Hinduism And Women

"Who are you?How did you come here?"

"You are wrong, I have no wife. You will be my only wife."

"I swear that I will not take another wife, if you marry me."

"That is not swearing. Take the solemn oath, touching your head with your right hand. Then I will marry you."

"Together they [Devas and Asuras] set up a giant churn, using Meru, king of the mountains, as the spindle and Vasuki, king of the serpents, as the churning rope. Garuda, king of the birds and Vishnu's mount carried the churn to the ocean. It would have sunk but at the crucial moment, Akupara, king of the turtles and an incarnation of Vishnu, came to the rescue. He held the churn on his mighty back. The Daityas then caught the head end of the serpent king while the Adityas caught the neck end of the serpent king and began churning."

"The churning went on for eons. Finally, the milky ocean coagulated .and revealed its secrets...at long lost emerged a pot containing the elixir of immortality – Amrita. The Daityas grabbed the pot and ran away. The Adityas appealed to Vishnu, who took the form of the celestial enchantress."

"She hurled a discus, cut Rahu's throat, and prevented the divine liquid from entering the Daitya's body. The other Daityas realized Vishnu had duped them. They declared war on the Adityas. Led by Vishnu, the Adityas drove the Daityas to the nether realms. The laying claim over all the treasures that emerged from the ocean of milk, the Adityas rose to the celestial realm where they set up their city, Amravati, the city of the immortals."

"A group of sages performed rituals in the forest and believed themselves to be as powerful as the gods. To humble them, Shiva and Vishnu entered this forest in the guise of a handsome beggar called Bhikshatan and a beautiful maid called Mohini. The sages and their wives saw the couple and were overwhelmed with desire. The men ran after Mohini while the women chased Bhikshatan. Some time later, they regained control of their senses and held Bhikshatan and Mohini responsible for the momentary lapse in their reason. Using their magic powers, they drew out of fire, a serpent, a lion, an elephant, and a goblin. Shiva picked up the serpent and wound it round his neck. He flayed the lion and the elephant and wrapped their skins round his body. He then jumped on the goblins' back and began to dance, displaying his divine splendor. The sages watched and realized their folly."

"Mohini is the family deity of Gauda Saraswat Brahmins, who refer to her as “Shri Mahalasa Narayani”. Though the deity is viewed as female and is worshipped as a manifestation of the mother goddess, the devotee is constantly reminded that the goddess is in essence a form of Vishnu."

"So many a Season rolled away, When Menaká, fair nymph, one day Came down from Paradise to lave Her perfect limbs in Pushkar's wave, The glorious son of Kus'ik saw That peerless shape without a flaw Flash through the flood's translucent shroud Like lightning gleaning through a cloud. He saw her in that lone retreat, Most beautiful from head to feet, And by Kandarpas might subdued He thus addressed her as he viewed: 'Welcome, sweet nymph! O deign, I pray, In these calm shades awhile to stay. To me some gracious favour show, For love has set my breast aglow."

"To lap his careless soul in ease, And mar his long austerities. 'Ten years have past, each day and night Unheeded in delusive flight. So long my fervent rites were stayed, While thus I lay by love betrayed.' As thus long sighs the hermit heaved, And, touched with deep repentance, grieved, He saw the fair one standing nigh With suppliant hands and trembling eye. With gentle words he bade her go, Then sought the northern hills of snow. With firm resolve he vowed to beat The might of love beneath his feet. Still northward to the distant side Of Kaus'ikí, the hermit hide, And gave his life to penance there With rites austere most hard to bear."

"And Sakra, thus addressed by her, then commanded him who could approach every place (viz., the god of the wind) to be present with Menaka at the time she would be before the Rishi. And the timid and beautiful Menaka then entered the retreat and saw there Viswamitra who had burnt, by his penances, all his sins, and was engaged still in ascetic penances."

"Bhasmasura looked at Mohini. She was so beautiful that he fell in love with her immediately."

"I am Mohini. I live in this jungle with my parents. We always help those who pass this way You look hungry. Can I go and bring some fruits for you?"

"In a second Vishnu changed his form. He became Mohini, the most beautiful of woman."

"My Lord, you must now allow me to test the power you have given me."

