स्त्रीपुंभेदो न वै तस्य पुरुषस्य महात्मनः ।
The great souls do not recognise the difference between a male and a female.
—Padma Purana: Uttara Khanda: Chapter 245: Verse 176
Note— This series of refuting misconceptions aimed not to prove Hinduism as unfair to men but to prove that women were treated equally.
**I am a 13-Year-old individual named Aditya Raj Singh. There was a delay in this post due to a busy schedule and a misjudgement.**
Links to other parts:
Claim—Females were not educated in Ancient India and Hinduism does not allow women to get educated.
Response— In Ancient India, it was not an option but a NECESSITY for females to be educated as it is stated that educated females were married to suitable males and enjoy happiness:
आ धे॒नवो॑ धुनयन्ता॒मशि॑श्वीः सब॒र्दुघा॑: शश॒या अप्र॑दुग्धाः । नव्या॑नव्या युव॒तयो॒ भव॑न्तीर्म॒हद्दे॒वाना॑मसुर॒त्वमेक॑म् ॥
The Brahmcharinis, who are youthful and have studied all the sciences in childhood, have married a suitable husband, enjoy happiness, and gladden all.
—Rig Veda: 3.55.16
After chanting the Triṇava Stoma, many rishis were born in the lineage of sage Atri. Among those thousands of Rishis, there were many educated women and even composed mantras themselves:
अपि हास्य स्त्रियो मन्त्रकृत आसुः ।
The women in his (Atri’s) lineage were composers of mantras.
—Sama Veda: Jaiminiya Brahmana: Khanda 2.219
Thus, Maha Nirvana Tantra states:
A girl also should be brought up and educated with great effort and care.
—Maha Nirvana Tantra: 8.47
Even as late as the 1860s, a Brahmin widow used to run a school for girls in Aligarh:
Claim— Polygamy and dowry— both these concepts show how Hinduism is patriarchal for it always favours men.
Response— It is said in Hinduism that wife is the gift of the Gods:
देवदत्तां पतिर्भार्यां विन्दते नेच्छयाऽत्मनः ।
तां साध्वीं बिभृयान्नित्यं देवानां प्रियमाचरन् ॥The husband obtains his wife as a present from the gods, and not by his own wish; hence he should always support the faithful wife, thereby doing what is agreeable to the gods.
—Manusmriti: Chapter 9: Verse 95
Thus, Valmiki Ramayana states that one should marry only one wife:
या गतिः सर्व साधूनाम् स्वाध्यायात् पतसः च या |
भूमिदस्य आहित अग्नेः चएक पत्नी व्रतस्य च ||O son! Obtain that destiny, which is obtained by all the sages, by those who studied scriptures, by an act of austerity, by a gift of the land, by him who has maintained sacred fire, who has taken a vow of marrying only one wife.
—Valmiki Ramayana: Ayodhya Kanda: Sarga 64: Verse 44
Ananda Ramayana even directly criticises polygamy:
यस्येच्छाऽस्त्यत्र दुःखं हि भोक्तुं तेन नरेण हि । कर्तव्या बह्वयः पत्न्यो द्रष्टव्यं तत्फलं ततः II
Whosoever desires to suffer in the world must take more than one wife. One should witness the fruits of that action thereafter.
—Ananda Ramayana: Rajya Kanda: Sarga 20: Verse 57
Hindu Shastras allowed polygamy but there was a rule for that:
If he has a wife who (is willing and able) to perform (her share of) the religious duties and who bears children, he shall not take a second.
But, If a wife is deficient in one of these two (qualities), he can take another, (but) before he kindles the fires (of the Agnihotra Yajna).
—Apastambha Dharma Sutra: Praśna II, Paṭala 5, Khaṇḍa 11, Verses 12–13
So, polygamy was allowed only in special cases as I mentioned.
Now, to Śrī Krishna’s marriage with so many females— all his wives were Maa Lakshmi herself in different forms so, he was married to only one wife:
कमलाकलया सर्वा भवंतु नृपकन्यकाः । मन्महिष्यो भविष्यंति सहस्राणां च षोडश ।।
—Brahma Vaivarta Purana: Krishna Janma Khanda: Chapter 6: Verse 178
Now, to dowry.
See, the actual concept of Dowry was brought to India by the Portuguese:
The Lisbon court supplied dowries for these unions which at once created the nucleus of a female Catholic population and yearly added infants to the Faith.
