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other. Things are no way better in other parts of the world where
the women are subjugated to untold miseries. They have no
equal rights. They are often treated as the objects of desire and
pleasure
.
Vedas and the Women: When the students attend convocation
at the conclusion of their formal studies they are given the last
formal
upadeSa
that says
matrdevobhava pitrdevobhava.
The
fact that the mother is remembered before the father is, speaks
about the thrust of the Vedic literature. It is sad to see that the
entire world took so long to grasp this emphasis of the Vedic
literature on the superiority of women. The western world took
many centuries to give even vesting rights to the women. They
almost believed as if man is born out of a superior force while
the woman is born out of an insignificant rib of the man's body.
At last, there is now some awakening that the world is talking
about the equality among men and women. In this background
we want to quote one Vedic hymn that declares the superiority
of women —
ndri brahma babhavitha.
That is, the woman is
the God personified — so grand is her stature in the Vedic
literature! There is an entire
sukta
in Rgveda devoted to the
wedding ritual, which is the cornerstone of the householder's
life. Therein the newly married woman while entering into her
husband's home is addressed as Empress — the original word
is
s5mrajrii!
Vedas and Morality: Vedas are the first book giving us a moral
code of conduct so that the people can live harmoniously and
peacefully in their community. Patalijali, the author of Yoga-
Stara,
has concisely described them under the title of
yama
with its five elements: 1)
ahimsa-
(not to hurt anyone by thought,
word or deed), 2)
satya
(to be truthful, i.e. harmony in thought,
word and deed), 3)
brahmacarya
(celibacy — a man must look
a woman as he views his mother, sister or daughter except his
wife when intending to procreate, and likewise a woman to
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