Chapter 13  ·  Contents  ·  Chapter 15

14. STHREE (WOMAN)

Embodiments of Divine Love,

The karma marga (path of action) is a beautiful flower, the bhakti marga (path of devotion) is the raw fruit; the jnana marga (path of wisdom) is the fully ripened fruit. Children of Bharat (India), please listen. If you do not first have the flower (dedicated action to God), you will not have a fruit (devotion to God); and you also will not attain the fully ripened fruit (knowledge and experience of the Atma). The flower is the basis, that is, karma (action) is the basis for jnana (wisdom).

In this world which is full of karma, to be born as a woman is very fortunate. Ignorant men think that they are superior to women. Ladies have pride (self-respect), wealth (noble and virtuous qualities), sweet talk, education, intelligence, strength (fortitude) and patience. Not only in India but in foreign countries, there are men who do not understand this, but think women are weaker and not capable of doing important work. Men think that they are physically strong and only they are capable of important work, due to their ignorance. If the home, community or country have respect it is due to women. We describe our country as the Motherland; no one calls it the Fatherland. No one asks what is your language? Rather, they ask, what is your mother-tongue? No one asks you what is your father-tongue? (laughter). The communities' reputation depends on the women. Everyone in this world says, "This is my motherland and this is my mother-tongue."

If a man wishes to perform any dharmic action or any big ceremony, he should always discuss first with the women in the home. If he wishes to complete a work successfully, he needs the cooperation of the wife. If he does not discuss with her before doing, it will not be successful. Though the husband may be bad, the wife should be able to give him good advice. She would be like a minister capable of giving good advice. What about Mandodari? Due to her good advice, Ravana was able to live for such a long time with all his sins. She said, "You may be a strong one, educated, intelligent and wealthy, but if Seeta would curse you once, you would immediately become ashes. Therefore, you should understand the nature of feminine power." If a man wishes to perform a yagna (sacrificial rite), his wife must sit with him. Even if he wishes to do charity, the wife should be by his side. The truthful Harischandra knows nothing other than Truth. When he gave his kingdom to Viswamitra, his wife Chandramathi, was with him. If she wouldn't have been there, he could not have done it. A woman is equal-to a man's heart, and she is half of him. Because she is the one who brings respect to the home, she is named Grahalakshmi. Men are able to earn money, but the person who brings the good reputation to the family is the woman. The one who cooks and serves the food in the home is the woman, .isn't it? Because she takes good care of everything and maintains the reputation of the home, she is also called "Kirthi." Wealth consists of good health, good qualities happiness, purity and cleanliness, not only currency notes. Because she has all of these good qualities, she is known as "Grahalakshmi." Women have the ability to speak sweetly and soothingly, and in thus doing, they maintain their own and the family's respect. Only these days one may see the wife and husband together walking and talking, but the wife does not interfere when the husband entertains another man in the visitor's room. Only a lady can maintain this type of respect.

Buddhi (intellectual discrimination) is another quality (energy) of women. When the husband leaves in the morning and returns full of worries, the one who speaks soothingly and sweetly and comforts him is the woman. That is why she is called "dharma pathini." Women are more intelligent than men. Women are able to concentrate and do work better than men. Men use their discriminative ability only to do their jobs, but women can discriminate and deal with any work according to the situation. For example: Men and women both drive scooters and cars. But go and ask the police department who gets involved in accidents (clapping). When ladies drive there are not often accidents. What is the reason? It is due to their concentration (clapping). Due to their intelligence, they do not hurt others and themselves by causing accidents. Go and ask any university. Mainly it is lhe girls who score first class and first rank. For Bhagavan, men and women are the same, but if you really "see," this is the true situation (laughing and clapping). Women at all times use their discriminatory power to discover what is good and what is bad.

