Dear Honourable Matajis are the most basic foundation of this whole creation, but still due to some unavoidable reason they cannot act as diksa Guru as per the instructions of sastra - Part 5
Updated: Jul 28
You are requested to go through those questions below, which some devotee asked to understand exactly the answer given by Śrīla Baba Maharaj
All Glories to Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga!
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Baba! Dandavat pranam!
In your article ‘The 4th part on the issue of women Ācāryaship’ I read several ślokas that speak about chaste wife. I have several questions:
1. In the śloka ŚB 7.11.25 there are 4 principles given for women to follow in order to be described as ‘chaste’—"To render service to the husband, to be always favorably disposed toward the husband, to be equally well disposed toward the husband’s relatives and friends, and to follow the vows of the husband”. Knowing my personal experience and examples in front of me I see that to follow it from heart it is quite impossible (I don’t know how in works in India, I speak about west or in general other countries). Is it possible for a woman born in Kali-yuga to be truly chaste? Is it proper for a man to demand/expect this behaviour (considering other ślokas below) from his wife in this age? I feel that for me it is next to impossible, having impulsive and evil nature, desires etc., and I feel very discouraged when I am expected to do something that is out of my control.
2. In the śloka ŚB 7.11.26 it is written that “woman must dress nicely and decorate herself with golden ornaments for the pleasure of her husband. Always wearing clean and attractive garments, she should sweep and clean the household with water and other liquids so that the entire house is always pure and clean”. I used to care more about how I look, I was applying makeup, dressing nicer than I do now. Now, I neglect my appearance very much. I was thinking that avoiding provocations wife and husband can have more success in maintaining brahmacarya. What is the advice of Saraswat Gauḍīya sampradaya on this topic meaning should I make myself attractive for my husband or not?
3. It is written also in the śloka ŚB 7.11.26 “must be ready to execute the desires of her husband”, and in the śloka ŚB 7.11.28 it is written “Thus a chaste woman should engage with affection in the service of a husband who is not fallen.” What does “not fallen” mean and what kind of desires a wife that tries to do Gauḍīya Bhajan should execute? In the example given by Mahāprabhu the brahmana, the husband of that chaste lady, seems to be fallen because he desired to have association of a prostitute, still his wife was ready to execute his desires.
4. In the śloka ŚB 7.11.29 it is said: “The woman who engages in the service of her husband, following strictly in the footsteps of the goddess of fortune, surely returns home, back to Godhead, with her devotee husband, and lives very happily in the Vaikuṇṭha planets.” Any husband or ‘not fallen’? Somehow, I understood during the years that I’m trying to follow Vaiṣṇava dharma that the sādhana’ is personal and without sādhana’ one cannot achieve their goal. Leaving all other sādhana’ and Sad Guru service is it possible to achieve highest goal by serving such husband? Following strict instructions of Prabhupāda, I see also that it is very challenging to follow these advices.
Could you please clarify those points?
Thank you,
Your useless pretend servant,
XXXXX Devī dasi
All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga
Dear Honourable Mātājīs are the most basic foundation of this whole creation, but still due to some unavoidable reason they cannot act as diksa Guru as per the instructions of śāstra
(The 5th part on the issue of women Ācāryaship)
The modified form of the fifth part on the topics of woman Acharyaship (freshly edited by Srila Baba Maharaj)
Date: 03.07.2024
From Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā 4.40 we know that—
ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca
saṁśayātmā vinaśyati
nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro
na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ
But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Patiḥ Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagad Guru said that— “Logical interpretation cannot stand in the way of that Absolute Truth”. But we are always full of doubts and suspicion. Only and only śuddha bhakti can remove all our doubts from our heart regarding any contradictory issue like this (woman Ācārya ship etc.). Also, from Mahābhārata we know the following śloka –
tarko ’pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā
nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mātāṁ na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ
mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.117.)
“Dry arguments are inconclusive because all different śrutis differ from each other. One such Muni cannot be found whose opinions not differ from the other. The Absolute Tattva is protected and preserved so secretly that it is quite impossible to perceive. So one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocated.”
Very high conception and respect Manu Mahārāj used to preserve inside his heart for those strī sampradāya as a whole. The following Manu-saṁhitā , ślokas 3/55 -56 are given below for your kind consolation.
pitṛbhirbhrātṛbhiścaitāḥ patibhirdevaraistathā
pūjyā bhūṣayitavyāśca bahukalyāṇamīpsubhiḥ (Manu-saṁhitā 3.55)
They (those mātājīs) must be honoured and adorned by their fathers and brothers, husbands and brothers-in-law, who are desirous of their own welfare.
yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ |yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ (Manu-saṁhitā 3.56)
Where women are honoured, there the gods rejoice; where, on the other hand, they are not honoured, there all rites are fruitless.
About woman class as a whole Manu Mahārāj used to preserve a very high conception or respect, because their successful mothership can give us great success as human being. Any country or community or society where mātājīs are worshiped or honoured, surely that country or that community or society can achieve all kind of prosperity leading to the highest goal (self-realization) of human life, but any country or community or society where there is no respect and honour for mātājīs - ultimately that can create a hellish condition or environment in that country or community or society. As a result of ignoring mātājīs and their due honour - day by day some toxic environment gradually can grasp the whole human Civilization. Degradation of humanity is really a matter of great concern for our human Civilization - which can lead up to total destruction. Truly speaking at present in our so called civilized societies the woman class as a whole are given external equality and honour, but internally they are being abused by those demon classes as an object or instrument of enjoyment. At present our whole human civilization are completely hypnotized by the illusionary energy of Bhagavad Māyā to develop blindness.
“yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ (Manu-saṁhitā 3.56)
Where women are honoured, there the gods rejoice; where, on the other hand, they are not honoured, there all rites are fruitless.
In that particular hereditary flow - where strī jati (woman class) are worshiped, all demigods become pleased or delighted and naturally when they become delighted then all desired results can be attainted. But in that particular hereditary flow where women are ignored or insulted or tortured, I mean not getting proper dignity - there all ritualistic activities like yajña-vrata if done in the name of any demigod or God itself – all become useless.
Some of Manu Mahārāj’s statements regarding these are given below—
Those very essential objectives which are to be followed in gṛhastha āśrama like dharma-artha and kāma etc. trivarga—all are actually under the control of housewives and their highness. So it is very important for all to show appropriate honour and respect to their respective wife. If housewife is not honoured or carred then those demigods are not pleased at all, and in this way if any gṛhastha become deprived of their blessings, then any ritualistic activities done by them become useless.
Manu Mahāraj further said that in a family if wife, daughter, mother, or daughter-in-law all they become unhappy (or feeling pain due to bad treatment) and lamenting—then that particular family can get destroyed very shortly. Opposite way in any such family where they (women class as a whole) are not unhappy or not lamenting (I mean if they feel comfortable with spiritual mood) –particularly that family life become full of opulence’s (taken from Manu-saṁhitā 3/57). So, it is the duty of those who are willing to increase their prosperity or opulence’s to keep them (those women) very happy.
Manu Mahārāj also speaking in another place that those women are the illumination of the house in gṛhastha life, I mean they are the ornaments of the family; they can help protect family’s hereditary flow in the form of giving birth of pure children. They are very lucky (mahabhagyavati) and are worshipable for their Idealism as gṛha laksmi, that is why in a family life śrī and strī these two words are non different from another.
For your kind information the ślokas given below--
prajanārthaṃ mahābhāgāḥ pūjārhā gṛhadīptayaḥ
strīyaḥ śriyaśca geheṣu na viśeṣo'sti kaścana (Manu-saṁhitā 9/26 śloka)
There is no difference whatever between the goddess of fortune and the women who secure many blessings for the sake of bearing children, who are worthy of worship and who form the glory of their household.
Śrīla Manu Mahāraj said about mātājīs as a whole that marriage ceremony is the first samskar for women, and this marriage ceremony can be treated as their upanayana saṁskāra, after marriage their (for woman class as a whole) svami sevā from heart can be treated as their gurukul vasa and their homely sevā at pati gṛha (the house of pati devata) can be treated as fire sacrifice or agni hom.
