A WOMAN'S PLACE IS IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS

Urmila dasi
Revised, June, 1988

Athato brahma jijnasa--now is the time, in the human life, to

inquire about the Absolute Truth. Whether one's human form is
a mass of bubbles in the womb, Negro or Oriental, male or female,
this is the greatest opportunity. Devahuti therefore asked the
Lord to explain the relationship between man and woman and
between spirit and matter. She was sick of the disturbance
caused by her material senses, taking shelter of the Lord as the
axe which can cut the tree of material existence. (Bhag. 3.25.7-
11) Devahuti is the ideal example of a daughter, wife, and
mother. The daughter of Svayambhuva Manu, she had the most
qualified husband in Kardama Muni, what to speak of her son. Her
questions are not, therefore, born of the frustration and anxiety
spawned by the misguided feminists. It is, rather, the chaste
woman who desires to traverse the path of nivritti marga.

We in ISKCON have been struggling, individually and collectively,

to create a social order, varnasrama, which engages everyone
according to the body they acquired under the modes of material
nature, yet opens the door to freedom from those modes. For
those in women's bodies, it is still a question: What should be
the relationship between men and women in order to please the
Lord? How do we execute the dharma of the body and our sanatana-
dharma (matter and spirit)?

DHARMA AND SANATANA-DHARMA

Everyone's work can be divided into these two categories--that

which transcends his gross and subtle needs and configurations to
rest firmly on the spiritual platform, sanatana dharma; and that
which is suited to his psychophysical nature, varnasrama.

The first major category of occupation has nothing to do with the

external body. It is available to all human beings, and
sometimes lower forms of life. It is within this category that
a person serious about spiritual life performs activities
specifically directed by her spiritual master for re-awakening
love for Krishna. Sanatana-dharma begins with faith, and ends in
prema. For the neophyte it consists of her sadhana bhakti; for the
advanced devotee it becomes a spontaneous outpouring of devotion.
This sanatana-dharma is performed alongside of one's ordinary work.
Indeed, when devotional service under the guru's guidance saturates
the various activities within varnasrama, all one's activities
merge into transcendence.

One's duty within varnasrama can be mundane, part of a long and

hazardous journey that takes the soul to the point of accepting
devotional service after many lives. Here duty is related to the
specific needs of the individual based upon his material
understanding, or lack of it, in previous lives. In each life,
certain lessons are learned, but the schooling is not complete.
Indeed, while the soul solves one set of problems, new ones are
often created. We aren't even considering here the possible non-
performance of duty, or engagement in sinful acts, that can cause
the living entity to take steps backward. This is, however,
a very real problem for those on the long road of karma.

Varnasrama can be spiritualized by doing what would ordinarily be

required according to one's position on the wheel of karma, but
to dedicate the fruits, or the activity itself and its fruits, to
Krishna under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. Lord
Krishna elaborately describes this path in the *Bhagavad-Gita*.
Such a life would constitute the ideal social structure of
a Vaisnava society. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough that
to follow this path requires knowledge of one's prescribed duties
within varnasrama.

Srila Prabhupada sometimes divides prescribed duties under the

heading of varnasrama into three subcategories: routine,
desired, and emergency. We will primarily discuss one's routine
duties. Desired activities may be outside the range of what is
required for a particular varna or asrama, but they do not
conflict. Emergency activities may be in conflict with, or
completely outside the range of, one's usual duties. However,
emergency duties are meant for just that--emergencies--and should
be temporary.

One further area of occupation bears mentioning. On the platform

of liberation, when the soul is absorbed in internal activities,
he needs to do no external work within the varnasrama system.
There are no "lessons" for the entity to learn, no desires to
fulfill, no needs to be met. This is the position of the
avadhuta. Such a person is completely outside of either the
duties related to the body and mind or the regulative practices
of spiritual life. (Bhag. 5.5.29 purport) Generally, however,
such persons continue to execute their duties within these
categories just to set an example. After all, although the
entity on the avadhuta platform has no reason to do his duty, he
also has no reason to give it up. However, as long as the soul
inhabits a material body, identifying with it to any degree, he
will have duties in relation to his particular body and mind.
These are of several varieties. These duties, as mentioned
above, can be as much a part of a woman's spiritual life as her
sanatana-dharma activities. First we will look at the concept of
varnasrama in general. What is its purpose? How is varna and
asrama determined? We will outline, from a material view, the
duties of various women. How these duties can be harmonized with
the regulations of bhakti yoga will then be discussed. Finally,
we will examine the activities within sanatana-dharma.

VARNASRAMA

Occupational duties aim at elevating the soul. The varnasrama

system may be compared to a one-room school house--the teacher
forms "groups" according to the ability and past achievements of
the individual students. (We are presently looking at the Vedic
social system for non-Vaisnavas. In any case, varnasrama
placement is according to material abilities and inclination, not
the spiritual realization of how to use those abilities.) A very
intelligent student must still complete the assignments that are
geared to his level of skills--to do another's work would be
dangerous for his studies. The omniscient Lord assigns general
duties to us according to the broad group in which we may be
placed. Materialists consider the configurations of the body to
be the result of a chance genetic interaction in the womb, while
transcendentalists can understand that the body one enjoys under
the spell of the three modes of nature is symbolic of one's
previous mentality. Occupational duties according to one's body,
therefore, are in perfect accord with what various mentalities
require! We might not like to be in a lower grade in the school
of karma, but our lessons will progress only if we do our work
dutifully.

Woman's Basic Duty

The goal of our varna is to bring us to the platform of goodness,

from which we can properly execute our sanatana-dharma. Is there
a general, basic occupation for women that corresponds to the
delineation of duties in the *Gita's* eighteenth chapter? Women
generally arrive at the mode of goodness by serving their husbands,
as Prabhupada writes: "Generally women are very much passionate
and are less intelligent... If a husband situated in the mode of
goodness can control his wife, who is in passion and ignorance,
the woman is benefited. Forgetting her natural inclination for
passion and ignorance, the woman becomes obedient and faithful to
her husband, who is situated in goodness. Such a life becomes
very welcome. The intelligence of the man and woman may then work
very nicely together, and they can make a progressive march toward
spiritual realization." (Bhag. 4.27.1 purport)

Although a female body is a symptom of lesser intelligence, by

serving her husband she becomes his good intelligence! "There is
no difference between a good wife and good intelligence". (Bhag.
4.26.16 purport) What a wonderfully easy method of elevation.
For someone progressing up the ladder of varnasrama without
directly engaging in Krishna consciousness, here is the road to
a higher, male body (symptom of the intelligence she acquired by
being a chaste, faithful wife) or a position in the heavenly
planets.

Krishna nicely explains this essence of a woman's duty within

varnasrama when He tells the gopis, "service to the husband
without duplicity is the best religious principle. A woman
should be not only faithful and chaste to the husband, but
affectionate to the friends of her husband, obedient to the
father and mother of the husband, and affectionate to the younger
brothers of the husband. And most importantly, the woman must
take care of the children... Even if he is not of very good
character, or even if he is not very rich or fortunate, or even
if he is old or invalid on account of continued diseases,
whatever the husband's condition, a woman should not divorce her
husband... A married woman should not search for a paramour, for
this is not sanctioned by the Vedic principles of life."
(Krishna, Chap. 29)

Sometimes, however, women's varna is considered not as wife

(which is really an asrama), but as sudra. In some basic
respects, women, laborers and the mercantile class are on the
same level. (Gita 9.32) Therefore, when Sati heard her father
blaspheme Lord Siva, she "decided to give up her body because she
thought herself to be among the sudras and vaisyas." (Bhag 4.4.18
purport) Yet we learn that she "learned yoga from her husband or
was enlightened because she was the daughter of such a great king
as Daksa." (Bhag 4.4.24 purport) Such is the business of
ksatriyas and brahmanas! There appears to be some difficulty
adjusting the statement that all women are sudras (or equal to
vaisyas and sudras) and studying the activities of women, past
and present, that seem to belong to the higher classes.

