ARYASAMAJ-MANUSMRUTHI-ON WOMEN
ARYASAMAJ-
MANUSMRUTHI-ON WOMEN
The Arya Samaj | Article : Manusmriti and women's empowerment
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Manusmriti and Women
Subhashini Ali Sehgal, member of Marxist Bureau authored an article in Amar Ujala Hindi newspaper on 29th November in Moradabad edition. Article heading is "Manusmriti and Samvidhan".
Subhashini displayed her ignorance by quoting interpolated verses mentioning inferior status of women in Manusmriti.
The truth is just opposite.
Maharshi Manu is the first great man of the world to have given the society the highest ideal about women which adds remarkably to the dignity, status and self respect of women.
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by
Ganganath Jha:
यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते
तत्र देवताः ।
यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास्तत्राफलाः क्रियाः ॥ ५६ ॥
yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ |
yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ || 56 ||
Where women are honoured, there the gods rejoice; where, on the other hand, they are not honoured, there all rites are fruitless.—(56)
(Manusmriti 3-56)
பெண்கள் எங்கே மதிக்கப்படுகிறார்களோ, அங்கே தெய்வங்கள் மகிழ்ச்சியடைகின்றன; ஆனால் அவர்கள் எங்கே மதிக்கப்படவில்லையோ, அங்கே எந்தப் புனிதச் சடங்கும் பலன்களைத் தருவதில்லை.
There can be no better proof to show the reverential attitude of Manu towards women than the extremely respectful and beautiful adjectives used for women by him.
He says that women in the family are instrumental in bringing good luck to the household,
they are respectable;
they are illuminating by their very presence and decorative in appearance ,
they are a symbol of prosperity,
they are the mistresses and the sole managers of the household; they are heavenly in influence; they are conducive to a smooth worldly journey (ix-11,26,28;v-150).
9-11
अर्थस्य सङ्ग्रहे चैनां व्यये चैव नियोजयेत् ।
शौचे धर्मेऽन्नपक्त्यां च पारिणाह्यस्य वेक्षणे ॥ ११ ॥
arthasya saṅgrahe caināṃ vyaye caiva niyojayet |
śauce dharme'nnapaktyāṃ ca pāriṇāhyasya vekṣaṇe || 11 ||
He shall employ her in the accumulation and disbursement of wealth, as also in cleanliness, in religious acts, in the cooking of food and in taking care of the household furniture.—(11)
அவளைச் செல்வத்தைச் சேகரித்து விநியோகிப்பதிலும், தூய்மை, மதச் சடங்குகள், உணவு சமைப்பதிலும், வீட்டுப் பொருட்களைப் பராமரிப்பதிலும் பணியமர்த்த வேண்டும்.—(11)
He adds that people wishing for their welfare must respect women, and that those families and households in which women have to suffer slights, go to dogs.
According to him the real happiness and welfare of a household lies in the happiness and welfare of the women in it (Manu Smriti III-55-62).
So he instructs the husband and the wife in the household to remain happy and satisfied with each other, not to act against each other and not to indulge in any such activity as may lead to their separation (Manu Smriti IX-101-102).
तथा नित्यं यतेयातां स्त्रीपुंसौ तु कृतक्रियौ ।
यथा नाभिचरेतां तौ वियुक्तावितरेतरम् ॥ १०२ ॥
tathā nityaṃ yateyātāṃ strīpuṃsau tu kṛtakriyau |
yathā nābhicaretāṃ tau viyuktāvitaretaram || 102 ||
Man and wife, after they have passed through the rites, should always so exert themselves that they may not become separated and be unfaithful to each other.—(102)
Only one verse will suffice to bring out Manu's feelings:
Prajnarth mahabhaga pujhra grihdipatya
Istriya triyashc geheyshu na visheshosti kashchan
(Manu Smriti 1-26).
It means that women bring good luck to a household through procreation; they deserve respect and reverence; they irradiate the house with their presence.
In fact there is no difference between the godess of wealth and women."
2.
SON AND DAUGHTER HAVE EQUAL STATUS
"Those unacquainted with Manu's code will be pleasantly surprised to be informed that Manu is the first law-giver to have ordained that son and daughter enjoy an equal status in the family.
He has given this concept a constitutional validity. He says: “putrena duhita sama” (Manu Smriti 9-130) which means that daughter is at par with son in every respect."
3.
SON AND DAUGHTER:EQUAL PARTNERS IN PARENTAL PROPERTY.
"Manu regards both the son and the daughter as equal heirs to parental property.
This opinion finds a mention in the Manusmriti in ChapterIX-130,192.
This very view has been quoted in the Nirukta as follows:
Avishashna putrnam dayo bhavti dharmata
Mithunana visergadoo manu svembhuvobriveet
(Nirukta iii-1-4)
It means in the beginning of the creation Svayambhu Manu ordained and decleared that there is equal right for son and daughter in the ancestral parental property.
Manu has infact enhanced the importance of girls in the house-hold by laying down that only daughters (and not sons) are entitled to inherit the personal property of the mother
(Manusmriti IX-131)".
4.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SAFETY OF WOMEN'S PROPERTY
"Manu has ensured that nobody usurps the property of women under the impression that they are weaklings.
He has laid down that people making such attempts, howsoever close they may be to the concerned woman, should be given the same punishment as has been presctribed for thieves
(Manusmriti IX-212, III-52, VIII-2,29)."
5.
STRINGENT PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN
"Manu has tried to ensure the security of women by laying down that the kidnappes and killers of women should be awarded capital punishment and the rapists be banished after being tortured
(VIII-323, IX0232, VIII-352).
Manu has given clear instructions for the redressal of all difficulties, big or small, facing women.
