Baba
Girl donation
Are women like cattle, or sacks of cloth that people give as gifts at the time of marriage?
Note: This letter is only for those who have reverence for
Sadguru Baba Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji and try to follow His Ananda
Marga ideology.
Namaskar,
Here is one important topic that every Ananda Margii must know about.
Sadguru Baba has given the guideline that males and females have equal
status. But in old Indian traditions that is not the case. Especially,
marriage ceremonies are done in a very lopsided way. This letter talks
about the kanyadan (girl donation) Hindu marriage system. These days
even highly educated boys and girls marry according to the old ritual of
kanyadan or girl donation - whereby girls are donated to boys and
treated as slaves. Those getting married do not think about what they
are doing - nor do the participants / witnesses. They are so
indoctrinated that they do not consider or question how abominable this
kanyadan (girl donation) ritual is. To understand please continue
reading.
Sadguru Baba says, “
Renaissance people will have to start a movement for
social equality and fight against such inequality based on sexual
difference. Are women like cattle, or sacks of cloth that people give as
gifts at the time of marriage? Are they slaves to be sold to others? As
long as women lacked courage or intellect, they tolerated these things –
but what a great humiliation! To submit them to such indignities is far
worse than to whip them publicly on the road. Are women simply like
bundles of cloth to be sent to the washerman’s house?” (1)
Girls objectified & given away as mere objects
In the below photo, the prevailing Hindu marriage dogma is on full
display. Women are treated as mere objects to be donated to the husband
and his family - just as one would donate a sheep, cow, or a table cloth
etc. These girls are viewed as physical property to be bartered and
traded etc. Verily, females in the Hindu marriage system are not treated
as human beings, but rather as mere possessions - i.e. articles to be
given away etc.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
It is akin to the era of slavery where slaves were taken to the market
to be bought, sold, and traded like mundane possessions etc. Similarly,
these girls are decorated in order to be given away. This is the case
with typical Hindu marriage ceremonies. The Muslim marriage ceremonies
are even worse as they proclaim that three females are equal to one
male. That is why sincere Ananda Margiis do not participate in these
types of dogmatic ceremonies - even if non-margiis are hosting the
event. Participating means degrading the status of women. Indeed, this
type of marriage ritual is abhorrent.
The below is the scene at a Hindu marriage / kanyadan (girl donation)
ceremony where girls are objectified and bartered as property - just as
one has a house, a car, a bicycle, horses, or animals etc.
~ Dogmatic Hindu marriage ceremony where females treated as commodities ~
Dogma: girls are treated as property
Pictured above is the girl donation ceremony. In the above photo, the
guardians of the girl are leaning over her head and offering her to the
boy who is sitting across from her. The golden thread or cord that is
looped about the girl and boy demonstrates that she now belongs to him.
In India, girls are treated as property - just as one has a house, a
car, a bicycle, horses, or animals etc. Boys are not treated as
property, but girls are. This is pervasive in throughout the Indian
subcontinent, the Muslim world, and many other regions as well. In the
west, females were formerly treated this way but things have changed
drastically in the last half-century whereby women have gained both
legal and social rights. But in India - such as in the Hindu wedding
scene picture above, girls are mere objects to be traded.
Because this dogma is so ingrained, some may feel frustrated reading
this. They have been so indoctrinated into this defective mentality that
they think the donation of their girls is something holy or virtuous.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Quite humiliating and denigrating for the girl
The name of this social ritual is kanya’da’n (girl donation). Kanya’
means girl, and da’n means gift or donation. Thus when they donate their
girls it is called kanya’da’n (girl donation). They think of this as
being something virtuous. But in reality, we know that nothing can be
donated unless it is something you own. Thus girls are mere commodities
or property.
As Sadguru Baba points out, this whole scene is quite humiliating and
denigrating for those girls but due to their ignorance they feel
ecstatic and glorified during this ceremony. When that girl was small
she was taught that a one fine day she will become the property of
another family. So they believe that this is a respectful and dignified
outcome - i.e. to live as the property of someone else.
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "The bride wearing ornaments would
remain seated in a squatting fashion on a low wooden seat; the guardian
of the bride would pick her up along with the wooden seat and give her
away to the bridegroom, who would receive her as a gift. The person
presenting the gift was called kukuda, that is, one who gives away [the
bride after picking her up]. The one who received the gift was called
koka, that is, the one who accepts the offered bride as a gift. This
marriage custom where the daughter is ceremonially given away is still
prevalent among high-caste people. This custom is humiliating for women.