So, marriage is the only duty or prescription of śāstra for woman class as a whole. If housewife is a chasty lady, then it is the duty of husband to take very good care of wife and in this way as a result those demigods become very pleased.
devadattāṃ patirbhāryāṃ vindate necchayā'tmanaḥ
tāṃ sādhvīṃ bibhṛyānnityaṃ devānāṃ priyamācaran (Manu-saṁhitā 9/95 ślokas)
The husband obtains his wife as a present from the gods, and not by his own fanciful wish; hence he should always support the faithful wife, thereby doing what is favourable to the gods.
Manu Mahārāj thinks it fit for woman to marry – which as per his opinion is the true and best utility for them of their woman ship and their mothership can prove their real success. In the creation of human life, this is arranged in such a way where women can bear baby and man can arrange that.
kanyāyāṃ dattaśulkāyāṃ mriyeta yadi śulkadaḥ
devarāya pradātavyā yadi kanyā'numanyate (Manu-saṁhitā 9/97 ślokas)
After the nuptial fee for a girl has been paid, if the man who paid the fee dies, the girl should be given to the younger brother-in-law, in case she consents.
About woman class as a whole Manu Mahārāj used to preserve a very high conception or respect, because their successful mothership can give us great success as human being. Any country or community or society where mātājīs are worshiped or honoured, surely that country or that community or society can achieve all kind of prosperity leading to the highest goal of human life, but any country or community or society where there is no respect and honour for mātājīs - ultimately that can create a hellish condition or environment in that country or community or society. As a result of ignoring mātājīs and their due honour - day by day some toxic environment gradually can grasp the whole human Civilization. Degradation of humanity is really a matter of great concern for our human Civilization which can lead up to total destruction. Truly speaking at present in our so called civilized societies woman class are given external equality and honour, but internally they are being abused by those demon classes as an object or instrument of enjoyment. At present our whole human civilization are completely hypnotized by the illusionary energy of Bhagavad Māyā, to develop blindness.
We can see the following śloka from Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā spoken by Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself--
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te (Bg. 7.14)
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
Also, we can see the following śloka from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1st canto spoken by Śrīmati Kuntī Devi in front of Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa--
māyā-javanikācchannam
ajñādhokṣajam avyayam
na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā
naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā (ŚB 1.8.19)
Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.
Matri śakti should be utilized in our creation in the best possible way, otherwise we can go to hell, no doubt in it. In the way of protection and preservation of Go-sampada the same rules and regulations are also applicable for Go–Mātās. We can give countless scriptural evidences from different śāstras but due to shortage of time and space, only we like to quote the following śloka from Garga-saṁhitā and the other śloka from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam –
vedā me vacanaṃ viprā
mukhaṃ gāvas tanur mama
aṅgāni devatā yūyaṃ
sādhavo hy asavo hṛdi (Garga-saṁhitā Goloka Kandam verse 1.3.26)
The Vedas are My instructions. The brāhmaṇas are My mouth. The cows are My body. You demigods are My limbs. My devotees are my life and soul.
tatra go-mithunaṁ rājā
hanyamānam anāthavat
daṇḍa-hastaṁ ca vṛṣalaṁ
dadṛśe nṛpa-lāñchanam (ŚB 1.17.1)
Sūta Gosvāmī said: After reaching that place, Mahārāja Parīkṣit observed that a lower-caste śūdra, dressed like a king, was beating a cow and a bull with a club, as if they had no owner.
Manu Mahārāj wanted to say that the overall success of gṛhastha āśrama depends upon the best possible way of utilization of matri śakti. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa all those chatur-varga can only be derived by the joint effort of husband and wife, but still very much of this depends upon the highness of mātājīs. The same siddhānta vichar was advocated by Kaśyapa Ṛṣi or Kardama Ṛṣi etc.
Where housewives are not given proper honour and respect, where their dignity going to be ignored or destroyed by those demon classes in our society, I mean where they feel very sad, there all amaṅgals coming down, because in that case all those demigods they become very unpleasant and they like to deprive those miscreants from all types of maṅgal. Both husband and wife must enjoy same right and there should be mutual respect with each other, just like Gauri-Shankar. Gauri Devi - she is known as ardhangini, I mean the half body of Shankar Bhagavan. Even Śrīmān Mahāprabhu wanted to establish the unique dignity of strī-sampradāya as a whole. Śrīmān Mahāprabhu when wanted to express the līlā of entering into gṛhastha life then He told the following śloka which we can find in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta—
na gṛhaṁ gṛham ity āhur
gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate
tayā hi sahitaḥ sarvān
puruṣārthān samaśnute (Cc Ādi 15.27)
“Merely a house is not a home, for it is a wife who gives a home it’s real meaning. If one lives at home with his wife together, then they can fulfil all the interests (all puruṣārthas) of human life.”
We know from Mahābhārata Bishma Parvat the advice of Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna to glorify matri śakti Durgā-devī to defeat those enemies just before starting the Kurukṣetra Battle.
Spoken by Śrī Arjuna on the eve of the battle of Kurukṣetra between Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas. (Bhishma Parva Chapter 23 verses 416). This section is the chapter that immediately precedes the Bhagavad-gītā in the Mahābhārata.
Lord Kṛṣṇa said to Śrī Arjuna: "Purify yourself, O mightyarmed one, on the evening of this great battle and compose a hymn to Durgā for achieving victory over your enemies".
Sanjaya said: "Thus addressed on the eve of battle by Śrī Vasudeva endued with great intelligence, Pṛthā's son Arjuna, alighting from his chariot, recited the following hymn with palms pressed together".
Śrī Arjuna uvaccha - Śrī Arjuna said: Namaste siddhasenaani aarye mandaravaasini/ Kumaari kaali kaapaali kapile kṛṣṇa pingale //1//
"I bow to you, O foremost of siddhas, O Noble One that dwells in the forest of Mandara, O Virgin, O Kali! O wife of Kapāla! O you of a black and tawny hue.
Bhadrakaali namastubhyam mahāakaali namo’stu te/ Candi cande namastubhyam taarini varavarnini//2//
I bow to you. O Beneficent Kali, I bow to you, O Mahākali, O wrathful One. I bow to you. O Tara the saviour, the great boon bestowing one.
Kaatyaayani mahāabhaage karaali vijaye jaye/ Shikhipicchadhvaja dhare naanaabharana bhooshite//3//
O Durgā! Great Being, the fierce bestower of victory! O personification of Victory! O you that bears a banner of peacock plumes, O one decked with every ornament.
Attashoola praharane khadga khetaka dhaarini/ Gopendrasyaanuje jyeshthe nandagopakulodbhave//4//
O you that wields an awful spear, the holder of sword and shield,
O you that were born as the younger sister of the chief of cowherds (Lord Kṛṣṇa), O eldest sibling, born in the family of the cowherd Nanda!
Mahishasrk priye nityam Kaushiki peeta vaasini/ Attahaase kokamukhe namaste’stu ranapriye//5//
O you who are always fond of buffalo's blood, born of Kusika's clan, dressed in yellow robes, having assuming the face of a wolf you devoured the Āsuras!
I bow to you who are fond of battle!
Ume shaakambhari shvete krsne kaiṭabhanaashini/ Hiranyaakshi viroopaakshi sudhoomraakshi namo’stu te//6//
O Uma! O Śākambharī! O you that are white in hue, and also black! O slayer of the Āsura Kaiṭabha! O yelloweyed one!
O you that see everything! O you of eyes that have the colour of smoke, I bow to you!
Vedashruti mahaapunye brahmanye jaatavedasi/ Jambookataka caityeshu nityam sannihitaalaye//7//
You are the Vedas, the śrutis, and the greatest virtue! You are propitious to brāhmaṇas engaged in sacrifice. You are all knowing, you are ever present in the sacred abodes erected to you in cities of Jamvudwipa, I bow to you!
Tvam brahmavidyaa vidyaanaam mahāanidraa ca dehinaam/ Skanda maatar bhagavati dure kaantaravaasini//8//
You are the knowledge of the highest truth among sciences, and you are that sleep of creatures from which there is no waking.
O mother of Skanda (Lord Muruga), possessor of the six (highest) attributes of Divinity, O Durgā, that dwells in the most inaccessible regions.
