Stop misleading Hindus

THE EDITOR: On Saturday last I heard Pt Gyandeo Persad in a radio programme giving reasons why women are not allowed to be priests in Hinduism. In his explanation he quoted from the Ramayan as his source of scriptural authority. He also went on to state that Hinduism gives recognition to women as manifestation of God and that no other cultures can boast of the same and that that was adequate recognition of them. I would like to begin by reminding Pt Gyandeo Persad that that the Ramayan is not the authoritative text in Hinduism. The authoritative texts are the Shrutis which incorporate the Vedas, Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, etc. These texts embody the eternal values of Hinduisn which give the religion the name Sanatan Dharma or eternal way of life.

The Ramayan and Puranas are classified as Smritis which are the scriptures  relevant for a particular culture and historical period. This is not to say that the teachings of the Ramayan are not relevant to contemporary society. Also, there is the concensus among scholars of Hinduism that if there is a conflict between the Smriti texts and the Shruti texts, the latter will prevail. Pt Gyandeo Persad was misleading his audience when he said that in the Bhagvad Gita  Sri Krishna warned against women becoming corrupt — words to that effect. I would like the learned Pandit to understand that those were not the pronouncements of Bhagavan Krishna but the “cock and bull” arguments that Arjuna was advancing to justify his cowardice in the battlefield.

Women form more than 64 percent of the student population at the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies and continue to outperform their male counterparts in all aspects of academic work. In the teaching service women are the majority and their presence is increasing in all fields. The pronouncement by Pt Gyandeo is very unfortunate and has attempted to relegate Hindu Dharma to the status of Semetic traditions where women have been depicted as “temptation” and made from “one rib of man.” In fact, the entire Bible does not have a single gospel written by a woman. Does that mean that women were not witness to  Jesus’ teachings and activities? Or, they are devoid of spiritual experinces?

I am hopeful that such opinions expressed by Pt Gyandeo Persad is a minority one and that the vast majority of Hindus view their daughters, sisters and mothers as their equals and not as lesser beings. There was a debate between Adi Shankara, the founder of the Advata philosophy and another Rishi and the one chosen to judge  the debate was a woman, the wife of the Rishi. The debate was held and Adi Shankar was declared the winner. She was under no obligation to declare her husband the winner. She understood he independence of judgment and was prepared to rule against her husband in the the name of fairness and Dharma.

D H SINGH
Chaguanas