Is a woman a commodity like rice, pulse, salt or oil that I pick her up
and hand her over to someone? Is a woman a hen or okra that I pack her
up in a sack and sell her or give her away? The custom is not only
humiliating for women; it also drags the dignity of humanity down to
dust. It violates the basic principles of humanism and also
Neo-Humanism. I request all rational-minded people of the world to give
serious thought to this issue and try their best to abolish this odious
custom. I would say that it was not proper for Manu to support this
custom." (2)
Why margiis not to support dogmatic Hindu marriage kanyadan
This defective mentality is similar to that of a caged bird that has
been caged for so long that it cannot conceive of its own freedom. It
likes that small, puny cage.
In His below guideline, Baba is warning us about this kanyadan dogma:
Females are not anyone’s personal property like cattle or sacks of
cloth. Yet treating females as mere objects is worse than whipping them
publicly on the road. Only a few confused or very new margiis
participate in this dogmatic Hindu marriage ritual. Every true Ananda
Margii is keen to refrain from attending any such type of event etc -
sincere sadhakas understand they cannot support or attend this Hindu
ritual of kanya’da’n (girl donation) ceremony. After all, these are not
innocent affairs, but rather represent the imposition of dogma and the
exploitation of women. It is our duty to educate the public and remove
this social injustice and gender difference.
Baba is warning us about this dogma and it is our duty to educate the
public and remove this social injustice and gender difference. Females
are not anyone’s personal property. A few confused or very new margiis
attend this dogmatic Hindu marriage ritual. But every true Ananda Margii
must think long and hard before attending any such type of event etc -
sincere sadhakas understand they cannot support or attend this Hindu
ritual and kanya’da’n (girl donation) ceremony. After all, these are not
innocent affairs, but rather represent the imposition of dogma and the
exploitation of women.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Renaissance people will have to start a
movement for social equality and fight against such inequality based on
sexual difference.
Are women like cattle, or sacks of cloth that people
give as gifts at the time of marriage? Are they slaves to be sold to
others? As long as women lacked courage or intellect, they tolerated
these things – but what a great humiliation! To submit them to such
indignities is far worse than to whip them publicly on the road. Are
women simply like bundles of cloth to be sent to the washerman’s house?
Women must not be suppressed, and there should not be domination of
males in the society. Society should have a cooperative leadership, not a
subordinated leadership; there should be a coordinated, cooperative
leadership, leadership between males and females. Renaissance people
will have to start a movement immediately to fight against all these
disparities; otherwise if fifty percent of the population, that is the
ladies, remain downtrodden, how can there be all-round progress of human
society? So these are all the social duties, the social
responsibilities of the Renaissance movement. Renaissance people will
have to wage war on these disparities, these inequalities – they will
have to be rooted out of the society.” (3)
Conclusion
In order to save our universal human family from various dogmas and
degrading traditions of ritualistic marriages, Sadguru Baba has
graciously given an ideal revolutionary marriage ceremony that grants
full respect and dignity to females and places them on equal footing as
men. The Ananda Marga system eradicates all dogmas - no kanyadan (girl
donation), no dowry, no casteism - and enables our human society to
march forward into a whole new era of gender equality based on
neo-humanistic values.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/
Namaskar
in Him,
Sulekha’ Singh
References
1. A Few Problems Solved - 7, Renaissance in All the Strata of Life
2. Shabda Cayaniká Part 4, Disc: 27
3. A Few Problems Solved - 7, Renaissance in All the Strata of Life
* * *
The below sections are entirely different topics, unrelated to the above material.
They stands on their own as points of interest.
* * *
== Section 2: Prabhat Samgiita ==
Why birds keep singing today? Prabhat Samgiita Intro: This following song depicts how the arrival of Parama Purusa transforms the whole scene. In the flower garden the birds are singing more sweetly, and the bumble bees are whispering to the flowers about the arrival of Parama Purusa. In the clouds, rain, thunderstorms, there is an expression of joy and enthusiasm. Everything is charged with positivity. When the mind is in a blissful state with bhakti then everything looks beautiful. Here the bhakta feels that in the heart the most charming Parama Purusa has appeared and in result everything is dancing in ecstasy.
