Status & Role of Women in Hinduism
The role of women in Hinduism is sophisticated. While some scriptures celebrate the feminine as the Supreme Being, other scriptures heavily limit women to a few rights. We’ll talk about both sides of some Hindu scriptures in this post so that we can better understand the role and status of women in Hinduism.
The daughter, O king, has been ordained in the scriptures to be equal to the son.
~ Bhishma, Anushashan Parva, Mahabharata
Table of Contents
Women In The Vedic Era
In his book, “The Story of Civilization“, Will Durant observed that women enjoyed more freedom in the Vedic era than in any later era of Indian history.
In the Vedic period, women had a voice in selecting their partners. They were free to participate in social gatherings, such as feasts and dances, and to engage in religious practices alongside men. Women were allowed to study and participate in philosophical debates. Widows faced no restrictions on remarrying as opposed to today’s Hinduism.
Most of the problems faced by women in current-day Hinduism are not only socio-religious but also politico-religious.
Devi Suktam in The Rig Veda
The Devi Suktam in the Rig Veda celebrates God in the feminine form and says that Shakti is the creator of everything tangible and intangible. It equates Devi Ma to Brahman, the Supreme Power. It says the Devi is Brahman and She powers the creation, sustains it, and destroys it when required.
Generally, the feminine form of God is called Devi Ma (can also be called Goddess; Ma means Mother). The following is the summary of the Devi Suktam.
The Devi Suktam, also known as the Vak Suktam or Ambhrini Suktam, is a powerful hymn from the Rigveda that praises the Goddess Devi or Vak as the embodiment of the divine word and the creator of the universe.
- The Goddess declares her omnipresence and omnipotence, stating She exists within all deities and elements of nature.
- She identifies Herself as the essence behind the entire creation, sustaining and governing the universe.
- The hymn portrays the Goddess as the ultimate source of power and strength, who controls all cosmic energies.
- It encapsulates the idea of a single, Supreme Power that manifests in various forms, laying the foundation for Shaktism, a sect of Hinduism.
- The Devi Suktam celebrates the Divine Feminine as the creating force and the sustainer of life.
- The hymn is chanted during various rituals and pujas, invoking the Goddess’s blessings for knowledge and wisdom.
The Devi Suktam is more than just a prayer. It is a declaration of the Divine Feminine significant role in the spiritual and material realms. It’s a testament to the ancient Vedic recognition of the Goddess as the core of spiritual existence and the universe’s dynamism.
~ Devi Suktam, Rigveda.
Thus, women in Hinduism are celebrated as a form of Goddess, especially, as the Goddess of wealth, Ma Lakshmi.
Younger girls – who haven’t yet started mensurating – are considered Devi Ma and are worshipped during the Navratri Celebrations. They are offered fresh food and new clothes during the Navratri. It is prevalent in Northern India. Don’t try that in Southern India though. People get suspicious if you want to pray to their young children as the avatars of Shakti. 😁 Speaking of cultural differences!
Coming of age of girls is celebrated with enthusiasm in Southern India. People deck their young girl in a saree and jewelry. Friends, family, and relatives give her gifts.
However, the Hindu society is patriarchal in most places, so women don’t get as many opportunities as men. We can say women in Hinduism have a special place at times but not all the time. In modern Hinduism, women are still treated as being inferior to men. It is a mindset that cannot be changed any time soon.
Let’s see what the Mahabharata says about the role of women in Hinduism.
Role of Women in Hinduism as Explained in The Anushashan Parva, Mahabharata
The Anushashan Parva (roughly translates to Discipline Unit) of Mahabharata talks about the duties and rights of women in Hinduism.
After Yudhisthira was crowned the emperor of Hastinapur following the war, he went to Bhishma who was lying on his deathbed. He tells Yudhishthira various things so that the latter can rule properly.
The Shanti Parva (Peace Unit) that precedes Anushashan Parva, talks about the duties of a king. The Anushashan Parva focuses on the rights and responsibilities of people at that time.
In the Anushashan Parva, Chapter 13, Bhishma exclaims that daughters are no less than sons and should be treated equally.
