(PDF) THE DURGA VAHINI: A STUDY OF WOMEN IN HINDUTVA

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THE DURGA VAHINI:

A STUDY OF WOMEN IN HINDUTVA

Akhar Bandyopadhyay ⤡

Debaprasad Bandyopadhyay ⤡

Dedicated to

Savitribai Phule,

Margaret Elizabeth Noble

And

Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein,

The Pioneers of Women’s Rights in India

ABSTRACT

This paper-letter strives to sarcastically subvert the perception of the second sex

by the members of the Hindutva camp by applying the Brechtian theatrical

method as well as the Derridian Militant Deconstruction. The paper-letter

specifically focuses on the Durga Vahini, the female wing of the Sangh Parivar,

by exposing the inner aporia or uncontradictory contradictions of the gendered,

phallocentric Hindutva gaze.

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To

The Honourable President,

Republic of India

Sub: Constituting the Durga Vahini: against the holy ethos of Hindutva

Respected Ācāryā,

It fills our hearts with an inexplicable joy to write to you again about a burning

bone of contention that has caught our patriotic attention. As evident from our

earlier letters addressed to you, we are the stern representatives of the pristine,

ancient and sacred sanātana culture of Hindutva, which, by

itself, homogeneously imbibes the true spirit of an Akhand Bharat⤡, a golden

reality of the ideal past but a chimerical dream at the dreaded present. Or is it such

an unachievable, unfathomable dream at all? This holistic conception of a macro-

unity of all the Hindu brethren is sharply to be distinguished from the borrowed,

mimicked idea of Western Nationalism as it finds expression in the so-called

“Constitution of India”, praised by traitor Nehru and his likes. We are but the

descendants of the thought and ideal upheld by our fore-fathers: Revered Guruji

M. S. Golwalkar and the indomitable Veer Savarkar.

Before stating our problem-question, it is imperative to rule out all the

“feministic” ideas at once, which are evolved by the greedy materialist Western

nations for practicing their Eurocentric gender-equations, preaching the mythical,

totally unnatural concept of gender egalitarianism (in terms of equal opportunity,

equal consideration and equal participation), or, as some of them like to call it,

the notion of a “cerebral equality” in terms of an anti-neurosexist defence.

The matter on which we would like to throw light is basically the question of the

socio-economic-political status of women, “the second sex” (the difference

between ‘sex’, a biological denotation, and ‘gender’, a social construct or product

of history, is emphasized by the westernized social scientists, but it is of no

particular concern with regard to the current issue), within the purview of

Hindutva as put forth by our dearest-nearest Sangh Parivar and its branches

(sākhā) or sub-organs.

As it is clear from our earlier enunciations in the previous letters, we disapprove

any kind of territorial nationalism as enforced by the present Indian Constitution.

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It is an artificial form of nationalism that dissociates the true Indian from taking

a spiritual sniff of his proud Hindu soil.

Hence, before going into our present matter of concern, we must declare that this

Constitution must first of all be discarded and be replaced by the dictums of

our Smṛti śāstras, the Hindu law-books that include the Manusmṛti and

the Yājñavalkya Smṛti etc., in order to affirm our conviction to the ideal of

standardized, unadulterated ethno-nationalism or mono-religious, mono-lingual

cultural nationalism by avoiding regional variations with a goal to achieve

Uniform Civil Code for the Hindus.

Our concern is with the establishment of the “Durga Vahini” ⤡, the

female (belonging to the age-group of 13-35, which is the high time for

marrying off Hindu women according to the Śāstras) military front of the

Vishva Hindu Parishad (the cultural arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak

Sangh) and the counterpart to the all-male Bajrang Dal. We reckon that this

Durga Vahini itself is a gross violation or denial of the authority of

our sanatana dharma.

Good wives, good soldiers: Durga Vahini women take up arms to protect

Hindu identity VIEW HERE ⤡ (As reported on 14th November, 2019 ©The

World)

There is no mention whatsoever of a “Devi” or mother goddess in our

foundational sacred text, the Vedas; any kind of worship of the mother Goddess

was always done outside the sacred threshold of the Hindu home, and was

marginalized to the crossroads alone (Cf. Kosambi, D. D., At the Crossroads:

Mother Goddess Cult-Sites in Ancient India

⤡

); undoubtedly therefore, there is

no question of inclusion of “woman empowerment” in our sanatana dharma.