Why are women classified as sudras? The major demarcation of

a sudra is his dependence on others and service to them. According
to the Manu Samhita, women should never be independent, being
supported by their father, husband, or son at different stages in
their lives. In this sense woman does well to accept gracefully
the position of sudra. Three things, according to Niti shastra,
must be supported: vines, women, and brahmanas. A brahmana is
supported by charity and a society that respects spiritual values.
A vine is supported by a trellis. A woman is supported financially
and emotionally by a man who protects her from being exploited by
others and elevates her. That is not to say that these three
cannot exist without support; support gives them their rightful
beauty and allows them to exhibit their full potential. Women in
modern times have certainly proved that they are capable of living
independently, albeit often accomplishing such a lifestyle because
of contraception and/or abortion. It has not been proved that such
independence is conducive for the happiness (material and spiritual)
of the woman, her children, her husband, or society in general.
In fact, the independence of modern woman is directly or indirectly
responsible for disease, anxiety, crime, and social unrest.
(Gita 1.40-42) Srila Prabhupada says that a woman's desire for
independence is "due to her womanly weakness." (Bhag. 4.4.3 purport)
It should also be noted that woman is classified among the vaisyas
and sudras because, without serving a man and thereby coming to
the platform of goodness, she remains in the modes of passion and
ignorance.

We can conclude that this is woman's basic duty: serve a man and
depend on his protection--don't be independent. Let us further
define this protective dependence. First, do not think such
service is slavery! Protection of woman is lovingly described by
Prabhupada: "Actually the woman must always be protected by her
husband... the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus
she becomes beloved and well protected. Just as one saves his
money and places it under his own personal protection, one should
similarly protect his wife by his own personal supervision. Just
as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved chaste
wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband...
It is similarly ideal in human life for the husband and wife to
live together. The home should be a place for devotional service,
and the wife should be chaste and accepted by a ritualistic
ceremony." (Bhag. 4.26.17 purport)

Secondly, we need to ask, "From what do women require protection?"

Traditionally, men have protected women from dangers such as rape,
murder, and fear; from strenuous work such as lifting heavy
objects, repairing mechanical equipment, and other heavy work that
can injure her; from difficulties in life such as financial
entanglements, belligerent creditors, or any dealings with people
who are harsh, offensive, imposing, or who make unreasonable demands.
(Fascinating Womanhood, Andelin, p.138-139)
Although the union of both male and female produce a child, only
the woman requires protection during pregnancy, lactation, and those
years when her children are small. She needs literal physical
and financial help. If a husband, brother, father, son, or other
relative doesn't provide such protection, the woman reveals her
inability to protect herself by taking shelter of various
government programs. Women who somehow feel no need for protection
in these ways still require to "be protected by all means so that
their natural inclination to be too self-interested will not be
manifested... Women must be cared for so that they will not be
free to manifest their tendency for gross selfishness."
(Bhag. 6.18.42 purport)

It can be said that women also need protection from sex desire.
However, in this regard the "protection" is mutual. "The bodily
senses are considered plunderers of the fort of the body. The
wife is supposed to be the commander of the fort, and therefore
whenever there is an attack on the body by the senses, it is the
wife who protects the body from being smashed. The sex demand is
inevitable for everyone, but one who has a fixed wife is saved
from the onslaught of the sense enemies." (Bhag. 3.14.20 purport)
Although man and woman protect each other from illicit sex, women
are very prone to degradation... and require protection by elder
members of society so they will not be misled into adultery.
(Gita 1.40 purport) It seems that women need such protection
more than men for, as Canakya Pandit states, they "have hunger
two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring six-fold, and lust eight-fold
as compared to men." Considerate of his exalted wife's "nine
times greater sexual appetite," (Bhag. 3.23.44 purport) Saint
Kardama expanded himself into nine forms during sexual intercourse.

Living under a man's protection enables women to conquer sex

desire in several ways. First, by marrying and producing
children as soon as her body matures, there is little chance of
getting a taste for illicit sex. (tape, LON73-38) Young men, on
the other hand, can more easily remain celibate. Secondly, her
husband or father recognizes that "it is woman's nature to want
to decorate herself with ornaments and nice dresses and accompany
her husband to social functions, meet friends and relatives, and
enjoy life in this way", earning her the name of "stri", meaning,
"one who expands the field of material enjoyment." (Bhag. 4.3.9
purport) Therefore, he engages these propensities in a religious
context to keep her satisfied. Finally, shyness is of greatest
importance. Women have great natural modesty in regard to all
sexual matters. A woman who is sheltered by her father and
treated with respect by her husband generally doesn't like to
talk of sex, think of sex, or initiate sexual behavior. There
is a nice story that illustrates the result of womanly shyness.
Ajamila was a brahmana who was a reservoir of good character,
conduct, and qualities. He married a chaste and beautiful young
wife from a brahmana family. Although married, he did not
experience lust, for when he saw the prostitute, "the dormant
lusty desires in his heart awakened." (Bhag. 6.1.61) Evidently
his wife's shyness kept Ajamila from lust.

Protected women hardly appear lusty even to themselves, becoming

capable of living more austerely than men. For example, a man in
Vedic society could marry many women with the idea that when one
wife was pregnant he could approach another. Each wife was
expected to remain peaceful with a fraction of her husband's sex
indulgence. In the same way, a young widow, or a woman with
a fallen husband, was considered perfectly capable of remaining
celibate for the remainder of her life, although a man was
expected to need to remarry. Is it therefore surprising that man
must "forcibly impregnate the fair sex?" (Light of the Bhagavata,
illus.43)

Lastly, "even in the higher statuses of life... it may be clearly

said that the understanding of a woman is always inferior to
the understanding of a man." (Bhag. 6.17.35 purport) Male
intelligence must govern even higher class women who are equal to
them in general.

Beyond Wife and Sudra

Although woman must be dependent on a man if she wants happiness

in this life and the next, there are different classes, or varnas,
of women according to their qualities and work. Each class of
woman will have different ordinary and desired activities within
the realm of living under a man's protection. Different activities
are also prescribed for women according to their stage of life,
asrama.

Is this revolutionary? Is it simply a feminist notion that women

have propensities over and above wife and mother? Are we engaging
women in varieties of service within ISKCON simply because we are
unsurrendered to the Vedic ideal? No, the scriptures confirm that
there are different classes of women.
"Illicit sex,... which is the beginning of all abominable life
and which is followed by meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication,
one after another,... is not possible with a chaste or aristocratic
woman, but only with unchaste sudras." (Bhag. 6.1.22 purport)
On such higher class women, chaste and faithful, rests the
responsibility of producing good children. Such good population is
the "basic principle for peace, prosperity and spiritual progress
in life." (Gita 1.40 purport)
By contrast, by associating with an unchaste woman, even great
material and spiritual leaders have fallen from positions of
austerity, power, fame, riches, and security. How many men have
lost everything under the sway of a seductress? It is most
regrettable that "materialistic men... do not care for a married
chaste wife. They take the wife only as an instrument for sense
enjoyment, not as a means for devotional service... They have
concluded that the best course is to have sex with any woman and
simply pay the price for her, as though she were a mercantile
commodity." (Bhag. 4.26.17 purport) Because of such exploitation
and lack of respect, both men and women today have practically
forgotten how glorious is the aristocratic woman.

Sometimes Westerners consider the injunction that women should

keep their bodies covered to be a sign of inferiority. Actually,
it is another indication of how much Vedic society respected the
aristocratic woman. It is similar to placing a cover over
valuables so careless people won't spoil them. "Even fifty or
sixty years ago in Calcutta, all respectable ladies would go to
a neighboring place riding on a palanquin carried by four men.
The palanquin was covered with soft cotton, and in that way there
was no chance to see a respectable lady traveling in public."
(CC Adi 13.116 purport) A higher class woman would not "go out
in the evening or with her hair loose, nor without being properly
decorated with ornaments. She would not leave the house unless
she was very grave and sufficiently covered." (Bhag. 6.18.50)
Higher class women are eager to accept such methods of purification.

