Study On Women's Awareness On Their Legal Rights

It is said that the civilisation and culture of a country are judged by the status that it accords to its women. The vedic literature says that Gods send prosperity to the house where women are worshipped. Women are naturally bestowed with gentleness, patience, love and sacrifice. The child – the father of man is taught the first lesson on life by its mother. Her remonstrance on spiritual, moral and ethical aspects during childhood makes an indelible impact on an individual throughout his life-virtually making her the first preceptor of humankind. She has a major responsibility and important role in shaping the destiny of humankind. If we pick up the thread of hidden attributes of woman such as gentleness, patience, love and sacrifice this could be traced to a glorious past of humankind when women were held as equals. We hear in our time the combined names of Sri Laxmi and Sri Narayana, Sri Sita and Sri Ram whose pictures are quite common. They are shown in the pose of sitting together and holding Darbar. This indicates equality of men and women and a collective leadership reigned. Mahatma Buddha recognised woman’s right to an equal place in religion. His first disciple who was his own wife who became the head of the whole Buddhist movement among the women of India. In the vedic and Upanishadic age ladies like Maitreyi, Gargi and a host of others of revered memory have taken the place of Rishis. Manu says ‘Where women are respected, there the gods delight and where they are not, there all work and efforts come to naught.’ History is replete with selfless and illustrious women like Anasuya, Savitri, Sanghamitta, Lila, Ahalya Bai and Mira Bai. How heroic, fearless and grand was the Queen of Jhansi? On the spiritual side Shakti Worship is common in India. Sri Lakshmi, Sri Saraswati, Sri Jagadamba, Sri Durga who are the goddesses – personification of wealth, knowledge, prosperity and destroyer of evil. The deterioration has been identified to be gradual over the last two millennia, mainly due to over indulgence in sex; not for procreation but for pleasure; a clear sign of mental debility. The physical strength has come to stay over women, possessiveness, false prestige and predominance resulted in women being considered as play things and child bearing machines. Swami Vivekananda said ‘Not until we learn to ignore the question of sex and to meet on a ground of common humanity the status of woman cannot be uplifted. Swami Vivekananda advocated female education with religion as its centre for formation of character and observance of the vows of celibacy. He wanted women to imbibe the ideals of renunciation so that they could take up the vow of life long virginity fired with the strength of that chastity which is innate in their blood from hoary past. Goswamy Tulsidas and Kalidas accepted their wives as Gurus and drew inspiration from them. They rose to name, fame and reverence. Abrahm Lincoln and Chatrapati Shivaji rose to such great position due to the efforts of their mothers. Kasturba was a source of strength and guidance to Mahatma Gandhi. It can certainly be generalised that humankind draw inspiration, guidance and good sense from women. She is an embodiment of compassion, love, patience and gentleness which are the cornerstones for building a better world – a prosperous world. Medical opinion favours that woman can only withstand long term stress. These indicate that woman has a definite and pre-ordained role to play in the eternal drama of life as mother, sister, wife and daughter with their innate qualities of tenderness, love and patience. This maxim is now pre-eminently seen efficacious as is evident from the – BRAHMA KUMARIS SPIRITUAL UNIVERSITY being manned by women who are dedicated and selfless teachers of humankind. They are proving to be SHIV SHAKTIS, for they have a combined existence with SHIVA, God of gods and the Lord of Yogis.