Moreover, what are the dictates of the Manusmṛti, the central law-book of the

Hindu community, with regard to women?

Let us go through some of the verses from its ninth chapter:

· The man to whom her father or, with her father’s consent, her brother

gives her away- she should obey him when he is alive and not be unfaithful

to him when he is dead. The invocation of blessings and the sacrifice to

Prajapati are performed during marriage to procure her good fortune; the

act of giving away is the reason for his lordship over her.

· In season and out of season, in this world and in the next, the husband

who performed the marriage consecration with ritual formulas always

gives happiness to his woman. Though he may be bereft of virtue, given to

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lust and totally devoid of good qualities, a good woman should always

worship her husband like a god.

· For a woman, there is no independent sacrifice, vow or fast; a woman

will be exalted in heaven by the mere fact that she has obediently served

her husband. A good woman, desiring to go to the same world as her

husband, should never do anything displeasing to the man who took her

hand, whether he is alive or dead.

· After her husband is dead, she may voluntarily emaciate her body by

eating pure flower, roots, and fruits; but she must never mention even the

name of another man. Aspiring to that unsurpassed Law of women devoted

to a single husband, she should remain patient, controlled, and celibate

until her death.

· Untold thousands of Brahmins who have remained celibate from their

youth have gone to heaven without producing offspring to continue their

family line. Just like these celibates, a good woman, though she be sonless,

will go to heaven when she steadfastly adheres to the celibate life after her

husband’s death.

· When a woman is unfaithful to her husband because of her strong

desire for children, she is disgraced in this world and excluded from the

husband’s world. No recognition is given here to offspring fathered by

another man or begotten on another’s wife; nor is it taught anywhere that

a good woman should take a second husband.

· When a woman abandons her own husband of lower rank and unites

with a man of higher rank, she only brings disgrace upon herself in the

world and is called ‘a woman who has had a man before’. By being

unfaithful to her husband, a woman becomes disgraced in the world, takes

birth in a jackal’s womb, and is afflicted with evil diseases.

· A woman who controls her mind, speech, and body and is never

unfaithful to her husband attains the world of her husband, and virtuous

people call her a ‘good woman’. By following this conduct, a woman who

controls her mind, speech and body obtains the highest fame in this world

and the world of her husband in the next. (Trans. Patrick Olivelle)

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Thus, women merely have a borrowed, inferior identity, have no independent

space of their own, and never ever have the right to claim one for themselves. As

the Manusmṛti further states, in a straightforward manner:

· Day and night woman must be kept in dependence by the males (of)

their (families), and, if they attach themselves to sensual enjoyments, they

must be kept under one's control.

· Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in

youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for

independence.

· Women must particularly be guarded against evil inclinations,

however trifling (they may appear); for, if they are not guarded, they will

bring sorrow on two families.

· Considering that the highest duty of all castes, even weak husbands

(must) strive to guard their wives.

· Let the (husband) employ his (wife) in the collection and expenditure

of his wealth, in keeping (everything) clean, in (the fulfilment of) religious

duties, in the preparation of his food, and in looking after the household

utensils. (Trans. George Buhler)

The Status of Women As Depicted By Manu In The Manusmriti VIEW

HERE ⤡

The last verse cited above from the Manusmṛti makes it clear that women have

specific (viśeṣa/asādhāraṇa) duties in their saṁsāra daśa. They are to be

confined amidst household chores and certain religious performances alone (but

not during their filthy Menses! Do not we recall the Sabarimala affair? ⤡ vis a

vis the Kamkhya Temple).

[A Note of Disapproval by an unapologetic Hindutvavadin: The so-called

“Mahatma” Gandhi complied all these verses from the Book of Manu to condemn

it. We should make the task easier and banish Gandhi’s politics of religious

favouritism and gender partiality altogether. Furthermore, The way the deceitful

Mahar Bhimrao Ambedkar publicly burnt down the sacred Manusmṛti on

21.12.1927 for allegedly containing “discriminatory” remarks on śūdras and

women (according to their gaze), is nothing more than an infantile disorder,

inspired by the fallacious anti-Indian ideas injected by the British colonialists

and their associates.]

Henceforth, the constitution of the Durga Vahini, whose all-female members are

engaging in various forms of martial arts, stick fighting, learning to use arms and

ammunitions including daggers, swords and firearms, are not to be considered as

furthering the cause of Hindutva or Hindu Rāṣṭra in any conceivable manner. The

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logic of the Durga Vahini’s military combat-training thoroughly defeats the

fundamental purpose of the Hindutva crusade.

