In chapter 4, Swami further explains the 2 main qualities of a woman- Chastity and Modesty.
Swami
writes,
Chastity
Chastity is the
ideal for womankind. By the strength derived from that virtue, they can achieve
anything. Savithri was able, through that power, to win back the life of her
husband; she actually fought with the Lord of Death. Anasuya, the wife of the
sage Athri and the mother of Dattatreya, was able to transform even the Trinity
into infants. Nalayani, who was devoted to her leper husband, could by the
mysterious force of her chastity stop the sun in its course.
Chastity is the
crown jewel of women. That is the virtue for which she has to be most extolled.
Its beneficent consequences defy description.
It is the very
breath of her life. By means of her chastity and the power it grants, she can
save her husband from calamity.
She saves
herself by her virtue and wins, without doubt, even heaven through her
chastity.
Damayanthi
burned to ashes a hunter who attempted to molest her, by the power of her
“word”. She bore all the travails of lonely life in the jungle when her
husband, King Nala, deserted her and she suddenly became the victim of cruel
fate.
Modesty
Modesty is
essential for woman; it is her priceless jewel. It is against dharma for
a woman to overstep the limits of modesty; crossing the limits brings about
many calamities. Why, the very glory of womanhood will be destroyed. Without
modesty, woman is devoid of beauty and culture. Humility, purity of thought and
manners, meekness, surrender to high ideals, sensitivity, sweetness of temper,
the particular blend of all these qualities is modesty. It is the most
invaluable of all jewels for women.
Through her
innate sense of propriety, the modest woman will ever keep within limits. She
becomes automatically aware which behaviour is proper and which is improper.
She will stick only to virtuous deeds and behaviour. Modesty is the test of a
woman’s grandeur.
A woman without
modesty injures the interests of womanhood itself, besides undermining her own
personality. She is like a fragrance less power, which the world does not
cherish or honor, or even approve of.
The absence of
modesty makes life, for a woman, however rich in other accomplishments, a waste
and a vacuum. Modesty lifts her to the heights of sublime holiness. The modest
woman wields authority in the home and outside, in the community as well as in
the world.
Some might
interrupt and ask, “But women who have swallowed all the compunctions of
modesty are being honoured today! They strut about with heads erect, and the
world honours them not a whit less.”
I have no need
to acquaint myself with these activities of the present-day world. I do not
concern myself with them. They may receive honour and respect of a sort, but
the respect is not authorized or deserved. When honor is offered to the
undeserving, it is tantamount to insult; to accept it when offered is to demean
the very gift. It is not honour but flattery that is cast on the immodest by
the selfish and the greedy. It is like spittle, dirty and unpleasant.
Of course, the
modest woman will not crave honour or praise. Her attention will always be on
the limits that she should not transgress. Honour and praise come to her
unasked and unnoticed. The honey in the flower or lotus does not crave bees; it
does not plead with the bees to come. Since the bees have tasted the sweetness,
they themselves search for the flowers and rush in. They come because of the
attachment between themselves and sweetness. So, too, is the relationship between
the woman who knows the limits and the respect she evokes.
The principle
of Atmic dharma will not allow the term “woman” to be applied
to “a woman without modesty”.
Author's note
While
Swami has been unconditional in prescribing the 2 qualities of woman,
irrespective of her status / her present day duties / her place in society
/ work place etc., it is enough if a woman (or any one) subjects all her duties
/ dharma / actions, to ONE SINGLE MOST DHARMA - THE DHARMA OF REALIZING GOD.
Whether
it is 21st or 30th or 50th century, if this one ATMA DHARMA is followed by
any human being, all other qualities, even modesty, chastity prescribed by
Bhagavan, fall in place spontaneously and automatically, without
having to go through all prescribed duties of a woman / man, a wife /
a husband etc.
Like a
Gulab Jamun soaked in the essence of the sugar essence at surface level and the
inner level even while the entire piece gets into one's mouth, if
one is immersed in the ESSENCE of GOD REALIZATION, such a human being is
filled within and without with the sweet essence of GOD CONSCIOUSNESS and all
his actions automatically are soaked with the sweet essence of God!!!!
LOVE.