Svaahaakaarah svadhaa caiva kalaa kaashthaa sarasvatee/ Saavitri vedamaataa ca tathaa vedaanta ucyate//9//
You are called Swaha, and Swadha, and the subtle divisions of time such as Kala, and Kashta. You are the goddess of knowledge: Sarasvatī, and the mother of the Vedas, and the personification of Vedanta.
Stutaasi tvam mahāadevi vishuddhenaantaaraatmanaa/ Jayo bhāvatu me nityam tvat prasaadaad ranaajire//10//
With inner mind purified, I praise you, O great goddess; let victory always attend me through your grace, on the field of battle.
Kaantaara bhaya durgeshu bhaktaanaam caalayeshu ca/ Nityam vasasi paataale yuddhe jayasi daanavaan//11//
In inaccessible regions, where there is fear, in places of difficulty, in the abodes of your worshippers and in the nether regions (Pātāla), you always dwell. And in battle you always defeat the Danavas (a demon race).
Tvam jambhanee mohinee ca maayaa hreeh shreestathaiva ca/ Samdhyaa prabhaavatee caiva saavitree jananee tathaa//12//
You are the unconsciousness, the sleep, the illusion, the modesty, the beauty of all
creatures. You are the twilight, and the radiant light of day! You are Sāvitrī, and you are the mother of all creation.
Tushtih pushtir dhrtir deeptish candraaditya vivardhinee/ Bhootir bhootimātāam sanhkye veeksyase siddhacaaranaih//13//
You are contentment, development, fortitude and light. You increase the radiance of the sun and the moon. You are the prosperity of those that prosper. The siddhas and the charanas behold you in deep contemplation!
Sanjaya continued: Knowing the measure of Partha's devotion, Durgā who is always graciously inclined towards humans, appeared in the space and in the presence of Govinda, said these words.
The Goddess said: "Within a short time you shall surely conquer your foes, O Pāṇḍava.
O invincible one, you have Nārāyaṇa (Lord Kṛṣṇa) as your help. You are incapable of being defeated by foes, even by Indra — the wielder of the thunderbolt himself."
Having said this, the boon giving Goddess disappeared soon. The son of Kuntī, however, obtaining that boon, regarded himself as successful. He then mounted his own excellent chariot. And then Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, seated together, blew their celestial conches. The person, who recites this hymn rising at dawn, is freed from fear at all times.
Also, from Vālmīki Ramāyāna we can see that Bhagavan Ramchandra Himself wanted to give honour, respect and worship to His own svarūpa śakti Durgā before going to Lanka to kill Rāvaṇa for our lesson -- how to honour, respect and worship His svarūpa śakti with the mood already confirmed in Vedānta-sūtra—śakti śakti mator abheda
Rāvaṇa, the king of Lanka, had a special blessing of Goddess Pārvatī (an avatar of Durgā) that no enemy of his could defeat him in a battle with the Goddess's permission. Because of this boon, Lord Ram was unable to slain Rāvaṇa in the war to rescue his wife, Sītā.
When Ram came to know of this boon from Rāvaṇa's brother (Vibhīṣaṇa), he decided to pray to the Goddess Durgā to seek her blessing in winning the war (just a līlā). Hence, despite it being the season of autumn, Ram initiated the ritual of worshiping Goddess Durgā.
Also, usually we can find the following śloka from Bhagavad-gītā quoted from Ṛg Veda
Tvam-Eva Maataa Ca Pitaa Tvam-Eva |
Tvam-Eva Bandhush-Ca Sakhaa Tvam-Eva |
Tvam-Eva Viidyaa Dravinnam Tvam-Eva |
Tvam-Eva Sarvam Mama Deva Deva || (The mantra is from Ṛg Veda)
You Truly are my Mother And You Truly are my Father. You Truly are my Relative And You Truly are my Friend. You Truly are my knowledge and You Truly are my Wealth. You Truly are my All, My God of Gods.
The direct evidence of this śloka was proved by Śrīmān Mahāprabhu Śrī Gaurāṅga Deva at Chandra Shekar Bhavan Śrī Dham Māyāpur when he played one drama to dance there in the form of Mahālaksmi -- ultimately to feed breast milk to some of His devotees like Haridas etc.
So, the fighting with these two words man and woman is nothing but one kind of illusion, nothing else, but still, we must follow the restrictions of śāstra to avoid all negative bhāvas. Bhakti Devi is always svatantra (independent and neutral) regarding distribution of bhakti irrespective of man or woman -- which can give us eternal life.
Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura said that sādhu must be there in this world, but due to our kapat bhāva (duplicity) sādhu saṅga become extremely rare (or impossible). This world can never become devoid of sādhu.
In one kīrtana The Prabhupāda has written that—
nija kshudra adhikare sādhu dekibare chaie abashese aparādha hoi
(A quotation by The Prabhupāda)
With material background—having almost no capacity (or right) to see a sādhu (who is a self-manifesting object), if someone out of false ego try to see a sādhu with a mood of estimation, then ultimately can gather some aparādhas, nothing else.
‘At present there is no real sādhu in this material world anymore’—this kind of comment can come only from a Māyāvādī—who has no faith in Guru-Vaiṣṇava-Bhagavan and about their eternal existence. If we think that Supreme Lord Jagannātha, who is the owner of the infinity worlds (both prākṛta and aprākṛta) is so useless that He cannot even keep a real sādhu in this material world to guide us or to protect us, in that case this kind of conception is completely baseless, even in dream it is impossible for us to think that way. So, it is quite impossible to think that this whole world is completely devoid of any sādhu. Similarly, according to my own estimation there cannot be any chaste mātājī in this material world specialy in this Kali-yuga, but we should remember that Bhāratavarsha is the land of spiritual cultivation, those sages after long deliberation have given us huge (endless) treasure of divine knowledge. We should honour and accept those immense treasure of knowledge specially as Bhāratavasi (a resident of Bhāratavarsha). We are basically guided by the Vedic culture. All aprākṛta bhagavat avatāras have appeared here in this Bhāratavarsha to purify us all, so how we can say that there cannot be any chaste lady anymore in this material world! Still today we can keep hope, we can never become hopeless.
Do you think that Śrīla Parīkṣit Mahārāj was a wicked personality, who already saw Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa while he was inside the womb of his mother Uttarā Devī? If not—then why he done such a great mistake to insult Samik Muni by putting a dead snake around his neck? What is your opinion?
Actually, this was a very special arrangement done by Yogamāyā Devī—according to the divine desire of Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Himself so that a curse (?) can come down on his head to die within seven days and on this pretext nonstop nectarine hari-kathā (Śrīmad-Bhāgavat provachan) can come out from the Lotus mouth of Śrīla Sukadeva Gosvāmī—who is well known as paramahaṁsavarya.
Also, there can be some questions about the fall down of both the Vaikuṇṭha pārṣadas Jay–Vijay, which is quite impossible, but still that was possible by the curse (?) of Chatursan. How? Only by the divine desire of the Supreme Lord this was possible. Their fall down (?) was not at all like material fall down, because that was only an apparent fall down to satisfy the Supreme Lord through vira rasa. Their Vaikuṇṭha pārṣada svarūpa itself took a very very fine form (like germ cell) to enter into the womb of Diti Ma by the help of yoga power (which is quite natural for them—Vaikuṇṭha pārṣadas). Then both of them took birth respectively as Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu (according to the commentary of Śrīla Visvanath Chakravarti pad).
From Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā we know the following śloka—
na tad bhāsayate sūryo
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (Bg. 15.6)
That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach My dhāma never return to this material world.
Then how the fall down of Jay-Vijay can be possible at all! That is the most vital question in front of us.