The importance of creating and preserving aristocratic women can

be noted in the Vedic conception of an ideal marriage. The
"central idea was that if the boy and girl were on an equal level
the marriage would be happy." (Bhag. 9.18.23 purport) A person,
therefore, usually does not establish a marital relationship with
someone who is either higher or lower than his position, but
tries to create a suitable match between persons who are equal in
status of social standing, beauty, riches, strength, influence,
and renunciation. (Krishna, Chap.25) Sometimes, however,
marriages would be allowed between different classes, as long as
the woman was of a lower class. "Pratiloma", or marriage where
the women was of a higher caste than the husband, was not
generally allowed. (Bhag. 9.18.5 purport) This aspect of Vedic
social life clearly shows how loathe society was to risk having
a woman dragged down by her husband. It would also be somewhat
awkward for a woman to act in a servile position to someone who
was "beneath her". In addition, this practice further verifies
that women are not simply a homogeneous mass in terms of
spiritual and material qualifications.

From studying Vedic marriage arrangements we learn that the

qualities that distinguished a woman's varna existed before her
marriage. The husband didn't determine a woman's varna. Rather,
she married someone in the same varna in which she was naturally
situated by quality and work. Devahuti, for example, "had good
character and was well-qualified; therefore she was searching for
a suitable husband just befitting her." (Bhag. 3.22.9 purport)
A woman's varna could not be ascertained by that of her father
(birth) because "one can become fit for a certain type of activity
by qualification, not by birth." (Bhag. 5.4.13 purport) Of course,
in a marriage where the husband was of a higher caste, serving him
could elevate his wife to his position.

Let us examine scriptural references to the qualities and

activities of women in the varnas and asramas, from an external,
material viewpoint.

WOMEN IN THE VARNAS

Brahmanis

Brahmanas give and receive charity, teach and perform worship of

the deity, and hear and repeat transcendental knowledge.
Brahmanis have similar activities. The primary differences are
that the brahmanas must be independent to maintain their
integrity, and may perform some rituals not properly executed by
a woman. Yet the women's role in ritualistic functions is also
essential. Krishna instructed the wives of the brahmanas to
return home so the sacrifice would be successful. "According to
Vedic principle, religious rituals must be executed by the
husband and wife together." (Krishna, Chap.23) Prabhupada also
told his disciples that the guru-kula girls who were academically
inclined could teach and preach. Aditi was engaged by Kasyapa
Muni in the process of deity worship which he described as "the
best austerity, the best process of giving charity, and the best
process of sacrifice." (Bhag. 8.16.61) Surely these are
brahminical activities. Such a wife or daughter of a brahmana is
expected to maintain high standards of purity, suffering the same
fate as a fallen brahmana man if she does not. (Bhag. 5.26.29)

Ksatriya Women

And ksatriya women? Although such women did not rule, they knew
"how to play the political game". (Bhag. 10.4.5 purport) Such
women were qualified to select their own husband according to
a test of merit. Not occupying the post of chief executive,
a ksatriya woman like Draupadi managed the huge royal household,
knew the actual income and expenditure of the king, and in fact
supervised the inexhaustible treasury when her husbands were
away. The wives of ksatriyas have a fundamental role in the
ksatriyas' ritualistic duties. (Bhag. 5.2.1, 9.1.14) Certainly
a ksatriya woman had to have great courage to watch her father,
husband, and son march into battle.

Vaisya Women

Broadly classified with vaisyas already, women in the mercantile

and farming community certainly had specific duties connected
with their family's occupation. We find Mother Yasoda churning
butter, cooking, and milking the cows. We would also expect such
women to help with the garden and perhaps trade. The knowledge
of vaisya women goes beyond housework. We learn that "even in
the houses of the cultivators, who were not very advanced in the
modern ways of civilization, the ladies used to know how to chant
mantras to give protection to children with the help of cow dung
and cow urine" (Bhag. 10.6.24 purport) It appears that the
"traditional" view of women as being primarily, or even
exclusively, caretakers of children and maintainers of the home
applies particularly to the vaisya woman whose husband was
a farmer and/or dairyman.

Sudra Women

Sudras are considered bereft of all good qualities, suffering in

a hellish planet if they fail to elevate themselves. Sudra
women, however, do not necessarily have to be classified as
unclean and degraded. Even fifty years ago the position of
nanny, housekeeper, or maid could be a very respectable one.
Prabhupada speaks of how the chastity and shyness of a sweeper
woman compelled him and his companion to step aside out of
respect. (tape, LON73-38) The varna of "sudra" includes much
creative work which women have traditionally done in every
culture. Sudras are the artisans and craftsmen of society, the
dramatists and poets. (A brahmana writes poetry out of his
spiritual realization; a sudra for historical and entertainment
purposes.)

WOMEN IN THE ASRAMAS

Student Life

The asramas, or stages of life that further define a man's

prescribed duty also apply to women. Although traditionally "not
allowed to live as brahmacarini in the asrama of the spiritual
master... nor allowed to undergo the purificatory process of
initiation by the sacred thread", (Krishna, Chap. 23) women also
spent their youth as students. Qualified boys and girls learned
various arts, many of which are lost today. Some of the sixty-
four arts learned by girl students are as follows: singing,
playing on musical instruments, dancing, theatricals, painting,
applying cosmetics, making the groundwork of jewels, playing on
music in water, jugglery, sleight of hand, preparing delicious
food, needle works and weaving, making and solving riddles,
reciting books, solving enigmatic verses, metallurgy, mineralogy,
practicing medical treatment by herbs, healing a person with
perfumes, talking with letters and fingers, mechanics, composing
verse mentally, designing a literary work, enforcing discipline,
and awakening her master with music at dawn. (Brahma Samhita, 37
purport) Youth is also a time for a girl to learn domestic arts
from her mother and other elderly women, to worship her father
(Bhag. 4.3.25 purport), and perhaps, as indicated in regards to
Sati, learn yoga and transcendental science. Citralekha, while
still a student, learned the mystic arts of yoga. (Krishna, Chap.
27) The mantras known to the village women of Vrndavana were
probably learned as children. Srila Prabhupada emphasizes that
girls must learn to "be chaste and faithful to their husband and
know how to cook nicely". (tape, PH75-2) Within ISKCON,
Prabhupada instructed us to give the boys and girls the same
academic and spiritual training at the elementary level.

One important aspect of a girl's life before marriage was the

strictness with which she was forbidden to associate with young
boys. After age ten, no respectable girl was allowed to wander
unsupervised and/or scantily dressed. How much glory will pure
virgin girls bring to society! When King Prithu entered his
city, he was greeted by such girls, clean within and without,
nicely decorated and dressed. These unmarried girls, not allowed
to go out freely or mix with boys, were untouched by the hand of
any member of the opposite sex. These girls are very auspicious
members of society. (Bhag. 4.21.4. purport)

Household Life

In Vedic society, a girl's parents arranged her marriage according

to astrology and the desire of the girl's heart, although very
qualified young ladies contrived a contest to choose their husband.
The girls were married young, before they could become attached to
an unsuitable boy. It must be remembered that the girl moved into
her husband's house where her mother-in-law, aunts, and sisters-in-
law helped her. She didn't have to take on the burden and loneliness
of a housewife in the nuclear family. The young wife's duties,
whatever her husband's occupation was, can be stated succinctly: to
create a peaceful atmosphere where all the family members can easily
make progress toward the spiritual path.

Narada Muni describes the duties of a married woman as four: to

render service to the husband, be favorably disposed toward him,
to be equally disposed toward his relatives and friends, and to
follow his vows. He instructs married women to dress nicely, in
clean and attractive garments, decorated with gold ornaments. It
is the wife's duty to keep the house clean, pure, and aromatic.
She should be ready to execute her husband's orders, be modest
and truthful, control her senses, speak in sweet words, and serve
her husband with love. The chaste married woman is not greedy,
but always satisfied. She is expert in handling household affairs
and fully conversant with religious principles. (Bhag. 7.11.25-28)

The traditional role for the married woman is here upheld by the
Vedic scriptures. The wife takes responsibility for cooking,
cleaning, and children. A wealthy wife may not do these things
herself, but she, like Queen Draupadi, must supervise the
servants. Chaste women enjoy domestic chores, however. Mother
Yasoda had servants, but liked to churn Krishna's butter
personally. Krishna's queens also preferred to serve Him
themselves, although they had thousands of maidservants.
Similarly, the modern woman likes to serve her husband in spite
of having personal or mechanical servants. Still, such
conveniences can free her for other activities without changing her
responsibility to see that these household affairs are done nicely.

