Does Krishna allow male domination in devotion and society?
“A Girl devotee” asked like this:
Hare krishna prabhuji i want to ask why we have male dominating society?? why krishna has given less power to females?? jai shri krishna.
REPLY:
I doubt whether it applies completely now a days. Such male domination in devotion and also in day to day life may be present in some places. But, the point is that no man can dominate women at all times. Because they have to involve women in many activities of life. For example, a man depends on his wife to develop his child well, as a woman can develop a child well compared to a man. And, every vedic ritual needs the presence of women along with her husband. A man is not eligible to perform vedic rituals and to be priests in the temples unless he has married.
(DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE FOR MEN AND WOMEN – VERDICT OF INDIAN SCRIPTURES! READ HERE!)
This society became male dominated only in recent years of about 1000 years. During vedic period, the women enjoyed all the freedom and their opinions played major role in decision making. Even during Krishna’s visit, women enjoyed rights. In fact, most of the associates of Krishna were women only. So, a REAL DEVOTEE will not discriminate women from men. There are a very few physical variations according to the need.
Who said that women has less capacity? The women bear a 3 kg of child within her womb for about 9 months. She takes rebirth during delivery and brings her child as a good citizen by closely concentrating in child care. WOMEN HAVE MORE MENTAL STRENGTH THAN MEN. If anyone dies, they cry for some time and recover fast from that and go for next duty of preparing food for the visitors of the death ceremony. They have that much of mental capability.
My mother did not divorce my father though we were taking just a single time food daily. She taught us how to bear and cross that poverty. She encouraged us to study well and believe that God is doing these things for some reasons. Because, she had the WILL POWER that her children will come up and the fate of the family will change. That mental power and patience of my mother changed the fate of our family and now we have 3 times of food a day.
(Will Krishna reform abusing husbands if the wife likes to avoid divorce? READ HERE!)
God did not give capacity and suitable body to give child birth to men , because, He knew that only women can have patience and maturity to deliver and develop a child. So, being women is not inferior. You know, Draupati, Kunti devi, etc are the devotees of Krishna and Krishna had very high regards on them.
Actually, we should not think a society as male dominated just because there are some restrictions for women. Actually, the Lord has created women as beautiful and attractive. So, for their safety and to maintain the social order, the scriptures recommend some restrictions for women. Only because there are no restrictions now a days, there are betrayals, women exploitation, molestation, raping, etc. Of course, these exploitation were in ancient days also. But, they were in less numbers. Now, it happens everywhere.
So, some restrictions are necessary. In fact, the restrictions are necessary for both men and women. However, there are more restrictions for women because they are vulnerable section in the society. Their beauty is their major threat. As all people are not sanyasis in a society and are just ordinary people only, it is natural that women were given certain advice.
But, until it stops with just restrictions, its ok. A section of males started to use these restrictions to suppress the women. They denied the basic rights of women. For example, they did not give importance for the views of women in major decision makings,.they did not allow the women to convey their personal wishes as a wife to their husbands. They started to use women like servants of the house.
(Why the dress codes for women though even the girls of vedic period were wearing skirts only? READ HERE!)
This misuse came even for vedas. Some section of the society started to misuse Vedas to suppress other communities. So, the Lord came as Buddha and temporarily discouraged the vedas.
Thus, women were actually enjoying freedom. That is why, all forms of God appear along with their consorts. So, male domination is there in selected cases. But, now a days, in most of the families, there are women domination also. In many cases, many men also are affected. So, when freedom is given, both men and women behave similarly.
So, the point is: No one should suppress others, but respect them, because everyone is the creation of the Lord and everyone has his/ her own justifications and feelings. Even within a family, both men and women should respect the feelings and expectations of each other and avoid clashes and misunderstandings. If anyone likes to suppress others in a family, there can be no peace. If there is a husband and wife, husband should voluntarily understand the needs of his wife and fulfill them; Similarly, the wife should voluntarily understand the needs of her husband and co-operate with him.
So, my view is that there are male domination in about two thirds of the society and still there is female domination in one third of society. This ratio is heading towards equal as 50-50. Later, it may go even higher. So, women need not worry. The future is theirs (!!!). The males will have to face the heat of the female domination in future. This kaliyuga is going to be the world dominated by women in future. The signs are already there. So, the males are seriously trying to escape from earth to the kingdom of Lord.
(Why the scriptures give more restrictions to women than men? READ HERE!)
Again I tell you: If freedom is given, both males and females will like to suppress others and everyone will like to be the masters, not the servants to each other.
This is the trend of material life on this earth. Unless the husband and wife have the same target of Krishna to achieve in this birth, these domination by each other are inevitable.
Does male domination in devotion also exist?
May be. All devotees are not in advanced status. There will be kanishta adhikaris also (starting level devotees). So, this male domination in devotion will also exist in all fields including devotion unless a devotee throws his ego and see the opposite sex as the products of Krishna and Krishna lives in their hearts too.
But, we are not living with Paramahamsas, but, with ordinary people only. Isn’t it?
(How should a devotee treat and behave with the women? READ HERE!)