended (the full details of which are recorded>in

the Bhakti-Ratnakara). Thus, Suryadasa was most fortunate to have given both>of

his daughters to Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Lord Nityananda stayed in>Shaligrama

Pura for a while but then went to Nabadvipa to show His mother Sachideva>His

two wives. Sachimata was delighted to see them. On the order of

Sachimata,>Nityananda went to the house of Advaita Acharya in Shantipura. When

his wife>Sita Thakurani saw Vasudha and Sri Jahnava, she floated in waves of

ecstasy. Sri>Nityananda wandered from place to place performing many sankirtana

pastimes>(congregational singing of the Lord’s holy names). In due course,

Sri>Vasudhadevi gave birth to a daughter named Ganga and a son named

Virachandra. However,>Sri Jahnavadevi had no children.> As time

passed, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya, Shrivasa>Pandita, and many

other members of Lord Chaitanya’s personal entourage left>this world to

return to the spiritual domain. Sri Jahnava Mata still wanted to>inundate the

world with a flood of sankirtana nectar. In Kheturi Gram at that>time was a

great festival to be held on the celebration day of Chaitanya>Mahaprabhu’s

advent. Many devotees attended, like Narottama, Shyamananda and>Shrinivas. The

festival had been arranged by King Santosh Dutta. Sri Jahnava herself>attended

the festival and cooked the food for offering to the Gaura-Nitai>Deities there.

After the festival for one night, they went on to Nabadvipa.>However, Sri

Jahnava did not get to see Sachimata, Lord Chaitanya’s mother, and felt>very

unhappy. She went on to the home of Sripati and Srinidhi, but again

was>heartbroken because of not seeing Srivasa Pandit and Malinidevi there.

After>spending the night they went on to Shantipura and again discovered that

Sri>Advaita Acharya and his wife Sita Thakurani had also both passed away.

Though>greeted by their sons, Achyutananda and Gopala, Sri Jahnava was filled

with>grief.> Sri Jahnava Mata continued to travel with her

associates and>devotees, always gathering to perform sankirtana, the

congregational chanting and>singing of the Lord’s holy names. In this way,

many devotees were able to>drown themselves in the nectar of kirtana, and even

many atheists and sinners were>greatly purified. On one special occasion at

Kheturi Gram, even Lord>Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, who had already left

this world, made Their divine>appearance again in the midst of the kirtana.>

Sri Jahnava Mata was a wonderful cook and would prepare herself>such

dishes as rice, vegetable preps, and other foods to be offered to the>Deities

at such festivals. Thereafter, she would distribute the prasada (offered>food)

herself with her own hand to the great souls who were gathered there.>

When Sri Jahnava went to visit Vrindavana, she was greeted by>many great

devotees, and her ecstasy was unlimited. The Gosvamis offered their>pranams and

she also offered her obeisances in return. She was very happy seeing>the efforts

of the Gosvamis in renovating the holy land. She toured the holy>places of

Vrindavana and saw the different Deities. After visiting the many>pilgrimage

places, she returned to Gaudadesha, Bengal. While there she also>visited the

town of Sri Nityananda’s birth, Ekachakra, and was filled with ecstasy>to see

where He partook of childhood pastimes. She continued her travels,>returning to

Nabadvipa and seeing the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu>where she

fainted in ecstasy. She then went to the nearby courtyard of Srivasa,>where she

spent the night and the devotees engaged in a great sankirtana, for>this is

where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began His sankirtan movement. That night>she had

a dream of Lord Chaitanya in which He performed different pastimes.>

In this way, Jahnava Mata continued in her pastimes of traveling>to visit

various devotees and engaging in sankirtana festivals, cooking food>to be

offered to the Deities, and even witnessing the appearance of Lord>Chaitanya

and Nityananda in the midst of some of those ecstatic kirtans. She>continued to

deliver the love of bhakti (devotion) to numerous people, even atheists>and

materialists by her mercy. Thus, being considered the divine shakti of>Lord

Nityananda Himself, she continued the mission of Lord Chaitanya and

Lord>Nityananda by her activities, which centered around sankirtana and cooking

and>distributing prasada to everyone.>> Vishnupriya devi is the wife

of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and>appeared to assist with His mission of spreading

