Page 46 - M&M - Eng
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Modern people may say such a definition of a woman’s role
in society is patriarchal or mysogynist, but what social system
have they invented that can surpass Kṛṣṇa’s own varṇāśrama-
dharma? Actually such people are simply barbarians who can
understand only one social principle: sense gratification, the
principle of animal society.
Both women and men are equally bound by scriptural
injunctions. A man who accepts a wife must return her service
in so many ways, by protecting and caring for her. He must,
also, respect all other women, besides his wife, just as he
respects his own mother. “Be one for whom the mother is a
god.” (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.11.2)
A vital role of women is to not simply bear children, but
to themselves be religious and of pure consciousness. As
stated in Bg 1.40, unprotected women become victims of
unscrupulous men and thus varṇa-saṅkara are born, and the
whole civilization is spoiled.
Therefore one of the purposes of this book is to counteract
propaganda that Śrīla Prabhupāda treated men and women
equally in all respects. Men and women are spiritually equal,
but they are materially and socially different.
In today’s oversexed society, women are the main sufferers,
because they are more often and more seriously exploited.
Men should protect women from exploitation by lusty men.
According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, so-called equal rights for
women means that the men cheat the women.
Another kind of protection that women require is emotional
support of a man, without which they tend to feel insecure and
dissatisfied or dysfunctional — even to the point of becoming
a feminist. Often it is seen that women who are superficially
renunciants try to cozy up to a man (usually a renunciant)