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Comments on Previous Editions                             257

           — as it is viewed by many as impractical, too idealistic and
           even exploitive. That it is so is perhaps not surprising as this
           tendency merely reflects the view of mainstream society that
           the role of a mother and wife is, simply put, not very important.
           If you want to “be someone,” if you want to be viewed as doing
           something valuable for society, you must have an education
           and a job. Then only are you viewed as someone contributing
           to society. If you merely do your duty as a mother and wife,
           you may even be seen as a parasite or a lazy person. Women:
           Masters or Mothers?  explains nicely and clearly why Śrīla
           Prabhupāda spoke and wrote quite often about the important
           role women have in society as devoted mothers and wives. The
           book makes it clear why strī-dharma is very much relevant for
           the women of ISKCON here and now if we want to show the
           world a positive example of stable family life, happy children
           and harmonious marriages. At the present moment there is
           dissonance between the ideals and principles as presented
           by Śrīla Prabhupāda on the role of women and the way these
           ideals are understood and practiced. As is pointed out in the
           book, an immediate change may not be possible, but at least
           the ideals should be upheld, strived towards and propagated
           so that gradually we will move in the right direction, and the
           sooner the better.



                           Śrī Brajalīlā Devī Dāsī (JPS)
             Flight Lieutenant (Retd), Indian Air Force, Bangalore, India

           I am very grateful for having come across this book, Women:
           Masters or Mothers?  but I lament not having come across it
           earlier, for I would then have avoided many mistakes in my life.

           I was born and brought up in a simple South Indian family.
           My mother always dreamt that her daughter should be an
           independent woman. It didn’t take much time for me to develop
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