The “Nav-Yuvatis” (new female youth) of the Durga Brigade are being posed or

projected as the grassroot representatives of the Hindutva schema of masculine

agility or force, as the indoctrinated torchbearers of the (indispensable)

patriarchal Hindutva cultural hegemony, which is indeed a highly problematic

addition to the dissemination of the Hindutva agenda, since it exclusively calls

for a militant, aggressive male supremacy in all matters of national or patriotic

concern.

Any sort of radicalization of the womankind, be it political, economic, social,

religious or cultural, is to be prohibited at all costs as per the dictates of the Hindu

code.

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· Training of the Durga Vahini VIEW HERE ⤡

· Training of the Durga Vahini- II VIEW HERE ⤡

· Women's Wing Conduct Self-defence Training by Durga Vahini

in Varanasi VIEW HERE ⤡ (As reported on 30th May, 2016 ©IndiaTV)

· 'Durga Vahini' Training Camp VIEW HERE ⤡ (As reported on

7th June, 2019 ©Indian Express Bangla)

· The Power of the Durga Vahini VIEW HERE ⤡ (As reported on

21st May, 2017 ©Rajasthan Patrika)

Even Goddess Durga, after whose honour the Army has been named, was created

by adjoining the intrinsic powers of the male deities like Brahmā, Viṣṇu and

Maheśvara. Without male leadership, i.e., without the dominating male-power

showing the beacon-light of wisdom and virtue to all others, there is no scope for

consolidating a Hindu Rāṣṭra. That is, the female power was MANeuvaured by

the culture of Male. To illustrate it, one can take an instance from the

Hindu purāṇa (devī bhāgavata, the Mārkaṇḍeya Canḍī), where the Brahminical

culture projected their enemy as male demons. Devi Durga, who was created by

the (male) gods' concentrated power, fought against the asuras or 'male-demons'

to re-establish the male-gods' sovereignty.

However, we stumble upon one particular sloka in the Manusmṛti which says:

“yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ” (3.56), i.e., “Where women are

worshipped, there the Gods are roaming happily”.

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As modern commentators, we carefully need to comprehend the specific meaning

of “worshipping woman” by concentrating on the linguistic connotations of the

root √ram in the word “ramante”. The authenticated Monier Williams Dictionary

suggested that the meaning of “ram” is nothing but sexual intercourse (“to play

or sport, dally, have sexual intercourse with”). Thus the meaning of the sloka is

to be interpreted as: the Vedic Gods arrived at the door of women (inferior to

male) for the sake of seeking gratification through sexual intercourse. Many

evidences can be cited in support of the claim, e.g., virgin Kunti giving birth to

her “illegitimate” son Karna by the grace of Surya; or “married” Kunti gave birth

of sons by the grace of, Dharma, Pavana, Indra.

Even the apsaras (nymphs) from the heavens were used as seductive means to

lure and disrupt the sādhanā of the yogins or ṛṣis all across various stories of the

Hindu purāṇas.

However, we are albeit confused with the five adulterous iconic women

acknowledge in Hinduism, viz., the Pañcakanyā (Sanskrit: , is a group of

five polyandrous women of the Hindu epics). Their names are believed to be

dispelled from sin when chanted. They are Ahalyā, Draupadī, Kuntī, Tārā, and

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Mandodarī. Please help us to understand this concept of the Five Pillars of Chaste

Feminine Divinity. How can the virtuous Hindus chant the names of such impure,

unethical women?

Evidently, women are nothing but a source of distraction in the maintenance of

the Hindu code of conduct. They are of a lowly origin, as maintained by the

unquestionable Śrīmadbhagavadgītā (9.32):

“māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśhritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striyo vaiśhyās tathā śhūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim.”

i.e.,

“O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth

(or beings with sinful birth) – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras

[workers] – can attain the supreme destination.” (Trans. Srila Prabhupada)

It has been seen that many of the recruited members (obviously female with sinful

birth) of Durga Vahini are from the lower-castes, which further make them

doubly incapable of pursuing the Hindutva agenda (the caste-gender continuum

or intersectionality is to be highlighted here).

