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Gender discussions in Jainism and its texts
Dr. Shugan C Jain
The subject of gender is reviewed primarily in the context of inequalities between man and woman over the ages in India. These differences will be reviewed with the concept itself and the assignment of their rights and duties, dos and donts in the society by Vedic and Non Vedic traditions in India. The analysis will start from early times say 2600 years ago till now with major emphasis on views in Jainism on the subject and the impact on today's society. The paper will discuss the following as per Jain texts and the society today:
1.0 Preamble: Historically speaking, whether it was in ancient India or medieval India, or even the whole world; the status of women was never good. A present day woman would feel outraged, and rightly so, if she goes through the contents of the Manusmriti, which is particularly harsh against women and treats them with disdain and suspicion as indicated below:
Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age: a woman is never fit for independence. Manusmriti 9.3
According to Hinduism we also find mention as a woman is a form of energy (shaktiswarupini) or an aspect of Shakti. She is mata, the Mother Goddess, or devi the auspicious one. As a young child she is kanya, the goddess Durga. As a wife she is patni and saha dharma charini, a partner in her husband's religious duties. As a mother she is worthy of worship (matrudevobhava)'. Accordingly we find several eminent scholars and poets saying different things about women as are clear from the following:
Yatra n ryastu p jyante ramante tatra devat h Yatrait stu n p jyante sarvaustatr falah kry h
Meaning: Where a woman is worshipped, gods live there. Where they are not worshipped, then all the activities performed there are worthless.
Kryesu mantra kara aşu dāsi bhojyesu mātā sayanesu rambhā Hrso(a)nuk I kşamay dharitri m vi ca s d gu ya vaviha durlabh
The women having six virtues namely; in the worldly matters, she is like a minister / adviser, as his servant (d si ) in duty, as a mother (mt) to feed him, as a lover (rambh ) in his bed, partner in his religious duties, as mother earth in forgiveness is rare
The great poet Tulsi Das wrote the following concerning women (debated though as his writing).
udra dhola pa u aura n ri ye Sabat dana ke adhk ri
Meaning: The untouchables, drum, animals and the women are all worthy of beating.
All the above verses and statements show the woman as ABL or destitute, helpless and dependent on others (men) for her existence. Same is the case when we go through the ancient classical literature of India where the king, the highly placed ministers, elder-men in the royal court, and the wise men (Br hminas) speak in Sanskrit and the women and children and the servants clubbed together speak in Pr krat. Sometimes even in Jain literature also we find mention of women treated as mere possessions.
The literature of Christians and even Islam also is similar. In Judaism and Christianity we find the barbaric conception when it declared woman to have been made for man., first in sin and
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0
