MANUSMRUTI ON WOMEN

 SUBHASHITHANI:339

 Ms. Terry Brown in her book ‘Essential Teachings of Hinduism’, underscores the significance of women in Hinduism as “In Hinduism, a woman is looked after not because she is inferior or incapable, but on the contrary, because she is treasured. She is the pride and power of the society.  Just as the crown jewels should not be left unguarded, neither should a woman be left unprotected.  If there are costly jewels, we do not throw them here and there like brass vessels. Costly material is protected”. She explains and rightly interprets in her commentary on Manusmriti that “न स्त्री स्वातन्त्र्यमर्हति” does not mean that woman should be a slave.  Instead, when she is a young girl, she requires the protection of the father.  When she is married, she requires the protection of the husband.  When she ages further, the husband would be still older and she will also not be in a position to take care of herself, so the sons will take care of her.  As a general rule , the responsibility of protecting women lies with the menfolk. In other words, the verse is enunciating the duties of men, with respect to women.( commentary by Ramanuja Devanathan on Manusmruti 9.3 )

यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः ।
यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास्तत्राफलाः क्रियाः ॥ ५६ ॥

yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ |
yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ || 3.56 ||

Where women are honoured, there the gods rejoice; where, on the other hand, they are not honoured, there all rites are fruitless.—(56)

शोचन्ति जामयो यत्र विनश्यत्याशु तत् कुलम् ।
न शोचन्ति तु यत्रैता वर्धते तद् हि सर्वदा ॥ ५७ ॥

śocanti jāmayo yatra vinaśyatyāśu tat kulam |
na śocanti tu yatraitā vardhate tad hi sarvadā || 3.57 ||

Where the female relations (‘ladies of the family; sisters, daughters-in-law, and so forth’.)live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes; but that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers.—(57)

जामयो यानि गेहानि शपन्त्यप्रतिपूजिताः ।
तानि कृत्याहतानीव विनश्यन्ति समन्ततः ॥ ५८ ॥

jāmayo yāni gehāni śapantyapratipūjitāḥ |
tāni kṛtyāhatānīva vinaśyanti samantataḥ || 3.58 ||

Where ever women are insulted and treated discourteously, that place will perish completely destroyed as if by magic.

पिता रक्षति कौमारे भर्ता रक्षति यौवने ।
रक्षन्ति स्थविरे पुत्रा न स्त्री स्वातन्त्र्यमर्हति ॥ ३ ॥

pitā rakṣati kaumāre bhartā rakṣati yauvane |
rakṣanti sthavire putrā na strī svātantryamarhati || 9.3 ||

The father guards her when she is young, the husband guards her in youth, the sons guard her in old age; the woman is never fit for independence. ( see explanation above )

प्रजनार्थं महाभागाः पूजार्हा गृहदीप्तयः ।
स्त्रियः श्रियश्च गेहेषु न विशेषोऽस्ति कश्चन ॥ २६ ॥

prajanārthaṃ mahābhāgāḥ pūjārhā gṛhadīptayaḥ |
striyaḥ śriyaśca geheṣu na viśeṣo'sti kaścana || 9.26 ||

There is no difference whatever between the goddess of fortune ( Sri Lakshmi) and the women who secure many blessings for the sake of bearing children, who are worthy of worship and who form the glory of their household—(26)

अर्थस्य सङ्ग्रहे चैनां व्यये चैव नियोजयेत् ।
शौचे धर्मेऽन्नपक्त्यां च पारिणाह्यस्य वेक्षणे ॥ ११ ॥

arthasya saṅgrahe caināṃ vyaye caiva niyojayet |
śauce dharme'nnapaktyāṃ ca pāriṇāhyasya vekṣaṇe || 11 ||

The husband shall involve his wife  in the accumulation and disbursement of wealth, as also in cleanliness, in religious acts, in the cooking of food and in taking care of the household activities.(11)

 यथैवात्मा तथा पुत्रः पुत्रेण दुहिता समा ।
तस्यामात्मनि तिष्ठन्त्यां कथमन्यो धनं हरेत् ॥ १३० ॥

yathaivātmā tathā putraḥ putreṇa duhitā samā |
tasyāmātmani tiṣṭhantyāṃ kathamanyo dhanaṃ haret || 9.130 ||

The son is as one’s own self, and the daughter is equal to the son; hence so long as she is there in her own real character, how can anyone else take his property?—(130)

वशाऽपुत्रासु चैवं स्याद् रक्षणं निष्कुलासु च ।
पतिव्रतासु च स्त्रीषु विधवास्वातुरासु च ॥ २८ ॥

vaśā'putrāsu caivaṃ syād rakṣaṇaṃ niṣkulāsu ca |
pativratāsu ca strīṣu vidhavāsvāturāsu ca || 8.28 ||

The king shall provide  protection in the case of barren women, of son-less women, of women devoted to their husbands, and of widows faithful to their husbands,—when their family is extinct, and when they are in distress.—(28)

परदाराभिमर्शेषु प्रवृत्तान्नॄन् महीपतिः ।
उद्वेजनकरैर्दण्डैश्छिन्नयित्वा प्रवासयेत् ॥ ३५२ ॥

paradārābhimarśeṣu pravṛttānnṝn mahīpatiḥ |
udvejanakarairdaṇḍaiśchinnayitvā pravāsayet || 8.352 ||

Those men who are addicted to intercourse with the wives of other men, the king shall banish after having branded them with terror-inspiring punishments.—(352)( Severe punishment for adultery, molesting or rape of a woman )

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH