Vedic Women (part
1)
an interview with Umapati Swami
by Madhusudani Radha devi dasi
MR: Umapati Maharaja, what do you think about the notion that women in ISKCON are not
Vedic enough?
US: If the men want the women to be Vedic, then the men should take the lead and become
Vedic first. The men have to provide a society where the women are protected. What is the
use of talking about Vedic culture if we do not create a society where people can follow
it?
But I am not so sure that the people who speak the most about being Vedic understand all
the imports of Vedic culture. I do not claim to understand them either. For example,
ISKCON women distribute books on the street. Is that Vedic? If so, then the role of women
in Vedic culture is wider than is commonly thought.
Nor do the scriptures encourage women to be blind followers. "A woman, therefore,
should consider her husband, her house and her children to be the arrangement of the
external energy of the Lord for her death, just as the sweet singing of the hunter is
death for the deer." [SB 3.31.42]
So I think we should learn more about what Vedic culture really is and not just present
one aspect of it as all in all.
MR: There have been several accusations stating that divorced and remarried Vaisnavis are
prostitutes and whores. Do you think that is a fair assessment?
US: If the women are whores, then what are the men if not whoremongers? You can't have one
without the other.
But better than calling people names is to see how Srila Prabhupada treated remarried
women. I did a little research on this. Here are some excerpts from letters concerning
Mother Kausalya in the early seventies. Kausalya had married, or was planning to marry,
for the second time since her initiation.
Srila Prabhupada writes, "My special blessings for Palika and Kausalya prabhus who
are doing so much for our Lord and they must be specifically blessed to go back home, back
to Godhead without any delay for waiting for the next life. Thank them very much on my
behalf."
Does that sound as if Srila Prabhupada is calling this remarried woman a prostitute?
Here's another letter. "Now Madhavananda and his wife have arrived. Kausalya is an
expert Deity worshiper and an important hand in our movement, so she and Yamuna, two
sisters can be very useful in Deity worship there. Keep Kausalya comfortable and she can
be a great help."
Was Srila Prabhupada recommending a prostitute for Deity worship? He obviously considered
Kausalya to be a brahmani in spite of her second marriage.
I am not saying this to encourage divorce. It is abominable, and Srila Prabhupada preached
against it. But we are not living in a Vedic society, and we should follow Srila
Prabhupada's example in dealing with people who have this kind of problem in their lives.
The most important thing is to encourage people in Krsna Consciousness whatever their
situation because by serving and chanting and following the principles, we can develop the
necessary intelligence to understand Vedic culture and establish a Vedic society.
end of part 1
© CHAKRA 17-Dec-98 |