Misogyny and Religion: How Hinduism Promotes Patriarchy

Gather around everyone, because I’m going to tell you a story.

This is the story from the Ramayana, one of the two great epics of Hinduism, and also the most watched TV show on the planet.

This is the story of Ahilya.

Shri Rama and Ahilya (Source: Dainik Bhaskar)

Ahilya was a breathtakingly beautiful woman who was married to the great Rishi (sage) Gautam. In fact, Ahilya was so beautiful that even Lord Indra, king of the minor Gods, fell for her. However, since she was married and faithful to her husband, there was not much Indra could do.

Until, he came up with a plan.

Every day, Rishi Gautam used to go for bathing into a nearby river. So, Indra disguised himself as Rishi Gautam, and came to Earth when the real Rishi Gautam was away bathing. Then, he went to Ahilya’s hut, and proceeded to have carnal relations with her.

However, as Indra was coming out, the real Rishi Gautam came back, and saw a fake version of himself coming out of Ahilya’s hut. He at once realized that this could be no one but Indra himself, and he was overcome with rage since Indra had had carnal relations with his wife.

Now, take a minute. Think about who is at fault here. If you were in the place of Rishi Gautam, what would you have done instead?

Pulled a Rustom?

Rustom (Source: MensXP)

Pulled a Kabir Singh?

Kabir Singh (Source: Mid-Day)

Well, here is what Rishi Gautam did: He cursed Indra to become impotent for the rest of his existence.

Fair enough. I can’t say Indra didn’t deserve it.

That should be the end of it, right?  

Wrong.

Rishi Gautam also then proceeded to curse his wife that she would become a stone and stay that way until Lord Vishnu himself came to absolve her of this curse.

Ahilya in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana

And she stayed that way for hundreds of years, until Lord Rama came and turned her back into a woman.

I wish I could say that this was a one-time thing, but the Ramayana is littered with incidents of misogyny and sexism. Whether it is the treatment of Sita or Mandodari, it has always been emphasized and reinforced that women and their demands are inferior to men.

The message that an ideal wife should have no purpose but to stay at home and keep her husband happy, is one that has been echoed throughout different religious books, scriptures, and mythological stories.

Which begs the question: Is part of the misogyny in India actually rooted in religion?

(Source: Feminism In India)

In the Women, Peace, and Security Index of 2019, India ranks 133 out of 167. In a country where almost 80% of the population is Hindu (according to the 2011 census), it becomes essential to study the impact that religion might have on this sexist ideology.

The position of women in the various religious scriptures has always been conflicting and contradictory. In the book of Hindu law, Manusmriti, the first duty of a wife is described as being subservient to her husband.

The Vedas and the Upanishads are also filled with various incidents and anecdotes of how women were used as objects for barter and for personal gain.

The verbatim translation of some of the verses of the Manusmriti read as below:

(Source: Manusmriti)

Manusmriti has been frequently called the ideal way of living a life. If that is the case, then it is easy to see why misogyny and such a strong patriarchal system is present in our modern societal values. However, it does not end here.

In Hindu mythology, menstruation is considered to be impure. This dates back to when Indra killed a Rishi and he was punished by the Gods. In order to ease his guilt, women sought to take a part of Indra’s burden of guilt, and hence they were punished with having to bleed every month.

While it has since been proven that menstruation is still a very normal process, menstruating women are still looked upon as evil and impure. In several parts of the country, they are not allowed to pray or enter the kitchen whilst they are menstruating. It has been declared in the Vedas that women must “purify” themselves after menstruating before they can be allowed to return to normal life. The food prepared by menstruating women is also considered to be unclean, and not fit to be eaten.

Menstruating women are isolated (Source: IndiaFacts)

Another oppressive practice that has been discontinued now but was very prevalent in the past was the practice of Sati. This is the process wherein a widow was expected to voluntarily jump into her husband’s funeral pyre and die with him. While this started as a voluntary step and was often looked upon with awe, it soon transformed into a forcible means, and widows were often thrown into pyres to burn them, because they were looked upon as impure. This practice continued for several hundred years before it was finally banned by the British government on the insistence of Raja Rammohan Roy.

But, is Hinduism really sexist at its core? I’d say not. Hinduism is a religion wherein women are seen as deities and Devis, and worshiped. Durga, Kali, and Lakshmi are goddesses revered by everyone for their strength, benevolence, and their brave deeds.

Indian Goddesses (Source: WordZz)

Various social concepts like menstruation being impure were believed at the time due to lack of scientific knowledge, but now that we know the reasoning for them, there is no reason to continue to follow these outdated traditions.

Therefore, the key takeaway here is this: while Hinduism may have several practices that appear barbaric and primitive, that is because they were written during such a time period. Times have changed, and while practices must change with time, the core idea of Hinduism: Live and Let Live, is still as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.

It is essential that we understand that religions were established several thousands of years ago, and level of knowledge present at that time was not the same as today. I mean, how many of us believe today that Zeus is responsible for lightning? (If you do, you really need help.)

Zeus (Source: Pinterest)

While practices and teachings can change over time to adapt to the changes in knowledge, we shouldn’t forget that Hinduism, just like every other religion, preaches love, equality, and compassion.

-NK

Don’t forget to check out my analysis on other religions and sexism, coming out soon.