My appeal to my readers and others: I have no intent to hurt the beliefs, emotions, and sentiments of my readers or others. Before you proceed to read my blogposts, kindly promise to forbear with my indulgence and proceed ahead. You always have a right to click 'X' on the top. This is in continuation of post No. 869 at this blog about surrender of 'persons (male/females/lgbts) to their partners (male/female/lgbts'. Triggers for this post No. 872: 1. My own blogpost at this blog, a few days back, about 'Aryan Invasion Theory a mythe'. 2. Some cases pending in High Courts and Supreme Court, about 'equality of women with men' with regard to 'admission into prayer houses of all religions'.
Here is a very valuable link, for the women's efforts to get themselves admitted into prayerhouses of different religions: Click here to go to http://www.india.com/news/india/demonetisation-surgical-strikes-exit-of-arnab-goswami-kashmir-unrest-7-events-that-stunned-or-changed-india-in-2016-1722128/ . What this webpage says, some salient points:
Women, who were barred from several religious places since centuries, won a crucial legal battle when the Bombay High Court on April 1 held that it is the women’s fundamental right to go into places of worship and the government is duty-bound to protect it. Following court’s order, the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra allowed women to enter the sanctum sanctorum, breaking the tradition followed for several decades.
The demand for temple entry to all classes and gender has long been a part of the larger struggle for social reform in India. The issue drew national attention when a group of women activists led by Trupti Desai, of the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, were stopped from entering the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur temple. The second victory followed soon when the Supreme Court on October 24 delivered its verdict upholding equal access to men and women to the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai.
When it comes to entry of women in the historic Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, the Supreme Court has made it that gender equality is a constitutional message and Sabarimala temple management cannot say that banning entry of women of a particular age group comes under their right to manage religious affairs. However the final verdict is yet to come in this matter.
yb-a-donkey's personal observations, not intended to be imposed on others
1. I have no objection or contrary views about the equality of rights of women on par with men (includes lgbts also). For this purpose, we can probably coin a word 'gender secularism'. Just as 'secularism' in strict sense will not be concerned about the 'religion' of citizens, 'gender secularism' need not be concerned about the gender of persons.
2. 2017 Indian Culture is an outcome of hybridization of hundreds of cultures and sub-cultures of invaders, migrants, and of course ancient Indian Natives. In my personal view, Jains (not necessarily the 2017 modern Jains. It may be their far-far ancestors) of South India, particularly Tamil Nadu, seem to be the ancient Native Indians. This guess work, we may hold-on to, to some extent, till further contrary evidence can be obtained.
3. Aryans migrated to India, from Latvia-Lithuania-OldPrussia-Balkans, through both the routes: 1. Central Asian route 2 Iran route.
4. Aryan worship is not idol-worship based . It is fire-worship based. Supreme God is mainly Vishnu, who is infinite (form-less, dimension-less). Offerings to him can be sent through Fire God. He is 'yagna nArAyan'. In our blogpost No. 553 at this blog Click to go to post No. 553, we have touched the idea of 'sacrifice of women' in Horse Sacrifices of Aryans, in Vyasa Mahabharata.
Vol 14. of Krishna DvaipAyana's (vyAsa) Sanskrit Mahabharata Epic of approx. 1,15,000 KumbhakONam version. Chapter 89. Verse Nos. 32 to 37. कृष्ण द्वैपायन के व्यस महाभारत. अश्वमेथ पर्व। श्लोक ३२ से ३७ तक. కృష్ణ ద్వైపాయన వ్యాసుడి సంస్కృత మహాభారతం, అశ్వమేథ పర్వం, 32 to 37 శ్లోకాలు.
Sanskrit language verses in Roman Script.
tE vya rAjanta rAjarshE bAsObhir upa SObhitAha|
mahEndrAnugatA dEva yathA saptarshibhir divi. 14-89-32.
ishTakAha kAncanIs chAtra cayanArtam kritA vibhO |
su SubhE cayanam tacca dakshasyEva prajApatE 14-89-33.
catus cityasca tasyAs AsId ashTA daSa karAtmakaha|
sa rukma pakshO nicitas trikONO garuDAkritihi. 14-89-34.
tatO niyuktAha paSavO yathA SAstram manIshibhi|
tam tam dEvam samudisya pakshiNaha paSavas ca yE. 14-89-35.
rishabhAha SAstra paThitAs tathA jala carAs ca yE|
sarvAm stAn abhyayumjamstE tatrAgni caya karmiNi. 14-89-36.
yUpEshu niyatAc AsIt paSUnAm triSatI tathA|
aSva ratnOttarA yagnE kauntEyasya mahAtmanaha. 14-89-37.