the holy name of Krishna. She is>said to be the internal potency of the Lord

known as Bhu-shakti. Thus, Sri>Chaitanya and Vishnupriya are as Vishnu and

Lakshmi combined again.> Vishnupriya was the daughter of Sanatana

Mishra. He was a highly>developed Vishnu bhakta. He was pious and generous and

would feed, clothe and>shelter many people. He was famous as the king of

pandits. It is said that he>was a king named Satrijit in the age of

Dvapara-yuga. It was a result of his>great devotion that he was blessed with

such a qualified daughter.> Vishnupriya was devoted to her parents

and would bathe in the>Ganga three times a day and observed many different vows

of spiritual austerity,>and was devoted to the shastric principles. Everyday

when she would bathe in>the Ganga, she would also bow at the feet of Mother

Sachi, the mother of Sri>Chaitanya, and Mother Sachi would bless her that

Krishna may provide her with a>qualified husband. Upon further enquiry Mother

Sachi learned that she was the>daughter of Sanatana Mishra, a qualified pandita

of Nabadvipa, and she began>to think that Vishnupriya may make a good wife for

her own son Nimai, Sri>Chaitanya.> At this time, Sri Chaitanya’s

first wife, Lakshmipriya, had>passed away and entered the spiritual domain. So

Mother Sachi was in great pain at>first, but started to think how to arrange

for her son’s happiness. When she>learned that He did not mind the idea of

marrying again, Sachi began to make>plans in earnest to have her son remarried,

and proposed that a match be made>with Vishnupriya. She made consultation with

Sanatana Mishra and he agreed and>was pleased. It was arranged by the people

and devotees to be a grand event.>(This is fully explained in the Chaitanya

Bhagavata.)> Sri Vishnupriya spent her life as a devoted wife. Even

when Sri>Chaitanya took sannyasa to engage completely in His purpose of

preaching and>spreading the glories of Krishna’s holy names, Vishnupriya

stayed with Mother>Sachi, engaging in service to the Lord together. Later,

Vishnupriya had her own>Deity of Sri Chaitanya and worshiped that Deity until

she left this world at>the age of 92. This Deity is still worshiped in

Nabadvipa in a temple where you>can visit and have darshan of this same Deity.

In this way, she also assisted>in the continuation of Sri Chaitanya’s

sankirtana movement and in the>principles of Vedic culture.>> Rani

Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi was one of the most brave and>legendary of warrior women

of India. The city of Jhansi was an important center in>the 18th century, but

in 1803 the British East India Company took over control>of the state. The last

raja at the time died without a son in 1853. The British>had passed a law that

allowed them to assume control of any state under their>patronage if the ruler

died without a male heir. The Rani of Jhansi, however,>did not like this

enforced retirement and preferred to rule on her own. So>she was ready for the

rebellion at Jhansi when the Indian Mutiny began. The>British in Jhansi were

killed, but the next year the British took Jhansi because>of the disunity among

the rebel forces. The rani fled to Gwalior and while>there made a defiant last

stand. Disguised as a man, she rode out to battle>against the British, but was

unfortunately killed. Her qualities of boldness,>patriotism, and generalship

were highly appreciated, even by her foreign rivals.>Since then she has been a

heroine of the independence movement of India.> The hilltop

fortress of Chittorgarh was another but more general>example of the chivalry of

the Rajputs and the warrior spirit of the women.>The fort has a long history. In

1303 was when the Pathan King of Delhi,>Ala-ud-din Khilji, attacked the fort in

an attempt to capture the queen Padmini, wife>of Bhim Singh, the Rana’s

uncle. When it was obvious that defeat was>inevitable, the Rajput noblewomen,

which included Padmini, committed Sati while Bhim>Singh, knowing of his certain

defeat, nonetheless took his men and put on the>saffron robes of martyrdom and

rode to battle and to their deaths. Honor was>more important than death to

them, and the women also would rather die than>submit to the enemy and certain

humiliation.> Another such event at Chittorgarh took place in 1535

when the>Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, besieged the fort, and once again the

