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on growing up if the intellect and wisdom have not been awakened, then control is necessary. Once the intellect and wisdom have been awakened, controls diminish and even become non-existent. The same logic of relativity applies to the senses. It is necessary to control the senses. As long as desires are not pacified, it is necessary to control the senses. But once desires have been pacified, it is no longer necessary to exercise any control over the senses. It is not necessary to close the eyes. But when the sight is very painful then it becomes necessary to close the eyes. The tradition of purdah or veiling the face found its origin in the need to restrain the eyes. Today women observe purdah but in the time of the Ramayana, demonic men used to observe purdah. What is the need for a woman to observe purdah? The men lack control and the women have to observe purdah? What a strange situation! One man is ill and another takes the medicine? That person should observe purdah who is not able to exercise control over himself. If there is distortion in the eye then purdah is essential. It is possible that with respect to today's men, the demons of those days had more sense. They observed purdah for men not women.
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