"Most importantly," Krishna tells His beloved gopis, "women

should take care of the children." The Vedic woman feels great
love and affection for children. Her "natural ambition to
possess not only more than one child but at least half a dozen"
(CC Adi 14.55 purport) isn't thwarted by absurd claims that
overpopulation threatens the world or that childbirth will be
harmful. Certainly "childbirth was never regarded as a burden
or a botheration. The more a child grows, the more his parents
become jubilant." (Bhag. 10.7.4 purport) "Generally a woman
becomes more beautiful when, after an early marriage, she gives
birth to a child... a woman becomes more and more beautiful as
she gives birth to one child after another." (Bhag. 4.24.12
purport) In fact, modern doctors attribute the increase in
cancer of the uterus and breast to the fact that women are having
(and nursing) few or no babies. (The Way Home, p.52) As for
overpopulation fears, "The University of California published the
results of a major survey of world food resources showing that
the world presently uses less than half of its available arable
land... Colin Clark, former director of the Agricultural Economic
Institute at Oxford University and noted author of many books on
population-resource questions, classified world land types by
their food-raising capabilities and found that, if all farmers
were to use the best methods now in use, enough food could be
raised to provide an American-type diet for 35,000,000,000 people,
almost 10 times as many as now exist!... Nor would these high
levels of food output require cropping of every inch of available
land space. Clark's model assumed that nearly half of the earth's
land area would remain conservation areas... Mr. Felice points out
in this report that, `We could put the entire world population in
the state of Texas and each man, woman, and child could be allotted
2,000 sq. ft. (the average home ranges between 1,400 and 1,800
square feet) and the whole rest of the world would be empty.'"
(The Way Home pp.61-62 quoting Grow or Die, pp.412-414)
Nor is a chaste wife and mother afraid of sacrificing her desires
or comfort for that of her child, being "always anxious to see
that the child is not disturbed even for a moment. As long as
the child wants to remain with the mother, the mother stays with
the child, and the child feels very comfortable." (Bhag. 10.7.5
purport)

She gets relief from her own burdens and difficulties by

cultivating a selfless serving attitude toward her husband and
his family. This is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for
a modern woman who has been indoctrinated with the idea that she
has a right to demand that her family meet her needs, putting
everyone on an equal level. True satisfaction can only be gained
by a giving, selfless attitude. The husband will then feel
pleased to satisfy his wife with ornaments, nice food, clothes,
children, and engagement in religious activities, which is his
duty. (Bhag. 4.27.1 purport) Beyond that he becomes her most
intimate friend, (Bhag. 3.23.2 and purport) assisting her in
maneuvering through the world's troubles and finally attaining
spiritual knowledge. In addition, the married woman is expected
to give charity to society in general. Householders always open
their homes to guests, give alms to students and renunciates, and
even feed animals around their house.

Exactly how to speak sweet, pleasing, and truthful words, remaining

peaceful and content in all circumstances, is beyond the scope of
this essay. It is well to remember that this is a mundane art
which can be learned from any woman who has mastered it. This is
one of the marks of a chaste woman, whatever her talents and
inclinations, whether rich or poor, beautiful or ugly. Its
attainment will bring the happiness given to those in the mode of
goodness.

Vanaprastha

It should be noted that the sastras don't advise females to skip

the household asrama, going from student life directly to
renunciation. "Of course, if women can remain Brahmacharinis, it
is nice. But it is difficult also... If it is possible to divert
the whole attention for Krishna's service it is quite possible to
remain single even for the whole life." (letter to Himavati, June
1968) However, such attention is especially difficult for souls
in female bodies. Womanly form is the symptom of the soul's
difficulty in this area. Therefore, "every woman especially must
get married." (CC Madhya 7.128 purport) "Females are not meant
for the renounced order of life; they should be faithful to their
good husbands." (Bhag. 6.6.1 purport) It may seem odd, then,
that we are now approaching the duties of women in the renounced
asramas. The asrama duties are intertwined with those of varna,
so that the following asrama duties only apply to brahmana and
ksatriya women. The system is that sudras' only asrama is grhasta,
vaisyas are brahmacaris and grhasthas, ksatriyas are brahmacaris,
grhasthas, and vanaprasthas, and only brahmanas can take sannyasa.
When the husband is approximately age fifty, the eldest son is
ready to head the traditional extended family, or take over the
father's occupation in the nuclear family. At such a time, the
husband and wife retire from domestic duties and travel together
to holy places. For the queen, "she sits beside her husband when
he is king, but when he goes to the forest, she also follows,
despite having to tolerate all kinds of difficulties... Queen
Arci... lived in the forest like a great sage. She lay down on
the ground and ate only fruits, flowers, and leaves, and because
she was not fit for these activities, she became frail and thin.
Yet because of the pleasure she derived in serving her husband,
she did not feel any difficulties." (Bhag. 4.23.21 and 20 purport)
Narada Muni gives another example of a woman's duties in
the retired asrama:

"The daughter of King Vidarbha wore old garments, and

she was lean and thin because of her vows of austerity.
Since she did not arrange her hair, it became entangled
and twisted in locks. Although she remained always
near her husband, she was as silent and unagitated as
the flame of an undisturbed fire.

This is further explained by Srila Prabhupada:

"When one begins to burn firewood, there is smoke and

agitation in the beginning. Although there are so many
disturbances in the beginning, once the fire is
completely set, the firewood burns steadily.
Similarly, when both husband and wife follow the
regulative principles of austerity, they remain silent
and are not agitated by sex impulses. At such a time
both husband and wife are benefited spiritually. One
can attain this stage of life by completely giving up
a luxurious mode of life.

"In this verse the word cira-vasa refers to very old

torn garments. The wife especially should remain
austere, not desiring luxurious dresses and living
standards. She should accept only the bare necessities
of life and minimize her eating and sleeping. There
should be no question of mating. Simply by engaging in
the service of her exalted husband, who must be a pure
devotee, the wife will never be agitated by sex impulses.
The vanaprastha stage is exactly like this. Although
the wife remains with the husband, she undergoes severe
austerities and penances so that although both husband
and wife live together, there is no question of sex.
In this way both husband and wife can live together
perpetually. Since the wife is weaker than the husband,
this weakness is expressed in this verse with the words
upa patim. Upa means `near to,' or `almost equal to'.
Being a man, the husband is generally more advanced than
his wife. Nonetheless, the wife is expected to give up
all luxurious habits. She should not even dress nicely
or comb her hair. Hair combing is one of the main
businesses of women. In the vanaprastha stage the wife
should not take care of her hair. Thus her hair will
become tangled in knots. Consequently the wife will no
 longer be attractive to the husband, and she herself will
no longer be agitated by sex impulses. In this way both
husband and wife can advance in spiritual consciousness."
(Bhag. 4.28.44 and purport)

Widow of Sannyasi

For a brahmana, the topmost asrama is sannyasa. Then "the wife

is to return home and become a saintly woman, setting an example
for her children and daughters-in-law and showing them how to
live a life of austerity. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa,
His wife, Visnupriya-devi, although only sixteen years old, also
took the vow of austerity due to her husband's leaving home. She
chanted (on) her beads, and after finishing one round, she
collected one grain of rice. In this way, as many rounds as she
chanted, she would receive the same number of rice grains and then
cook them and so take prasada. This is called austerity. Even
today in India, widows or women whose husbands have taken sannyasa
follow the principles of austerity, even though they live with
their children." (Bhag. 4.23.20 purport)

Why are there no women who directly take sannyasa? A sannyasi is

the most independent personality within the varnasrama system.
Such a life would be directly contradictory to the basic duty of
woman to be dependent on a man, even in absence. Therefore,
"female sannyasis are to be immediately understood as pretenders
or prostitutes... a female is never awarded sannyasa because
a female is never considered independent." (letter to Brahmananda,
March 1967) "A woman is not supposed to take sannyasa.
So-called spiritual societies concocted in modern times give
sannyasa even to women, although there is no sanction in the
Vedic literature for a woman's accepting sannyasa." (Bhag.
3.24.41 purport) Sometimes Srila Prabhupada's giving of gayatri
mantra to women (without the sacred thread) is seen as a break in
tradition that can justify a further break by awarding sannyasa.
However, we have demonstrated when considering brahmani women
that it is certainly traditional for women to engage in deity
worship, chanting Vedic mantras. Such activities don't conflict
with dependence. Even if someone accepts women sannyasis as
an emergency measure that contradicts duty, it is directly
condemned by Srila Prabhupada under any conditions.