Again, about the other topic -- actually Śrīmān Mahāprabhu never wanted to advise us to serve a fallen husband, rather He wanted to show us the honest serving mood of the chaste wife—which was completely devoid of any smell of self-interest—by the power of which she was successful even to stop the Sunrise. The husband who was a leprosy patient, somehow was put into a negative position by Māyādevi to express the extreme glory of the chaste wife in front of us all. The chaste wife (pativrata śiromaṇi) was so much confident about the rectification of the negative mood of her husband by the power of her own sevā ācaraṇa or ādarśa, that she developed no tension, anxiety or hesitation etc. to take the husband in front of that pross which was more likely for her. Though we know that husband-wife conception is a relative conception for any jīvattma coming in the form of human being in this material world, but still the vow taken by the chaste wife to serve her husband with a conception of nārāyaṇa-sevā is the topmost idealism in our gṛhastha life as per Vedic culture. Similarly, athiti (uninvited guest) sevā is also treated as nārāyaṇa-sevā as per Vedic culture. Actually Śrīmān Mahāprabhu wanted to teach us the divine and exclusive way of serving Brajendranandan Śrī Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of those Braja gopikās (I mean under the guidance of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī) by giving the example of the chaste wife in front of us, apparently which seems to be very very perplexing or conflicting, and at the same time scandalous (censurable or culpable) and also very much sensitive, and also apparently this is a matter of losing prestige and position, because people can criticise heavily. That is why Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa was bound to say the following śloka in front of those Braja gopikās that—
na pāraye ‘haḿ niravadya-saḿyujāḿ
sva-sādhu-kṛtyaḿ vibudhāyuṣāpi vaḥ
yā mābhajan durjara-geha-śṛńkhalāḥ
saḿvṛścya tad vaḥ pratiyātu sādhunā (SB 10.32.22)
I am not able to repay My debt for your absolute sevā, even within a lifetime of Brahmā. Your absolute pure connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have served Me by cutting off all family bondages, which are impossible to break. So please you all get satisfied by your own highness.
Also, Śrīmān Mahāprabhu Himself with rādhā-bhāva wanted to express the extreme serving mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī (or Braja gopikās) in the following Śikṣāṣṭakam śloka—
āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām
adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā
yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo
mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ (Verse 8)
I know no one but Kṛṣṇa as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He can embrace me with loveful mood or can throw me out without any reason, anyway He is completely free to do anything and everything, because He is at any condition my heart and soul of my life.
As per Gauḍīya darśanik vichar we know the following siddhānta vichar of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu—
ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛṇdāvanaṁ
ramya kaścid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-varga-vīrya kalpita
śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇaṁ premā pum-artho mahān
śrī-caitanya mahāprabhor mātām idaṁ tatradaraḥ na paraḥ
(Caitanya-mātā-mañjuṣā by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravarti Ṭhākura)
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, is our worshipable along with His transcendental abode Śrī Vṛndāvana. The most pleasing form of sevā mood of the Lord is that which was shown by the gopīs of Śrī Vṛndāvana (the extreme idealism shown by them). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the absolute scriptural evidence which can help us to achieve the absolute kṛṣṇa-prema, which is the highest goal for all jīvas. This is the siddhānta vichar of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we have strong faith in it, except that we do not think anything else more than that.”
Inside the whole Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we can find all different kind of comparative statements are given for our benefit to help us achieve the ultimate goal of kṛṣṇa-prema in gradual course of time, and we Gauḍīya devotees are very much interested to enter into the most exclusive sevā mood shown by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpad, that is why our Gauḍīya guru-varga always wanted to identify themselves as rūpānuga.
Now point is that, for common people there should be some basic standard of idealism, so that they can feel some inspiration to go ahead with some positive mood, without violating those injunctions written in Vedic śāstra for them.
In this respect we like to discuss the following ślokas from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—
karmākarma vikarmeti
veda-vādo na laukikaḥ
vedasya ceśvarātmatvāt
tatra muhyanti sūrayaḥ (ŚB 11.3.43)
Śrī Āvirhotra replied: Prescribed duties, non-performance of such duties, and forbidden activities (contrary to those prescribed injunctions written in Veda) are topics one can properly understand through authorized study of the Vedic literature. This difficult subject matter can never be understood by mundane speculation. The authorized Vedic literature is the sound incarnation of the Personality of Godhead Himself, and thus Vedic knowledge is self-manifested. Even those divya suris become bewildered in their attempts to understand the science of Vedic śāstra which is non- different from the Lord Himself.
parokṣa-vādo vedo ’yaṁ
bālānām anuśāsanam
karma-mokṣāya karmāṇi
vidhatte hy agadaṁ yathā (ŚB 11.3.44)
Those childish and foolish people are attached to those materialistic fruitive activities prescribed in Veda, although the actual goal of life is to become free from such activities. Therefore, the Vedic injunctions indirectly lead one to the path of ultimate liberation by first prescribing fruitive religious activities, just as a father promises his child candy so that the child can feel inspiration to accept bitter medicine.
nācared yas tu vedoktaṁ
svayam ajño ’jitendriyaḥ
vikarmaṇā hy adharmeṇa
mṛtyor mṛtyum upaiti saḥ (ŚB 11.3.45)
If an ignorant person who has not conquered the material senses does not adhere to the Vedic injunctions, certainly he will be engaged in sinful or irreligious activities. Thus his reward will be repeated birth and death.
vedoktam eva kurvāṇo
niḥsaṅgo ’rpitam īśvare
naiṣkarmyaṁ labhate siddhiṁ
rocanārthā phala-śrutiḥ (ŚB 11.3.46)
By executing without attachment those regulated activities prescribed in the Vedas, and by offering the results of such activities to the Supreme Lord, one attains the perfection of freedom of the network bondage of material activities. The material fruitive results offered in the revealed scriptures are not the actual goal of Vedic knowledge, but are meant for stimulating the interest of the performer.
vipro rājanya-vaiśyau vā
hareḥ prāptāḥ padāntikam
śrautena janmanāthāpi
muhyanty āmnāya-vādinaḥ (ŚB 11.5.5)
On the other hand, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, even after being allowed to approach the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Hari by receiving the second birth as per the Vedic injunction, can become bewildered and can run for those fruitive activities so that as a result they can go to heaven etc.
loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā
nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā
vyavasthitis teṣu vivāha-yajña
surā-grahair āsu nivṛttir iṣṭā (ŚB 11.5.11)
In this material world the conditioned soul is always inclined to sex, meat-eating or intoxication etc. Therefore religious scriptures can never actually encourage for such cheap activities. Although the scriptural injunctions approve for sex through sacred marriage, meat-eating through sacrificial offerings, intoxication through the acceptance of ritual cups of wine, such restricted ceremonies are meant for the ultimate purpose of developing renunciation—through the procedure of curtailment of their unchecked whimsically mood.
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is always ready to come down to any level for the complete sevā satisfaction of Śrī Syamasundar. The Prabhupāda also used to say that— “I can come down to any level for the actual preaching of Śrī Caitanya vani.” This is called the secret rādhā dāsya in true sense.
In the way of bhagavat-bhakti this kind of mood of a chaste wife can be very helpful, though not directly, but surely indirectly, which I can discuss gradually to give answer to all of your questions.
Actually in true sense fallen soul means devoid of kṛṣṇa-bhakti or viṣṇu-bhakti, but here as per the general conception of Vedic-injunction - at least those who are avoiding sinful activities like illicit sexual relation, consuming alcohol, gambling, stealing, cheating, abducting, etc. or not indulging in physical jīva-hiṁsā like beating, killing, giving tension to jīvas or eating fish, meat etc. to follow at least those general Vedic injunctions, then they can be accepted as not completely fallen, because there are some scopes to rectify them in gradual course of time. Some examples are given below from different śāstras—
Dhṛtarāṣṭra was not a devotee, also his wife Gāndhārī was not a devotee, but she was a chaste wife. Kuntīdevī and Madridevī both were devotees and at the same time both of them were chaste wife of Pāṇḍu Raja. Draupadī was a chaste wife of pañca-pāṇḍava (has some mystery in it). Subhadrā devī was the chaste wife of Arjuna, Uttarā was the chaste wife of Abhimanyu etc. all they where chaste mātājīs. Also, in gaura-līlā we know Śacīmātā, Sītā Ṭhākurani, Mālinī Ma, Sarvajaya devī, Satī’s mother, I mean the wife of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, the wife of Śivānanda Sena, Lakṣmī Priya devī, Viṣṇu Priya devī, Jāhnavā devī, Vasudhā devī, Hemalata Ṭhākurani etc., all they were divine chaste ladies. Also, our Bhagavati Ma the mother of Śrīla Prabhupāda was a divine chaste lady. I can give so many examples from different Purāṇas incl. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but I think you cannot digest so much. Not that all chaste ladies must have direct kṛṣṇa-bhakti, but in gradual course of time they can develop attmo jijñāsā (self-interrogation about who am I etc.) and can get hari-bhakti if they want so, and after that ultimately, they can reach Vaikuṇṭha Jagat with devotee husband.