Chapter 11 says that the divinity of Goddess Lakshmi resides in a simple woman: truthful, sincere, modest, organized, devoted to their husband and children, health conscious, patient, and kind to parents, parents-in-law, and guests. The Goddess of wealth and well-being says she stays away from a woman who is sinful, unclean, always disagreeing with her husband, has no patience or fortitude, is lazy, and quarrelsome with her neighbors and relatives.
Chapter 143 of Anushashan Parva, Mahabharata, has some verses that may not sound pleasing to current-day feminists. Some later authors attempted to create “Stree Dharm Paddhati” (rules for women) by conveniently picking up the oppressing verses rather than using the verses that liberate them.
Goddess Uma tells the duties of women to Lord Shiva in chapter 143 but also warns of suffering if a woman stays in an abusive marriage. Dharma is above all, and a woman may leave her husband if he fails to cater to her according to his dharma. I will discuss the duties of men in another post as this one is about the role of women in Hinduism.
The duties of women during the Mahabharata era included bearing a good disposition, sweet speech, and good conduct, but at the same time being capable of sustaining her own life if the situation demanded. It meant that women had to be educated, providing them with the proper skills and services required to live respectfully.
The same chapter also states that a woman’s duties include physical and emotional nourishment and reverence for her husband and children. Their happiness is her happiness. She observes the same vows as those of her husband. She must be cheerful even when her husband or children are angry. She should be there for them in adversity or sickness. She should be righteous in her conduct.
The above paragraph is a bit too much to ask. Women have their own emotions and asking them to neglect their feelings is akin to making them unhealthy.
The Adi Parva (First Unit) of Mahabharata prohibits domestic violence and talks about women being the force of creation. See the quote below:
No man, even in anger, should ever do anything disagreeable to his wife while upholding dharma; for happiness, joy, virtue, and everything depends on the wife. Wife is the sacred soil in which the husband is born again, even the Rishis cannot create men without women.
Adi Parva, Mahabharata
The following does not sound pleasing, but I am including it as it is necessary to understand the status of women in the past. When Ashtavakra went to heaven, the celestial damsels asked him if a woman could be independent.
Ashtavakra’s answer was negative. He said a woman is dependent on others all her life: as a child, she is dependent on her father; as a wife, she is dependent on her husband; and as a widow, she is dependent on her sons. This is an old view, however. We have plenty of examples of independent women in today’s Hinduism. See the below sections for some examples.
Women Characters Who Influenced Hinduism
This part covers the women in Hinduism who influence both religion and society. Some of them are divine and others are normal women. Let’s look at the most ideal women in Hinduism.
Devi Sita, the main character in “Ramayana”, is regarded as the epitome of loyalty and support. She stood by Lord Rama all her life and is considered an avatar of Ma Lakshmi.
Ma Parvati, also known as Shakti, is the driving force of the universe. Shakti translates to power and energy. It is said that Shakti is the feminine form of God.
Ma Saraswati is the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge.
Ma Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and well-being.
Draupadi is one of the main characters of the epic, “Mahabharata”. She is celebrated as a strong, pious woman who lived by her principles.
Ahalya comes from “Ramayana” and is considered chaste whose story is about righteousness and redemption.
Savitri is celebrated for her devotion to her husband for whom she confronts the God of Death.
There are numerous examples of strong women in the scriptures and epics related to Hinduism. The more you delve deeper into the religion, the more characters you will find. If I may, I recommend reading the “Handbook of Indian Mythology” of The Oxford Press by George M. Williams. If you want to buy it, buy the South Asian edition from Amazon rather than Oxford Press because the latter is too costly.
Women Philosophers in Hinduism
There have been women in Hinduism who were smarter than men. Gargi, to name one, was a philosopher who contributed to the Hindu scriptures and had great debating skills. Here are some of the renowned women philosophers in the Hindu religion.
Gargi Vaichaknavi worked in King Janaka’s court. Her debate with Sage Yajnavalkya is recorded in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. She was a natural philosopher, a brahmavadini (well-versed in the Vedas), and a lifelong brahmacharini (celibate). Current-day textbooks still carry her story.