Other Considerations

In conclusion to our overview of woman's material duties within

the varnasrama system it should be noted that, even in Vedic
times, life didn't always work out perfectly and neatly for all
women. Some women became prostitutes, some had no children, some
were widowed at an early age. The modern phenomena of life-long
spinsterhood was unknown, however. Polygamy was allowed, and
wealthy kings took responsibility for unmarried maidservants in
addition to their wives. Divorce was unknown to the followers of
Vedic civilization, as well. If, by misfortune, a woman's husband
was indeed unworthy of her, a wicked man who would cause moral or
physical harm to herself and her children, the wife would live
separately but not remarry. She would live in austerity, waiting
for him to rectify his behavior. Often he would, moved by her
saintly example. On the positive side, there were women who
achieved unusual social positions. Jahnavi devi accepted
disciples, and the gopis were familiar with "a yogini perfect
in the art of chanting mantras." (CC Antya 17.35) In fact, in
the pages of the tenth canto we meet Citralekha, "a great mystic
yogini" while still a young girl, and Mayavati, Pradyumna's wife,
who "had mystic knowledge of supernatural power." In any case,
women who follow the varnasrama system can expect a peaceful
society, pleasant family life, and personal elevation to the mode
of goodness, taking them in the next life to a higher platform.
BUT--

VAISNAVA VARNASRAMA

Krishna doesn't want us to perfect 5th or 10th grade work, but to

graduate! The sublime nature of the varnasrama system is that
one doesn't have to take progressively higher and higher bodies,
culminating in that of a male brahmana, to fulfill the highest
perfection of his duties, the pleasure of Lord Hari. After
capsulizing the duties of the various varnas, Krishna tells
Arjuna, "By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings
and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own
duty, attain perfection. It is better to engage in one's own
occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to
accept another's occupation and perform it perfectly. Prescribed
duties, according to one's nature, are never affected by sinful
reactions... In all activities just depend upon Me and work
always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully
conscious of Me." (Gita 18.46,47,57) If we do our "karmic
lesson" for the glorification of Krishna, we need learn no more
lessons. The faults and good qualities that put us in our
present position lose their meaning as we cease to identify with
the mind and body, recognizing our true spiritual nature as
a tiny fragment of the Lord. "Does not a thing, when applied
therapeutically, cure a disease which was caused by that very
same thing?" (Bhag. 1.5.33) Let's go back through the varnas and
asramas, now, and see how to do everything as an offering to
Krishna.

Basic Duty

Initiation by a bona fide spiritual master is the first necessity

for a woman wishing to spiritualize her main varna of service to
father, husband, or son. The situation becomes perfect when the
man she serves is a devotee of Krishna. "Krishna consciousness
provides first-class training for a man or a woman. A man should
be trained to be a first-class devotee of Lord Krishna, and
a woman should be trained to be a very chaste follower of her
husband." (Bhag. 6.18.42 purport) In many cases, a Vedic woman
became the initiated disciple of her husband. Kasyapa initiated
Aditi; Vasudeva initiated Devaki. That does not, however,
preclude a women taking initiation from a guru who is not her
husband. Indeed, the supreme woman within the material world,
Mayadevi, was "formally initiated" by her guru, Haridasa Thakura,
even though her husband, Lord Siva, previously initiated her. (CC
Antya 3.256-259) If a woman finds herself in a position where
she is already serving a man who is not a devotee, she may
continue to serve him while performing her sanatana-dharma
activities under her guru's guidance. Her spiritual master will
direct her as to how to spiritualize her duties as far as
possible. Later we discuss cases where the man is so fallen that
the woman finds it impossible to practice bhakti-yoga in his
association.

Varnas

The woman disciple learns from her guru how to live as a brahmani
absorbed in Krishna. Worship the deity at home and in the temple,
give and receive prasadam, study and teach the glories of the Lord.
Prabhupada asked his women disciples to lecture on Krishna
consciousness, write articles, and teach in the guru-kula. When
Dayananda asked Prabhupada in Dallas, in July, 1975, about girls
who were "intelligent in Sanskrit", Prabhupada instructed that
they can read sastra, teach, and preach. Women can help in
performance of the great sacrifice of this age, sankirtana yajna.

The ksatriya woman does not personally lead, but gives her husband
the energy to direct a Krishna conscious society. She, like
Draupadi, knows the names and needs of the devotees, friends, and
workers that her husband engages in the Lord's service. She is
a tireless worker, always making sure there is enough prasadam,
clothes, and facility for Krishna's servants. She knows the art
of diplomacy, helping avert politics and conflicts. She knows
how to pacify Krishna's enemies and engage His friends so everyone
feels satisfied.

The vaisya devotee woman cooks, cleans, and churns butter for the
deity. She helps with the gardening, and is expert at preserving
herbs, fruits, and vegetables. She knows that Krishna supplies
everything, and meditates on her cultivation and cow protection
as her service to Him.

Woman doing sudra work for Lord Krishna can scrub pots and floors,
assist the devotees in their various services, or contribute to
the Lord's glorification through the arts. Drama, painting, and
music depicting the Lord's pastimes can be used in the temple, or
at householder's functions such as weddings and birthdays.
Creative women can versify Krishna's glories so people in general
can more easily remember them.

Asramas

As a student, a young girl learns how to use the womanly arts in

Krishna's service. Let her awaken the deity with music at dawn,
set jewels in the deity's crown, or create and solve riddles
about Krishna's devotees and pastimes. She can recite the
*Bhagavad-Gita*, and learn how to cook wonderful offerings for
Krishna. As she matures, she can learn how to discipline
children so her own can mature in the Lord's service. Following
the strict rules of chastity, she keeps herself pure, filled with
thoughts of Krishna. "It is essential that (young) girls as well
as boys be trained to discharge spiritual duties." (Bhag. 3.14.17
purport)

As a young woman enters marriage, she embarks on an important

"ministry". Here she can give her husband inspiration and
energy--not to accumulate vast amounts of temporary status and
opulence--but to lead a simple life in Krishna's service. She
must be careful to follow her husband's vow, being sensitive to
his mentality. (Bhag. 3.23.4-5 purport) A woman has great power
to completely divert her husband from the spiritual path if she
is unchaste, dragging him into illicit sex, or manipulating her
husband like a "dancing dog". His goodness is then compromised
by her passion and ignorance, and both spoil their chances for
elevation. It is essential that a woman wishing to merge her
marriage into transcendence learn the arts of self-control,
satisfaction, submission, and cleanliness that her sisters in
the mundane sphere practice. These qualities in goodness when
used in Krishna's service can transform the home into a temple.

The devotee housewife may employ servants (human or mechanical)

in Krishna's service to allow her time to serve others outside
the household. Just as the pious householder invites guests, she
entertains saintly persons to learn from them, and welcomes those
less conversant with spiritual life in order to instruct them and
feed them prasadam.

