‘Woman’ in Śāstra: The Feminine Principle Beyond Gender

1. Prakṛti Enchants Puruṣa

There is a common misperception that many Sanskrit texts are outdated or even biased against women, since they were composed thousands of years ago in a vastly different cultural context. However, a closer examination reveals a more profound and symbolic understanding, often missed due to a lack of familiarity with traditional hermeneutics.

The Meaning of ‘Woman’ in Śāstra

Before interpreting verses related to women in Sanskrit literature, it is essential to understand what the term ‘woman’ signifies within the context of śāstra. Unlike the modern usage, where ‘woman’ refers to a gendered physical form, the term in Sanskrit literature often has a deeper, metaphorical meaning. Without this understanding, it is easy to misinterpret these texts as being biased against women.

In the Vedic worldview, ‘woman’ typically represents prakṛti, the fundamental, creative principle of the universe. Prakṛti is symbolized as a woman because she is similar to a mother giving birth to a child. She is the source of all forms, the material substance from which all life emerges, grows, and sustains itself. In contrast, puruṣa refers to pure consciousness. He is symbolized as a masculine principle because, like a seed-giver, he initiates creation. By his glance, which acts as the seed, he activates prakṛti, who then manifests the entire cosmos.

The Symbolism of Prakṛti and Puruṣa

Prakṛti, as the feminine principle, is the active, creative force that responds to the glance of puruṣa, initiating the process of creation. However, when Puruṣa, the pure, unchanging consciousness, becomes entangled with the ever-changing prakṛti, it falls into the illusion of identification with the material world. This state of confusion is known as māyā, or illusion– the fundamental error of mistaking the transient for the eternal.

Therefore, in this symbolic language, the term ‘woman’ often refers to the aspect of the self that is drawn toward material enjoyment, attachment, and the distractions of the phenomenal world. The term ‘woman’ is used regardless of one’s biological gender. It is a psychological state, a mindset that pulls the soul into the realm of change, birth, and death, away from the steady awareness of its divine nature.

This perspective reveals that the ancient texts do not demean women but rather use the concept of the ‘feminine’ as a profound metaphor for the material attachment that binds all living beings to the cycle of birth and death.

The Symbolism of ‘Woman’ in Scriptures

Story of Nārada Muni who became a woman

Scriptures often illustrate the symbolic meaning of ‘woman’ through stories, revealing the relationship between puruṣa and prakṛti. One such account is the story of Nārada and his transformative encounter with māyā.

Once, Kṛṣṇa and Nārada set out on a journey in an aerial chariot. When they arrived at the bank of a river, Nārada, driven by thirst, bent down to drink from the stream. Kṛṣṇa, however, advised him to first bathe as a mark of respect for the river, the giver of life. Ignoring this advice, Nārada dipped his hand in the water to drink – and in that moment, he was transformed into a woman.

Completely losing his awareness of his original identity, this new woman wandered through the forest until she reached the ashram of a sage. She became his disciple, married him, and together they had sixty children. Over time, tragedy struck – her husband and all sixty sons died, leaving her grief-stricken and exhausted. In her desperation, she climbed a tree to reach a mango, stacking the bodies of her dead family members to elevate herself.

As she reached for the fruit, a brāhmaṇa, who was in fact Kṛṣṇa in disguise, arrived and chastised her for attempting to eat without first bathing after the death of her family members. Realizing her error, she quickly stepped into the river to purify herself, instinctively holding the mango above the water. As she emerged, she transformed back into Nārada, except for the hand that held the mango – which remained a woman’s hand, adorned with bangles and rings. Kṛṣṇa then instructed Nārada to fully submerge himself, restoring his original male form.

This story symbolizes the profound relationship between puruṣa and prakṛti. Nārada’s initial failure to heed Kṛṣṇa’s advice represents the soul’s forgetfulness of its true spiritual nature when influenced by the enchantments of prakṛti. His transformation into a woman reflects the condition of a soul immersed in material consciousness, entangled in the web of māyā. By returning to the water, Nārada symbolizes the act of self-purification, reclaiming his awareness as puruṣa, the self that is untouched by material illusion.

Story of King Purañjana

There are other narratives in the Vedic texts that illustrate the relationship between puruṣa and prakṛti. A verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes the intellect that gives rise to the notions of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ and leads to identification with the body and the pursuit of sense enjoyment, as a young woman.^[1] This verse is linked to the story of King Purañjana, who, due to his strong attachment to his wife in his previous life, takes birth again as Queen Purañjanī.

