VIVEKANANDA’S VISION OF INDIAN WOMEN AND THE SITUATION TODAY

PERSPECTIVE

Vivekananda’s Vision of Indian Women

and the Situation Today
ANJONA CHATTOPADHYAY

T
he concept of womanhood holds a almost no freedom of expression and action.
special place in the Hindu mind. It She was relegated to the status of an
embodies what is noblest and best in instrument for bearing children and cooking
Hinduism. The basis of this ideal is a deep meals. More or less, this had been the
religious consciousness expressing the moral situation when Swami Vivekananda stepped
genius of the strength of personal character in. But he brought about a social awakening,
of the Indian women. The concept of Shakti, and, among other things, upheld the cause of
the female representation of infinite energy, the womankind to redefine and re-establish
though evident even among the pre-Aryan our ancient ideals of womanhood. Swamiji
races, took deep roots in the Vedic age and called upon women of all castes and creeds
gained strength in the form of the Shàkta from all lands and all social strata to make
movement. Shakti is the symbol of universal themselves competent instruments for the
motherhood, for the mother is the highest dissemination of the highest ideals by
ideal of women in India. Shakti has been cultivating a strong moral and intellectual
portrayed as all-merciful, all-powerful and character and a life marked by uprightness.
omnipresent, the sum total of the energy in Sri Ramakrishna revealed the truth that
the universe comprising the known as well there is inherent divine strength in all
as the unknown. The elevation of women. He saw the Goddess Kàli in all
womanhood to the status of divinity is women and elevated Sarada Devi, his
unique to Hinduism, and as such there can blessed consort, to the pedestal of divinity
be no greater honour to womanhood than by worshipping her. She, in turn, played a
this idea. great role in impressing the ideas of perfect
Sati, Sàvitri and Sità have been idealized womanhood in the mind of young
and revered by the Indians for centuries. Vivekananda. She could do it because she
Women too had contributed to the corpus of herself was the acme of a perfectly chaste
Vedic knowledge, and the centre of the Hindu woman, a woman of great moral
Hindu family was the mother who assumed fibre, so much so that even the cyclonic
the role of a spiritual leader for the entire monk of the stature of Vivekananda felt
family. But today’s realities are quite scary and had to drink the holy water of the
different. Age-old repressive social systems Ganges before meeting her1.
have worsened the lot of womenfolk in this Swami Vivekananda believed that all
land. The Eastern women of the 19th century great nations are worshippers of women. In
led a cloistered existence, subsisting on fact, the secret of their greatness lay in their
whatever her husband provided and having respectful attitude towards their women. He

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 ANJONA CHATTOPADHYAY

had a conviction that a nation which does Vivekananda, while lecturing at

not respect women can never achieve Cambridge in 1894 on ‘The Women of
greatness. He said, India’s decline to a large India’ said, ‘Women in statesmanship,
extent was due to the disrespect and managing territories, governing countries,
trampling upon its women by the male even making war, have proved themselves
members of the society. equal to men—if not superior. . . . Whenever
Swamiji talked at great length on the they have had the opportunity, they have
high status of women in ancient India, proved that they have as much ability as
especially in the Vedic period. He asserted men, with this advantage—that they seldom
that the degradation of women started in the degenerate. They keep to the moral standard
post-Vedic age. The idea of suppression of which is innate in their nature. . . . Even at
women was developed by the Assyrians, a the present day, we see women in India
Semitic race, when they proclaimed the managing vast estates with great ability’4.
doctrine that woman had no voice and no Swamiji felt that there were
rights. This idea subsequently spread to contradictions between the Purànas and the
Persia, Greece and Rome and slowly the Vedas as far as the participation of women
status of women started declining in religious rites was concerned. While the
universally to give way to a male-dominated Purànas regarded women as subservient to
society. In India, the ascendancy of the the males, the Vedas held that men and
priestly class led to the rapid inculcation of women had rights in respect of religion. An
the same idea when all other castes along American newspaper reported Vivekananda
with women were deprived of their rights as saying that ‘some of the most beautiful
enjoyed earlier. Smritis continued to be portions of the Vedas, the Hindu bible, were
written binding them by hard rules in every written [sic] by women, but that there was
walk of life2. no other bible in this world in which they
Vivekananda said categorically that the had any part’ 5. Nevertheless he was not
development of India will remain incomplete satisfied with the condition of women he
in the absence of the awakening of women, found in his lifetime. According to him, the
because both men and women are equally duty of the male persons was to oversee that
important for the development of a nation. woman received proper education which
Therefore he always preached the ideals of should enable them to solve their own
Vedanta which make no distinction between problems. He said: ‘Educate your women
man and woman. Of course, he was aware first and leave them to themselves; then they
that in some of the sacred books of Hindu will tell you what reforms are necessary for
religion women were regarded as inferior to them’6. Their education would help them to
men. He said ‘I admit that in our sacred deal with their own troubles and tribulations,
books there are many passages which for they are as capable of doing it as any in
condemn women as offering temptation; you the world’7.
can see that for yourselves. But there are Vivekananda regretted that the state of
other passages that glorify women as the women’s education in India was not
power of God. And there are other passages satisfactory. What type of education he
which state that in that house where one recommended for women? The one that
drop of a woman’s tear falls, the gods are would help them build their own character,
never pleased and the house goes to ruin’3. increase their will-power, develop their