Maitreyi means “wise one”. She too is related to the Sage Yajnavalkya as his wife. She was a brahmavadini (well-versed in the Vedas) and had contributed to Rig Veda and some other Upanishads. Her debate with Yajnavalkya is recorded in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
Lopamudra was a philosopher and sage. She contributed to the Rigveda like the above two. She was Sage Agastya’s wife and created some hymns in the Rigveda as well as visualized the mantra used by the Srikul Shakta sect in Hinduism. Thus, she was a Rishika (learned/saintly).
Issues Faced By Women In Hinduism
Let’s look at the major issues faced by women in Hinduism. Of course, many of them are still prevalent but some of the horrible issues were addressed through mass movements and intellectuals of yesteryears.
Sati was a burning issue until the end of the 18th century. No pun intended. Widows were burned alive on the pyres of their dead husbands. This practice was prevalent mostly in the upper castes. Widows were intoxicated and burned or killed by poison. The Sati system was abolished in 1829 by the then-governor of India, Lord William Bentinck. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is credited with the fight against his own people to abolish Sati, dowry, polygamy, child marriage, and similar issues. Though many of these issues persist, he was able to get Sati and Polygamy banned in Hinduism.
Child Marriage is still prevalent in India. It is more of a social issue than a religious one. Though the government of India has set the legal age of marriage to 18, children as young as 14 are married as soon as they reach puberty. The only thing that can stop and is stopping child marriage is the education of the children on social matters.
Widowhood is still a bane for women. You might have heard about Vrindavan Widows. Women often depend on their children after their husbands die. Widows are still considered inauspicious and are mistreated. Unable to bear the pain, most widows either run away to Vrindavan or Varanasi. On the plus side, we have women who live independently and can provide for themselves and their children.
There was no plan in place by anyone until several NGOs approached the government. Only recently, a 1000-bed dormitory was constructed by the Gujarat government for the widows in Vrindavan. However, it alone is not sufficient and such facilities must be extended to other places too. Check out this article on Vrindavan Widows in The New York Times.
Do I need to say anything about the dowry system in Hinduism? It often ruins the families of brides. This also leads to infanticide and female foeticide that though addressed by the government of India, are still rampant across India. Again, education is the answer to dowry and female foeticide evils.
I am not talking about the regular academic education. People need social education that generates awareness about these and the other issues faced by women in Hinduism.
Other issues are more like social issues as they are prevalent in all religions. Some examples are the ghoonghat/purdah system, mensuration issues, domestic violence, and marital rape.
Status & Role of Women in Hinduism: The Conclusion
After checking out the Rig Veda and the current scriptures, it seems that women in Hinduism were happiest during the Vedic age. After that, things kept on becoming difficult for women as the society was and is largely patriarchal. A bit of responsibility lay on the women of previous eras though. Had they not been so submissive in following their dharma, the situation might have been a little better in today’s Hinduism.
Today’s Hindu religion is more rigid as we see in the above post. The main issue is people using the Hindu scriptures selectively to suit their agenda/purposes. This set of people includes current-day feminists who do nothing for women in reality but organize feats like burning the Manu Smriti and Sri Ram Charit Manas. Nobody follows Manu Smriti but they keep bringing in the verses mentioned therein. Why not read the Bhagavad Gita instead? It doesn’t discriminate between males and females as far as I know.
We can’t expect any government to solve these, especially if an Indian High Court says that consent from a wife is not required for unnatural sex. According to our laws, a marital rape will be considered a rape only if the wife is 15 years or lower. At the same time, the stipulated age of marriage is set to 18 by the lawmakers. Irony?!
Vedic education could better the lives of women in Hinduism but it is not possible given the current state of the religion, politics, and society.
Social education can be provided through mass media such as movies, TV, and social media. However, all these platforms are being used by different organizations for their own goals. Nobody wants to bring in a revolution to improve the status and role of women in Hinduism.
The “My religion is perfect and needs no changes” attitude is killing many. It needs to be addressed. Perhaps we need another Raja Ram Mohan Roy to bring justice to women in Hinduism.
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