"Did you see Shiva running this way? He was just in front of me. But then he somehow suddenly disappeared Where did he go?"

"No, don’t go away from me. Your presence is the best food for me. I love you Mohini. Will you marry me?"

"At no point do Devas forget that Mohini is Vishnu. The word Mohini, meaning delusion personified, comes from the root ‘moha'—“enchantment”. A weak and unenlightened mind, embodied in the Daitya, fails to discover the truth of Vishnu and is seduced by Mohini. Thus another attribute of Hindu demons in their inability to recognize the divine. This the scriptures, state. Their subterranean abode is even farther away- when compared to the world of humans – from the celestial realms of knowledge and truth."

"Beholding the new-born infant lying in that forest destitute of human beings but abounding with lions and tigers, a number of vultures sat around to protect it from harm. No Rakshasas or carnivorous animals took its life. Those vultures protected the daughter of Menaka. I went there to perform my ablution and beheld the infant lying in the solitude of the wilderness surrounded by vultures. Bringing her hither I have made her my daughter. Indeed, the maker of the body, the protector of life, the giver of food, are all three, fathers in their order, according to the scriptures."

"Bhasmasura was a wicked and greedy person. He wanted to be a powerful king. But he was neither strong nor brave. He knew he could not wage wars or defeat other kings. Bhasmasura, therefore, wished to obtain some magic powers. He decided to worship Lord Shiva and ask for such powers. Bhasmasura went to a dense jungle. There, he selected a quiet place under a huge tree and settled down to worship Shiva. His prayer lasted a long time. At last, Lord Shiva appeared before Bhasmasura."

"Devas are afraid losing what they have. Asuras are afraid of not having what Devas possess. Mohini chooses to give Amrita [nectar] only to the distracted Devas not because they are more worthy but to show how even taking away the fear of death of losing what they have does not take away fear of losing material things."

"I am greatly pleased with you. What can I do for you?"

"In the tangible world, Vishnu is both Mohan, the deluder, as well as Mohini, the enchantress."

"Mohini is the female form of Vishnu. She is an enchantress, an alluring damsel, a temptress. But she is not a nymph, or Apsara, such as Menaka, Rambha and Urvashi, renowned in Hindu mythology for their ability to seduce sages and demons. Mohini stands apart because she is identified as Vishnu and Vishnu is conventionally visualized as a male. Mohini is his female form."

"Shiva needs to open his eyes to material reality. He needs to be seduced And so, Vishnu takes the form of an enchantress. He becomes Mohini and dances before Shiva. Shiva is compelled to open his eyes and look at Mohini. He recognises Mohini is Vishnu. She is spiritual reality cloaked in material reality. She is Vishnu playing with Prakriti and Maya. She is Vishnu in full control of time and space and subjective realities. Immersed in Brahman, she is inviting spiritual reality to enter her playground, rangabhoomi, and join the game of material reality, theleela."

"O Lord I only want your blessings. There is no other purpose behind my devotion to you."

"The practice of Ekadashi [[Eleventh Lunar Days of every month] by the king [Rukmangada] and his people throughout his kingdom made the inhabitants healthy and long-lived. In order to break the pious practice of Ekadashi, Brahma sent an enchantress Mohini, who won Rukmangada's affection."

"The king [Rukmangada] forgot his responsibilities as a ruler and spent his time with Mohini. He obeyed her wishes in all respects except one, and that was in breaking the Ekadashi fast. Mohini forced him repeatedly, in desperation the king agreed to grant any wish of hers except the breaking of his fast. Mohini angrily demanded the head of his son. Rukmangada's son readily agreed to keep the word of his father and put his head on the block. In the nick of time Vishnu appeared and saved Rukmangada's son. He blessed the king and all the inhabitants of his kingdom."

"You have my blessings. You would surely like to receive something from me as a gift. It is yours for the asking."

"According to Skanda Purana and Kamba Ramayana from the union of Shiva and Mohini a child named Shasta was born. In Kerala there is a sacred mountain named Sabarimala on which there is a very ancient temple of Shasta (Ayyappa)"

"King: The rest may be easily divined. Shakoontalá, then, is the offspring of the nymph....It is quite intelligible. How would a mortal to such charms give birth? The lightning's radiance flashes not from earth. And so my desire has really scope for its indulgence. Yet I am still distracted by doubts, remembering the pleasantry of her female companions respecting her wish for a husband....I am so eager to hear the particulars of your friend's history, that I have still another question to ask."

