Awakening the Self through Sadhana, this is true women empowerment!

The topic of women’s liberation or women’s empowerment has been in the news for the past few years. The topic of ‘women’s empowerment’ is often discussed under the influence of modernization or Western and anti-cultural ideology. Many women and girls are walking on the wrong path today because the so-called progressives and anti-culturalists are trying to impose the wrong concept of ‘unlimited freedom means liberation’. If they want to be brought on the path of true progress, they will have to be given the right direction by removing the yoke of wrong concepts. This direction is in the context of following culture and practicing religion; because the self-luminosity obtained through Sadhana paves the way for a person’s practical and transcendental progress.

The place of women in Hinduism

‘There were many restrictions on women in Indian culture. In recent times, especially after they started getting education, women have gained many rights’ is a false propaganda spread by many people; but after studying, it is realized that the reality is different. Indian culture or Sanatan Hinduism has never taught injustice to anyone, but has always prayed ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘Sarvetra Sukhina Santu’. In Manusmriti, it is said ‘Yatra Naryastu Pujayante Ramante Tatra Devtaha.’ That is, where women are worshipped, there the gods delight. Hinduism has never considered women as consumable objects. On the contrary, Hinduism has considered women as the form of primordial power. After marriage, no worship is complete without the participation of the wife. In Hinduism, the names of the gods are also Lakshmi-Narayan, Sita-Ram, Radhe-Shyam, Gauri-Shankar. Where women are given a higher position than men, doing things about gender equality is like devaluing women. Hinduism has given women not just one day, but every day. It should be remembered that saying that a religion that first bows to the goddesses while pronouncing the names of the gods is unjust is pure Hindu hatred.

Scholarly, Brave and Action-Making Women

Many learned, brave and skilled women have become learned in Indian culture. After the death of the Kashmir king in the Mahabharata war, his wife Yashomati was crowned by Lord Krishna himself. One of Arjuna’s wives, Chitrangada, was the queen of the Manipur kingdom. When Rama went into exile, the sage Vasistha suggested that Sita should be crowned as she was skilled and capable of ruling; however, Sita did not rule as she asked permission to go into exile with Rama, as mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana. This means that Hinduism has never prevented women from being action-makers. There are many references to scholars in the Puranas. Scholars like Gargi, Maitreyi, Lopamudra etc. were well-versed in the Vedas and Shastras. Whatever the behavior of mother Kaikeyi, it is described that Kaikeyi also fought with King Dasharatha, holding weapons in her hands. To take a recent example, Rani Lakshmibai was an expert in warfare. She was so patriotic that she tied her infant child to her back and went to war. While Shahaji was in Karnataka, Rajmata Jijai took over the administration of Pune Jahangiri. Rani Tarabai, wife of Chhatrapati Rajaram, became the founder and established the Kolhapur state. Ahalyabai Holkar became the founder of the Holkar dynasty after the death of her husband. In short, India has a tradition of brave, learned women.

If we want to be part of this tradition, we must develop our qualities and overcome our shortcomings and shortcomings. We must shake off superstitions like ‘Western clothes mean modernity’, ‘speaking English means progress’. We must abandon things like tyranny. There is a difference between freedom and tyranny. It must be understood. The family system is India’s strength. Women are the backbone of the family system. The stronger this backbone is, the stronger the family system will be. Women have cultivated cultural values to a greater extent. Today, people all over the world are trying to cultivate the family system by saying ‘back to motherhood’. We too should cultivate the values of decency and civilization.

Insecure women

If we consider the situation of the country today, women are unsafe. In a country where Ramayana and Mahabharata were based on the principle of protecting the chastity of a woman, hundreds of women are becoming victims of atrocities every day. According to the data of the ‘National Crime Records Bureau’, 4.05 lakh incidents of violence against women were recorded in India in the year 2019. Of these, 30 percent are domestic violence, while 8 percent are rape. The global analysis organization ‘Oxfam’ has said that a girl is raped every 15 minutes in India. In the year 2018, 34 thousand rape cases were recorded in the country. The report says that charges were confirmed in 85 percent of the cases; but only 27 percent of the people were punished. Due to lack of religious education, many Hindu girls are today becoming victims of ‘love jihad’.

In Ram Rajya, women could go out alone wearing midnight ornaments. That is not the case today; because today there is no Ram Rajya. Even during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Ranjya Patil, who looked at women with a crooked eye, was sentenced to have his hands and feet cut off. Today, immediate punishment is far from being given; but the victim woman