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What's a woman to do? Reflection on Women's Services in Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna Movement.
<< 1. What do our scriptures say about women and their service? >>
 | "When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krishna, the women of the family become polluted, and from the degradation of womanhood comes unwanted progeny.
(Gita 1.40)"
| | | This verse emphasizes the importance of women’s chastity. Women, Srila Prabhupada says, are the power of inspiration for men and, as such, are more powerful than men. For example, mighty Julius Caesar was controlled by Cleopatra. “Such powerful women are controlled by shyness,” Srila Prabhupada writes. “Therefore, shyness is important for women.” (SB. 1.9.27, purport) Once this “control valve” is loosened, havoc and unwanted children - children who disrupt their parents’ lives and may later distupt society - can result.
| | | To render service to the husband, to be always favorably disposed toward the husband, to be equally well disposed toward the husband’s relatives and friends, and to follow the vows of the husband — these are the four principles to be followed by women described as chaste. (SB. 7.11.25)
| | | Srimad-Bhagavatam describes a patriarchy - a social system in which men hold power and their wives and daughters remain in a supporting role. What results from a woman’s chastity and support of her husband?
| | | Not only was mother Sita powerful, but any woman who follows in the footsteps of mother Sita can also become similarly powerful. There are many instances of this in the history of Vedic literature. Whenever we find a description of ideal chaste women, mother Sita is among them. Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, was also very chaste. Similarly, Draupadi was one of five exalted chaste women. As aman must follow great personalities like Brahma and Narada, a woman must follow the path of such ideal women as Sita, Mandodari, and Draupadi. By staying chaste and faithful to her husband, a woman enriches herself with supernatural power. (SB. 9.10.27, purport)
| | | The result of a woman being chaste to and supportive of her husband is that they gain great power; the demon Ravana was defeated by Sita’s curse. Similarly, Gandhari, Kunti, and Devahuti were illustrious, powerful women. Srila Prabhupada writes, “Gandhari, although a woman, is no less than Bhismadeva in character.” Krishna Himself clearly says that women are eligible for the highest destination (Gita 9.32). Srila Prabhupada confirms, “Draupadi attained the same destination as her exalted husbands.”
| | | In Vaishnavism, qualification is not based on the body but on an individual’s consciousness.
| | | The wives of Kaliya were actually serious devotees of Lord Krishna, and according to the acharyas they had often tried to convince their husband to surrender to Him. Finally, finding himself in unbearable agony, Kaliya remembered his wives’ advice and took shelter of the Lord. (SB 10.16.30SB. 10.16.30, purport)
| | | In another statement, Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur explains that Kaliya’s wives, who were great devotees of Krishna, “had been disgusted with their husband because of his demoniac activities.” They had been thinking, “Let this atheist be killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We'll be widows and engage in His worship.” But after Krishna had danced on Kaliya’s hoods, his wives understood that Kaliya had taken shelter of the Lord within his mind and had become humble and remorseful. Then they thought, “Just see. Our husband is becoming a Vaishnava. We must try to protect him.” Although Krishna killed other demons, He spared Kaliya. “Because Kaliya’s wives were great devotees of the Lord and offered Him loving affection, Krishna withdrew both Kaliya’s offense against the Lord’s devotee Garuda and that against the residents of Vrindavan, who were very dear to Him.” (SB 10.16.64, purport) Such is the power of the Naga-patni Vaishnavis.
| | | Another example from Krishna’s pastimes of how qualification is not based on the body but on the consciousness: “Because the wives of the brahmanas were great devotees of the Lord, the foolish brahmanas received spiritual benefit and finally came to their senses.” (SB 10.23.38, purport)
| | | "Taking note of their wives’ pure, transcendental devotion for Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and seeing their own lack of devotion, the brahmanas felt most sorrowful and began to condemn themselves.
(SB 10.23.39)"
| | | The brahmana husbands noted that their wives, having perfected their transcendental attachment for Krishna, did not have even a trace of attachment left for home, husband, children, and so forth. Therefore from that day on, the husbands accepted those women as their worshipable spiritual masters and no longer thought of them as their wives. Clearly, the scriptures, like Krishna, direct us past bodily designations to the essence of each individual - to his or her bhakti.
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Cornerstone laying ceremony, Juhu
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