(quoted from the Portuguese policy in the East)
Whatever gifts were given in marriage by side of the bride were to honour the bride only:
यासां नाददते शुल्कं ज्ञातयो न स विक्रयः । अर्हणं तत् कुमारीणामानृशंस्यं च केवलम् ॥
In the case of girls whose relations do not appropriate the bride’s gift, it is not “selling;” It is only a means of honouring the maidens and is entirely harmless.
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The question is—“Does the mere act of receiving gifts from the bridegroom make the marriage a sale?”—our answer is that it is not so; it is when the ‘relations’ of the bride,—i.e., those in charge of her—accept gifts for themselves, then alone it is ‘selling.’
—Manusmriti: 3.54
Mahabharata directly criticises Dowry:
Who also would approve of accepting a bride in gift as if she were an animal? What man (father) again is there on earth that would sell his own offspring?
—Mahabharata: Adi Parva: Chapter 223 (KMG)
Claim— Widows were mistreated, they were not allowed for remarriage and Sati was prevalent. There was even no provision for divorce.
Response: Katyayana Smriti directly states:
अपुत्रा शयनं भर्तुः पालयन्ती गुरौ स्थिता । भुञ्जीतामरणात्क्षान्ता दायादा ऊर्ध्वमाप्नुयुः ॥
A sonless (widow) preserving the bed of her husband (dead), residing with her elders and being self-controlled (or forbearing) should enjoy (her husband's property) till her death; after her death, the (other) heirs (of the husband) would get the property.
—Katyayana Smriti: 1.921
So, it was clear that the widows enjoyed their husband’s property.
Widows were allowed to remarry:
If the husband is untraceable, dead, renounced the world, impotent or morally degraded - in these cases of emergency a woman can remarry.
—Parasara Smriti
Sati was not done by Hindus. If a female burnt herself with her husband, then it was through her own wish. See what ancient traveller Al-Masudi writes in his book: Muruj-Al-Zehab:
If there is a lack of Harmony between husband and wife, then divorce is allowed. But husband would pay the alimony:
For one year let a husband bear with a wife who hates him; but after that let him deprive her of her [share] of the property and cease to live with her. [But he should still make arrangements for her clothing and food.
—Manusmriti: 9.77
There are many criteria for divorce.
Like:
If a man is unable to have s***al relations with his wife, then she may divorce him and take another husband.
—Narada Smriti 12.18
If the husband went abroad for some sacred duty, the wife should wait for him eight years, if he went for acquiring learning or fame six years and if he went for pleasure three years. [Thereafter she may remarry without incurring any sin or guilt.]
—Manusmriti: 9.76
It is even said that:
—Manusmriti: 9.89
Thus, there are proper rules and laws for divorce as divorce was accepted in Hindu society.
So, widow remarriage, remarriage after divorce and divorce were allowed in ancient India.
Claim— In**st and R**e were prevalent in Hinduism.
Response— No, these were condemned very much.
Manusmriti 11.58 and 11.103 conclude that punishment for I*ce*t is a painful death (सूर्मीं ज्वलन्तीं स्वाश्लिष्येन् मृत्युना)
For r**e, everything is covered in this answer of Jagannātha Dāsa:
He is a dear friend of mine, please check out his page too.
I hope everything is Clear and ALL misconceptions related to females and Hinduism are DESTROYED.
Hence, I take your leave.
To conclude,
उशना वेद यच्छास्त्रं यच्च वेद बृहस्पतिः ॥ मन्वादयस्तथान्येऽपि स्त्रीबुद्धेस्तत्र किंच न ॥
The scriptural knowledge of Uśanas, the Vedic scholarship of Bṛhaspati and the wisdom of Manu and others are nothing in comparison to the wisdom of women.
—Skanda Purana: 6.158.62
श्रोत्रियं सुभगां गां च अभिमनिचितिं तथा ॥ प्रातरुत्थाय यः पश्येदापद्भ्यः स प्रमुच्यते ॥
One who, upon rising early in the morning, witnesses a Vedic scholar, or a virtuous woman, or a cow, or the performance of Agnihotra (fire sacrifice), is freed from all miseries.
—Katyayana Smriti: 19.9
***Note— All misconceptions are clear and this conclusive part of my series related to women and Hinduism is over. I hope that people have now understood that In Hinduism, Females are treated as well as men.***
~ Ram Lakhan Prasad Sinha (Aditya Raj Singh)
Hare Rama,
Jai Mata di,
Respect all women.