This symbolism emphasizes that ‘woman’ in śāstra often refers not to a physical female form but to the conditioned state of the intellect (buddhi) that is attached to the material body and dominated by sensory pursuits. The last verse of this chapter in the Bhāgavatam clarifies this point, stating, ‘With the help of this knowledge, the self-identification of the jīva with buddhi (depicted here as a woman) is eradicated, and all doubts regarding life after death are resolved.’^[2]

Misunderstanding Śāstra, Misunderstanding Women

Śāstra is not written from a perspective of gender but from the fundamental distinction between prakṛti and puruṣa. Its purpose is to guide both men and women in understanding this essential difference, since the root cause of bondage is the confusion between the transient material nature and the eternal spiritual self.

For example, a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam advises, ‘Abandoning from a distance the company of women as well as of men delighting in the company of women, and having conquered one’s mind, one should sit down in a secure and lonely place and think firmly of Me [Kṛṣṇa].’^[3]

This instruction is often misunderstood as an injunction against physical association with women, but this is not the true intent of the verse. Vijay Dhvaja, in his Pada Ratnavalī, clarifies this by defining ‘woman’ as any intelligence that is not attached to the Divine. In this context, ‘woman’ refers to the material mind, which is drawn toward sense pleasure and distraction, regardless of the physical gender of the individual.

Moreover, the Bhāgavatam^[4] also states that just as a woman can be a symbol of māyā for a man, a man can serve as the same symbol for a woman, illustrating that the entanglement of māyā is not limited by gender but is a universal condition of material attachment. Thus, these texts emphasize the inner psychological struggle of overcoming māyā and the need for spiritual clarity, rather than reinforcing social or gender biases.

2. Puruṣa Wins Over Prakṛti

   
   

According to the Bhagavad Gita, the Absolute (Puruṣa) is the enjoyer, while Prakṛti is the enjoyed. In poetic language, the Absolute is portrayed as the beloved, while the living beings are His lovers, representing the ‘enjoyed.’^[5] In this context, all living beings, regardless of physical gender, are considered prakṛti in relation to the divine puruṣa.

This metaphor explains why many scriptural references emphasize the surrender of the wife and not the husband. The Taittiriya Upaniṣad provides insight into this symbolism. Yājñavalkya instructs his wife, Maitreyī, that whatever she does for him is ultimately for her own self, the ātmā. He explains, “The husband is not dear to the wife for the sake of the husband, but for the sake of the self, the soul (ātmā).” The same principle applies to the husband, emphasizing that genuine service is for one’s own spiritual progress.

In this way, the concept of ‘woman’ in scriptures extends beyond gender to symbolize the principle of surrender, service, and humility – qualities essential for spiritual progress in both men and women.

The Feminine Principle in Śāstra: The Heart of Devotion

A number of verses in the scriptures reveal the feminine principle beyond gender. For instance, when the sages saw the lotus-eyed Rāma, they became captivated by his divine beauty and desired to experience the depth of loving devotion, yearning to be born as women. In their next lives, they were born as gopīs, relishing the amorous līlā of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.^[6]

Similarly, Lord Śiva, one of the three principal controllers of the universe, aspired to become a gopī. Desiring to participate in the rasa-līlā, he was prepared to set aside his masculine identity and take on the mood of a gopī, reflecting the supreme sweetness of the feminine devotional mood.

This insight into the meaning of ‘woman’ in scripture is a priceless gift to humanity. Prakṛti, which represents ‘woman,’ is synonymous with qualities like service, surrender, and humility. While it may appear that śāstra holds women to a higher standard of surrender, this interpretation is based on a limited understanding. In reality, these qualities are intended for both men and women striving for spiritual perfection.

To think that such high standards of surrender apply only to women reflects an incomplete understanding of the scriptures. The deeper significance of these texts can only be grasped by moving beyond a literal interpretation, recognizing that the symbolic meaning of ‘woman’ in śāstra points to the essential qualities required for true self-realization, which is genderless. By embracing this wisdom, our relationships can blossom with deeper understanding, allowing us to transcend the limitations of material existence and awaken to the higher purpose of life.

References

^[1] SB 4.29.5.

^[2] SB 4.29.85.

^[3] SB 11.14.29.

^[4] SB 3.31.40-42.

^[5] BG 13.22.

^[6] Padma Purāṇa, Uttara khaṇḍa 2.45.164-165. Kūrma Purāṇa cited by Madhvācārya agni-putrā     mahātmānas tapasā strī tvam āpire,  bhartāraˆ ca jagad-yoniˆ vāsudevam ajaˆ vibhum.