When a man desires to give his daughter in marriage, he will look at the future bride groom's education and profession, but the mother will always find out what type of family he belongs to and the family background and reputation. It is the woman who always worries about the future. A man is always in a hurry and then later he regrets. Haste makes waste; waste makes horry. So don't be in a hurry. A man always shows his strength in his hands, while women have their strength in their hearts. When a man arrives home tired, his wife refreshes him with her pleasant words like giving an injection of glucose (clapping). Many men know this but they will not admit it (laughing and clapping). A man prospers in life due to the support of women. Only a woman can understand all the aspects of a situation, but men will have only a superficial understanding. Though many foreigners invaded our country and tried to destroy the culture, the culture is still alive due to women.

It is only the women who are always peaceful. Although some women quarrel, most of them are quiet. The relatives may give problems, the son-in-law or daughter-in-law may cause problems but women don't say anything. Rather, they keep it within themselves and suffer, because they do not want to tarnish the name and respect of the family. Ladies have seven qualities, but since people do not understand this, the country is in its present predicament. Men have three qualities. One is that they work and earn money. Due to this they become proud and egoistic. Ladies also go out to work but they don't have this kind of ego. A few of them do have ego. The strength of man depends on the housewife's cheerful words.

Until recently in the United Kingdom the Prime Minister was a woman. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India for 12 years. In Sri Lanka the Prime Minister and President are women (mother and daughter). In the world today wherever male Prime Ministers are in position there are problems and troubles. If a man completes five years of his term as a Prime Minister it would be surprising; yet Indira Gandhi could complete more than 10 years as a Prime Minister. Women have immense courage to lead and protect their countries.

In the field of devotion women are the first to enter the spiritual path, and then men slowly follow. In spiritual pursuits women are generally ahead. Men may have wisdom but devotion is prominent in women. Without devotion to God, one is nowhere.

In the court of the Maharaja (king), men can reach only as far as the entrance hall, whereas women can go up to the private quarters. Men have no right to enter here. What does the antapuram refer to here? Antapuram means the Atma within, which only women can reach due to their devotion and sacrifice. Women have attained liberation through devotion. One should never consider women to be weak, but should show equal respect for both men and women.

In the Ramayana, Rama, because He was born to Kausalya, could be called God. Due to the tender care of Sita, Lava and Kush (the twin sons), became very great. This greatness was due only to the mother's influence. Even in the world today the father earns money whereas the mother cautions and nurtures the children , keeping in view their education and behaviour. All over the world it is women who are powerful. There is nothing that they cannot achieve through using their inner power.

The entire world is a ladies' college. The drama of life is staged here. Spiritually speaking all are female. In a girls college when a drama is being enacted the king, servants, ministers etc., are all women; though the role is that of a king, servant or minister, they are all women only. Food, sleep and fear are common to both men and women; both eat, cry and have desires. Brindavan (the place where Lord Krishna was raised and also the entire universe which belongs to all of creation) belongs to all. Govinda, Krishna or the Lord belongs to all. In order to show the qualities and capacities of women, Krishna enacted the following drama: At the main gate to Brindavan, Krishna said to the watchman, "See that no woman enters into Brindavan." One day when Radha came to the gate she was refused entry by the watchman. When she told him that Brindavan belongs to all, he replied that women were not permitted entry. She asked him what he was and he replied that he was a man. Radha challenged him by saying that there is no man; all are women only. God is the only male; all the created ones are Prakriti or children of the earth.

Arjuna (devotee of Lord Krishna in the epic Bhagavad Geetha) had many titles. Dhanajaya was the title which meant "holding the weapon" (of courage). But in the battle-field while he was in the chariot, when he dropped his bow and lost his courage, Krishna said "Stand up and fight. Know that in every age fate is strong, justice will win and selfishness will die." Though Dhritarashtra had one hundred sons, there was not even one alive to do his obituary rites. What a destiny! So Krishna encouraged Arjuna to live up to his destiny and not to lose courage.

The world symbolises womanhood. Therefore, one's country is called the "Motherland" and the earth is termed "Mother Earth"; all bodies have been born from the earth. For everyone mother is important; the motherly feelings which are supreme always ensure the welfare of a country.