Rajputs>did what they could. It is said that13,000 Rajput women and 32,000

Rajput>warriors died in the battle. The last of such scenes took place in 1568

when the>Moghul Emperor, Akbar, took the town. The women again performed Sati

and 8000>saffron clad warriors rode out to their deaths. Again death was better

than>submitting to the Muslim invaders.>> Devi Ahalya Bai Holkar,

the queen of Indore (Madhya Pradesh) has>set an excellent example of efficient

administration. Her contribution to>encourage free trade and the concept of the

welfare state is very admirable. Her>practices for maintaining integral

nationality, her quick impartial justice>were very effective. She led a very

simple and selfless life, not utilizing>anything from the royal treasury for

her personal use.>> Jijabai was not exactly a warrior herself but

was the mother of>Shivaji, one of the great protectors of the country and its

religion. She was>the guide who shaped his mind from his early years. She was

the embodiment of>self-respect. She nurtured her child to fight and bring back

Hindu Rastra and>became a constant source of inspiration to her heroic son.>>

Mira Bai is another name that many people will recognize for

her>saintly loving attachment to Lord Krishna. Her history is not so clear, but

it>is generally accepted that she was born in 1498 in a village near Merta

about>40 to 50 miles northwest of Ajmer. She was the daughter of Ratna Singh,

a>Rajput noble and warrior who was much involved in fighting. Mira’s mother

died>when she was still very young. For these reasons she was sent to live with

her>grandfather, Rau Dudaj, who had taken the town from the Muslims to

repopulate>it with Hindus.> Mira was a devotee of Krishna from very

young. One story is that>even before her mother died, Mira begged for an image

of Krishna from a holy>man who had visited her home, which she received. She

became so attached to the>Deity that her mother would joke that Krishna would

become her bridegroom.>Mira’s family were all Vaishnavas and regular worship

was a common event in>their home. Later, Mira’s grandfather died and her

uncle Viramji took>responsibility of her.> In 1508 Rana Sangh, the

great Rajput warrior, tried to arrange>for the defense of the oncoming Muslims

by marrying Dhan Bai of the Jodhpur>branch of the House of Rathor, and thus

establish alliances with other local>rulers. He also arranged with Viram Dev

for the marriage of Mira to his own heir,>Prince Bhoja Raj, in 1516. This was

supposed to secure an alliance of power to>the north.> So in 1516

Mira was married to Bhoja Raj, but the marriage was>childless. Mira was never

interested in the marriage and was completely>preoccupied with her devotion to

Lord Krishna, who in her poems she refers to as her>husband, and to herself as

a virgin. It is said that Bhoja Raj was frustrated>with her for a while but

gradually understood the devotional nature of Mira and>did not expect her to

play the typical role as a wife. There is a temple that>is said to have been

built for Mira Bai at the Chittorgarh Fort where she>would worship her Deity of

Lord Krishna. You can still visit this temple if you>ever go to this fort.>

War was common place at the time and in one such battle Mira’s>father,

Ratna Singh, was killed. Even Mira’s uncle was attacked by an

opposing>family, and Mira was increasingly left alone to her own devices. This

was most>often based on her devotion to Krishna.> The marriage of

Mira to help military alliances did not work out>well for Mira because 15 years

later, in 1531, when Rana Sangh had been dead>for 3 years, Vikramajita

(Vikramaditya), who was a mere boy of 14, acceded the>Kingdom of Mewar and was

most temperamental. [Rana Raymal reigned at Chittor>1473-1508. Rana Sangh was

his son.] This put Mira in the spite of members of a>rival family. Vikramajita

did not like Mira and it is said at one point he>locked her in a room with a

guard. This did not have the desired effect, so he>tried to poison her, but

that also failed. She refers to this in her poems as>the intervention of her

Lord Krishna.> It is thought that Mira took refuge of her uncle

Viram Dev in>Merta until Viram was expelled from his own capital by the King of

Jodhpur in>1538. From this point, the rest of Mira’s story is unclear.