You can remember how that wicked businessman was converted into a devotee by the chaste wife of Varadraja-- who was the disciple of Śrīla Rāmānuja Ācārya. But anyway in general those chaste ladies—they can develop some supernatural power. To develop some supernatural power does not mean hari-bhakti. Like Ekalavya developed some very special abnormal skill (or power) by following some strong austerities and penances, but that was not at all approved by Guru Dronācārya, because that was not at all guru-bhakti, rather it was anyabilas. Extraordinary talent can prove you to be a genius personality, but bhakti is a completely different thing, I mean which is the expression of svarūpa śakti (antaraṅgā śakti), so we should not be in great confusion by watching a genius man, because this is not bhakti. As for example we know the exclusive tapasyā done by Hiraṇyakaśipū or Rāvaṇa or Kumbhakarṇa or Meghnath or Indrajith, etc. Also, from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta we know the strict comment by Śrīmān Mahāprabhu in front of Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī that – “asureo tāpa kare – tahe ki ba phal”.
Even those āsuras can do austerities and penances heavily, but what is the ultimate result?
Truly speaking all jīvas—their chastity can only be protected by serving viṣṇu-tattva in general with svakīya mādhurya bhāva or by serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa with parakīyā bhāva by heart and soul under the guidance of Braja gopīkās (specially for us Gauḍīyas). This is called actual chastity. You can also go through the līlā of Ram-Sītā or Gaura-Viṣṇu Priya or Gaura-Lakṣmī Priya etc. for easy understanding.
Never mind all those advices given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about the duty of a chaste lady like sober attractive dressing for the satisfaction of husband or wearing ornaments etc. are commonly applicable for all those who are leading gṛhastha life as per Vedic cultural advice, but those who are really interested to cross over the limitation of those lucrative offers given in Vedic literature to serve Bhagavan with mādhurya rasa (both vidhī or rāga-mārga) for them those advices are not necessary applicable, because they are now doing direct hari-bhakti for the complete satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. As for example we know from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the following ślokas by Śrīla Nārad Ji Mahārāj that—
yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena
tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ
tathaiva sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā (ŚB 4.31.14)
As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.
By doing hari-bhakti all our countless duties can come to end, no punishment can be there for that.
Sometimes nice nice lucrative offers are given in Veda to guide us indirectly to push us forward with some positive mood, so that in gradual course of time someday-somehow we can develop actual hari- bhakti mood unto the Lotus feet of the Supreme Lord—which is the ultimate goal of all jīvattmas.
We can go through the following ślokas of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for easy understanding—which all are given below in series--
nācared yas tu vedoktaṁ
svayam ajño ’jitendriyaḥ
vikarmaṇā hy adharmeṇa
mṛtyor mṛtyum upaiti saḥ (ŚB 11.3.45)
If an ignorant person who has not conquered the material senses does not adhere to the Vedic injunctions, certainly he will be engaged in sinful or irreligious activities. Thus his reward will be repeated birth and death.
vedoktam eva kurvāṇo
niḥsaṅgo ’rpitam īśvare
naiṣkarmyaṁ labhate siddhiṁ
rocanārthā phala-śrutiḥ (ŚB 11.3.46)
By executing without attachment those regulated activities prescribed in the Vedas, and by offering the results of such activities to the Supreme Lord, one attains the perfection of freedom of the network bondage of material activities. The material fruitive results offered in the revealed scriptures are not the actual goal of Vedic knowledge, but are meant for stimulating the interest of the performer.
vedā brahmātma-viṣayās
tri-kāṇḍa-viṣayā ime
parokṣa-vādā ṛṣayaḥ
parokṣaṁ mama ca priyam (ŚB 11.21.35)
The Vedas, divided into three parts of khaṇḍa-- ultimately reveal the living entity as pure spirit soul, so not giving any inspiration for material life. Those ṛṣis they also like to represent the Absolute Tattva indirectly; I too like this. The Vedic seers (ṛṣis) and those Vedic mantras, however those deal in esoteric terms, and I also am pleased by such confidential descriptions.
śabda-brahma su-durbodhaṁ
prāṇendriya-mano-mayam
ananta-pāraṁ gambhīraṁ
durvigāhyaṁ samudra-vat (ŚB 11.21.36)
The transcendental sound of the Vedas is very difficult to comprehend and manifests on different levels within the prāṇa, senses and mind. This Vedic sound is unlimited, very deep and unfathomable, just like the ocean.
When we hear from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that—
mriyamāṇo harer nāma
gṛṇan putropacāritam
ajāmilo ’py agād dhāma
kim uta śraddhayā gṛṇan (ŚB 6.2.49)
While approaching the time of death, Ajāmila chanted the Holy Name of the Lord, and although the chanting was directed toward his son to call him, he nevertheless was successful to enter into Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma. Therefore if one faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to Godhead?
When we hear from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam that ‘ajāmilo ’py agād dhāma’ (SB 6.2.49) which means that Ajāmila was also successful to enter Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma. That doesn’t mean that without doing any hari-bhajan he went to Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma. Actually, first of all Ajāmila was free from material bondage (saṁsāra bandan) by the help of nāmābhāsa, and after that due to Vaikuṇṭha pārṣada sat-saṅga and their hari-kathā during the time of his leaving the body when Yamadūtas came to take him away to Yamaloka - he was successful to come back from his imminent death and then after that he left everything to go to Haridwara Sahasra Dhāra to start actual hari-bhajan. Only after doing hari-bhajan he was successful to enter into Vaikuṇṭha loka. This is called the result of hari-bhajan. Also, we know from śāstra (Śiva Purāṇa) that ‘kasi maraṇāt mukti’. This can never be a false statement, but in course of gradual promotional procedure one can develop attmo jijñāsā to get the chance of doing actual hari-bhajan to attain mukti in true sense, because as per Gauḍīya siddhānta vichar we know the actual inner meaning of mukti is—
muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.10.6)
Real liberation means to give up other forms [one’s gross and subtle bodies] and become situated in one’s original svarūpa (Kṛṣṇa das).
Also, we know from śāstra that— “mukti data viṣṇur eva na saṁśayaḥ” (Viṣṇu Purāṇa), that means only and only Viṣṇu can give mukti no one else, no doubt in it.
From Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya Samvad chapter we can see the comment by Śrīmān Mahāprabhu—
‘sādhya-vastu’ ‘sādhana’ vinu keha nāhi pāya
kṛpā kari’ kaha, rāya, pābāra upāya (Cc Madhya 8.197)
The attainable goal of bhajan can only be atainded by bhajan (sādhana’), without sādhana nobody never can get it.
As per the following Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam śloka 7.11.29
yā patiṁ hari-bhāvena
bhajet śrīr iva tat-parā
hary-ātmanā harer loke
patyā śrīr iva modate (ŚB 7.11.29)
“The woman who engages in the service of her husband, following strictly in the footsteps of the goddess of fortune, surely returns home, back to Godhead, with her devotee husband, and lives very happily in the Vaikuṇṭha planets.”—That also can be possible in due course of time, I mean first they (both wife and husband) can become mukta from material saṁsāra to realise their own svarūpa (jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’) to do hari-bhajan to reach Vaikuṇṭha loka, but surely not directly. By the power of chaste wife any shortage of acharan in husband can be compensated. Also we know from śāstra that due to perfect observation of varṇāśrama-dharma for the consecutive 100 births one jīvattma can become Brahma.
Yes, you are right that sādhana is a personal matter, and without sādhana one cannot achieve the absolute goal Vaikuṇṭha loka. By leaving aside all prescribed sādhanas or sad guru-sevā, it is not at all possible to achieve the absolute goal Vaikuṇṭha only by serving husband with full chastity.
