The whole humanity since the dawn of time, revered the “Women” with utmost respect. Be it the Vedic or the Chaldean or the Egyptian, almost all the world cultures gave a prominent role for a woman in their “way of life”. At present we see a blow to the woman submission that arose in the recent times of the dark and an uprising of the idea of importance of women in the society. The dark ages of woman submission were preceded by bright ages of rich culture where women were revered on par with the Goddess. It always happens that we can learn many things when we rise our head out of the present mundane world and peek into the past history of our ancient ancestors. Their way of life always gives many clues that can be utilized in present lifestyles for a happy and blissful living.
In this article, let us peek into the thought processes of those bright ages of happy living people who revered the women so much and let us find the root reasons so that we too can follow their footsteps in making a blissful society. The article will mostly stick to one terminology – that of Vedas and Puranas – for, different systems though are equivalent may confuse the reader.
The Basics:
In the system that developed in the land of Bhaarath, the whole creation is attributed to two principles:
Purusha is the content or the very substratum of this whole cosmos, whereas the Prakriti is the Purusha’s qualitative aspect. For example, if Sun is Purusha, then Sun-Light is Prakriti; If our Eye-ball is Purusha, then the Eye-sight is Prakriti; etc. Now, if Sun is not there then there is no question of light and so for the eye ball with respect to the eye sight. Similarly, if Sun-light is not there, then the Sun is a useless entity and same goes with the Eye-sight with respect to that of the Eye-ball. Thus we see, Purusha and Prakriti are distinct in their manifestations but are interdependent on each other. One cannot exist without the other. And more so, Prakriti being a qualitative aspect, takes an important role in the multitude ways of expressions of Purusha – i.e. the vivid wonders of the Nature.
As an old archaic statement suggests “Man is made in the image of GOD”, humans must have been evolved in same way following the God’s twin role – i.e. Male-Female aspects. So, as an embodiment of Purusha, symbolic key is born as the principles in a male human being and as an embodiment of Prakriti the key principles are born as a female human being. So, by studying the principles inherent in these two beings and drawing parallels, in order to realize the secrets of God’s creation, with the cosmic principles forms the main motto of the statement above.
Purusha or the symbolic male is like a CLAY. How much can we speak of clay? Only when clay takes different forms (i.e. Prakriti) can we admire the beauty and express the feelings triggered thereon. So, let us speak of the Prakriti or the symbolic female.
So, to draw the parallels between woman and Prakriti, we need to relate the woman’s physical/mental properties to that of parts of Nature or Prakriti. In the following, we will take two comparisons – to the MOON and to the NUMBERS. Though, may seem strange at its first sight, the hidden secrets will sink into the mind, once understood thoroughly. Let us begin.
The Symbolic Woman:
When a human being is born and grows up, it cannot realize its gender until the age of puberty. But when puberty hits, a child can then realize the changes that occur in his/her body. Speaking of a female, the occurrence of her “first period” marks a milestone in her life. Exoterically people may take different meanings for this aspect, but esoterically speaking, it is the point of time in her life when she acquires the very potential of “Creative Ability”. The ability to create LIFE is still a mystery i.e. we do not have it by acquisition, but we are given (when it is not given to us, we are worried and go to doctors in search of solutions). Who gives it? The Prakriti gives or aptly speaking, bestows it. How can one be sure of this? This is where another archaic statement comes to our rescue – “As above, so below” i.e. whatever happens in the heavens (SKY/Universe) happens in and around us, on Earth.
Now, take this aspect of “Periods” of a woman. The periodicity of a healthy woman’s period is 28 days. Moon revolves around the Earth exactly in 28 days cycle. This is one of the most important key to understand how a woman is directly linked to Prakriti. So, one can see that the very ability to create in a woman is linked to the MOON (which, most of the biological kingdom depends upon, for its reproduction).
When a kid grows to a girl and then to a woman (i.e. after giving birth) her personality gets a drastic change. Now she is not just the revolving moon, but gets the ability of the moon light also i.e. what a moon light does to the whole Earth, she does to her child. Just like the moon takes the hot rays of the SUN and gives us only cold rays, a woman takes pains of the external world but gives only pure LOVE to her baby. Just imagine, when someone is in pain, he or she doesn’t go to a hot SUN. They would prefer a cool moonlight. Same is the case with the children – when they are troubled, they first reach their mother for comfort.
