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Status of Women in Jainism
Dr Jagdish Chandra Jain
They say that the cultivation of land originated from a woman She is also held responsible for acquiring magic art in early society We learn from the folktales of Santhales that a Santhal woman had a meeting with Marang Buru, a moun tain deity of the Mundas, and acquired magic art from him We come across various goddesses, who surely are the representatives of women in ancient India in Brahmanic, Jaina and Buddhist scriptures and who played an important role in human society The Angavijja (a work dealing with the science of prognostication), an important work of the 4th century AD, provides a list of gods and goddesses Ithas referred to the goddesses such as Ila, Sita, Vidya, Utkosa, Ahodevi, Airika, Alambusa, Misrakesi, Menaka, Apala, Anadita, Airani, Rambha, Salimalını, Tilottama, Urvasi and others besides the goddesses of vegetation, of hills, of seas, of crematorium, of a place of voiding excrement and of dung-hill
It shows that a woman occupied an important place in early society and was not looked down as inferior to man A man was considered complete only if he was united with wife, who was supposed to be the source of happiness, wealth and prosperity But in course of time as the patriarchal society developed and the money power was centred in man, she lost her status and was degraded
In Mahavira's Jainism there had been no distinction of caste, creed, colour or sex and anybody could follow his religion We meet numerous distinguished women in the Jaina scriptures who achieved the highest end in their life
They fought against all kinds of odds, passed through crucial tests, encountered physical and mental tortures and still were able to maintain their virtue and integrity The episode of Rajimatı (also known as Rajul, Rajul's Barahamasa is recited with great interest by women of north India) is well known After renouncing the worldly pleasures she was practising penance on the mountain of Girnara where her brother-in-law Rahanemi was also engaged in practising penance Rabanemi lost control of himself and began to woo his sister-in-law But the strongminded virtuous Rajimati resisted his attempts, putting him on the right path by offering a drink in which she had vomitted Narmadasundari was another virtuous woman, who was deserted by her husband in a solitary island, reached the