In dEvanAgari script (Hindi script). India's National Language.
ते व्यराजंत राजर्षे वासोभिर उपशोभिताः ।
महेंद्रानुगता देवा यथा सप्तर्षिभिर दिवि. १४-८९-३२.
इष्टकाः कांचनीश चात्र चयनार्तं कृता विभो।
सु शुभे चयनं तच्च दक्षस्येव प्रजापतेः. १४-८९-३३.
चतुश चित्यश्च तस्यासीत अष्टादश करात्मकः।
स रुक्म पक्षो निचितस त्रिकोणो गरुडाकृतिः १४-८९-३४.
ततो नियुक्ताः पशवो यथा शास्त्रं मनीषिभिः ।
तं तं देवं समुद्दिस्य पक्षिणः पशवश्च ये. १४-८९-३५.
ऋषभाः शास्त्र पठितास तथा जलचराश च ये ।
सर्वांस तान अभ्य युंजस ते तत्राग्नि चय कर्मणि. १४-८९-३६.
यूपेषु नियता चासीत पशूनां त्रिशती तथा ।
अश्व रत्नोत्तरा यज्ञे कौंतेयस्य महात्मनः. १४-८९-३७.
Telugu language spoken by 100 million people
తే వ్యరాజంత రాజర్షే వాసోభిరుపశోభితాః।
మహేంద్రానుగతా దేవా యథా సప్తర్షిభిర్దివి॥ 14-89-32
ఇష్టకాః కాంచనీశ్చాత్ర చయనార్తం కృతా విభో।
శుశుభే చయనం తచ్చ దక్షస్యేవ ప్రజాపతేః॥ 14-89-33
చతుశ్చిత్యశ్చ తస్యాసీదష్టాదశకరాత్మకః।
స రుక్మపక్షో నిచితస్త్రికోణో గరుడాకృతిః॥ 14-89-34
తతో నియుక్తాః పశవో యథాశాస్త్రం మనీషిభిః ।
తం తం దేవం సముద్దిశ్య పక్షిణః పశవశ్చ యే॥ 14-89-35
ఋషభాః శాస్త్రపఠితాస్తథా జలచరాశ్చ యే।
సర్వాంస్తానభ్యయుంజంస్తే తత్రాగ్నిచయకర్మణి॥ 14-89-36
యూపేషు నియతా చాసీత్పశూనాం త్రిశతీ తథా।
అశ్వరత్నోత్తరా యజ్ఞే కౌంతేయస్య మహాత్మనః॥ 14-89-37.
Context: Mahabharata war was over. YudhishThira was worried by killing kith and kin, he was polluted by sins. Vyasa advised him to perform ASvamEtha sacrifice. The above verses are a part of the sacrificial arrangements.
SACRIFICE OF WOMEN SLAVES
The above verses indicate that women might have also been sacrificed in Horse Sacrifices. The sacrificed women might have been slaves. But, these women slaves might have been of the genre of : 1. captured wives of defeated and slain male enemies. 2. wives of defaulters of usurious loans. 3. Female Servants who might have attained an age of INABILITY TO SERVE, and MAINTAINING THEM MIGHT HAVE BECOME A BURDEN FOR THE KING. All this is guess work only. Sustainability of these arguments will depend on more solid evidence(s) if available in future.
SELF IMMOLATION OF WOMEN ON PYRES OF DEAD HUSBANDS
Besides, some Mahabharata and Mahabhagavata verses indicate that the women of that period committed 'sati' (wife dying on the funeral pire of husband). E.g. Rukmini, Jambavati, after death of Krishna. But women were also free not to choose 'sati'. e.g. sAtrAjiti popularly called 'satya', favored wife of Krishna. In VirATa parva of Mahabharata, upa kIcakas trying to burn Sairandhi on the pyre of kIcaka, may be more of attributive nature, rather than enforcing 'sati'. However, it appears that Aryans had no objection to immolation or self-immolation or sacrifice of women on pyres, but freedom was given to women.
WOMEN SCHOLARS & RESPECTABILITY OF WOMEN AS EQUALS
The above discussion does not mean that there was no equality of women. There were great women scholars of Veda, like Gargi, MytrEyi. There is no adequate evidence to show that women were treated as inferior menials either in Aryan Civilisation or, in the Ancient Indian Native Civilisation.
