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Sugandha: Sweet Fragrance
609
strength denotes spiritual and moral strength, then it must be admitted that in this regard woman is superior to man. If, furthermore, man has a powerful brain, he does not equal woman in depth of feeling. In the heart of woman there are vast reservoirs of love, affection and compassion seldom possessed by man. She goes on to expound clearly what that feminine potential is that man and society in general cannot do without. She speaks with fervour of the movement launched by Gandhi in favour of women. She does not encourage women to a purely external imitation of men, but implores society to set women free from the heavy chains with which it had shackled them in order to maintain masculine domination. She encourages women to have the courage and tenacity to contribute themselves to their own emancipation.64
Mahăsati Ujjvalakumāri, on account of her state of health, was unable to continue to teach large crowds of people, exhort them, convert them, but at the 'upāśraya in her retirement she went on teaching the sādhvis and imparting to all the many persons who came 10 consult her a taste for knowledge. Her personal influence was striking and the number of people or institutions in need who have benefitted from gifts or from kindly interest on the part of śrăvakas and śrāvikās counselled by Mahāsati is beyond telling. She was irresistible. In her presence parigraha was softened, for Mahāsati communicated to others her own altruístic outlook.
E - Ratna Rasmi
The extraordinary fast of Sadhvi Sri Ratnavati
Ratna means jewel and raśmi, a ray of light, splendour; thus ratnaraśmi means the splendour of the jewel. This jewel is a young Terāpanthi sadhvi called Ratnavati.65 Unlike Sadhvi Candrayšā, she did not have a burning zeal for tapas, she was of delicate health, sick already for several years, and was living painfully but courageously
64 Cl. Ujjvala Vāņi, 1951, ch. 23.
65 Lit. resembling a jewel.
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