Do the Scriptures promote inequality among men and women?
A female devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna, prabhu….dandabat pranam….having 1 ques…women is neglected everywhere in the world always even in treta or dapor yuga. My question is why this type of inequality between men and women though both r created by same Krishna? Is this previous sinful karma reaction to birth as woman. Pls prabhu clear about it
REPLY:
The people never consider all the living beings as the creations of Krishna.
Do they respect the dogs?
Do they respect the beggars?
(Are women Priests, Sanyasis and Gurus allowed in Sanathana Dharma? READ HERE!)
Do they respect the poor?
Do they respect a person using low cost products?
Do they respect those who purposefully lead a simple life?
Whom they respect?
The people respect only those who are stronger than them in respect of wealth, health, appearance, status, etc.
They tend to ill treat those who are weaker than them in the above aspects.
There are many foolish people who consider even the simple devotees as less intelligent people! They do not know the greatness of being the devotees.
Every person gets a kind of happiness when he shows himself as greater than others. His ego gets a boost when he insults those who are in lower status than him.
Same ego prevents a man from respecting women.
During the vedic period, both men and women enjoyed equal respects and they had been allotted duties to be done for family and society.
(STORY BEHIND WOMEN’s SUFFERING AS SAID BY KRISHNA! READ HERE!)
Now, in this advancing kaliyuga, there are inequality in everything.
When the male domination existed, it gave a boost to ego for males.
If the women get full freedom of equality, what will happen?
If the women gets a chance, they too will start to dominate men. This is what happening now a days.
Since both the men and women go to the jobs, there are many cases in which the wives ill treated husbands. I have read a news in which a husband committed suicide since his wife tortured him beyond limits.
Therefore, both men and women will behave in the same way when they get freedom and strong status socially and financially.
(What should be the Vaishnavas’ approach with women and others? READ HERE!)
When the men were earning, they dominated women.
Now, when both men and women are earning, both of them dominate each other.
Therefore, do not speak like men, women, etc. Dominating attitude applies to both men and women.
There are male reformers as well as female reformers.
There are male achievers as well as female achievers.
Similarly, there are criminals among both males and females.
(Why Tara, Mandodari, Damayanti and other women married twice or more? READ HERE!)
Those who get opportunity, suppress others. Both the males and females do so.
As said by the scriptures, everyone will commit offences and tend to cheat. The scriptures did not say male or females.
Every person will commit offences if he / she gets a chance!
Remember that.
Now, let us see why inequality is required.
Firstly, two dominant persons can not co-exist peacefully within a family.
(HOW SHOULD WOMEN LIVE PERFECTLY AS PER THE SCRIPTURES? READ HERE!)
If the husband seems to have more ego and dominance, the wife should control her emotions and priorities.
Similarly, if the wife seems to have more ego and dominance, the husband should control his emotions and priorities.
If both of them start to show their dominance, the family will be like a war field.
This is the reason for the increasing number of divorces now a days.
Both the husband and wife are not ready to give up their ego for the goodness of the family.
(Why the scriptures give more restrictions to women than men? READ HERE!)
Till many decades back, only the husbands dominated the wives.
Now, the wives too have started the same mistake of dominating the husbands in many families.
That is why, I said that both the males and females are READY TO COMMIT MISTAKES if they get a chance.
Females too act like males when they too get a chance to dominate the men.
So, until the women accepted and enjoyed the dominance of husbands, the families were peaceful.
Now, since the females are not ready to be controlled, many issues in many families.
I do not support dominating the wives. But, either the wife or husband should remain silent when one of them show their dominance or anger.
(Why Arjuna blames only women, not men in Bhagavad Gita 1.40? READ HERE!)
It is not possible now a days as both of them are earning, are self standing and are not ready to give up their ego.
So, though there is inequality among the men and women in scriptures, do not think that the scriptures are wrong. They have never preached that the women should be suppressed. The have given some guidelines to keep the families intact.
The Scriptures gave some regulations for women because they have some very responsible duties like bearing and delivering children, feeding them, etc. Otherwise, there are no bad motives in giving regulations for women.
Anyone among the husband or wife should give up the ego. This is the only way for a peaceful life.
So, equality will exist only when the male accepts the dominance of the females and vice versa. If not, inequality can’t be avoided.
Hope you are now clear why there is inequality among men and women in scriptures.
(Does Krishna allow male domination in devotion and society? READ HERE!)