lower caste -

Radhe Radhe!

i hope no one is going to kill me for this question with a bazooka....

hmmm...uhm....
why are women considered to be a lower caste?



stone-seller: "stones, wonderful throw-stones, good size, cheap prize!"
Brian: " Mum, i wanna go to the stoning today!"
Mum: "No way, we go home now!"
Brian. "But lets go to a stoning today. We rarely go to a nice stoning lately. Lets buy some stones and enjoy throwing!"
Mum: "Ah, c´mon, i do not know... by the way, who´s going to be the victim at the stoning today?"
Brian: "Its Tarun Kishor das. All members from raganuga.com will be there!"
Mum: " GREAT! Lets buy and go then!"

You tell me that. According to whom is this? I haven't heard of a caste called "woman".

Radhe Radhe!

here one verse which i remember:

te vai vidanty atitaranti ca deva-māyāṃ

strī-śūdra-hūṇa-śabarā api pāpa-jīvāḥ

yady adbhuta-krama-parāyaṇa-śīla-śikṣās

tiryag-janā api kim u śruta-dhāraṇā ye

SYNONYMS

te — such persons; vai — undoubtedly; vidanti — do know; atitaranti — surpass; ca — also; deva-māyām — the covering energy of the Lord; strī — such as women; śūdra — the laborer class of men; hūṇa — the mountaineers; śabarāḥ — the Siberians, or those lower than the śūdras; api — although; pāpa-jīvāḥ — sinful living beings; yadi — provided; adbhuta-krama — one whose acts are so wonderful; parāyaṇa — those who are devotees; śīla — behavior; śikṣāḥ — trained by; tiryak-janāḥ — even those who are not human beings; api — also; kim — what; u — to speak of; śruta-dhāraṇāḥ — those who have taken to the idea of the Lord by hearing about Him; ye — those.

TRANSLATION

Surrendered souls, even from groups leading sinful lives, such as women, the laborer class, the mountaineers and the Siberians, or even the birds and beasts, can also know about the science of Godhead and become liberated from the clutches of the illusory energy by surrendering unto the pure devotees of the Lord and by following in their footsteps in devotional service.



comments?

Yes, Tarun, I think you are correct that stri-sudra is a common phrase identifying women with lower castes.

My approach to all this, though, is that it has nothing to do with Bhakti, as the above verse mentions. It merely describes Hindu society at the time the scripture was written, and says that Bhakti transcends all this.

So it has nothing to do with Bhakti, it does not concern devotees.

Why is it so? Because Hindu society is like that. I don't think we should discuss the rights and wrongs of Hindu society here, its a complex issue.

No bazookas, Tarunji. No stones. I know some devotees think such things are important. But the scriptures are clear, these mundane designations do not hinder devotion. That's the point.

Radhe Radhe!

no stoning today.

good point, dear Adiyen.

yep, bhakti is for all. my approach , too.

Tarunji