Hare Krishna,
Pls forgive me for the below question. I ask this question not out of Ego but purely to clarify my doubts
Certain texts in the books of Srila Prabhupada indicate women to be low born as compared to men. Why so, please explain.
Example in Bhagvad Gita
TEXT 32
TRANSLATION
O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth--women, vaisyas [merchants], as well as sudras [workers]--can approach the supreme destination.
The books also specify that attraction to women is the biggest distraction for a devotee. why is it not specified generically as attraction to the opposite gender which then becomes applicable to both men and women.
Pls forgive me incase this question has offended anyone. Request the devotees to not misunderstand my query. I truly appreciate Srila Prabhupadas books and sincerely read them. However, I always had these questions on my mind. Hence, seek clarifications from advanced devotees.
Regards,
Karishma
Replies
Hare Krishna Shubam ji
"YES ITS TRUE THAT WOMAN CANNOT BE RESPECTED"
Can you kindly quote where in Bhagvatam,/BG it is mentioned that women cannot be RESPECTED.
I want the actual quote (meaning sloka)
Also Cow is born in lower species i.e animal. Still we respect and worship cows so much why?
Same way women though born in lower species then men, are respected as well in vedic culture.
It's true that if we talk on spiritual platform the female /male body doesn't matter.
However the discussion here is all about material platform ( lust to be more specific).
Jai shree Krishna
Shubham posted a good quote, but I think he misunderstood it. I did not see his comment at the bottom when I posted before. Please forgive me. He is new and facing much opposition in his life, and I always try to encourage people when they are doing something good and inspiring to others. However, I use the internet on my Kindle Fire, so sometimes it skips things or blanks out things and I did not see the comment he added at the end. Of course women SHOULD be respected. I think he is a bit confused. Forgive him. Hare Krishna!
I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. I am eternal. I am ever illuminated. But I am thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am this and that," so on—designations. So bhakti means we have to become free from all these designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), this is called upādhi. Upādhi means designation. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means how to become free from these designations. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole trouble in the world is due to these designations. We are part and parcel of God. We're very much intimately related with God. But, on account of this designation, we are each other's enemies. Even in faraway countries the Europeans are there, the Indians are there, the Africans are there. But, on account of this bodily designation, separated-European quarter, Indian quarter, this quarter, that quarter, this designation.
So this is here, yayā sammohito jīva, by these designations. All these living entities, they are captivated by these designations. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam.
A woman's attachment to her husband may elevate her to the body of a man in her next life, but a man's attachment to a woman will degrade him, and in his next life he will get the body of a woman. We should always remember, as it is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, that both the gross and subtle material bodies are dresses; they are the shirt and coat of the living entity. To be either a woman or a man only involves one's bodily dress. The soul in nature is actually the marginal energy of the Supreme Lord. Every living entity, being classified as energy, is supposed to be originally a woman, or one who is enjoyed. In the body of a man there is a greater opportunity to get out of the material clutches; there is less opportunity in the body of a woman. In this verse it is indicated that the body of a man should not be misused through forming an attachment to women and thus becoming too entangled in material enjoyment, which will result in getting the body of a woman in the next life.
Man and woman should live together as householders in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, only for the purpose of discharging duties in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Engage the children, engage the wife and engage the husband, all in Kṛṣṇa conscious duties, and then all these bodily or material attachments will disappear. Since the via medium is Kṛṣṇa, the consciousness is pure, and there is no possibility of degradation at any time.
The devotees of the Lord are purified souls. As soon as the devotees surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord sincerely, the Lord accepts them, and thus the devotees at once become free from all material contaminations. Such devotees are above the three modes of material nature. There is no bodily disqualification of a devotee, just as there is no qualitative difference between the Ganges water and the filthy drain water when they are amalgamated. Women, merchants and laborers are not very intelligent, and thus it is very difficult for them to understand the science of God or to be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. They are more materialistic, and less than them are the Kirātas, Hūṇas, Āndhras, Pulindas, Pulkaśas, Ābhīras, Kaṅkas, Yavanas, Khasas, etc., but all of them can be delivered if they are properly engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. By engagement in the service of the Lord, the designative disqualifications are removed, and as pure souls they become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God.
To distinguish persons who are bereft of these transcendental pleasures, Parīkṣit Mahārāja has used the words virajyeta pumān. The word pumān refers to any person, whether man, woman or in-between. Because of the bodily conception of life, we are subject to lamentation, but one who has no such bodily conceptions can take pleasure in transcendental hearing and chanting. Therefore a person fully absorbed in the bodily concept of life is surely killing himself by not making spiritual progress. Such a person is called paśu-ghna. Especially excluded from spiritual life are the animal hunters, who are not interested in hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord. Such hunters are always unhappy, both in this life and in the next. It is therefore said that a hunter should neither die nor live because for such persons both living and dying are troublesome. Animal hunters are completely different from ordinary karmīs, and thus they have been excluded from the process of hearing and chanting. Vinā paśu-ghnāt. They cannot enter into the transcendental pleasure of chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord.