Once Sage Vishwamitra went to Dasaratha to request help in the ritual that he was performing. Vishwamitra told him that though he had the power to kill demons he could not use it, as in a sacred ritual there should be no violence. As the chief priest, he requested Dasaratha to send his two sons, Rama and Lakshmana to safeguard the yajna (ritual sacrifice). Vishwamitra told the king that his two sons were highly Divine, that they always prayed to the Mother Goddess first and to the father afterward. Vishwamitra payed respect to his Mother first, father next and then preceptor. Why this order? Only the mother gives birth and most often the mother is alert and awake when father sleeps; if a child suffers from fever the mother will not eat. Such sacred Love is found in a mother. The father has only 75% of Love while the mother has 90%. The progress of the entire world depends on the women; women are not for the kitchen alone.

Today both men and women go to work, earn salaries and keep a cook, a driver and servants. The salaries to these staff may be more than their earnings but if the woman remains at home she would be able to take care of these matters. The husband encourages the wife to go to work. The wife's salary may be 2000 rupees but the servants' salaries and expenses come to 3000 rupees. This is like eating more pickle rather than the meal (laughter). The expense becomes more than the income. Since she goes to work the entire family is disturbed. Listen to this point carefully.

The Bhagavad Geetha refers to three aspects of purity: the vessel, the process of cooking and the cook (all need to be pure and clean). It is very important that the cook should be a pure, clean person not only outwardly but inwardly as well. From ancient times we have said the food prayer, " Brahmarpanam Brahmahavir" to offer the food to God so it would become prasad (blessed food). So the purity of the transformed food was ensured through prayer. Nowadays the husband and wife fight on the dining table. One reason for all these disturbances is the impurity of the cook who is mainly concerned with his salary.

The housewife cooks with purity. Even in royal families the queen herself served the members of the family. As is the feeling, so is the reaction. If the family is secure and happy, the society will also be happy; if the society is happy, then the entire state will be happy. So purity and happiness should begin with the individual.

Once in Hardwar there was a sixty-year old businessman who had no one to take care of his family while he was occupied in his business. He married a sixteen-year-old girl who was often very sad and weeping, missing her deceased mother. After their marriage, this businessman usually returned home late at night. Due to loneliness and grief she decided to end her life by jumping into the Ganges River. As it was the custom to feed people on the tenth day ceremony after a death, this businessman contributed sweets to the ashrams in Rishikesh in respect to his wife. That evening a certain renunciant sat in meditation. Normally he could meditate very well, but that evening in his meditation he was bothered by a sixteen-year-old girl crying. The next morning he asked his guru the reason for this disturbance. His guru replied that he must have been having impure thoughts. The renunciant replied that he was not. Then it was discovered that the cause of the disturbance was the eating of the sweets that had come from the businessman whose wife had committed suicide. Since that day this businessman stopped participating in feasts and became content with whatever he had. Thus before partaking food we should offer it to God for purification. You are God. Your heart is His altar; Love is His form; Bliss is His food. Many ask Baba where He gets His energy because He eats so little. I am Energy! Energy is the form of Divinity.

Women should not be looked upon as of little value. A house without the woman is like a forest. When a woman is present, it is "for rest." Give them all your respect, and care for their needs and comforts. If a woman sheds tears, prosperity will not remain in that home; so do not make women suffer. A woman stands for Love and devotion. From God's perspective or from the Atmic standpoint, there is no difference between a man and a woman as both are His creation. So surrender! God is your old friend, "old is gold" friend, whereas modem friends are friends today but they may say good-bye tomorrow. They may have motives and are friends only as long as you have money and such friendship changes from moment to moment. So Love such a God; to develop such devotion is the purpose of life.

Swami ended His Discourse by singing "Hey Shiva Shankara, Namami Shankar, Shiva Shankara Shamboo."

April 19, 1996

Chapter 15