A very important principle is to protect women from getting polluted by unscrupulous men
adharmabhibhavat krishna
pradusyanti kula-striyah
strisu dusöasu varsneya
jayate varna-sankarah
“When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krishna , the women of the family become corrupt, and from the degradation of womanhood, O descendant of Vrsni,comes unwanted progeny.”
This is a very important point. Without good population in the society consisting of cultured and educated gentlemen that are following the rules and regulations of religious principles, how can you expect peace and prosperity? That is not possible. So the whole Vedic system was meant for having very good population. Not such kind of population that is addicted to killing and drinking and so many other sinful activities. No. Then you cannot check. If such population is there, then everything will be polluted. And when these people go in the government, how you can expect good administration? Therefore even in such a great country as the USA, the president is being tried and criticized.
So there must be good population. To have good population, the women should be very chaste – that is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. And to keep women chaste, the father, or, in the absence of father the elder brother, was responsible. So he must get the girl married – it is compulsory. Marriage is not compulsory for a man, because a man may remain a brahmacari; by training, he can abstain from sex. But if a woman is not protected very strictly, it is very difficult. If the girl is trained from the very beginning – “You should remain chaste” – that is dharma. It is called Satita dharma. Sati means chastity.
Examples of Chaste Women
There are many stories of Sati, or chaste woman. Nala- Damayanti story is well known. Nala was a king, but he became so poverty-stricken that he had no sufficient cloth to cover himself. The king took a piece of the wife’s cloth and put it on. Despite such difficult conditions, Damayanti never gave up her husband. She was a princess, but she didn’t say, “My husband has fallen to such poverty-stricken condition. Why shall I live with him?” These are some of the extreme examples of chastity.
Damayanti, the chaste wife of King Nala
Even in Bombay I have seen such examples. There was a beggar who had become defaced, may be due to some accident. He could not see at all, and was sitting at the roadside along with his wife, begging. What I noticed was that the couple was neat and clean. The wife was serving the husband so nicely by keeping him neat, clean and fresh. She would bring him there every day and again take him back home. She was young, but she didn’t leave her ugly husband. This is chastity.
Another story is of Ramanujacarya and his disciple. Once Ramanujacarya visited the home of a very poor disciple. But upon knocking the door, no one opened the door. Ramanujacarya wondered, “Why is no one coming to open the door?” Then he realized that the wife is alone inside the house, but being so poor, she didn’t have enough clothes to cover herself. That was the reason she did not open the door. Immediately, Ramanujacarya gave a piece of his own cloth to the woman inside. Putting it on, she came out and offered obeisances to Ramanujacarya.
This woman then went to a grocer to purchase grains for cooking. But the grocer was lusty after her, and he tried to entice her so he could enjoy with her. But the woman, although young, was chaste, and she never agreed to his proposals. But this time, because she wanted grains to cook for Ramanujacarya, she agreed to his proposal. She said, “You know that I am very poor. I immediately require some grains, ghee, and other things. My Guru Maharaja has come to our home. So tonight I agree with your proposal. Please give me. Even at the sacrifice of my chastity I want this.” The grocer was glad to hear this. He said, “All right, you take whatever you like.” She got all the necessary items, which she cooked, and offered first class food to Ramanujacarya and his servants.
By evening, the husband returned home and he saw how his wife had managed to satisfy the guests so nicely. He asked her, “How did you get all these things?” When she narrated the whole incident, he said to her, “All right. Take some prasada and give it to him.” When the grocer heard the whole story, however, his mind changed. Out of respect, he said to her, “I am sorry for treating you in this manner. You are my mother. Please forgive me. If you wish, you may take more grains and other ingredients, as much as you like.”
Female Psychology
Man and woman are compared to butter and fire. They should not be allowed to mix unrestrictedly
This is the psychology of a woman. The first man she meets in her life, she becomes his staunch lover. Therefore, especially in India, especially in Bengal, before a woman attains puberty, she is married. She continues to stay at her father’s house until she attains puberty. But she must know, “I am married. I have got my husband.” Then she becomes very chaste to him. Because she constantly thinks of her husband, she becomes more and more devoted to him. This arrangement of getting a girl married before puberty is called kanya-daya. The father must get the daughter married – this is dharma. When people become neglectful of such traditions and religious principles, women belonging to respectable families (kula-striyah) become polluted. It is said kulastriyah, not society-girls.