If not for the moon, there are no tides or water currents or any growth to the biological kingdom at all. So, moon is also a feeder for the EARTH. Similarly, a woman gets the ability to FEED her baby – note that she gets the ability, not by her WILL, but by the WILL of Prakriti. And this is the reason why milk that she produces is also as white as the moon light and not the colour of her choice.
Just like moon takes different phases – 16 in total — over her cyclic revolution around the Earth, a woman also has 16 phases in her personality – that is why in the mythology, the supreme goddess is named “Shodasi or Shodasa Kala Nidhi (the treasurer of 16 arts)” meaning who expresses herself in 16 different independent ways. Like FULL moon, she can be an embodiment of pure LOVE or like a half moon she can be a person who balances the good and evil in a society or like a crescent moon, she can be a romantic person – etc. Thus, a woman, just in parallel to Prakriti, has a potential to express herself in multitude ways. Thus also, her roles differ accordingly in relation to the family/society (i.e. a daughter, a wife, a mother, etc.) and she can be impersonal in all her roles, justifying each role to perfect accuracy.
We see moon revolving around the Earth. But if moon were not there, Earth wouldn’t have been stable and would have gone into chaos long back. Same goes with woman’s role in the society in general or as a wife with respect to a husband in particular. Though, it seems that woman needs man, it is the other way round. If one closely observes, one can easily get to this conclusion. So, without a woman, man will go into chaos and so does the society. Also, if a woman is unhappy – i.e. tortured by the EVIL of the society/husband, the reaction or end results will be just like the moon getting affected in its periodicity of revolution or its intensity of light (i.e. basically Chaos again). This secret of revering woman and making them feel safe and happy all the time is given out by MANU in his eternal laws where he states that “Where a woman tears a drop, there dwells the HELL and where a woman smiles, there dwells the Heaven”.
So far so good. But there is one more interesting analogy. It includes secret science of maths of the ancients i.e. “Numbers existed before the Humans” – which means that numbers exist as conscious principles in nature and work through humans. This is the reason why even a kid of 2 or 3 years who cannot count can easily distinguish between the two boxes having 10 and 5 chocolates each. The same reason applies for the consistency of the symmetry that we have in our count of number of teeth or bones or hands or fingers that we have in our body. For our present situation, consider the number of primary orifices that a human being has. A male human being has 9 primary orifices in his body. But a female human being has 9+1 = 10 orifices (including the Yoni or the hole for the Birth). This very aspect in a woman gives a hint of Prakriti’s direct involvement. Numbers from 0 to 9 have specific meanings and purposes according to ancient system of numbers. “0” is for symbolizing the property of periodic occurrence (hence it has a cyclic symbol), “1” is used to symblize the God (I AM in all) manifesting with the help of Prakriti, as an individual self – “I AM”.
To symbolize this, a woman has 10 orifices and a baby is born through the 10th orifice i.e.
10 = 1 + 0 = 1 and hence the “1” or the “JIVA” or the same
“God/I AM” is born again (but in a new frame) [This is the reason why all religions / cultures suggest that we are all ONE and the very essence of GOD]. Also, interestingly, a healthy woman bearing a child in normal delivery conditions, conceives the baby in her 10th month (i.e. after complete 9 months of pregnancy). So, the GOD, the number 1, comes through the 10th orifice of the mother, having 10 orifices, in her 10th month of pregnancy. The number 10 so vividly reverberates throughout and this is not a mere coincidence, but a great key to be meditated upon.
Conclusion:
Thus we see that a woman has in her very existence, the cosmic nature’s grand principles as seed principles which manifest throughout her life time. So, we see that Mother NATURE or Prakriti is acting through a woman as the very woman herself. So, to revere woman is not a condition to be forced upon, but a natural axiom for our happy living.
So, on this occasion, let us bow with veneration to the womanhood — of the past, the present and the future!
PhD (Quantum Physics), M.Sc. (IIT Madras), B.Tech. (LNMIIT).
Bridging the depths of Science and the wisdom of the Vedas
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