Men have been instructed not to quarrel with mother, wife and daughter (IV-180).
There is a provision for punishment to persons levelling false charges against them;
to those deserting women even when they are innocent;
to those who fail to fulfil conjugal obligations towards women (VIII-275,389, IX-4)."
6.
MARITAL FREEDOM TO WOMEN
"Manu has an ideal approach on the subject of marriage of women. He has conceded to her the freedom of marrying a man of her choice who in her opinion is the most suitable for her
(IX-90,91).
He has allowed remarriage of a widow and has also sanctioned Niyoga(temporary attachment to a member of the opposite sex for a definite purpose such as procreation, etc)(IX-176,56-63).
Marriage is a symbol of affection and respect for girls and, therefore, according to Manu dowry in any form is highly improper and hence forbidden
(III-51-54).
Earnestly wishing for happiness to women he suggests that it is better to remain unmarried lifelong than to marry a wicked and vicious man
(IX-89)."
7.
JOINT OBLIGATION AND WOMAN'S INDISPENSABILITY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF RELIGIOUS RITES.
"The participation which women get in every field of activities of men in India as sanctioned by Vedic religion is of unique nature and is not to be seen elsewhere
Here no religious rite, no social ceremony and no household venture can be accomplished without women being associated.
Manu also has the same creed to propound.
So he entrusts the job of accomplishing religious rites and ceremonies to women, and gives directions that such rites should not be carried out without their participation.
(IX-11,28,96)/
During Vedic period women enjoyed all rights such as the right to study the Vedas, right to the wearing of YAJNOPAVITA(sacred thread), right to doing YAJNA(sacrificial ceremony), etc. They used to embellish the position of Brahma (the director) in the yajna ceremony.
They would acquire the position of seers (exponents) of Vedic hymns after having received high education.
Manu who regarded Vedas as of AXIOMATIC AUTHORITY in all religious matters was a great advocate of high education and all religious rights for women as ordained in the Vedas.
That is why he rules that all the rights relating to women should be carried out under their own supervision with the chanting of Vedic hymns by them
(II-4,III-28)."
8. PREFERENCE TO WOMEN
"The admirers of 'Ladies first' culture will be gratified to learn that Manu has instructed that we should step aside to make way for women on a priority basis.
He also rules that the newly married women, the unmarried girls, ailing expectant and old women should be provided food first and then alone should husband and wife in the family take meals together
(II.138, III.114, 116).
All these provisions in Manu indicate the high degree of sense of respect and affection he had for womenfolk."
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9.
MANU NOT IN FAVOUR OF UNRESTRAINED FREEDOM TO WOMEN
"It will be only pertinent to clarify in this context that Manu is an admirer of virtues and a great detractor of vices.
So he accords all respect to the virtuous ladies and provides for all punishment to the vicious women.
One of the characteristics of these provisions of Manu is that he is not in favour of unlimited liberty for women which may make her unsafe and consequently be extremely harmful to her.
So he has warned women against jumping the security cover provided to her by the father or by the husband or by the son because such a misadventure on her part can bring a bad name to two families - one her parents' and the other her in-laws'
(V-149,IX-56).
However, by no means does it mean that Manu is anti-women's lib. This only implies that the first social requirement of women is security which may be provided to her by the State's law and order machinery or some man or by her own valour. Her own valour, more often than not, fails to protect her in a world dominated by sensual dacoits have required male protection and patronage.
However, it will not be proper to assess Manu's contentions in the present day political perspective.
Today there is a law-enforcing government and yet thousands of women have been criminally assaulted and thus compelled to go to dogs. Rape and subsequent killing of women is the order of the day and the rule of law is rendered ineffectual. The real import of Manu's words can be realized vis-a-vis a situation when there is looseness in administration consequent upon a change in the system of government following violent incidents. It is in such a situation that Manu's words prove to be perfectly true.
This analysis make it clear that the provisions made by Manu are neither anti-shudra nor anti women.
They are in fact, extremely fair, just, impartial and even -handed. Manu has said nothing objectionable, nothing exceptionable."
10
- SPURIOUS INTERPOLATIONS IN THE MANUSMRITI AND THEIR SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION
"The aforementioned discussion leads us to the inevitable conclusion that the Manusmriti does have in it a large number of verses carrying noble canons and commandments.
However, it is also a fact that the extremely objectionable verses which anti-Manu writers have been quoting and underscoring are imputed to Manu and his Manusmriti.
This makes the scripture a carrier of paradoxes.
If the later type of verses were also accepted as really from the original Manusmriti it would mean that the book has in it on the one side just and fair rules and regulations and unfair and unreasable and hence despicable proposals and postulates on the other.
The crucial question is
:Is it an acceptable position that a book should originally carry in it such paradoxes and self contradictory statements and commandments?
When there are no apparently self contradictory statements in the composition of even ordinary writers of average intelligence how can there be such paradoxical statements in the write-up of such a legal luminary and religiously righteous sage. ?
A plain, simple and introvertible explanation to this is one and only one:
The just and noble laws are those giving the consideration to a man's potentialities, actions and abilities are originally written by Manu and those against these principles, and putting a premium on partial, unreasonable and unjust approach are interpolations added to the Manusmriti from time to time designed to suit the vested interests of interpolators.
This explanation gets upheld as correct and just if we make a reference to Manusmriti itself.
The original verses are contextually relevant and written in a sober style which mataches with the principles of due consideration for an individual's merits, actions and potentialities so clearly upheld by Manu.
The interpolated verses are in a different style and are not only irrelevant and out of context but also thematically discordant
. Thus we can determine which verses are original and which ones are interpolated. In brief can be stated the following as guiding principles for telling the original from the interpolated:-
