Linking Women’s Wellbeing to Prosperity
We often dismiss the verses of Manusmṛti, assuming Manu saw women only as homemakers. Yet Vedic accounts speak otherwise: women were not only managing estates and supporting their husbands in positions of power, but also teaching, guiding, and shaping society as philosophers and sages. Well-known examples were seers such as Gārgī, Lopāmudrā, Sulabhā, and Maitreyī, as well as queens like Draupadī, who managed the kingdom of her five husbands. And yet, we often remain convinced that Manu failed to recognize women’s potential in public life.
But the truth may be subtler. Manu seems to have emphasized women’s inner well-being, and their feeling at home in themselves and their surroundings as essential for the stability of family and society. His caution about public roles is not a denial of women’s capacity, but a reminder that their happiness and balance are central, whether they serve as homemakers, teachers, guides, or leaders. When women thrive, society thrives; when they are depleted, the whole structure falters.
That’s not judgment. That’s a wake-up call. And look around. Don’t we see it playing out today? So many women are burnt out. They’re trying to hold everything together: career, kids, and relationships, often without support, without recognition. And when the woman at the center is emotionally drained, the ripple effect is real: Kids grow up without enough attention, struggling with anxiety or identity. Relationships fall apart. Whole families feel disconnected.
This isn’t about blaming women. It’s about recognizing how essential their well-being is. Manu isn’t saying women are secondary. He’s saying they’re foundational. Maybe these verses weren’t meant to limit women, but rather to show the interconnection between women’s well-being and prosperity of the family and society. When women suffer, it harms society as a whole. This implies that when men fail to honor women it results in societal and spiritual decline. In other words, these verses were meant to protect the sacred role women play and to honor their emotional and spiritual power which benefit everyone.