The infidel BBC has raised a similar aporia in this matter of concern:

“And they [the members of the Durga Army] are trained to be warriors and wives

- they must be strong enough to break the bones of the enemy but docile enough

to never question their husbands. The Durga Vahini leadership is blind to this

duality - but that it has repercussions is abundantly clear. Members are also

trained in "dagger wielding" and use of firearms, according to the website.”

Inside an Indian camp for radical Hindu women VIEW HERE ⤡ (As

reported on 9th November, 2014 ©BBC)

In this context, we should also invoke the Satīdāha or sahamaraṇa (The

immolation of Satis, or Hindu widows) custom by repudiating the Sati Prevention

Act (1829), which was the brainchild of the anti-Hindu, anti-Bharat Raja Ram

Mohan Roy (1772-1833).

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was well-known for having an encyclopaedic knowledge

of the Hindu scriptures. Yet, he completely misinterpreted the sastric dictum:

“patiḥ agne sthāpaya” (situate the widow in the funeral pyre of the deceased

husband) as “ patiḥ agre sthāpaya” (situate the widow in front of the deceased

husband) to refute the sanction of the Satīs from the Śāstras. It is nothing but

Raja Roy’s cunning interpolation.

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Raja Rammohan Roy, the arch-enemy of the Hindutvavadins!

Films such as “Water” (2005; Dir. Deepa Mehta)⤡ are to be banned since they

falsely project the so-called “plight” of the Hindu widows; what the Hindu

widows pursue in life (in terms of their ordeal of willful suffering) after the

demise of their pati-parameśvara is a means to uplift themselves from their lowly

birth by performing pious deeds, and the same cannot be viewed as gender

oppression/repression or gender stigmatization or gender marginalization. The

shooting of this condemnable film in Varanasi was validly disrupted by the

volunteers of our Sangh.

Deepa Mehta's film 'Water' has Sangh Parivar doing the war dance, but gets

a second life VIEW HERE ⤡ (As reported on 14th January, 2013 ©India Today)

Another film, named “Ghatashraddha” (1978; Dir. Girish

Kasaravalli)⤡ similarly projects the role of upper-caste Hindu males in

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“exploiting” the Hindu widows. Such films are an insult to our nation’s age-old

culture.

On the other hand, Deepika Bhardwaj, a staunch follower of the BJP, destroyed

such gynocentrism in her documentary: “Martyrs of Marriage”

⤡

.

The sole job of the Hindu women is to provide pleasure or comfort to their male

lords and give birth to as well as nurture their pure male offspring. The Hindu

women, due to their natural/biological constitution, are incapable of doing

anything on their own and it is thus their holy duty to sacrifice themselves, even

if it amounts to burning themselves alive on the funeral pyre of the late husband,

because engaging in such a karma contributes to their puṇya (merits) and a

rightful place in the realm of the virtuous men, viz., svarga!

The Eurasian anti-Hindu, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-31), is also to be

condemned. He wrote a sacrilegious poem entitled “On the Abolition of Suttee”

(1829) by lauding the delegalization of the Sati by the colonial Lord Bentinck:

‘‘Bentinck, be thine the everlasting mead!

The heart’s full homage still is virtue’s claim,

And ’tis good man’s ever honoured deed

Which gives an immortality to fame:

Transient and fierce, though dazzling is the flame

That glory lights upon the wastes of war:

Nations unborn shall venerate thy name,

A triumph than the conqueror’s mightier far,

Thy memory shall be blessed as is the morning star.’’

This Anglo-Indian poet Derozio, the pioneer of the radical Young Bengal or

Young Calcutta Movement, also dared to compose an entire metrical tale called

“The Fakeer of Jungheera” (1828), which told the heinous love story of a Muslim

bandit cum faqir and a Hindu Sati Nalini in positive lights! Derozio also

questioned the so-called “barbaric” role of the priests in performing this sacred

ritual. He wrote:

“The fact is, that so far from any display of enthusiastic affection, a Suttee is a

spectacle of misery, exciting in the spectator a melancholy reflection upon the

tyranny of superstition and priest-craft. The poor creatures who suffer from this

inhuman rite, have but little notion of the heaven and the million years of

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uninterrupted happiness to which their spiritual guides tell them to look forward.

The choice of immediate death, or a protracted existence, where to be only must

content their desire, is all that is offered to them and who under such

circumstances would hesitate about the preference The most degrading and

humiliating household offices must be performed by a Hindu Widow; she is not

allowed more food than will suffice to keep her alive, she must sleep upon the

bare earth, and suffer indignities from the youngest members of her family, these

are only a few of her sufferings.”

