Page 40 - HIRS - Eng
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6 How I AcHIeved ReAl SucceSS
they are weak. So they require protection. And until she
reaches youthhood, she is protected by the father. As soon
as she reaches youthhood, she is given to a young man,
her husband, to give protection. And in old age, she is
protected by the elderly sons. This is the Vedic culture. 1
On the one hand, activists of the women’s liberation movement
claim that women are as strong as men and as capable of living
independently, but on the other hand they are constantly
petitioning for laws that give them protection. They rightly
expect that women should be given protection, but instead
of strengthening the family unit, they are expecting the state
to step in and be the provider.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Vedic culture advocates
protection of women, and this was lovingly done by family
members, just as one would be careful to protect something
that is very precious and dear to them.
Actually the woman must always be protected by her
husband. We always speak of the goddess of fortune as
being placed on the chest of Nārāyaṇa. In other words,
the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she
becomes beloved and well protected. Just as one saves his
money and places it under his own personal protection,
one should similarly protect his wife by his own personal
supervision. Just as intelligence is always within the
heart, so a beloved chaste wife should always have her
place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper
relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore
called ardhāṅganī, or half of the body. One cannot remain
1. Lecture by Śrīla Prabhupāda, November 30, 1973.