Women Must Lead With Their Ideals
When explaining the problems we face in everyday lives, Bhagawan would often tell us that we tend to give more importance than it is due to certain aspects of life, and ignore or demean those that are significant. This imbalance is what causes discord. Similarly in society too, a lot of the disharmony and chaos we notice can be attributed to the disregard we show to womanhood. The disrespect shown to women can no more be spoken of as a problem to be dealt with by that gender alone; it is a social issue that needs to be addressed by men and women, young and old. Unless and until we learn to respect womanhood, which is the very source of life itself, how can we respect and love our other fellow beings? Even as we as a society tend to give more importance to wealth and power, the women too have been forced to re-order their priorities. This too has led to a gradual drift from what Swami would refer to as Sthree Dharma or the primary nature and role of a woman. It is to reinstate the importance of womanhood, to remind all to respect and revere the feminine aspect and to guide women along the right path Bhagawan instituted the observance of Ladies Day, every year on 19 November. On this solemn occasion we present before you few golden words of counsel from a Divine Discourse delivered during the Ladies day of the year 1995.
We should not consider the feminine principle to be ordinary. Since ancient times the feminine aspect of the Divine has been worshipped in various ways. The Veda declares that, “Where women are honoured, revered and respected, there Divinity is present with all potency”. Unfortunately today people consider it demeaning to honour women. This is a primary expression of ignorance! We should not think thus.
Sthree (Woman) is Grihalakshmi (the Goddess of prosperity for the home). She is hailed as Dharmapatni (the virtuous spouse). She is called Illalu (the mistress of the house) and Ardhaangi (the rightful half). People gloat over petty, insignificant titles like Padmasri and Padma Vibhushan conferred on them. But women have been conferred the highest titles which are valid for eternity. A home without a woman is like a forest.
Men should realise the high status of women, and honour and respect them accordingly. They should not make women weep and shed tears. A home where the woman sheds tears will be ruined. Men should therefore, as much as possible, lead their lives by giving women an honourable place and their due importance. The archetypal woman is described as Adhishakti (the primal source of all energy) having a whole array of powers.
The word Sthree is a combination of three syllables. They are the consonants, ‘Sa’, ‘Tha and ‘Ra’. Just as in the Aumkara we have ‘A, U and M’, in the word Sthree we have ‘Sa, Tha and Ra’. First and foremost, ‘Sa’ signifies the Satvik nature of women. This is what leads to Salokyam (being in the same sphere of existence), Sameepyam (proximity) and Sayujyam (mergence). So it is the ‘Sa’ that represents the Divinity in Salokyam, Sameepyam and Sayujyam. Most women are endowed with this Satwik nature.
After which comes the ‘Tha’ which signifies the Tamasik quality or Tamo Guna. But this Tamasik quality is not indolence, gluttony and slothfulness. Tamo Guna includes qualities like humility, kindness, shyness and modesty. The woman in all her humility serves the cause of the family and society honour in the right spirit. There is a saying in Andhra Pradesh: ‘Judge a home by its mistress.’ As is the woman, so is the home.