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 VIVEKANANDA’S VISION OF INDIAN WOMEN AND THE SITUATION TODAY

intelligence and, above all, help them stand because Swamiji said, ‘Liberty is the first
on their own feet. Besides, he always condition of growth’10.
stressed the importance of religion in A woman should be given equal
education. He said, ‘I look upon religion as opportunity in various fields so that she gets
the innermost core of education’. He the scope to develop her talents. She must be
lamented that education in modem times had made to realize that she is capable enough to
relegated religion to an insignificant rub shoulders with men in professional
position. But education without religion is fields. Spiritually also women are as capable
incomplete as it produces man and woman as men. In the words of Vivekananda,
who are not self-sufficient. So, he said ‘. . . though outwardly there may be
‘. . . now female education is to be spread difference between men and women, in their
with religion as its centre. All other training real nature there is none. Hence, if a man
should be secondary to religion 8. While can be a knower of Brahman, why cannot a
education would intellectually equip Indian woman attain to the same knowledge?’11 So,
women, Vivekananda was not in favour of empowerment of women is one of the
intellectual accomplishments ‘at the cost of’ necessary steps for achieving the spiritual
morality, purity and spirituality9. Therefore unity of our nation which was the declared
he thought of establishing a ‘math’ goal of Swami Vivekananda. Improvement
especially for women. in the status of women contributes to the
overall progress of a nation and such
In the present situation improvements make the world more
Swamiji had praised profusely certain equitable and more humane. Swamiji said,
positive qualities which the Western women ‘No man shall dictate to a woman; nor a
had. He wanted Indian women to inculcate woman to a man. Each one is independent.
those qualities. The Western women were What bondage there may be is only that of
educated, beautiful, intellectually sound, and love. Women will work out their own
they enjoyed freedom to decide the course of destinies—much better, too, than men can
their lives themselves. Women in India too, ever do for them. All the mischief to women
Swamiji believed, must adopt these good has come because men undertook to shape
qualities. However, he had cautioned that a the destiny of women’12.
balance must be struck between the ‘angel in Swamiji’s great confidence in women
the house’ and the ‘professional woman’ in was evident from his utterance that there was
public life. Women must be allowed to have no task before India which could compare
their own choice in respect of things ranging with that of women’s education. He believed
from very personal matters like marriage to that, ‘with five hundred men, the conquest of
the profession they choose to go for. The India might take fifty years: with as many
new woman must equip herself with women, not more than a few weeks’13.
knowledge which may help her in asserting It may be said that Swami
her own identity, confidence and self- Vivekananda’s idea of womanhood reveals a
respect. For the development of a nation like unique amalgamation of the past, present,
India, the emancipation of women, their and future, the East and the West, of
liberation from religious, legal, economic strength with sweetness, fire with the calm.
and sexual oppression, and their access to This he based on a dream of the grandeur of
higher education are absolutely necessary, spiritual awakening and development of the

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 ANJONA CHATTOPADHYAY

soul, where the distinction between man and forces that have helped in the emergence of
woman is but the phantasm of màyà. It new women in India have been a number of
transcends all physical differences and social laws passed by the government and the
customs to rest on the evolving soul, the true efforts of women’s organisations. In the
consciousness. villages, the panchayats are making efforts
Swami Vivekananda’s thought reflected for women’s uplift. The education and
a maturity of social ideas that was beyond literary rates are improving. The Indian
his times. He foresaw the women of the women have started their march towards
future who would receive a full education progress. While the government through
in science and sports, but with an equal or constitutional and democratic processes is
more emphasis on ancient spirituality. They providing opportunities to women to
would be in a position to make their own participate in the political field, there are
decisions and solve their problems in their non-governmental efforts as well to initiate
own way. He dreamt of each individual change in the lives and activities of women.
woman reinstating into herself the greatness Women’s organisations, in particular, are
of all the women of the Indian past. Thus, playing a significant role in this respect.
his was a synthesis of ideas set against the Therefore, women have opportunities
background of the reality of the today to participate in political and social
Parabrahma. And what a synthesis that activities. The women force occupies
was! It is awe-inspiring to think of sports, roughly fifty per cent of the total population
education, and homework for girls and the and this tremendous ‘energy’ of the nation
idea of the undifferentiated Brahman can no longer be kept idle. So the energy is
together as components of the same now being utilized. This ‘Development of
integrated concept, like the spectrum of Women’ to ‘Women in Development’ is
colours that make up a single beam of observable in the technology-ridden modern
light. times. Life shows that our women, if
The transformation of Indian women has motivated, are capable of giving their
been brought about to a great extent. The best.

REFERENCES

1 Swami Vivekananda : A Hundred Years 5 Ibid., p. 464.

since Chicago : A Commemorative 6 The Complete Works, Vol. VI, 1963, p. 115.
Volume, Ramakrishna Math and 7 Ibid., Vol. V, 1963, pp. 229-230.
Ramakrishna Mission, Belur, 1994, pp. 343- 8 Ibid., Vol. VII, 1972, p. 220.
344. 9 Op. cit., Vol. V, p. 412.
2 Ibid., p. 346. 10 Ibid., Vol. III, p. 246.
3 Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works, 11 Op. cit., Vol. VII, p. 219.
Vol. IX, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, 1977, 12 Ibid., Vol. VIII, 1959, p. 91.
p. 196. 13 Sister Nivedita, The Master as I Saw Him,
4 Ibid., p. 201. Udbodhon, Kolkata, 1977, p. 260.

* Dr Anjona Chattopadhyay is working in Derozio Memorial College, Rajarhat, as an Assistant

Professor in the department of History.

40 Bulletin of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture November 2017