How this can be very challenging to you to follow all those advices spoken in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (which is non-different from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself)? Why? Actually catur-varṇa and āśrama all those are applicable basically for men and not for women, allthough we can count them (those mātājīs) as brahmin girl or kṣatriya girl or vaiśya girl or śūdra girl or antaja girl (outcaste) etc. but still they cannot be scientifically classified in true sense, because we know the following śāstra praman that—
“janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād dvijaḥ bhaved” (Manu-saṁhitā)
By birth all are śūdra (even those who are externally taking birth in a high-class Brahmin family), only and only by sāvitrī saṃskāra one can become Brahmin, not before that. From Manu-saṁhitā 2/260 śloka we have the following evidence that—
matur agre adhi jananam, dwitiam mounji bhandane
tritiam yajña dīkṣā yam dwijasya śruti chodanat . (Manu-saṁhitā 2/260)
In Manu-saṁhitā it is confirmed that first birth from the womb of mother is the śaukra birth (material birth) for a dvijaḥ, after that at the time of upanayan saṃskāra (while taking gāyatrī mantra) second birth is confirmed, again still after that during the time of yājña-dīkṣā the third birth is confirmed for a man.
So, three different types of births like śaukra, savitrā and dīkṣā can be found in śāstra. Try to think over and again that all those procedures are applicable only for men, not for women. Also only for those brahmacārīs -- their staying at Gurukul (gurukul vas) is approved, after that some brahmacārī can go back home for samāvartana (marriage) to marry a suitable matching girl to enter into gṛhastha life, whereas other brahmacārīs can maintain lifelong brahmacārya. Again, those gṛhasthas – some of them after realizing the māyā moye svarūpa of this material saṁsāra—can go away into forest to accept vānaprastha jīvan (with wife or without wife). Yet someone also can enter into the last excellent stage of sannyāsa dharma vrata to serve the Supreme Lord absolutely by the help of body-speech and mind (to serve Mukunda Kṛṣṇa with absolute mood). From Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā we know the following system of varṇa-āśrama dharma approved by Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself—
chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśhaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhyakartāram avyayam (BG 4.13)
The four categories of occupations were created by Me according to saṃskāra and activities. Although I am the Creator of this system, know Me to be not involved in it, though I am eternally present.
Anyway, all those varṇa-dharma or āśrama-dharma all are practically applicable for men, not for women. Those women they are allowed only to enter into gṛhastha-āśrama to get engaged in pati-sevā. Of course, for those paramahaṁsa there is no such hard and fast rule, because they are beyond varṇa-āśrama-dharma. We know the following śloka from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
jñāna-niṣṭho virakto vā
mad-bhakto vānapekṣakaḥ
sa-liṅgān āśramāṁs tyaktvā
cared avidhi-gocaraḥ (ŚB 11.18.28)
A wise transcendentalist dedicated to the cultivation of jñāna and thus he who already developed detachment from material attachment, or such My devotee who is detached even from the desire of liberation—both can ignore those duties based on externalruels and regulations prescribed in Vedas. Thus their conduct become beyond the range of any rules and regulations.
In this stage of paramahaṁsa external vichars can come to an end, because in this stage the svarūpa dharma of atma can get manifested to engage her (jīvattma) in continuous loveful sevā of Bhagavan. So here in that stage the conception of man or woman cannot stand. Here Bhagavat prema becomes the driving force. Bhagavat-dharma, vaiṣṇava-dharma, attma-dharma, or jaiva-dharma all are the same. So in the stage of attma-dharma all external judgments become useless in the background of the superfine tattva vichar (sūkṣma tattva vichar). From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know the following śloka to clarify the point—
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati (ŚB 1.2.6)
The absolute dharma for all human being is that by which they can attain loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted by which one can attain the completely satisfaction of the self.
In this material world all relationships are build up in relation to this material body, so the apparent relationship between wife and husband is only based on this material body, nothing else. Actually atma (spirit soul) cannot have any such gender, but still since all jīvas are coming from the taṭasthā śakti of Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so surely, we can use feminine gender for all jīvas—which is the eternal truth for all jīvas.
As per Vedanta sutra we know the following sutra— “athāto brahma-jijñāsā?”
Also, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know the following slokes— “athāto tattva jijñāsā?”
Again, from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Sanātana śikṣā we know the question which was put in front of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmīpad—
‘ke āmi’, ‘kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya’
ihā nāhi jāni — ‘kemane hita haya’ (Cc Madhya 20.102)
“Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? If I do not know this, how can I be benefited?
From all those above authentic scriptural evidences we can see that first of all self-inquiry (tattva jijñāsā) must appear inside the heart of anybody and only after that the question of self realization can arise. So, anyway - this is the final conclusion that only after perfect hari-bhajan under the guidance of a sad guru-vaiṣṇava one can get the absolute facility to enter into Vaikuṇṭha Jagad to get eternal sevā there to get aprakṛta sukh anubhūti forever and not before that.
Now question can come that where is such a possibility for the couple (husband and wife) to leave their body together—so that both of them can enter into Vaikuṇṭha Jagat together?
The answer of the question is that when a chaste wife cravingly pray to Bhagavan to follow her beloved husband than it can come true, because of the extreme mutual loveful relationship. We know from Bhagavad-gītā the following śloka—
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (Bg. 8.6)
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.
As for example Satī Devī after leaving her body again came back to meet with Vaiṣṇava Raja Śambhu to accept him as her husband. So in this way loveful bondage can run life after life, only body can go on changing. Also, Madri Devī left her body with husband. Again, Gāndhārī Devī left her body with husband etc.
From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we know the following śloka—
strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ
trayī na śruti-gocarā
karma-śreyasi mūḍhānāṁ
śreya evaṁ bhaved iha
iti bhāratam ākhyānaṁ
kṛpayā muninā kṛtam (ŚB 1.4.25)
Those strīs, śūdras and fallen dwijas—they have no right to go through Veda, or also they have no right in any special ritualistic activities like yajña etc. So out of compassion, the great sage (Śrī Vyāsdeva) thought it wise that this would enable them to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus, he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahābhārata for women, śūdras or for those who are having affinity for karma and also for those fallen Brahmins.
According to the clear conception of those above mentioned śāstra pramans from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is very very clear that though according to the judgment of śāstra there cannot be any chance of partiality, but still according to the divine desire of Bhagavan--Who is the source of all maṅgala (or ultimate maṅgala) all jīvas are bound to follow the result of their previous karmaphal, so according to that - those mātājīs or śūdras or fallen Brahmins etc. all they are not qualified to get right in reading or hearing Veda or they are not qualified to do any maṅgala moye karma like yājña etc. or even it is written in Manu-saṁhitā that any mantra uttered by any woman is not considered effective for any ritualistic activities. So according to that it is already proved that they are not at all allowed to act as mantra dīkṣā acārya guru, I mean they are not at all allowed to sit in ācārya guru āsana. But according to the following śloka from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta which is the direct comment of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu we can see that—
kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya (Cc Madhya 8.128)
“Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra —regardless of what he is—he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”
With general conception if we approach - then it means that they (mātājīs) can act as śikṣā guru, but that also depends upon so many factors like time-space and surrounding situations, I mean who all are present there in her proximity. Because here also in the above śloka Mahāprabhu did not mention the name of mātājīs directly, only out of assumption we like to understand that way. But here as per Sanskrit grammar we know—‘vetta’ means masculine gender and ‘vetti’ means feminine gender, just like the case of ‘vidyan’ and ‘vidusi’. We know how excellent the divine and absolutely, I mean careful behaviour of the Supreme Lord Śrīmān Mahāprabhu in front of those mātājīs was. So maybe any such qualified mātājī can act as śikṣā guru and can speak in front of mātājīs, which is more practical according to the teachings of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu, otherwise some problems can arise because this is a very very sensitive issue. Some scriptural evidences are given below for your kind information—
mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā
nāviviktāsano bhavet
balavān indriya-grāmo
vidvāṁsam api karṣati (ŚB 9.19.17)
One should not allow oneself to sit on the same seat even with one’s own mother, sister or daughter, for the senses are so strong that even one wise personality can be attracted by sex.
nanv agniḥ pramadā nāma
ghṛta-kumbha-samaḥ pumān
sutām api raho jahyād
anyadā yāvad-artha-kṛt (ŚB 7.12.9)
Definitely women are like fire and men are like the pitcher full of ghee. Woman is compared to fire, and man is compared to a butter pot. Therefore a man should avoid associating even with his own daughter in a secluded place. Similarly, he should also avoid association with other women. One should associate with women only for important business and not otherwise.
strīṇāṁ strī-saṅgināṁ saṅgaṁ
tyaktvā dūrata ātmavān
kṣeme vivikta āsīnaś
cintayen mām atandritaḥ ŚB 11.14.29
Being conscious of the eternal self, one should give up association with women and those intimately associated with women. Sitting fearlessly in a solitary place, one should concentrate the mind on Me with great attention.
na tathāsya bhavet kleśo
bandhaś cānya-prasaṅgataḥ
yoṣit-saṅgād yathā puṁso
yathā tat-saṅgi-saṅgataḥ ŚB 11.14.30
Of all kinds of suffering and bondage arising from various attachments, none is greater than the suffering and bondage arising from attachment to women and intimate contact with those attached to women.