"Áj pákhirá kii gán gáiá jáy, phúlero vanete bhramará nibhrite,
kii kathá ájike shonáte cáy..." (Prabhat Samgiita #0364)
Purport: O’ which songs do the birds keep singing today? In the flower garden, what does the bumble bee secretly wish to convey today? It looks like they are talking about the Supreme Charmer, Parama Purusa.
O’ why does the thunderbolt clamour with overwhelming joy in the heavy clouds amidst torrential rain showers. For whom is the thrilled lightning flashing with its bolts streaking across the sky. It looks like they are happy because Supreme Entity has come.
O’ who is sitting in my heart making my whole existence dance with ever new tunes. Today, I see the Lord appear before me in a beauteous and most attractive mohan form. He is full of mamata - extreme affection towards me. Seeing Him my heart is dancing...
Note For Prabhat Samgiita #0364:Mamata': Mineness; In Sanskrit “mama” = mine, and the suffix ta’ = -ness; hence “mineness.” To have equal or more love for something / someone than one has for oneself.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "What is the meaning of “mamatá”? Mama + tá = mamatá. Mama means “mine” and thus mamatá is the inner idea of being mine, the feeling that something is my own." (1)
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "“Mamatá” means “mine-ness” – “Mama” means “one's own”, and the abstract noun derived from it is “mamatá” – meaning, thereby “mine-ness.”" (2)
For example, suppose you are suffering from a fever then naturally you will be concerned about your own health. You will try to cure yourself by going to the doctor and taking medicine etc. If you have mamata for someone else, then if they are sick with a fever you will have the same degree of care for their condition as your own. When one does sadhana then this sense of mamata grows and one ultimately has the feeling of mamata towards the entire created universe. Without sadhana, one’s sense of mamata will be extremely limited whereby one might only care about their own individual existence. So when the mind is extremely narrow one only has mamata for oneself. Those with a slightly broader mind have mamata towards their parents and family members. And as the circumference of mind expands one has mamata for other relatives and community members etc. However, it is only with sadhana that the periphery of mind can grow further and further wherein one’s sense of mamata includes all beings and expressions of this cosmos. Parama Purusa has mamata’ for each and every entity - this entire creation, all living and non-living expressions.
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 7, The True Nature of Bhakti
2. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 1, Pleasing the Lord
== Section 3: Important Teaching ==
Multi-tasking: dangerous & impossible
The typical person has numerous aims. For example, they want to be the
king, president, billionaire, film hero, sports star, musical icon etc.
In that sense the average person is multi-purpose. But at the same time
living beings are unilateral. We can only do one work at one time.
People talk about multi-tasking, but it is an impossibility for unit
beings. The mind cannot do two works at the same time. And if one tries
to multi-task, their mind will become bifurcated and ultimately
degenerated, and / or they will find themselves in a terrible accident.
Best is to do one task at one time. By cultivating that quality in sadhana humans become one with Parama Purusa.
By doing sadhana and with his grace, the aspirant does become one with
Parama Purusa. And then, after losing their individuality, they can work
multilaterally - i.e. in all directions. Till then, do not try and do
many works at one time.
Only one direction, at one time
Ananda Marga ideology states, “Microcosm is multipurposive but its flow
is unilateral. On the other hand, Macrocosm is uni-purpose but its flow
is multilateral. There is no end to the desires of microcosm. Sometimes
it desires fame and sometimes it desires money. But it can make itself
travel at one time in one direction only. His mind cannot be
simultaneously engaged in a book and in a football game. While reading,
if he thinks of the football game his mind is diverted from the book.
Similarly, he cannot enjoy the football game if in the football game he
begins to think about his books. Hence, the flow of the unit is
unilateral. It travels only in one direction, at one time, whereas
Macrocosm is uni-purpose but multilateral. There is only one thought of
Macrocosm and that is the well-being of all. This is His one sole
purpose. Yet Macrocosm is a multi-lateral flow. He does many things
simultaneously. He is feeding you, creating the world, making rivers,
canals and birds. Everything is being created in His mind. Hence there
is much variety in His mind.” (1)
Reference
1. Subhasita Samgraha - 18, Microcosm and Macrocosm
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This email contains four sections:
1. PS #0364: Why birds keep singing today?
2. Posting: Girl donation
3. IT: Multi-tasking: dangerous & impossible
4. Links