For the fortunate wife blessed with children, she has only to
transform her deep maternal affection into spiritual love. As
well as carefully providing her breastmilk, tenderness,
nourishing food, and a clean and healthy home, she teaches her
children to regularly worship Krishna--especially in the early
morning--under the guidance of her spiritual master. And the
food is offered to the Lord during such worship, feeding the
child's soul. She teaches her children not only tales of charity
and truthfulness, but stories of the incarnations and activities
of Krishna as revealed in the scripture. She watchfully keeps
her child not only from fire, water, and disease, but from bad
association. She knows the great spiritual harm that comes from
friendship with people who engage in sinful, degrading
activities, whether her children would associate with them
personally or on television. We are "like crystal-stones,
reflecting anything which is put before us." (NOD Chap. 12) She
makes sure her children receive an education for the soul. Only
such a mother who can elevate her child to the spiritual platform
is a bona fide parent. Her children become students and disciples,
not of a materialistic teacher for sense gratification and economic
development, but of a genuine guru. In this way her children
become twice-born, first-class human beings. (Bhag. 6.5.20 purport)

Passion and ignorance don't control Vaisnavas who work for the
Lord in the external capacities of vaisya and sudra. So the
rules barring low-class people from renounced asramas do not
apply. "The four orders of life as brahmacari, grhastha,
vanaprastha and sannyasi are to be followed by all, irrespective
of the occupational division." (Bhag. 1.15.39 purport)

Vrndavana and Mayapur are the beacons for the vanaprastha

devotee, calling her away from the ordinary forest. Just as she
assisted her husband by creating a home that was a temple, and
children who were saints, she now assists him in conquering sex
desire. She remains as a servant, following him in his
austerities no matter what comfort she enjoyed as a young wife.
The real austerity, total meditation on Krishna, takes both of
them to the Spiritual World.
The sannyasa widow lives aloof within society. She is a reminder
to the young women, perhaps somewhat diverted in their devotion
to Krishna by clothes, hair, home, husband, children, and the
illusory beauty that is but the blush of youth, that life's
ultimate goal is the pleasure of Lord Hari. She doesn't return
to the home as a cook and baby-sitter, but a teacher of how to
spiritualize these activities. She, like her wandering husband,
is a bold preacher of Krishna consciousness.

Other Considerations

And what of the women who don't fit neatly into these categories?
Presently, many women aren't under the protection of any man.
According to the Vedic standard, "a woman who has no husband
declares herself independent, which means that she becomes
a prostitute." (Bhag. 6.5.14 purport) Many modern women will
strongly object to this classification. Here we should
understand "prostitute" to be broader than the professional
streetwalker or call girl who sells her body for illicit sex. It
has become an obvious social phenomena that today's independent
woman is sexually available, whether or not she charges a fee.
In various ways, men exploit even the rare woman who remains
single and virginal without manly protection. Such women aren't
engaged in any proper varna or asrama. How can they spiritualize
their life? This most unfortunate woman may take comfort in
knowing that "there were prostitutes in human society even in
Lord Krishna's time, for it is said that the prostitutes of
Dvaraka City came forth to receive the Lord. Although they were
prostitutes, they were also devotees of Krishna." (CC Antya 3.105
purport) In the case of Kubja, she was able to worship Krishna
by her profession. (Krishna, Chap 13) The prostitute Chintamani
acted as guru, directing her "client" on the spiritual path,
which she then followed herself. By far the best example of
an unchaste woman taking to Krishna consciousness is the prostitute
who became a disciple of Haridas Thakur. She lived a life of
great austerity. She gave up her possessions, shaved her head,
wore one cloth, chanted Hare Krishna throughout the day and
night, worshipped Tulasi devi, and fasted unless she was supplied
with alms. She became so spiritually advanced that she was
visited by many "stalwart, highly advanced Vaisnavas". (CC Antya
3.140-142) Such austerity is difficult for anyone, what to speak
of a woman addicted to unrestricted sense gratification. Srila
Prabhupada, therefore, allowed such women, upon taking initiation,
to marry and live within the household asrama, serving Krishna
through the various varnas. This is possible because, by being
properly initiated and discharging the duties and regulative
principles very rigidly, anyone can surpass even an ordinary
brahmana, just as the mixture of mercury turns bell metal to gold.
(NOD, Chap 5)

There are other women who are chaste and pious. Yet, by their
karmic misfortune they cannot take shelter of their husbands.
Perhaps he is wicked and cannot be reformed even when she
patiently inspires him, setting a good personal example. Some
women in this situation have no children, or their children have
followed the path of sense gratification. They cannot, like
Kamsa's widows, return to their father for protection, because he
will not engage them in Krishna's service. When they try to take
shelter of another man, they are often exploited for sex
enjoyment. If a woman actually has a husband who is unfit, she
should take Prabhupada's instructions very seriously: "If her
husband is fallen, it is recommended that she give up his
association... (This) does not mean, however, that a woman
should marry again and thus indulge in prostitution. If a chaste
woman unfortunately marries a husband who is fallen, she should
live separately from him." (Bhag 7.11.28 purport) In other
words, she still mentally and emotionally considers the man to be
her husband, patiently waiting for him to rectify his behavior.
This mentality protects her. In addition, if she observes the
Pumsavana vrata, "a woman who is avira--who has no husband or
son--can be promoted to the spiritual world." (Bhag. 6.19.26-28)
What is this vow? It is simply the process of chanting and deity
worship, cleanliness and chastity, that a disciple performs as
her sanatana-dharma. Perhaps remaining satisfied in such
a situation seems impossible. It would do well to remember that
many women in Vedic times didn't have a husband for most of their
life, but did not remarry. Kunti's beautiful prayers to Krishna
are recited and glorified by the most renounced men, although she
spent her life as a "single mother". We can claim that these
women are extraordinary, but Prabhupada instructs that "Everyone
should think that he is engaged in a particular type of occupation
by Hrsikesa, the master of the senses." (Gita 18.46 purport)
The woman in such an awkward situation may also take such
a predicament to be the arrangement of the Lord, and meditate on
how to glorify the Lord by her tolerance and austerity. Austerity
doesn't mean the absence of difficulty, but tolerance of it;
courage doesn't mean the lack of fear, but strong action in
the face of a fearful situation. Of course, "in the beginning
of Krishna consciousness, one may not fully discharge the
injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of
this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat
and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure
Krishna consciousness." (Gita 3.31 purport)

A final note should be added here about emergency activities

within the realm of prescribed duties in Krishna's service.
Once, Prabhupada asked one of his female disciples to relay
a massage. He told her that, although he was giving her a man's
job, there was no one else to do it. Sometimes a woman may
temporarily take up a duty which is not really suitable, possibly
even conflicting with her basic varna and ashrama responsibilities.
There is great danger, Lord Krishna warns twice in the Gita, in
following another's path, however expertly. "One should stick to
his prescribed duties even up to death, rather than imitate
another's duties." (Gita 3.35 purport) We must be careful that
the factual emergency of spreading Krishna consciousness doesn't
tempt us into allowing a qualified woman to become so diverted from
routine and desired activities that she, and perhaps her husband
and children, become too disturbed to execute spiritual life at all.
In some cases permanent placement of a woman in an emergency
position can disrupt an entire temple.

Occasionally women aspiring for Krishna consciousness misunderstand

their own position and give up their prescribed duties for something
"higher". Perhaps they believe that they've attained the avadhuta
platform and are no longer in need of following varnasrama. They
are now prepared to sit with Ramananda Raya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu
to discuss the separation ecstasies of Radha and Krishna. It is
true that when one "transcends the modes of material nature and is
fully situated in Krishna consciousness, he can perform anything
and everything under the direction of the bona fide spiritual
master." (Gita 3.35 purport) We would do well to remember that
even those on such a platform, like King Janaka, perform their
duties just to set an example. When Lord Rsabhadeva actually behaved
like an avadhuta, people wrongly followed him and started a bogus
system of religion that created a disturbance in society. When
Krishna instructed Arjuna to "give up all varieties of religion
and just surrender to Me", (Gita 18.66) He was not telling Arjuna
to abandon his ksatriya duties but to take them up in Krishna
consciousness. A qualified person properly exhibits actual
renunciation during the appropriate stage of life to benefit
himself and others. Selfishness, laziness, and a desire for
prestige are often the motivation for the so-called detachment
of, for example, a woman who neglects her child physically and/or
spiritually for the sake of her "preaching". Such false austerity
by an unqualified person in order to escape his troublesome
duties, or out of frustration, is motivated by the three modes of
material nature and disturbs the sincere spiritual seeker. (Gita
18.7-8)