DEROZIO IN "BHARAT EK KHOJ" (E41: The Bengal Renaissance and

Raja Rammohun Roy) VIEW HERE ⤡

Did not Mā Sītā in the Ramayana unquestionably comply with the divine

imperatives of Lord Rāma (Hail!) to step into the fiery realm twice? Today, Hindu

women must learn their life’s conduct from the enlightening examples

of Mā Sītā and the way she accepted her subordinate position to Lord Rāma,

instead of getting motivated by the dirty Western culture that preaches equality

between men and women. Thus, it is justified for the Sangh Parivar to delete the

name of Sītā from the greetings: ‘Jay Sri Ram’ instead of the popular ‘Jay Siya-

Ram’.

The Durga Vahini women are also instructed: “Every member is expected to

exercise regularly for "increasing her physical stamina" and to read "good

literature".” This also goes against the Hindu dharma. Women must not hijack

the duties of the naturally-endowed high-caste Brahmin males, viz., the study of

literature, nor should they strive to increase their physical vigour in the likeness

of the male Kṣatriyas. No such mimicking of the upper-caste manners should be

done by the subordinate gender. Thus, Hindutva proponents such as Sadhvi

Ritambhara (founder-chairperson of Durga Vahini), Sadhvi Uma Bharti and

Sadhvi Pragya are not to be entertained in accordance to our holy texts.

That is why our Veer Savarkarji (Yogi Adityanath now bears his torch. Even in

case of Bilkis Bano, hailing the rapists with garlands and sweets is a

commendable gesture on the part of the upper-caste samskaris) defended the use

of rape as a political weapon, to let the women realize their social status:

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Reading Savarkar: How a Hindutva icon justified the idea of rape as a

political tool. VIEW HERE ⤡ (As reported on May 28, 2016 © Scroll.in)

Thus, the popular proverb [Nītiśāstra (1.16)], “visadapyamrtam grahyam

amedhyadapi kancanam nicadapyuttamam vidyam stri-

ratnam duskuladapi” (“Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back

gold if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge even from a low born

person; so also a woman possessing virtuous qualities, even if she be born in a

disreputable family.”) ⤡ applies in this context.

The Urban naxals caught Modiji for a Freudian slip, when Modiji said “Beti

Patao” instead of “Beti Padhao”. These Urban naxals do not understand the

gigantic efforts and sacrifices made by faqir Modiji for the welfare of the nation.

Watch: PM Narendra Modi Accidentally Saying 'Beti Padhao Beti Patao'

Instead of 'Beti Bachao' VIEW HERE ⤡

Michael Madhusudan Dutt, the composer of the Bangla epic Meghnad Badh

Kavya [1861], where he glorified Rāvana instead of Rāma and stated in a letter

to his friend, Raj Narain Bose: “I despise Ram and his rabble; but the idea of

Ravan elevates and kindles my imagination; he was a grand fellow.” Also, in one

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of his Satires, “Buro Shaliker Ghaare Roya”, he maligned the high caste Hindu

Zamindar, an immoral character, who is craving a Muslim lady by uttering the

above proverb by paraphrasing it. Madhusudan, a converted Christian, depicted

a kind of reverse love jihad, which is historically wrong. He spent much of his

calories like the other so-called Renaissance men from Bengal for

“emancipating” women from their so-called “captive” state, i.e., from the

peripheries of their household.

Our Hindu religion teaches us to treat women like mere commodified objects. In

the Hindu wedding-ritual Kanyā-sampradāna, “gifting away the girl” by the

bride's father or male guardian is an essential ritual, whilst reciting the Kāma

Sūkta. Dāna should be followed by Varadakṣiṇā, “gift to the bridegroom”, giving

cash, jewellery, and land. Thus, woman has become an inanimate object like cash,

jewellery, utensils and land, to be owned by the physically-mentally superior

male kartās, within the Hindu socio-religious framework.

Kanya-Daan – The Divine Ritual – Blessing Or Curse VIEW HERE ⤡ (As

Why Kanyadaan? – An unquestioned ritual VIEW HERE ⤡

Moreover, the Hindu Succession Act (1956) ⤡, which provides for the equal

distribution of property amidst both male and female inheritors (both in

Dayabhaga and Mitaksara systems), should be done away with.