However, there are a>few bits and pieces that seem to stand correctly. In the

first half of the>17th century Mira is said to have visited Vrindavan. She may

have been a>wandering ascetic after Viram was forced from Merta. The poet of

Priyadas who was at>Vrindavan at the time says that Mira went to see Jiva

Gosvami of Sri Chaitanya’>s association, but Jiva refused to see her because

she was a woman. She>replied that she thought Lord Krishna was the only male in

Vrindavana and all others>were female gopis (cowherd maidservants). This led to

Jiva Gosvami admitting>her into see him. There is also an old temple in

Vrindavana that is still>dedicated to her presence there, and there is an altar

with nice Krishna Deities>you can see there.> Other histories say

that she went to Dwaraka and lived there for>a considerable time, worshiping at

the temple there.> The death of Mira Bai in 1614 is also unclear,

but it is said>that in course of time, evil fell on the fort of Chittor where

Mira’s family>members lived, and where they began to think that the decline

of the fortress was>because of their persecution of a great devotee, namely

Mira. The king sent a>message begging for her to return, but she took shelter

at the temple of>Ranchor (Krishna) to pray, and it is said that her body melted

into the Deity.> In any case, Mira’s poems remain an inspiration

to many, and stir>the heart toward devotion to Krishna in many ways. They also

emphasize the>means of developing attraction to Krishna’s form, pastimes and

the chanting of>His names, and exemplifies a love relationship with the Lord.>>

Vandaniya Lakshmibai Kelkar (Kamal as she was known as a

little>girl) is another woman who did a tremendous amount of work of India and

its>culture. She was born on July 6, 1905 to Bhaskar Rao Datey and her

mother>Yasodabai. Kamal grew up in a congenial environment which molded her

into a sensitive>and intelligent girl. She learned the qualities of serving

others to assist>in their needs from her aunt who continually worked to ease

the plight of>people affected by the plague. Kamal was also imbued with

devotion to India and its>culture, and developed an acute sense to organize and

execute plans for its>preservation. This was due to her mother who would read to

the local ladies the>national newspapers to enlighten them about the oppressions

committed by the>British. Though this was viewed by the British rulers as an act

of treason,>she asserted that as a free person and not a Government servant she

had the>right to read such papers.> In the meantime, Kamal was

admitted to the only available convent>school in town, but shortly left because

of the Christian domination in it.>She grew to be a lovely teenager but was

determined not to marry anyone that>demanded dowry. So she later married a

widower, Purushottam Kelkar. He had two>daughters from his first marriage. In

the wedding, Kamal was given the name>Lakshmi, meaning prosperity. In her

marriage she took care of her two daughters,>managed the household and in time

became the mother of six sons.> Laxmi was not satisfied with mere

household duties. She also had>the spirit of patriotism, sacrifice and social

reform. She was waiting for the>chance to participate in the freedom movement.

She attended meetings and>listened to the top leaders of the movement and

observed the effects of the Law>Defiance Movement, along with the gradual

change in the social psyche. She felt>that obtaining political freedom was

necessary, but that every citizen of free>Bharat must come forward with a firm

common will and total identification>with the national interests, ancient

glories, the Vedic culture and traditions of>Bharat. But how to put this all

together was the issue.> During this time some eminent personalties

were striving for the>education of women. Due to Western impact, Indian women

were struggling for>equal rights and economic freedom. Yet this led to progress

of the individual>but not for the society as a whole, and to self-centerdness.

This presented the>risk of women losing their commitment to love, sacrifice,

service and other>inborn qualities that glorify Hindu women. She felt that this

attraction to the>easy and showy way of western life that lead to this unnatural

change in the>attitude of women could also lead to the disintegration of family,

which has>been a primary and important factor in Vedic society for imparting the

proper>Vedic culture. So Lakshmibai was worried by this.> After

attending discourses by Gandhi and hearing him advising the>ladies to follow

the life of Sita and Savitri, she studied the Ramayana and>Mahabharata. She was

attracted to the literature of Swami Vivekananda who>professed that men and

women are equally important constituents of the nation just>like two wings of a

bird. Lakshmibai came to the conclusion that women should>boldly come forward

and share the responsibility in solving the various>problems of the society.>

Lakshmibai lost her husband in 1923 and was left to look after>eight

children and a vast property. She faced the situation and still pursued>her

national commitments. Later, through her sons, she learned of an>organization

based on individual contact, mutual love and voluntary discipline called

the>Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. She thought that this type of