Also, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we can see the following śloka—
ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād
ātma-prabhāvam īśvaram
na bhajanty avajānanti
sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ (ŚB 11.5.3)
If any of the members of the four varṇas and four āśramas fail to worship or intentionally disrespect the Personality of Godhead, who is the source of their own creation, they will fall down from their position into a hellish state of life.
We know the following instructions of Bhagavan from Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā0:
yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
vartate kāma-kārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti
na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim (Bg. 16.23)
He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.
sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ
sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ
yathā vindati tac chṛṇu (Bg. 18.45)
Keenly devoted to one’s own natural duty, one can attain the highest perfection in the form of God realisation. Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaking to Arjun that – “Hear the mood of performance where by someone is engaged in one’s duty and reaches the highest consummation.”
sve sve ’dhikāre yā niṣṭhā
sa guṇaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
viparyayas tu doṣaḥ syād
ubhayor eṣa niścayaḥ (ŚB 11.21.2)
Steadiness in one’s own position is declared to be actual piety, whereas deviation from one’s position is considered impiety. In this way the two are definitely ascertained.
Within this social system of varṇa āśrama dharma, those who due to their personal status already have achieved in varṇa āśrama category out of false ego not doing bhajan of that Bhagavan Viṣṇu—who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who is the ultimate source of each and everything (I mean the original source of everthing), then due to their ignoring mood they can fall down and down. No solution can be achieved in their lives.
We know the following incident happened in the līlā of Śrīla Vyāsdeva Gosvāmī with one of His disciples who wanted to put some objection in front of Gurudeva regarding the authenticity of the above-mentioned ślokas “mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā” … (ŚB 9.19.17), because as per the conception of the disciple it is quite impossible to think that we must be careful with our privat dealings with mother, sister or daughter. Then Śrīla Vyāsdeva Gosvāmī wanted to get some suggestion from that disciple to rectify the siddhānta vichar (?). To make him realize that how far how much the above siddhānta vichar is authentic—One day Śrīla Vyāsdeva Gosvāmī wanted to test the disciple about his patience, he reached the Himalayan cave in the form of an old lady (like mother) where the disciple was doing sādhana at that time. Just like a helpless mother he wanted to seek shelter in the same cave at that night which was full of torrential rain and was effected by cold ice wind blow. Then in the guise of an old lady he was given shelter by the disciple at that time. Gradually the disciple started feeling some reaction inside his mind due to the presence of the old lady which was really a tremendous attraction like the attraction of an iron piece by a strong magnet. Finally, the disciple could not resist himself from embracing the old lady. Then and there Śrīla Vyāsdeva Gosvāmī appeared in His own svarūp from that apparent svarūp of that old lady and started laughing in front of the disciple to justify the authenticity of the above-mentioned ślokas of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then the disciple was bound to accept the siddhānta vichar in front of his Gurudeva Śrīla Vyāsdeva Gosvāmī.
As per Manu-saṁhitā 2/215 śloka, and also as per SB 9.19.17 ślokas it is written that –
mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā
nāviviktāsano bhavet
balavān indriya-grāmo
vidvāṁsam api karṣati (ŚB 9.19.17)
One should not allow oneself to sit on the same seat even with one’s own mother, sister or daughter, because the senses are so strong that even though one is very wise or knowledgeable Personality, still he may be attracted by sex.
Never we should sit in any solitary place together even with own mother or sister or not even with daughter, because our material senses can put us into the ocean of misery any time without any pre-information like a heavy storm.
From Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā we know the following question which was put by Arjuna in front of Kṛṣṇa—
cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram (Bg. 6.34)
The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.
Also, as per Manu-saṁhitā 9/3 it is written that–
pitā rakṣati kaumāre bhartā rakṣati yauvane |rakṣanti sthavire putrā na strī svātantryamarhati
(Manu-saṁhitā 9/3)
Father giving protection to daughter up to her marriage time. Husband giving protection to wife in her youth age and at old age she can be protected by son. At any cost woman can never be given freedom to lead her life whimsically (or fancifully).
Of course, as per Medhatithi Ṛṣi this is only applicable under some or certain condition when the question of their protection is involved, because they are very weak by nature.
At the fifth chapter of Manu-saṁhitā 5/147 to 150 ślokas Manu Mahārāja speaking that –
A woman at any stage of life – be it in girlhood or in young age or in old age anyhow should not be given open freedom to do anything fancifully in household life. Woman in girl hood should be under the control of father, at young age should be under the control of husband, and in the absence of husband or after his death she should be under the control of son, but at any condition they should not lead life fancifully, I mean – ‘na bhajet svatantram’.
A woman at any condition should not try to lead life fancifully by avoiding father husband or son etc. so in that case where from the question of their entering into renounced order of life or accepting sannyāsa can come. So how they can act as an ācārya!
Also, Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura has confirmed this point in Śrī Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta 2nd chapter or 2nd rainfall 4th chapter on the topic of the utility of those women in gṛhastha life – “For those women gṛhastha āśrama is suitable for them or in some special cases vānaprastha can be possible, except that any other āśrama (or renounced order) should not to be accepted by them. Any special powerful women by achieving the right of entering into brahmacārya or sannyāsa āśrama on the strength of para-vidyā and dharma – if at all came out successful or can come out successful, surely that should not be accepted as common example or evidence by those women having soft shradhya (like you), soft body and soft intellect (or mind).”
Śrīla Manu Mahārāja has given us warning by the following śloka written in Manu-saṁhitā 2/213 that—
In this material life naturally those women can contaminate the mind of men. This is not at all one kind of allegation against them, rather this is the reality. Countless such examples can be found in śāstra that by the association of woman big big personalities they all lost the track of their duty and responsibilityor bhajan.
ko nu me ’titaren māyāṁ
viṣaktas tvad-ṛte pumān
tāṁs tān visṛjatīṁ bhāvān
dustarām akṛtātmabhiḥ (ŚB 8.12.39)
My dear Lord Śambhu, who within this material world but you can surpass My illusory energy? People are generally attached to sense enjoyment and become conquered by it’s influence. Indeed, the influence of material nature is very difficult for them to surmount.
Bhagavan said, that, “in My whole creation, woman is the only such an instrument or weapon by the help of which I can conquer the whole world, whoever he maybe or however powerful he may be. “
Bhagavat glorification topic taken from Padma Purāṇa –
strinam naivo tu visvasam dustanam karayed budhah
visvase yah sthito mudha sa dukshayeh pari bhuyate
suda mayam vaco yasam kaminam rasa bardhanam
hridayam śūdra dhrabham priyah ko nam yoshitam
(5th chapter/14-15 ślokas of the book on the glorification of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam taken from Padma Purāṇa)
Those women - usually they are wicked minded, so they should not be trusted, if some foolish trust them, then surely he can discover himself in to the ocean of misery. Their sweet glance and sweet word become very attractive for those who are having dirty kama inside their heart. Their heart is like a sharp edged razor, so nobody can never enjoy their favour in whole life in true sense.
