There are very disturbing statements that Prabhupada made and these quite worrying especially since the whole reason for KC to exist is to create and understanding and respect to life and all living creatures including humans. I would be interested to hear what people things of these statements, these are actual words spoken by Prabhupada.
Here he's implying that's ok to rape women and ok to attack them
“In this regard, the word vikhyatam is very significant. A man is always famous for his aggression toward a beautiful woman, and such aggression is sometimes considered rape. Although rape is not legally allowed, it is a fact that a woman likes a man who is very expert at rape.”
“Generally, when a woman is attacked by a man–whether her husband or some other man–she enjoys the attack, being too lusty.”
"When a husbandless woman is attacked by an aggressive man, she takes his action to be mercy.”
"Prabhupada: “Yes, that is law always. Rape means without consent, sex. Otherwise there is no rape. There was a rape case in Calcutta, and the lawyer was very intelligent. He some way or other made the woman admit, ‘Yes, I felt happiness.’ So he was released. ‘Here is consent.’ And that’s a fact. Because after all, sex, rape or no rape, they will feel some pleasure. So the lawyer by hook and crook made the woman agree, ‘Yes, I felt some pleasure.’ ‘Now, there is consent.’ So he was released. After all, it is an itching sensation. So either by force or by willingly, if there is itching, everyone feels relieved itching it. That’s a psychology. It is not that the woman do not like rape. They like sometimes. They willingly. That is the psychology. Outwardly they show some displeasure, but inwardly they do not. This is the psychology.” (Morning Walk — May 11, 1975, Perth)
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Why on Earth Srila Prabhupada wrote that???
The 4th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam is especially beautiful, including passages like the allegory of King Puranjana, that really makes us rethink our priorities in life. However, the fourth canto also brings us one of the most polemical and dificult to understand statements from Srila Prabhupada:
"In this regard, the word vikhyātam is very significant. A man is always famous for his aggression toward a beautiful woman, and such aggression is sometimes considered rape. Although rape is not legally allowed, it is a fact that a woman likes a man who is very expert at rape." (SB 4.25.41)
Whaaat? Did I read correctly? Did Srila Prabhupada really mean that? Are we supposed to believe that every woman have a secret fantasy of being attacked by a random drunkhard on some dark alley?
As in other passages from Srila Prabhupada, there is some deep meaning, but in this case the meaning may not be obvious.
This purport appears in the initial scenes of the Puranjana allegory. King Puranjana, the hero, enters the city and meets the misterious young lady that was living there. The lady becomes attracted to him, and make it clear thorough a series of verses, culminating with: "O mighty-armed, who in this world will not be attracted by your arms, which are just like the bodies of serpents? Actually you relieve the distress of husbandless women like us by your attractive smile and your aggressive mercy. We think that you are traveling on the surface of the earth just to benefit us only".
The lady became enchanted by the king and openly declared her intentions. Now she is waiting for the man to take the initiative.
This shows a basic principle of human psicology: a single woman will look for a man and a single man will look for a woman. However, when they find a potential spouse, they act (at least traditionally) in different ways. A man will generally try to actively seduce the lady in different ways, while a woman will try to passively attract the attention of the man, and wait for him to take the initiative. When a lady desires a man, she becomes very pleased if he gives her attention and try to seduce her in a bold way. This is the basis of many books and movies. Many ladies fantasize about some handsome man trying to seduce then in different ways, specially by doing something heroic.
If such seduction would be directed to a lady that is not interested (we can imagine the clumsy advances of indian men towards our western ladies, for example) it would be considered a form of aggression. Such advances are actually considered a crime in many countries. If the man would insist, trying to touch the lady, for example, this could be considered rape.
We can understand that the same assertive attitude is taken in a very different way according to the disposition of the lady. The line between seduction and aggression can be tenuous. Sometimes a seductive man will be able to attract a lady that is not initially interested, or a lady may be interested but have some blocks in her mind that the man may be able to expertly overcome.
One can get a graphic example of this in a controversial scene of the movie Baahubali: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3304h2 (warning: not for brahmacaris), a scene that was defined by a prominent Indian politician as "the longest rape scene in the history of Indian cinema". Despite being called "rape" by some, it's probable that many Indian ladies where watching the movie and desiring to be in the place of the heroine.
Keeping this in mind, we can understand that Prabhupada was just describing this facet of human psicology in his purport, following the ideas expressed in the verses. The misterious woman is stimulating king Puranjana to show his "aggressive mercy" and Srila Prabhupada felt the need of including a short commentary on this particular point.
Still, one could argue about the usage of the word "rape", a word that in western culture have a very clear meaning and is always used in a negative sense.
The point is that the meaning of words change over time. Srila Prabhupada studied British English, learning from dictionaries from the 19th century. It was not uncommon even for some of his disciples to have some difficulty in understanding his English due to his particular accent and use of words.
An old meaning of the word rape was "to seize and carry off" (in other words, to steal, or to take possession of something), and that was a meaning listed in such dictionaries. Understanding the situation (a man making advances over a willing woman, winning her heart and taking her hand) becomes clear that Prabhupada is not using the world "rape" in the modern sense, but to describe the process of assertive seduction that is the basis of the love affairs between men and women.
When everything is understood, we can appreciate what Srila Prabhupada wrote:
"Every husband is certainly a great hero to his wife. In other words, if a woman loves a man, that man appears very beautiful and magnanimous. Unless one becomes beautiful in the eyes of another, one cannot dedicate his whole life to another. The husband is considered very magnanimous because he gives as many children to the wife as she likes. Every woman is fond of children; therefore any husband who can please his wife by sex and give her children is considered very magnanimous. Not only does the husband become magnanimous by begetting children, but by giving his wife ornaments, nice food and dresses, he keeps her completely under submission. Such a satisfied wife will never give up the company of her husband. Manu-saṁhitā recommends that to keep a wife satisfied a husband should give her some ornaments because women are generally fond of home, ornaments, dresses, children, etc. In this way the woman is the center of all material enjoyment.
In this regard, the word vikhyātam is very significant. A man is always famous for his aggression toward a beautiful woman, and such aggression is sometimes considered rape. Although rape is not legally allowed, it is a fact that a woman likes a man who is very expert at rape." (SB 4.25.41)
Thank you.
Dandavats. Thank you very much!
YS,
Thank you for contextualizing this purport for us.
Your context helps align the person of Srila Prabhupada as a pure devotee and an individual in history.
I appreciate the time you took to compose this.
Your servant,
Diogo
PAMHO.
Thank you very much for this reply. It has cleared my doubt and I am sure others' doubt also.
haribol,
your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
There are very disturbing statements that Prabhupada made
Every statement of scriptures more or less is disturbing to the conditioned living entity because the conditioned living entity wants to enjoy separate from Krsna. Every scriptural injunction restricts mindless enjoyment.
The whole reason for KC to exist is to create and understanding and respect to life and all living creatures including humans.
Completely incorrect ! The whole reason for Krsna consciousness movement is to make all living entities realize that we are part and parcel of Krsna and have lost our relationship with Krsna. It is to revive of relationship with Krsna by rendering service to Sri Krsna.
What people things of these statements, these are actual words spoken by Prabhupada.
Followers of Srila Prabhupada take these statements in a simple straight manner. Srila Prabhupada's words are very simple and clear, no ambiguity. The problem is with the complicated mind that is unwilling to accept what it doesn't like. They try to extract some other meaning out of it.
Hare Krsna
Incorrect interpretation.
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