organization>would also work well for meeting the challenge among women. After

meeting with Dr.>Hedgewar about her ideas, she formed an organization for women

called Rashtra>Sevika Samiti on Vijaya Dashami Day, October 25, 1936. She

sketched the>working plan for the organization and shouldered all the

responsibility herself.> As the organization grew, among its

members Lakshmibai was called>by her family nickname of “Mousijiâ€, but they

prefixed it with “Vandaniyaâ€>to show their respect. Vandaniya Mousiji’s

talent of nursing became especially>useful, since she had to nurse a number of

ailing minds from all kinds of>weaknesses. It was difficult in those days for a

socially and economically well>placed young widow to get involved in work

wherein prestige, honor and fame>were never to be aspired for.> In

the beginning she was also too shy to deliver speeches and>often would ask a

friend to do it for her. But through perseverance, firm will>and relentless

practice she slowly acquired most of the qualities to lead the>organization.>

The basic premise of the organization was the practice and>promotion

of Vedic culture in its relevance to modern times. She convinced many>women to

do the same by protecting it through the natural process of imparting

the>proper impressions at home, especially to her children. It is through

this>process that a mother’s power can build a strong character-based

society.> To set the proper example, she introduced Devi

Ashtabhuja, a>symbol of the ideal Hindu woman with eight (ashta) specific

qualities, such as>chastity, boldness, affection, alertness, etc., that every

woman should have. To>organize and inspire the women, there were regular

meetings. And to spread it,>Mousiji started touring with what little

transportation that could be>arranged, traveling alone and with her small son,

depending on God to avoid the>risks. Gradually, the Samiti grew to a national

organization, holding special>gatherings in places like Mumbai.>

Taking a special interest in education, the “Bharatiya Shri Vidya>Niketanâ€

was registered in 1983 to reorganize the system of girls’>education.>

Having studied the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana,>she gave

discourses on them and inspired many women to inculcate the firm will,>sanctity

of thought and deed, and the self-protecting spiritual power like>that of Sita

and Draupadi. Her discourses became popular and large numbers of>people would

throng to hear her sweet voice and logical interpretation. She could>convince

many younger generations to look on Vedic culture as their national>heritage

and the divine personalities such as Sri Krishna, Sri Rama and Sita,>and

Savitri as national heroes and heroines.> Vandaniya Mousiji was

very affectionate and loving as a mother>but equally strict as a general in

organizational matters. The individual>attention that she showed on each sevika

volunteer made them feel that Mousiji>loved her the most.>

Vandaniya Mousiji passed away on November 27, 1978 at the age of>73. The news

spread quickly and many members came to pay their last homage to>one of the

recent architects of “Modern Vedic Womenâ€. Through her>foresightedness she

had already made arrangements and had appointed leaders to continue>the work

without any confusion after her passing. The Samiti was then lead by>Vandaniya

Saraswatibai (Taiji Apte) until her passing on March 9, 1994. During>her tenure

the organization even spread outside India. The Samiti has since>been lead under

the loving and careful guidance of Vandaniya Ushatai Chati, who>had been

appointed by Taiji Apte herself. Thus, from the efforts of Mousiji,>the women

volunteers of the Samiti are continuing in the protection and>promotion of

Vedic culture.>>* * *>> There are many other women I could have

included in this article,>especially those who have been recognized as saints

and guardians of Vedic>culture, such as Anandamayi Ma who lived in Vrindavana.

And presently there are>such women as Mother Karunamayi and Mother

Amritanandamayi Ma whose life>stories are also inspirational, and who are

traveling throughout the world and>actively preserving and expanding the

understanding of various aspects of the>Vedic tradition. Because they offer the

unconditional love of a spiritual mother>for their spiritual children, their

popularity is one of the reasons why>thousands of people, especially women,

have been attracted to such lady pioneers in>spirituality. The world is like a

desert craving for the rejuvenation and>reciprocation of such love. Why would

it not be attractive? Even now there are a>host of other women that I have met,

whether they are in the Rashtra Seviki>Samiti, Iskcon, Vivekanandra Kendra, Arun

Jyoti, Swadyaya, Kalyan Ashrama, or>other organizations, all working in various

ways in their humble service to God,>as well as for the protection and

advancement of Vedic culture.> So these are just a few stories of

the examples of strong and>influential women in Vedic culture, from the early

Vedic times up to modern date,>and how women can further their development in

spirituality and reach a>higher potential and contribution to

society.>>[Available at http://www.stephen-knapp.com]> Links>><*>

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