This substantiates the description of the śāstra that a foolish man in the bodily concept of life is like a cow. Not only do foolish men and women consider the body the self, but we have even seen that the dead body of a so-called yogī was kept for days by his disciples, who thought that their guru was in samādhi. When decomposition began and a bad smell unfortunately began to overwhelm the yogic power, the disciples allowed the dead body of the so-called yogī to be burned. Thus the bodily concept of life is extremely strong among foolish persons, who are compared to cows and asses. Nowadays, great scientists are trying to freeze dead bodies so that in the future these frozen bodies may again be brought to life. The incident narrated by Hiraṇyakaśipu from history must have taken place millions of years ago because Hiraṇyakaśipu lived millions of years ago and was even then quoting from history. Thus the incident occurred before Hiraṇyakaśipu's lifetime, but the same ignorance in the bodily concept of life is still prevalent, not only among laymen but even among scientists who think they will be able to revive frozen corpses.
THESE VERSES DESCRIBE THAT MEN AND WOMEN THINKING ARE ON BODILY LEVEL. WE HAVE SVARUPA WHICH MAY BE MALE OR FEMALE BUT THERE IS NO COMPETITION. THERE IS ETERNAL BLISSFUL LIFE FULL OF KNOWLEDGE IN SPIRITUAL WORLD IN ANY OF THE 5 RASAS.
1968 Correspondence
Regarding your questions, you want to offer something in the evening to Krishna besides fruit and milk, so there is no harm. Because Krishna can eat as many times as you give Him to eat, because He is unlimited. He can eat unlimitedly, provided we can supply foodstuff unlimitedly. But that is not possible for us. Therefore, we limit the supply. But anyway, if you can increase the offerings it is very nice. But one thing is that whatever you make routine work to offer Him food stuff, that should be continued. Do not change it. So if you can continue to offer foodstuff like fruits and milk in the evening, you can introduce that system. There is no harm. Your second question, ice cream purchased from the market may not be offered. Because such ice cream contains sometimes undesirable things, which we should not offer. We must offer to Krishna only first class prepared foodstuff, especially made at home. We shall try to avoid as far as possible goods purchased from the market and offer to Krishna. Regarding your third question, morning lecture is also allowed. Lecture is also kirtana, and so as morning kirtana is there, similarly morning lecture can also be delivered. In New York , or even in San Francisco, when I was present I was giving lectures in morning also. So far as girls or boys lecturing in the morning, that doesn't make any difference. Either girl or boy devotees may deliver lecture if they choose to do. We have no such distinction of bodily designations, male or female. Krishna Consciousness is on the spiritual platform. As such, anyone who is a devotee of the Lord, following in this line of disciplic succession, can deliver lecture, on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc.
Wow, what a beautiful reply, it brought tears to my eyes by remembering me the passtimesof the sages with Lord Rama.
You and most devotee can't understand. Women is NEVER 9 times more lusty than men, wow, imagine if they were,so many rapes and violence would be in the world! She can handle 9 partners when having intercourse, this is the proper interpretation of sastra.
women more lustier sometime lustier, men less lustier always lustier.
hare krishna/...aap jo bol rhe hai vo ho sakta haipar women can control..but men cant do that..isiliye girls ka rape hota haiii
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
When there was higher - aryan civilization each person used to know his place and accept it with humility. Shudra used to act as a shudra accepting his lower position to other upper classes of people.
Vaishyas also were humble and performed their own duties not being in competition with upper classes...at the same time brahmanas also were humble and did not considered themselves higher then others...
So in this way we women also should accept that it is lower birth than that of a man. Man's body is strong, intelligent is high...comparatively to woman. SO we have to accept it.
Woman are not clean always, they are not strong always, many hormonal changes during their lives ...so all these things make her weaker. They have more lust, and material desires....it is in their nature.
So once we took birth in this lower body we have to accept it and be humble BUT remember that Krishna Bhakti does not depend on our external cloth-body.
Krishna Bhakti is available even to a spider so it is our chance.
Usually man earns karma but woman comes to work her karma. Because of that women have much pain in life than men have.
Women are recommended to get married and to be chaste to a husband and that will help them to become a man in next life....
But now we got the mercy of Lord Chaitanya as Mihir Prabhuji told - Holy Names so we have to catch hold of Them and go back home and do not get any material body anymore.
Your servant,
Kindly explain the following sentence you used to explain the position of women: -
1, Usually man earns karma but woman comes to work her karma. Because of that women have much pain in life than men have. <<<you are saying that women's life is like of an animal's life, just paying karma?>>>
2, They have more lust, and material desires....it is in their nature.
<<We know that men have 10-20 times more testoterone than women, what makes them 10-20 times more lusty than women, so I guess you are saying she is lust because she is attached to family and material things, because, sexually, women is not as horny, besides in the Srimad Bhagavatan said she needs about 9 men to satisfy her on bed, look, ON BED, when they are having intercourse, not day to day life.
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