As per the siddhānta vichar of Śrīla Manu Mahārāja – “Marriage ceremony itself is like upanayan saṁskāra for them (mātājīs). The actual reality of their life and the success of their life can be found only in their mothership.”
Also, you can go through the following ślokas taken from Manu-saṁhitā 9/96 to find the reality of those above mentioned siddhānta vichar, which can be really revolting for you all.
“According to śāstra any vedic mantra etc. if uttered by women class can never be effective in any ritualistic activities; due to lack of their purity and patiency. And also due to lack of their pure intellect or power – usually they become the target of torture by those characterless low-minded people; there is no stability about their character and affection.” (Manu-saṁhitā 9/14-18)
From Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā śloka we can find the following remark by Arjuna in front of Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa —
saṅkaro narakāyaiva
kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya ca
patanti pitaro hy eṣāṁ
lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ (BG. 1.41)
An increase of unwanted mixed population (hybrid) certainly causes hellish life, both for the family, and for those who destroy the family tradition. The ancestors of such corrupt families fall down, because the performances for offering them food and water are entirely stopped.
I mean the purity of the whole human society very much depend upon the purity of those mātājīs.
As per Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi 10/ 137 and C.c. Antya 2/104-106
mādhavī-devī — śikhi-māhitira bhaginī
śrī-rādhāra dāsī-madhye yāṅra nāma gaṇi (Cc Ādi 10.137)
Mādhavī-devī was the younger sister of Śikhi Māhiti. She is considered to have formerly been a maidservant of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
māhitira bhaginī sei, nāma — mādhavī-devī
vṛddhā tāpasvinī āra paramā vaiṣṇavī (Cc Antya 2.104)
Śikhi Māhiti’s sister was named Mādhavī-devī. She was an elderly lady who always performed austerities. She was very advanced in devotional service.
prabhu lekhā kare yāre — rādhikāra ‘gaṇa’
jagatera madhye ‘pātra’ — sāḍe tina jana (Cc Antya 2.105)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted her as having formerly been an associate of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. In the entire world, three and a half people were His intimate devotees.
svarūpa gosāñi, āra rāya rāmānanda
śikhi-māhiti — tina, tāṅra bhaginī — ardha-jana (Cc Antya 2.106)
The three were Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Rāmānanda Rāya and Śikhi Māhiti, and the half a person was Śikhi Māhiti’s sister.
Śrī Mādhavī-devī dasi according to her external appearance in this material world in the form of mātājī, so Śrīmān Mahāprabhu wanted to count her as half of a man. So, when Śrīmān Mahāprabhu Himself wanted to teach us that those mātājī are the half expression of man, then what else we can say. Not to ignore or insult them Śrīmān Mahāprabhu told that way, but to clarify their natural weakness for why they cannot express themselves fully in front of us, like a man can do.
After all, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11th canto 8th chapter/7 ślokas this is the strong instruction of Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava ji Mahārāj that—
dṛṣṭvā striyaṁ deva-māyāṁ
tad-bhāvair ajitendriyaḥ
pralobhitaḥ pataty andhe
tamasy agnau pataṅga-vat (ŚB 11.8.7)
One who has no controlling over his senses by watching the sweet bhāvas exposed by Devomaya in the form of women become attracted heavely and just like those insects jumping into the fire, he also jumping into tama (hell) immediately.
Also, Śrīmān Mahāprabhu Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Deva who is non different from Nandanandan Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that –
durvāra indriya kare viṣaya-grahaṇa
dāravī prakṛti hare munerapi mana (Cc Antya 2.118)
“So strongly do the senses adhere to the objects of their enjoyment that indeed a wooden statue of a woman attracts the mind of even a great saintly person.
mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā
nā viviktāsano bhavet
balavān indriya-grāmo
vidvāṁsam api karṣati (Cc Antya 2.119)
“‘One should not sit closely with one’s mother, sister or daughter, for the senses are so strong that they may attract even a person advanced in knowledge.’
Some following important evidences are also given below from different śāstras for your kind consideration in this reagard.
satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā maunaṁ
buddhiḥ śrīr hrīr yaśaḥ kṣamā
śamo damo bhagaś ceti
yat-saṅgād yāti saṅkṣayam (ŚB 3.31.33)
He becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all such opportunities.
na tathāsya bhaved moho
bandhaś cānya-prasaṅgataḥ
yoṣit-saṅgād yathā puṁso
yathā tat-saṅgi-saṅgataḥ (ŚB 3.31.35)
The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete as that resulting from attachment to a woman or to the fellowship of men who are fond of women.
tat-sṛṣṭa-sṛṣṭa-sṛṣṭeṣu
ko nv akhaṇḍita-dhīḥ pumān
ṛṣiṁ nārāyaṇam ṛte
yoṣin-mayyeha māyayā (ŚB 3.31.37)
Amongst all kinds of living entities begotten by Brahmā, namely men, demigods and animals, none but the sage Nārāyaṇa is immune to the attraction of māyā in the form of woman.
strīṇāṁ strī-saṅgināṁ saṅgaṁ
tyaktvā dūrata ātmavān
kṣeme vivikta āsīnaś
cintayen mām atandritaḥ (ŚB 11.14.29)
Being conscious of the eternal self, one should give up association with women and those intimately associated with women. Sitting fearlessly in a solitary place, one should concentrate the mind on Me with great attention.
padāpi yuvatīṁ bhikṣur
na spṛśed dāravīm api
spṛśan karīva badhyeta
kariṇyā aṅga-saṅgataḥ (ŚB 11.8.13)
A saintly person should never touch a young girl. In fact, he should not even let his foot touch a wooden doll in the shape of a woman. By bodily contact with a woman he will surely be captured by illusion, just as the elephant is captured by the she-elephant due to his desire to touch her body.
mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes
tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam
mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā
vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye (ŚB 5.5.2)
One can attain the path of liberation from material bondage only by rendering service to highly advanced spiritual personalities. These personalities are impersonalists and devotees. Whether one wants to merge into the Lord’s existence or wants to associate with the Personality of Godhead, one should render service to the mahātmās. For those who are not interested in such activities, who associate with people fond of women and sex, the path to hell is wide open. The mahātmās are equipoised. They do not see any difference between one living entity and another. They are very peaceful and are fully engaged in devotional service. They are devoid of anger, and they work for the benefit of everyone. They do not behave in any abominable way. Such people are known as mahātmās.
suśīlo mita-bhug dakṣaḥ
śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ
yāvad-arthaṁ vyavaharet
strīṣu strī-nirjiteṣu ca (ŚB 7.12.6)
A brahmacārī should be quite well-behaved and gentle and should not eat or collect more than necessary. He must always be active and expert, fully believing in the instructions of the spiritual master and the śāstra. Fully controlling his senses, he should associate only as much as necessary with women or those controlled by women.
varjayet pramadā-gāthām
agṛhastho bṛhad-vrataḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni
haranty api yater manaḥ (ŚB 7.12.7)
A brahmacārī, or one who has not accepted the gṛhastha-āśrama [family life], must rigidly avoid talking with women or about women, for the senses are so powerful that they may agitate even the mind of a sannyāsī, a member of the renounced order of life.
nanv agniḥ pramadā nāma
ghṛta-kumbha-samaḥ pumān
sutām api raho jahyād
anyadā yāvad-artha-kṛt (ŚB 7.12.9)
Woman is compared to fire, and man is compared to a butter pot. Therefore a man should avoid associating even with his own daughter in a secluded place. Similarly, he should also avoid association with other women. One should associate with women only for important business and not otherwise.
So, we should not express any doubt or suspicion about all those above-mentioned siddhānta vichars given in the article named—” Dear Honourable mātājīs are the most basic foundation of this whole creation, but still due to some unavoidable reason they cannot act as dīkṣā guru as per the instructions of śāstra”.
We should remember the reason for why mātājīs are not given Brahma-gāyatrī, the same reason or restriction is applicable for mātājīs in the way of their acting as ācārya. Even those mātājīs are not allowed to pronounce the ‘eka-akṣaram brahma mantra oṁ-kārar’.
Gaura Hari Hari Bol
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