Origin of the Culture of Penance
Both dEvAs (demy-Gods) and rAkshas (demons) were humans only, and both of them were Aryans. Devas might have been from Latvia-Lithuania. Rakshasas might have been from South Europe. Aryans do not seem to have a culture of tapasya. We can probably say that: Devas knew sacrifices, but not tapasya. (Europeans of yore, have they done penance? (tapasya?). Seven Sages (saptarshis) might have been later Indian Edition/Addition emulating Indian Natives. But the Seven Sages had wives and children. The Sages might not have worn saffron robes, though they may be fibrous/linen robes. Like their European ancestors, early Aryan migrants into India might have had only a materialist epicurean enjoyment approach, and might not have had CONQUERING SENSES as a lifetime goal or objective. It is a different thing that they might have had a belief in life after death.
ANCIENT INDIAN NATIVES (may be Ancient Jains, and other Forest Dwellers)
On the other hand, ancient Indian Natives prior to their interaction to the Aryan immigrants, though might have been aware of 'fire' and 'wheel', were apparently not much enamoured with 'fire', 'horses', 'sacrifices'. The 'un-en-lightened among them might have been idol worshippers with folded hands, worshipping their Gods and Goddesses with leaves and flowers (Vinayaka-Ganapati worship with leaves, Idol Shiva (not phallus Shiva) worship with bilva leaves). The enlightened among the Ancient Native Indians might have been CONTEMPLATIVE AND MEDITATIVE, about questions such as Who am I, From where have I come, What will happen after I die, etc. etc. Consequent to this inquisitive mind and curiosity, some of them might have ventured into the world of PENANCE, SELF-DENIAL in the journey towards SELF-CONQUERING.
I am not a Medical Man or a Sexologist
I am not a Medical Man or a Sexologist, but I personally believe that soon after ejaculation, a male may depending on his age, may temporarily lose interest in coition (intercourse). Sometimes, he may develop a guilty or loss of self-confidence feeling that he could not control his senses. At that point, he may start considering a woman as an obstruction in the path of self-realisation. This may also be called 'tapO-bhangam' (Brake-break to penance), 'yOga-bhrashTham' (Fall from the Path of Renunciation, and Jitendriya (conquering of Senses).
Note: This vairAgya (disentanglement and moving away from woman) is only temporary. Like hunger, instincts take human males and females again to the alter/pulpit of intercourse. Thus, Union, dis-union= temporary vairagya, and resumption are only cyclic /alternating processes.
PROBABLE REASONS FOR RESTRICTIONS ON ENTRY OF WOMEN INTO SANCTUM SANCTORA
From the above environment, arrive seekers, who build their AShrams (hermitages) and Prayer Houses, which restrict entry of Women into sanctum-sanctorum(s). These restrictive practices, were originally self-regulative and self-constrainments against male-seekers themselves, and were not intended against women, or representative of 'women-inequality'. For this reason only, there were no marriages or female companions for Jain Munis. According to Jain scriptures, Jain Munis were provided protection in the form of 'yakshinis' (Jain yakshinis). My readers may refer to our previous blog-posts at this blog about Goddesses Padmavathi and Ambika at Tirumala, in our studies into the Histories and Tales of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. Padmavathi and Ambika were not wives of Jain Gurus. They were only Guardians.
WOMEN CAN ALSO DO PENANCE, BUILD PRAYER HOUSES WITH RESTRICTIONS ON ENTRY TO MEN
There is no bar on women-truth-seekers or liberation-seekers, in Indian culture. For example, in Mahabharata Epic, whatever may be their goals, we can see that Amba (whom Bhishma refused to marry), Madhavi (whom Galava gifted to Kings in exchange for horses, and who finally married Sage Visvamitra), ultimately resorted to penance.
Goddess Parvati did penance to marry Lord Shiva. But, Lord Shiva while in penance, when Parvati served him, considered her as a hindrance, when Manmatha (Cupid) sent his Floral Arrows to him. Shiva's ire fell on Manmatha and he was reduced to ashes.
So, what is that, you want to suggest ultimately?
Ans: Our prayer customs of restricting entry of women at certain places, may be a part of the tradition of 'penance' and 'jitEndriya (conquering of senses) objectives. Feminist Women too can pursue these objectives. They too can build their own prayer houses of all religions, and ban entry of men/lgbts etc. into the Feminist Sanctum Sanctorums.
So what?
Prayerhouses are only fillers of time. If we do not have prayer-houses, people may have to visit bars and pubs. Prayer-houses can probably wean away people from reckless alcoholism and debauches. Health is Wealth. Besides, it may contribute to pluralism, and Individualism in India.
More to edit/write. To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.
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ఘోరమైన విమర్శలకు కూడ స్వాగతం, జవాబులు ఇవ్వబడతాయి. Harsh Criticism is also welcome.