The Vedic Traditions / Values in relation to Girls / Women and their Empowerment .
The Vedas ( वेद véda, "knowledge") are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures .
There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda.
The Vedic tradition has held a high regard for the qualities of women, and has retained the greatest respect within its tradition throughout the many years of Vedic culture, women have always been given the highest level of respect and freedom, but also protection and safety. There is a Vedic saying, "Where women are worshiped, there the gods dwell." Or where the women are happy, there will be prosperity. In fact the direct quotes from the Manu-samhita explains as follows:
"Women must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers‑in‑law, who desire their own welfare. Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards. Where the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes; but that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers. The houses on which female relations, not being duly honored, pronounce a curse, perish completely, as if destroyed by magic. Hence men who seek (their own) welfare, should always honor women on holidays and festivals with (gifts of) ornaments, clothes and (dainty) food." (Manu Smriti III.55-59)
In a similar way that would foretell the future if women are no longer honored, Grandfather Bhishma explained: "O ruler of the earth (Yuddhisthira) the lineage in which daughters and the daughters-in-law are saddened by ill treatment, that lineage is destroyed. When out of their grief these women curse these households, such households lose their charm, prosperity and happiness." (Mahabharata, Anushashanparva, 12.14)
Furthermore, in the Vedas, when a woman is invited into the family through marriage, she enters "as a river enters the sea" and "to rule there along with her husband, as a queen, over the other members of the family." (Atharva-Veda 14.1.43-44) This kind of equality is rarely found in any other religious scripture. Plus, a woman who is devoted to God is more highly regarded than a man who has no such devotion, as found in the Rig-Veda: "Yea, many a woman is more firm and better than the man who turns away from Gods, and offers not." (Rig-Veda, 5.61.6)
“Women are worthy of worship. They are the fate of the household, the lamp of enlightenment for all in the household. They bring solace to the family and are an integral part of dharmic life. Even heaven is under the control of women. The gods reside in those households where women are worshipped and in households where women are slighted all efforts at improvement go in vain.” Manusmriti 3-56
Women are accorded the greatest respect in Vedas. Still, ignorant semi-literate communists keep propagating the false propaganda that Vedas demean women. Presented here are verses from Vedas obtained from texts of most learned scholars in this field to establish the truth.......
Rigevda contains several Suktas containing description of Usha as a God. This Usha is representation of an ideal woman. Please refer “Usha Devata” by Pt Sri Pad Damodar Satvalekar as part of “Simple Translation of Rigveda (Rigved ka subodh bhashya)”. Page 121 to 147 for summary of all such verses spread across entire Rigveda. In summary:
- Women should be brave (Page 122, 128)
- Women should be expert (Page 122)
- Women should earn fame (Page 123)
- Women should ride on chariots (Page 123)
- Women should be scholars (Page 123)
- Women should be prosperous and wealth (Page 125)
- Women should be intelligent and knowledgeable (Page 126)
- Women should be protector of family and society and get in army(Page 134, 136)
- Women should be illuminating (Page 137)
- Women should be provider of wealth, food and prosperity (Page 141- 146)
Integrating vedic values into the social system .
Shree Gauranga's Foundation Trust with great honour and pleasure gave the basic computer application course completion certificate , which was conducted free of cost to empower women , senior citizen and underpriviledge children.
It was an honour for all the students to receive the course completion certificate from His Grace Vishwarup Das .(Dr. Vivekanand Shanbhag).
He is a spiritual counsellor at Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Gopal's Garden High School & at ISKCON Chowpatty temple.
He is a regular spiritual speaker on TV.
He loves preaching & takes devotees on yatra regularly. Besides being a counsellor, he also serves ISKCON by playing the role of administrator trustee at the school and hospital.
His Grace conducted Prayers For the wellbeing of the society , and for the successful completion of all the projects and thereafter distributed course completion certificates for the free courses conducted in IT application to empower girls, women and senior citizens.