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE FOR THE HINDUS? REALLY SO? VIEW

HERE ⤡

In conclusion, we must propagate only all-male armies for guarding the Hindu

fatherland from both external and internal enemies (such as Muslims, Christians

and Communists).

Therefore, we would like to humbly appeal to your honourable chair to kindly

look into this matter threatening the purity of the Hindutva soul. We should get

rid of formations such as the Durga Vahini at once to cleanse our holistic

politico-religious agenda in order to do or die for the Akhand Hindustan.

Yours Most Obediently,

Dr. Debaprasad Bandyopadhyay

Mrs. Rupa Bandyopadhyay

Mr. Akhar Bandyopadhyay

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  

(“For the happiness of the many, for the welfare of the many”)

APPENDIX:

COMPILATION OF SELECTED QUOTATIONS

FROM THE MANUSMRTI OR THE MANAVA DHARMA SASTRA

ON THE STATUS OF HINDU WOMEN

1. “Swabhav ev narinam …..” – 2/213. It is the nature of women to seduce men

in this world; for that reason the wise are never unguarded in the company of

females.

2. “Avidvam samlam………..” – 2/214. Women, true to their class character, are

capable of leading astray men in this world, not only a fool but even a learned

and wise man. Both become slaves of desire.

3. “Matra swastra ………..” – 2/215. Wise people should avoid sitting alone with

one’s mother, daughter or sister. Since carnal desire is always strong, it can lead

to temptation.

4. “Naudwahay……………..” – 3/8. One should not marry women who has have

reddish hair, redundant parts of the body [such as six fingers], one who is often

sick, one without hair or having excessive hair and one who has red eyes.

5. “Nraksh vraksh ………..” – 3/9. One should not marry women whose names

are similar to constellations, trees, rivers, those from a low caste, mountains,

birds, snakes, slaves or those whose names inspires terror.

6. “Yasto na bhavet ….. …..” – 3/10. Wise men should not marry women who do

not have a brother and whose parents are not socially well known.

7. “Uchayangh…………….” – 3/11. Wise men should marry only women who are

free from bodily defects, with beautiful names, grace/gait like an elephant,

moderate hair on the head and body, soft limbs and small teeth.

8. “Shudr-aiv bharya………” – 3/12.Brahman men can marry Brahman,

Kshatriya, Vaish and even Shudra women but Shudra men can marry only Shudra

women.

9. “Na Brahman kshatriya..” – 3/14. Although Brahman, Kshatriya and Vaish

men have been allowed inter-caste marriages, even in distress they should not

marry Shudra women.

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10. “Heenjati striyam……..” – 3/15. When twice born [dwij=Brahman,

Kshatriya and Vaish] men in their folly marry low caste Shudra women, they are

responsible for the degradation of their whole family. Accordingly, their children

adopt all the demerits of the Shudra caste.

11. “Shudram shaynam……” – 3/17. A Brahman who marries a Shudra woman,

degrades himself and his whole family ,becomes morally degenerated , loses

Brahman status and his children too attain status of shudra.

12. “Daiv pitrya………………” – 3/18. The offerings made by such a person at

the time of established rituals are neither accepted by God nor by the departed

soul; guests also refuse to have meals with him and he is bound to go to hell after

death.

13. “Chandalash ……………” – 3/240. Food offered and served to Brahman after

Shradh ritual should not be seen by a chandal, a pig, a cock,a dog, and a

menstruating women.

14. “Na ashniyat…………….” – 4/43. A Brahman, true defender of his class,

should not have his meals in the company of his wife and even avoid looking at

her. Furthermore, he should not look towards her when she is having her meals

or when she sneezes/yawns.

15. “Na ajyanti……………….” – 4/44. A Brahman in order to preserve his energy

and intellect, must not look at women who applies collyrium to her eyes, one who

is massaging her nude body or one who is delivering a child.

16. “Mrshyanti…………….” – 4/217. One should not accept meals from a woman

who has extra marital relations; nor from a family exclusively

dominated/managed by women or a family whose 10 days of impurity because of

death have not passed.

17. “Balya va………………….” – 5/150. A female child, young woman or old

woman is not supposed to work independently even at her place of residence.

18. “Balye pitorvashay…….” – 5/151. Girls are supposed to be in the custody of

their father when they are children, women must be under the custody of their

husband when married and under the custody of her son as widows. In no

circumstances is she allowed to assert herself independently.

