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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
languished upon the heightened sense of mystique, exaggeration, captivating drama, charismatic embellishments, enchanting techniques of portrayal, and magical reversal of role playing, which according to reception theories, women playing female roles were unable to compete with. The exclusion of women in artistic performances also reflected the brahmanical patriarchal stance whereby women were perceived as "polluted” by their association with blood and menstruation; they were considered "impure" during child birth, and often branded as "dangerous," feared for their sexual power and procreative energy.
As an ardent brahmin devotee of Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu commanded a vast magnitude of following in Bengal, Orissa and Vraja and influenced the spread of Vaishnavism all over India during and after his life time so much so that his followers divinised him as an avatar of Radha-Krishna united in one body. "He was Krishna internally and Radha externally" (Dimock 1966:32). Despite his belief that men from all castes deserve the right to achieve God's love, "he saw women as at least, distracting, at most deluding, and not at all as personifications of Radha" (Dimock 1966:45). He was a determined celibate and demanded the same expectations from his followers. Dimock quotes Chaitanya from the Chaitanya-charitamrita of Krishna-dasa, “Prabhu said - I can never again look upon the face of an ascetic who has had anything to do with a woman. The senses are week and are attracted toward worldly things; even a wooden image of woman can steal the mind of a sage, ... Those false ascetics are contemptible. Conversation with women deludes the fickle senses. ... One who consorts with women is immoral and is opposed to Krishna bhakti” (Dimock 1966:45). This prejudice against women reflected the larger brahmanical point of view deeply permeated into the patriarchal structure of the Indian society at that time. When it was possible to accept the sudras into the bhakti fold, women had no place in it, which means, that women, regardless of their caste status, were considered even lower than the lowest in the society.
Several texts refer to female sexuality as dangerous and hence the insistence of distancing oneself from women. One can argue that ascetism is about "overcoming" the weakness of the senses and the fickleness of the mind. Maintaining a disciplined control of ones senses while living in the midst of all worldly temptations is the true and highest test against temptations. Shunning any and all contact of womenkind for a devotee would only lead to "escapism," counterfeiting true "ascetism." True ascetism is a state of realization and acceptance of reality as it IS; a state of being where one is 'detached to worldly attractions and temptations while living in the midst of it. Conversations between thankurani Krishnapriya and Rupa Kaviraja mentioned in the text, Narottama-vilasa, suggest that the Vaishnava brahmanic authority during this time period denounced the presence of women at religious readings. The Dharmasastras also forbade women from chanting certain mantras meant exclusively for upper caste men (see Humes 1997). Women's religious writings were also censored doubting their capability to author. Bengal Vaishnavism, particularly, is defined by male authors. Norwin Hein asserts that, "the creators of "Radha theology" as of every
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zuHlu : y. 24, zis 3-8, sulsel. 2000 – Hz, 2006
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