________________
CHAPTER III
POSITION OF WOMEN
J
GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN It is said about the women that they are faithless, ungrateful, treacherous, untrustworthy and strict control must be kept over them It is said that a village or a town in which women are strong is sure to come to grief In the voice of Manu the Jain texts state that a woman when a child must be kept under the control of her father, when married under her husband and when widow under her son, thus a woman is never allowed to live independently? It is stated that the daughter-in-law of a house if she had acquired the taste of witnessing procession or ran to see the commotion caused by a stray horse, or a chariot from the house window, was forbidden to do so If she did not desist she was abused, and if she persisted she was bcaten, and even tlien if shc did not stop, she was turned out of thc house 3
Various fanciful etyinologics are given to the various synonyms of “woman" in Prakrit She is called närī because there is no worsc cncmy of man than her ; she is termed mahila because she charms by her wiles and graces ; she is called pamadā because she accelerates a man's passion, she is called muhitiyā because she creates great dissension (kali), she is called 1āmå because she takes delight in men by means of her coqucttish gestures; she is called angan, because she loves the body of men, she is called lalana because she attracts a man even in domestic quarrels, and keeps company in pleasures and pains ; she is called hosiyā because by her tricks and devices she keeps men under her subjugation ; she is called vanıtā because she caters to the taste of man with various blandishments. It is said of women "the intelligent may know the sands of the Ganges, the waters in the sea, and the size of the Himavat, women's heart they may not know” “They weep and make you weep, they tell lies and make you believe them, and deceitfully they eat poison; they die, but they do not conceive a true affection." "Woman indeed, as soon as she has fallen in love is all sugar like a piece of sugarcane, the very same woman surpasses the bitte nimba, as soon as her love is gonc”
"In a moment women fall in love, but in another moment their love grows cold Delighting in various lovesports and unstable in their affection, they are like the colour of turmeric "
“Cruel in their hearts and charming in body, speech, and glancc. girls resemble a knife inlaid with gold."
1 Vya Bha. 1, p. 130. 2 ibid 3 233. & Brh Bhd 1 12391 1 Tandul p 50 6 Igadadalta, Trans 10 Hindu Tules by Meyer, p. 286 f.