"Anasúyá: You shall hear it, Sir. Some time since, this sage of regal caste, while performing a most severe penance on the banks of the river Godavari, excited the jealousy and alarm of the gods; insomuch that they despatched a lovely nymph named Menaká to interrupt his devotions.... You shall hear it, Sir. Some time since, this sage of regal caste, while performing a most severe penance on the banks of the river Godávarí, excited the jealousy and alarm of the gods; insomuch that they despatched a lovely nymph named Menaká to interrupt his devotions...."

"[Menaka] An apsara who attracted the rishi Vishvamitra. From her, Shakuntala was born. With the Gandharva king Vishavasu she was the mother of Mramadavara. She is considered the foremost of apsaras."

"Anasúyá: I will explain to you. Sir. You have heard of an illustrious sage of regal caste, [[w:Vishwamitra|Vishwámitra, whose family name is Kaushika....Know that he is the real father of our friend. The venerable Kanwa is only her reputed father. He it was who brought her up, when she was deserted by her mother."

"King: The sage Kanwa lives in the constant practice of austerities. How, then, can this friend of yours [Shakuntala] be called his daughter?"

"Manohar Laxman Varadpande in: Mythology of Vishnu and His Incarnations, Gyan Publishing House, 2009, p. 170."

"Mohini's clothes and hairstyle are of a woman though the image is identified as Vishnu, the male householder form of God. The parrot and lotus flower in his hand indicates his close association with Kama, the god of love. Mohini is the female form of Vishnu."

"A fundamental theme in Indian metaphysics is the existence of two realities: material reality and spiritual reality. Material reality is tangible reality that can be perceived through the senses. An Apsara enchants to distract humanity from spiritual reality and entrap all in material reality. Mohini enchants ..."

"Material reality is represented using female form while spiritual reality is represented using male form. Mohini is female in form but male in essence, unlike Apsaras who are totally female. Both enchant, but their intentions are different."

"Vishnu takes the form of Mohini and appears before the Devas and the Asuras. She is so beautiful that everyone is overwhelmed with desire. It is said that Shiva, having consumed Halahal, was about to retreat to his mountains abode when he sees Mohini. From that union of Shiva and Mohini is born Hari-Hara Suta, the son of Vishnu and Shiva, a child who possesses the ascetic qualities of Shiva , hence refuses to marry, as well as the warrior qualities of Vishnu, hence is ever willing to defend the society. In Tamil Nadu this warrior is called Aiyanar."

"At first glance, this story of how Mohini tricks the Asuras and gives the Amrita to the Devas seems like a trickster story. The demons are duped by a damsel. Since the Asuras are villains, one is told, they deserve being cheated so. But this is a simplistic and incorrect understanding of the tale. One must remember that the Devas and Asuras are half brothers, children of Brahma who, like Vishnu, is a form of God."

"The conflict within material reality, presided over by Vishnu, also manifests as the conflict between the Nagas and Garuda, the serpents and the king of the hawks."

"Conflict between two forces [Devas and Asuras] is a recurring theme in Hindu mythology. One conflict is that between material and spiritual reality, between the hermit and the nymph between Shiva and Mohini. The other is within material reality, between the Devas and the Asuras."

"I hereby grant you that power. Anybody whose head you touch with your right hand will die and be reduced to ashes."

"Bhasmasura laughed. He was happy with the magic power he had received from Shiva."

"So Shiva ran for his life. Bhasmasura ran after Shiva. Shiva ran over hills and mountains, crossed rivers and passed through thick jungles. But Bhasmasura was close behind him, with his right hand raised ready to touch Shiva and reduce him to ashes. Shiva needed help....Shiva prayed to Lord Vishnu to save his life. Vishnu appeared before him."

"You just hide here for some time. I shall deal with Bhasmasura."

"My Lord, you look tired. Take a little rest before you start chasing Shiva again. Sit her in the cool shade. I shall fan you. Then you will feel better."

"King: 'Deserted by her mother!' My curiosity is excited; pray let me hear the story from the beginning."