One of the most dangerous misunderstandings regarding emergency

and liberated activities concerns intimate association between
men and women. A man "should not allow himself to sit on the
same seat even with his own mother, sister or daughter, for the
senses are so strong that even though one is very advanced in
knowledge, he may be attracted by sex." (Bhag. 9.19.17) A woman
can avoid falldowns from the spiritual path if she never justifies
intimate association, or association in a secluded place, with
a man other than her husband, no matter what the emergency.
A sincere woman knows that only pure men and women can enjoy
jubilant activities without becoming lustful. (Krishna, Chap. 6,
Vol. 3) A woman should not even think of imitating such
activities. (Krishna, Chap. 32, Vol. 1)

In conclusion to our view of Vaisnava varnasrama, there is a nice

analogy of the relationship between bodily type, occupation and
spiritual advancement. Suppose you wish to travel from Delhi to
Bombay. You may get there by plane, car, train, bicycle, or on
foot. Your mode of transportation depends on your abilities and
income. If we compare the sannyasa asram to traveling by plane,
we find it to be a swift and direct method.
However, an incompetent pilot, one who cannot purchase a safe
plane, or who cannot afford enough fuel, is headed for a crash.
Not only is such a person's journey delayed, perhaps for a long
time as he recovers from his injuries, but other people will
hesitate to put faith in such aviation attempts. It would be far
faster and safer to walk, if that is all someone is capable of
doing, and do it swiftly without distraction. In this way we
can understand that the various asramas and varnas are the most
spiritually expedient method for different types of people.

SANATANA-DHARMA
The duty of all living beings, sanatana-dharma, is meant for
everyone down to the blades of grass, although only human beings
who take shelter of a spiritual master can take advantage of
their "birthright". This sanatana-dharma consists of the
regulative principles of devotional service as enunciated by the
six Goswamis. These principles are executed alongside the duties
of varnasrama which are meant to please the Lord Hari. Actually,
such activities apply equally to everyone, with little special
consideration for the gross and subtle body, as in varnasrama.
It is the "supreme occupation for all humanity by which men can
attain loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord."
(Bhag. 1.2.6) The woman who tries to transform her mundane
duties into a ticket for the Kingdom of God without also taking
up sanatana-dharma may find herself back on the slow and risky
wheel of karma. "The followers of the varnasrama institution
accept the regulative principles of the four social and spiritual
orders. However, if one carries out the regulative principles of
these orders but does not render transcendental service to
Krishna, he falls into the hellish condition of material life."
(CC Madhya 22.26)

Srila Prabhupada has mercifully given us a process for returning

to our original spiritual position. Although under unusual
circumstances souls in bodies lower than human have achieved
perfection, spiritual life is meant for human beings. This includes
all human species, male and female. Although activities performed
for transcendental realization within the varnas and asramas, as
described before, are different according to the body and mind
surrounding the soul, sanatana-dharma activities have no such
distinction. The only reason they are generally limited to human
beings is that "the human form of life... offers consciousness
for getting out of the clutches of birth and death... Animals...
cannot think of more than their bodily necessities of life."
(Bhag. 3.31.19 purport)

It is on the platform of these spiritual activities that equality

exists among all jivas. In Vaikuntha, the cuckoo, swan, bee,
flower, and person all engage equally in hearing and chanting.
Even in this material world we can find true "classlessness" in
such a life. If the leaders of society do not allow all human
beings an equal opportunity to execute their sanatana-dharma
without bodily distinction, people will seek equality on
a material level. We have specifically seen in ISKCON that when
women are denied equal status in regard to purely spiritual
matters, they become restless for equal positions within varnasrama.
This is obviously one of the major causes of class, gender, and
racial unrest within society in general. The difference is that,
within sanatana-dharma, everyone can perform the same activities.
In varnasrama, even when executed for the pleasure of Krishna,
devotees engage in different activities according to their external
situation.

Hearing

The beginning of spiritual life is to hear from great saintly

persons. "All people should be given the chance to come and join
devotional parties so that they may hear." (NOD chap. 10)
However, genuine saintly people might be loathe to allow a woman
the chance to hear out of fear of losing their spiritual
advancement, knowing that "one who aspires to reach the culmination
of yoga... should never associate with an attractive woman (who
is)... the gateway to hell for the advancing devotee."
(Bhag. 3.31.39)
However, woman's association is only dangerous when one "begins to
take service from her." (Bhag. 3.31.40 purport) In fact, it was
Lord Kapiladeva's mother who heard these instructions about the
dangers of attachment between men and women. In such a situation,
the man and woman aren't attached to each other under some bodily
conception, but to Krishna. Then both can become liberated.
(Bhag. 3.31.41 purport)

Women should attend kirtana and Bhagavatam class on a daily

basis, if they desire to take advantage of the unique opportunity
for hearing that the human form provides. Whether in the temple
or at home or on the streets, the primary means of engaging in
one's sanatana-dharma in this age is sankirtana, hearing and
chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra. If a woman has small
children, they also need the benefit of hearing Krishna conscious
philosophy. "We should train all our first-day small babies in
such a way that they are always satisfied and there will be no
disturbance in the (Bhagavatam) meeting... I shall welcome a baby
from the very beginning, so that the transcendental vibration may
enter into its ear, and from the very beginning of its life, it
becomes purified." (letter to Krishnadevi, August 1968)
If a child cannot stay directly in a class without causing
a disturbance, often a remote speaker can be arranged so that such
mothers and children can still benefit. Or the class can be
recorded so that women and children can hear at a more convenient
time and place. But there is certainly no impediment to attending
a kirtana, even with young, restless children. And she can chant
her rounds attentively, hearing them with reverence, and at
the same time take care of the children. (conversation in Dallas,
March 1975) Certainly women without very young children can hear
transcendental vibration without difficulty.

Chanting

There is no other means in this age to attain God realization

other than the chanting of the holy name. Once one has heard
Krishna's name and studied the philosophy, she can chant with
great reverence and attention. The "first regulative principle
is that one must chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra loudly enough
so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed
number of rounds... We have fixed sixteen rounds as the minimum
(and) if one cannot complete the fixed number of rounds... he
should be considered to be in a diseased condition of spiritual
life." (CC Antya 11.23-24 purports) Taking up this regulated
chanting is the first vow of a disciple, whether man or woman.
We have examined the Vedic precedent of formally initiated women
when looking at spiritualized varnasrama. Here we can state
conclusively that without becoming initiated by a bona fide
spiritual master, no woman can act on the spiritual platform and
achieve liberation from identification with this body. All
disciples, whether male, female, black, white, or otherwise, must
carefully observe the initiation vows that apply to everyone.
In addition to chanting japa, all serious women will preach
Krishna consciousness to give others the opportunity to hear.
There are many ways of preaching that relate more to a study of
transcendental varnasrama, but here we would like to simply
consider directly speaking about Krishna. Lord Caitanya
instructed that we should talk about Krishna to whomever we meet.
Even if a woman stays mostly at home, she certainly has
opportunities to speak. All such speaking should be about
Krishna. Even a very young girl, such as three-year-old
Saraswati, could talk on the level of her realization. Srila
Prabhupada also wanted all his disciples to speak to the devotees
by giving Bhagavatam class and to interested people by a Sunday
feast lecture. He wrote to Jai Govinda in February of 1968:
"Regarding lecturing by women devotees: I have informed you that
in the service of the Lord there is no distinction of caste or
creed, color, or sex... We require a person who is in the
knowledge of Krishna, that is the only qualification of a person
speaking. It doesn't matter what he is. Materially a woman may
be less intelligent than a man, but spiritually there is no
distinction. Because spiritually everyone is pure soul. In the
absolute plane there is no such gradation of higher and lower.
If a woman can lecture nicely and to the point, we should hear
her carefully. That is our philosophy. But if a man can speak
better than a woman, the man should be given first preference.
But even though a woman is less intelligent, a sincere soul
should be given proper chance to speak, because we want so many
preachers, both men and women." This letter is particularly
interesting because Prabhupada is not flattering women. He
doesn't advocate a reverse bodily distinction such as a quota
system--`so many women, so many men, so many blacks, so many
Hispanics.' He is interested in giving preference to anyone who
can speak nicely about Krishna consciousness, regardless of the
outer body.

