Can women worship Shaligram Shila & deities at home?
Koena Ghosh asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhuji. I heard that women can’t worship shaligram Shila. Is it true? But i read that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mother Saci Devi used to worship Shaligram and Nityananda Prabhu’s wife Jahnava Devi also used to worship Shaligram and did abhishek. Also there is this verse- STRIYO VA YADI VA SUDRA BRAHMANAH KSATRIYADAYAH VAISHNAVAM PUJAYITVA SILA CAKRA LABHANTE SASVATAM PADAM ” (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 5/452 From SKANDA PURANA conversation between Lord Brahma and Narada Muni )Worship of Salagram Sila can be done by Women, Sudras (low caste), Brahmanas (twice born), Kshatriyas (administrators), Vaishnavas, etc. and everybody who worships the Shila devotedly can achieve the eternal abode of Lord Krishna (Vaikuntha) perfectly. Then why such restrictions?”
REPLY:
See, There is no restriction for women to follow any ritual with any deity AT HOME except during their menstrual cycle days.
There are just some regulations only in the case of performing Pujas for any deity or shaligram shila by the women.
(Why there is inequality among men and women in scriptures? READ HERE!)
The ONLY reason for these restrictions for the women doing pujas to the Shaligram Shilas & deities is that they may get menstrual discharge at any time.
The cleanliness rules are strict for deity a & Shaligram worship.
In temples, the rules are very strict. A temple pujari has to take bath three times a day.
Though a temple pujari has to take bath three times a day, whenever he uses the toilet, he has to take simple bath.
One or two drops of urine may spray on the thighs or anywhere else after urination. So, that pujari is expected to atleast pour a bucket of water on the head to get cleansed.
Since he touches the deities who are the archa avatars of the Lord and offers pujas, these strict rules.
Since it may be unpredictable for women when they may get monthly cycle, it is not encouraged for them to perform pujas during those days.
(STORY BEHIND WOMEN’s SUFFERING AS SAID BY KRISHNA! READ HERE!)
Our elders wanted to keep the family structure intact so that the next gen children will be well protected by the mother at home. That is why, they did not expect the women to work hard both at home and work spots that may affect the growing children because of the lack of supervision.
And, the women have some extra responsibilities of bearing, delivering, feeding and cultivating the children well. This is the responsibility to create good future generation.
This is not to suppress the women, but to protect them.
Now, with the advancement of kaliyuga, in the name of women freedom, the women claim all the jobs that men are doing.
(HOW SHOULD WOMEN LIVE PERFECTLY AS PER THE SCRIPTURES? READ HERE!)
But, they should always keep in mind that they can’t share their sole responsibility of bearing, feeding and caring of children to the men.
That is why, men and women can not be equal at all. The expectation is that every woman should respect men and vice versa.
This is what lacking now. Once upon a time, the men suppressed the women, now, it is the turn of women to retaliate. Ha Ha, many men are suppressed by women and some even go to the courts to get relieved from, the torture of wife.
Same applies for Shaligram shilas.
The women can perform all the austerities and services to the deities AT HOME that men do.
Whenever they reach the date of monthly periods cycle, they should refrain from doing deity worship at home.
Particularly, Shaligram shila is also similar to Tulasi Maharani as far austerities are concerned.
Whatever precautions you follow for Tulasi, should be followed for shaligram shila also.
If the women can maintain that quality of austerities by being careful before the start of their monthloy cycles, they too can worship Shaligram for about 25 days in a month except the five days in which the women may have some physical disturbances. There is no barriers for home worship. All the restrictions are meant for the temples alone in most cases.
In brief, follow the precautions that we show for Tulasi worship at home.
Hope you are clear about whether women can worship Shaligram Shila & deities at home.
(Are women Priests, Sanyasis and Gurus allowed in Sanathana Dharma? READ HERE!)