19. “Asheela kamvrto………” – 5/157. Men may be lacking virtue, be sexual

perverts, immoral and devoid of any good qualities, and yet women must

constantly worship and serve their husbands.

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20. “Na ast strinam………..” – 5/158. Women have no divine right to perform

any religious ritual, nor make vows or observe a fast. Her only duty is to obey

and please her husband and she will for that reason alone be exalted in heaven.

21. “Kamam to………………” – 5/160. At her pleasure [after the death of her

husband], let her emaciate her body by living only on pure flowers, roots of

vegetables and fruits. She must not even mention the name of any other men after

her husband has died.

22. “Vyabhacharay…………” – 5/167. Any women violating duty and code of

conduct towards her husband, is disgraced and becomes a patient of leprosy.

After death, she enters womb of Jackal.

23. “Kanyam bhajanti……..” – 8/364. In case women enjoy sex with a man from

a higher caste, the act is not punishable. But on the contrary, if women enjoy sex

with lower caste men, she is to be punished and kept in isolation.

24. “Utmam sevmansto…….” – 8/365. In case a man from a lower caste enjoys

sex with a woman from a higher caste, the person in question is to be awarded

the death sentence. And if a person satisfies his carnal desire with women of his

own caste, he should be asked to pay compensation to the women’s faith.

25. “Ya to kanya…………….” – 8/369. In case a woman tears the membrane

[hymen] of her Vagina, she shall instantly have her head shaved or two fingers

cut off and made to ride on Donkey.

26. “Bhartaram…………….” – 8/370. In case a women, proud of the greatness

of her excellence or her relatives, violates her duty towards her husband, the King

shall arrange to have her thrown before dogs at a public place.

27. “Pita rakhshati……….” – 9/3. Since women are not capable of living

independently, she is to be kept under the custody of her father as child, under

her husband as a woman and under her son as widow.

28. “Imam hi sarw………..” – 9/6. It is the duty of all husbands to exert total

control over their wives. Even physically weak husbands must strive to control

their wives.

29. “Pati bharyam ……….” – 9/8. The husband, after the conception of his wife,

becomes the embryo and is born again of her. This explains why women are

called Jaya.

30. “Panam durjan………” – 9/13. Consuming liquor, association with wicked

persons, separation from her husband, rambling around, sleeping for

unreasonable hours and dwelling -are six demerits of women.

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31. “Naita rupam……………” – 9/14. Such women are not loyal and have extra

marital relations with men without consideration for their age.

32. “Poonshchalya…………” – 9/15. Because of their passion for men,

immutable temper and natural heartlessness, they are not loyal to their husbands.

33. “Na asti strinam………” – 9/18. While performing namkarm and jatkarm,

Vedic mantras are not to be recited by women, because women are lacking in

strength and knowledge of Vedic texts. Women are impure and represent

falsehood.

34. “Devra…sapinda………” – 9/58. On failure to produce offspring with her

husband, she may obtain offspring by cohabitation with her brother-in-law

[devar] or with some other relative [sapinda] on her in-law’s side.

35. “Vidwayam…………….” – 9/60. He who is appointed to cohabit with a widow

shall approach her at night, be anointed with clarified butter and silently beget

one son, but by no means a second one.

36. “Yatha vidy……………..” – 9/70. In accordance with established law, the

sister-in-law [bhabhi] must be clad in white garments; with pure intent her

brother-in-law [devar] will cohabitate with her until she conceives.

37. “Ati kramay……………” – 9/77. Any women who disobey orders of her

lethargic, alcoholic and diseased husband shall be deserted for three months and

be deprived of her ornaments.

38. “Vandyashtamay…….” – 9/80. A barren wife may be superseded in the

8th year; she whose children die may be superseded in the 10th year and she who

bears only daughters may be superseded in the 11th year; but she who is

quarrelsome may be superseded without delay.

39. “Trinsha……………….” – 9/93. In case of any problem in performing

religious rites, males between the age of 24 and 30 should marry a female

between the age of 8 and 12.

40. “Yambrahmansto…….” – 9/177. In case a Brahman man marries Shudra

woman, their son will be called ‘Parshav’ or ‘Shudra’ because his social

existence is like a dead body.

THE DURGA VAHINI: A STUDY OF WOMEN IN HINDUTVA

Abstract

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