This is the mentality in Vaikuntha where the sweetly singing

birds stop their own singing to listen to the chanting of the
bees; the flowering plants full of transcendental fragrance are
all conscious of the austerities of Tulasi. (Bhag. 3.15.17-18)
Such a Vaikuntha atmosphere prevails when it "doesn't matter if
boys or girls lecture in the morning. Either boys or girls may
deliver lectures if they choose to. We have no distinctions of
bodily designations, male or female. Krishna consciousness is on
the spiritual platform." (letter to Shyama dasi, October 1968)

It is perhaps surprising to understand that there is great

precedence in Vaisnava history to choose transcendental speakers
on the basis of spiritual understanding, even when many members
of the audience are more elevated from a mundane point of view.
The most poignant example is that of Sukadeva Goswami reciting
the Bhagavatam. How could a sixteen year old boy instruct
a great king and an assembly of ancient, learned sages? Prahlad
and Dhruva taught Krishna consciousness when only small boys.
Centuries ago, the Alvaras of South India preached Krishna
bhakti. One of them, Andal, was a woman. These twelve Alvars,
which included King Kulasekhar, wrote the "Prabandham",
a collection of four thousand devotional songs. (Philosophy and
Religion of Sri Caitanya, O.B.L. Kapoor, p.6) When Daksa
performed his sacrifice, all the great sages and demigods were in
attendance. In that assembly, they respectfully listened to the
spiritual instruction of Daksa's daughter, Sati. (Bhag. 4.4.11-
23) We may note in this connection that, among many qualified
preachers, Srila Prabhupada singled out a woman to give
a lecture. "Jadurani has now become a nice preacher," he wrote
Mahapurusha in March of 1968, "I have report from Satsvarupa that
she gives lectures very nicely. If we open a pavillion I shall
take Jadurani also at that time, so she will deliver nice
lectures." "Sometimes jealous persons criticize the Krishna
conscious movement because it engages equally both boys and girls
in distributing love of Godhead... However, those girls are not
ordinary girls but are as good as their brothers who are
preaching Krishna consciousness." (CC Adi 7.31-32 purport)

Renounced men sometimes hesitate to attend a woman's lecture,

just as they may deny her opportunities to hear. They know that
"if a sannyasi hears the voice of a woman (referring to singing)
and sees her beautiful face, he certainly becomes attracted and
is sure to fall down... To see a woman's face and appreciate its
beauty or to hear a woman's voice and appreciate her singing as
very nice is a subtle falldown for a brahmacari or a sannyasi...
But Krishna consciousness is meant for everyone... Whether one
is a man or woman does not matter... both men and women (should)
not be attracted by bodily features but only be attracted to
Krishna. Then everything will be all right." (Bhag. 6.18.41
purport)
We should remember that "not only is woman the gateway to hell
for a man, but man is also the gateway to hell for woman."
(Bhag. 3.31.42 purport) It is therefore important that both men
and women, when preaching, be interested in being an instrument
to transmit Krishna's glories rather than their sexual
attractiveness! A scriptural example of this can be seen in
the prostitute who became Haridas Thakur's disciple. She was
an "attractive young girl" who was willing to seduce a saintly
person. After she became a "celebrated, advanced devotee",
"many stalwart, highly advanced Vaisnavas" came to see her
although they were "not interested in seeing prostitutes."
We can assume that her visitors came not to gawk at her, but
to hear and chant the glories of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada,
in this connection, (CC Antya 3.142) very strongly asserts that
Vaisnavas are Vaisnavas regardless of their previous fallen
condition, gender, or country of birth. Those who claim that
a woman Vaisnava cannot speak on Krishna Katha in a bona fide
assembly are compared by Prabhupada to the smarta brahmanas
who refuse to hear a "Western Vaisnava" for fear of being
degraded by his low-born association. Brahmacaris or sannyasis
have, of course, the personal prerogative to avoid a woman
speaking, despite Prabhupada telling Jai Govinda, "we should hear
her carefully." Similarly, a diseased person may avoid eating
prasadam cooked with ghee because of his own digestive inability,
without criticizing the purity of the prasadam. (Perfect
Questions, Perfect Answers, p.65 & 66)

Shrivatsa Goswami narrates historical evidence from our Brahma-

Gaudiya sampradaya to illustrate the above points:

"One important event in the history of Caitanya

Vaisnavism was the Kheturi Mahotsava, a great historic
 convention of Caitanyaites organized by Narottama dasa
Thakura and held in the village of Kheturi in Bengal at
the beginning of the seventeenth century. During this
festival, many matters of philosophy and ritual were
discussed and decided, such as what the proper system
of Caitanya worship should be. Organizational matters
were also discussed. In addition, Narottama had images
of Radha and Krishna prepared, and sent to different
places to be installed for worship. This meeting,
which played an important role in the history of the
sect, was presided over by Ma Jahnava, the wife of
Nityananda.

"After Srinivasa, Syamananda, and Narottama, Hemalata

Thakurani, the daughter of Srinivasa, like Ma Jahnava
before her, became a great spiritual leader of the
movement in Bengal." (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, p.235)

Other Devotional Practices

A serious woman disciple vows to abstain from eating meat, fish,

and eggs, illicit sex, gambling, and intoxication. Without doing
so, one isn't considered by Vedic standards to be even human.
Such restrictions apply equally to men and women. If a woman not
in the brahminical asrama understands that she should follow the
Vedic rules for her material position rather than the above, she
condemns herself to a slow progression, at best, through the various
species of life. It is true that various varnas and asramas allow
restricted sinful activities. However, Narada Muni instructed Srila
Vyasadeva that to encourage sense gratification in the name of
religion is condemned. People then accept such activities in
the name of religion and hardly care for prohibitions.
(Bhag. 1.5.15) Women with genuine intelligence should see this
clearly and avoid sinful actions completely.

On the positive side, Srila Prabhupada repeatedly instructs us to

attend regularly the worship of the deity before sunrise, the
mongol arotik. This is also no problem for a woman with young
children, as it's their sanatana-dharma to attend as well!
Prabhupada wrote Satyabhama in February of 1972 that nursery
children should learn bhakti by "practical attendance", rising
early and attending mangal aratik. All women should carefully
associate with devotees of the Lord, avoiding people inclined
toward the futile attempt at enjoying the material world. This
includes association through music, television, books, or over
the back fence. "It is better to accept the miseries of being
encaged within bars and surrounded by burning flames than to
associate with those bereft of Krishna consciousness." (CC Madhya
22.91) They should control their senses by only eating Krishna
prasadam. By following the orders of her spiritual master,
a woman can very easily be thus engaged in wholly transcendent
activities.

This, then, is the path of spiritualizing one's duty according to

the mind and body, engaging in direct devotional service, and
entering the supreme eternal atmosphere.

CONCLUSION
This essay has examined women's roles from a mundane view
according to the system of gradual elevation promoted by Vedic
civilization. We then considered how, within ISKCON, we can
use our various propensities in Krishna's service. Finally, we
studied transcendental activities that, even for a neophyte,
have no relation to one's position within the material world.

What we have not attempted to do is take these general,

philosophical principles and expand detailed, practical
suggestions. With the grace of the Vaisnavas, we hope to
complete such a comprehensive work.

I would like to thank the following devotees for their guidance,

encouragement, or criticism: my husband (Pratyatosa dasa),
Jagadisha Goswami, Jayadvaita Swami, Sridhara Swami (ISKCON),
Romapada Swami, Padmapani dasa, Gour Keshava dasa, Kamalini dasi,
Madhava priya dasi, Jadurani dasi, Bisa Lakshi dasi, Pranada
dasi, and Nandini dasi. This does not imply that all the above
mentioned devotees agree with, or endorse, all the points of this
paper. Our son, Madhava dasa, arranged the layout.