FAQs: scriptures, women and caste
All about Shruti, Smriti, Vedas, Puranas, women and the Caste System
Dec 18, 2006
Which are the Hindu Scriptures?
The early scriptures are divided into Shruti and Smriti. Shruti is that which has been heard and are the scriptures that have been revealed, such as the Vedas. Smriti is that which has been memorized and are the scriptures that constitute various practices and norms such as the Yoga Sutra and Manu Smriti.
A later set of scriptures is the mythological texts or Puranas. The Puranas cover a wide range of mythologies. More specific are the epics, like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which cover a narrower range of events.
From the point of view of contemporary popularity three specific texts are regarded as the holiest of the holy. These are the Bhagavata Purana, the Bhagwad Gita (which a part of the Mahabharata) and Ram Charit Manas (which is a version of the Ramayana written by Tulsidas Goswami in the sixteenth century)
What does Hinduism teach about the roles of women?
In the Vedas there is no separate or discriminatory role for women. But almost all societies in the past have been male dominated and Hindu societies have been no exception. In the Smriti texts, particularly Manu Smriti, the role of women is often described as one of running the household, serving the husband and bearing his children, especially sons. In order to enforce this it was often projected as having divine sanction. The best thing that may be said about such thinking is that it may have been socially relevant at the time it was promulgated. Today most Hindus do not believe that such a role has been ordained by God and women today are moving towards equality, though perhaps not as fast as those in the west. Unfortunately some of the more conservative Hindus including women do believe that these roles have divine sanction.
Can women be spiritual teachers?
This was looked down upon, maybe even prohibited at one time. But the prohibition was a result of male domination and not scriptural edict. Today there are quite a few women spiritual teachers.
What is the Caste System?
The Hindu society was divided into four classes – Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (soldiers), Vaishyas (merchants) and Sudras (workmen). What began as a division of labor was converted into a hereditary classification or caste. The Sudras being the weakest were exploited and discriminated against. Strict restrictions and even humiliations were imposed upon them. Various attempts have been made to justify this system, but the truth is that there can be no justification for such oppression. The Caste System was a social evil, which was reinforced by making out that it had divine sanction.
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