So this is Vedic culture. A woman should not be allowed to freely mix with man. In India the system is still current. Woman without husband cannot talk with any man. That is also psychological. In the Srimad -Bhagavatam it is stated that man is like ghee or butterpot, and woman is like fire. Therefore, as soon as fire comes near the butter pot, the butter must melt. Therefore they should be kept separate. And sastra says that you should not remain with your daughter, sister, or even your mother in a solitary place.
matra svasra duhitra va
naviviktasano bhavet
balavan indriya-gramo
vidvamsam api karsati
Usually nobody feels lusty towards one’s mother, sister or daughter. But sastra says: “Even with your mother, sister or daughter, you should not live in a solitary place.” One may wonder why it is so. Because balavan indriya-gramah: the senses are so strong that it becomes polluted. Even if he is greatly learned, he can be polluted. So sometimes in India, I am criticized for keeping women and men in the same temple. But I defend myself by saying that this is the system of the country; the women and men often intermingle. How can I check it? Shall I not give the women any chance for chanting Hare Krishna ?
Implement Samskaras
Therefore chastity is very, very important for producing good population. If the population turns into hippies, how there can be any peace and prosperity? Therefore, to produce good children, there are samskaras. Samskara means purificatory method. There are ten kinds of samskaras (dasavidha samskarah). The first is garbhadhana-samskara. This is one of the kula-dharmas. Another samskara is marriage. Before a child is born, there is garbhadhana-samskara. It is not that the husband and wife mix without any restriction and enjoy sex at any time. We know how Diti and Kasyapa Muni united at an improper time that caused the birth of two of the greatest demons, Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa. Garbhadhana– samskara is used to find out when the husband and wife should unite to beget a child. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita Krishna says that “sex life that is according to the principle of religious ideas is Me.” So sex life is not bad, provided it is executed according to the religious principles. Thus garbhadhana-samskara ensures that the child born will be first class. He’ll be able to become Krishna conscious. He’ll be able to understand the sastras, the Vedas.
But if they are not born in that way, if they are born like cats and dog, that is called varna-sankara. You cannot evaluate whether he’s a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra. Varna-sankara population is not good. No designation, no definition to which class the person belongs.
So at the present moment, because these purificatory processes are not accepted, there is an awakening of adharma, irreligious principles. Adharma abhibhavat Krishna pradusyanti kula-striyah (Gita 1.40). And as soon as the women are polluted, jayate varna-sankara: the whole population will be varna-sankara.
So five thousand years, the society was going on strictly based on Vedic principles. Now there is no such thing; nobody is observing Vedic principles. Because the Vedic principles were strictly being followed, the whole world was one unit, controlled by these Pandavas. So these are the principles. This is called human society. Varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman (Cc. Madhya 8.58). In human society, visnur aradhyate, the Lord is worshiped. But na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnuh: at the present moment, these rascals do not know. Andha yathandair upaniyamanah: the so-called leaders are blind, and they are trying to lead other blind men. This is the social position. Therefore there is no more hope of reviving the Vedic culture. But by the grace of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ceto darpanam marjanam: Vedic culture means to cleanse the heart and make him perfect. Brahma-bhutah, perfectly spiritualized – that is Vedic culture. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah (Gita 15.15). To know the Supreme Lord – that is Vedic culture. Now everything is topsy-turvied. Therefore, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended: harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam (Cc. adi 17.21). Only chant, then the result will be ceto-darpanamarjanam . By the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra, the same position will come. It is so nice. Kirtanad eva Krishna sya muktasangah param vrajet (Bhagavatam 12.3.51). Therefore there is no question of being depressed that: “We do not belong to this, do not belong to that.” Never mind. Whatever it is, simply chant Hare Krishna and you’ll become purified. That is Krishna consciousness movement.
Thank you very much.