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Today the Hindu women of Bhaarat are growing and developing and moving away from the ideals of Seetaa - one of the Panchkanyaa. Hindu
women today are forgetting the ideals of womanhood. Both the other Abrahamic community women follow their own norms but we Hindu Women are totally losing our ideals. We are getting completely deracinated. The system of modern education (westernized) has given us a false sense of confidence. Hindu women refrain from wearing the Saaree that has been appreciated the world over many centuries for its grace and modesty. Not only has it been the the beacon costume of Bhaarateeya women but it has been the source of inspiration and income to our wonderful weavers who have been creating hand-woven masterpieces since time immemorial.

The so-called educated urban women of Bhaarat feel that by wearing the Saaree (or even the salwar-kameez) they will be branded as being backward and primitive. So they must cut their hair short and indeed fit into into the Western attire even if their contours show masses of protruding flesh. They should also use the latest make-up and hair-dyes resembling painted monkeys.

Talking should always be in English so that people on the roads give them due recognition even if the language is not grammatically correct. Our women never ever shook hands before, but today saying Namaste is infra-dig and a sign of being primitive. They say Hi, Hello and shake hands and even hug and kiss other men without any qualms. And we see how taking such liberties are leading to complications in their
personal lives. Very few married women put the Bindee, the hallowed symbol of a Sumangalee woman whose husband is alive. This Bindee today is considered as a symbol of a woman who is inferior and submissive to her husband. Today woman's economic independence has made her so bold and brazen that she has neither need nor care for such symbols. All Lakshman Rekhaa have been replaced by liberty to do whatever she wishes to do.

In addition many men encourage and like to show off their wives as being emancipated and modern and so let them dress and behave as they
wish! These days husbands are slaves to their women and such men feel that their women will leave them at the drop of a hat. The Mangal Sootra is worn as a fashion ornament, not as a symbol of being Sumangalee and at times is also forgotten and considered an appendage as it would perhaps deter other men from approaching a woman wearing a Mangal Sootra.

Nowadays women have become very confident and demand their rights and easily forget their duties. It is as if all these centuries our Indian women have suffered enough and now is the time to free themselves of the shackles of tradition and culture. As many say we must change with times, but are there not some eternal truths that will never change and such wise traditions should be preserved?

I dare to say that in every household instead of a Seetaa there are greedy Raakshasee who egg their husbands to bring more and more money so as to be able to buy more gold and luxury items and go on foreign trips. If our women were virtuous and of pure character - today our ministers and men in all walks of life and in every sphere of social and political life would be ashamed to accept and give bribes. How can a husband look into the eyes of a wife who knows that he is a cheat? And knowing this fact how can a wife condone her husband for such corruption and loss of character?

Today we have women who have lost track of their lives, goals and ideals. Instead we have women frittering away their time and precious lives dressing in the most obnoxious costumes exposing more than covering, eating and drinking and growing obese and enjoying life as they term it. What example are such women setting to their daughters and sons? And will not their progeny outdo them in these arts? And finally what respect can such people expect in their old-age from their own children and society at large?

A woman in the role of wife is the role of a Saha-Dharminee and she walks hand-in-hand alongside her husband with equality, dignity
and grace leading and guiding and supporting her husband. Just as Rishi Vaalmeeki's Seetaa spoke the truth each time Shree Raam erred and showed him the path of virtue our women have to regain their values and place in life. Seetaa was not a weak woman as many people in Bharat are prone to think or cite. She was Shakti Personified. Her character shines forth till she finally breaks loose of her shackles and enters the Earth. In this article Shree Raam is called "Pitiless" but I refrain from saying Him so because in the Raamaayan Shree Raam is an Avataar in the form of a human being. We human-beings are prone to being weak and also have to follow certain social norms and thus Shree Raam lives His life as a man of the Earth. Here Seetaa's character shines forth as a woman who does everything virtuous and
follows her husband to the forest to be by his side. She shares everything that comes to pass in her husband's life but in the end she
does not take everything lying down. When she realizes that her character is under scrutiny and doubt she leaves this Earth with dignity and grace but does not act lowly in the least bit. Her sacrifice is actually her emancipation.

A traditional Sanskrit exhortation runs thus:
Ahalyaa Draupadee Kunti Taaraa Mandodaree tathaa Panch kanyaa smarenityam mahaa paatak naashanam
Panch Kanyaa are relevant even today and their relevance shall remain ever! One has to understand the deeper meaning of our ancient texts.

Life is a choice. Each of us has to choose our own role models. All of us are evolved up to a certain state and for further progress and evolution have to take the right path. Seetaa is ever pure and unflinching in her love for Raam. Ahalyaa is a redeemed soul. Taaraa is faithful to Sugreev when she is given protection by him. Draupadee is the eternal service-oriented wife to her five husbands although she was lawfully married to only Arjun, but faithfully served the other brothers also. Mandodaree served even an arrogant and wicked husband.

O Women of Bhaarat, Wake up, or we will go the same way as the West where families have lost their meaning. There is no structure in society and it is the State taking up the role and duties of family members and that too for a price - money. Can Dharm and Prem ever be bought with money?

From: shivashankara rao
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 9:08 AM
To: usbrahmins yahoogroups ; indian voice usa ; USKannada ; DelHindu
Subject: [IndianVoice] PERSONALITY OF SEETA AS SEEN BY VALMIKI.

PERSONALITY OF SEETA AS SEEN BY VALMIKI:-
Swami Vivekananda said, "Any attempt to modernize our women, if it tries to take our women away from that ideal of Seetaa, is immediately a failure, as we see every day. The women of India must grow and develop in the footprints of Seetaa, and that is the only way." This is what the Court in India has said now. Let us therefore review the personality of Seetaa as picturized by the original poet
Vaalmeeki.

Seetaa is the harmonious abode of beauty, tenderness of heart, compassion, fidelity, wisdom, courage and endurence. Raam was every thing to her and in his company, she would find Swarg. She was a brave, good and true Raajpoot woman who could assert in the most forceful way when needed as evidenced by her taunt to Raam when he refused to take her to the forest with him. "My father thought he got hold of the best man for me and he was a fool. What he had got was a cowardly woman dressed like a man!" Raam took these words coolly. He said -
"When I described the horrors of the forest, I was not afraid of them. I knew I am confident of protecting you with the required strength, skill and vigilance. I did not know your courage. I will take you there. You be my partner in all that I have to do in the forest." He continued, " My family and yours are honored by you."

When Seeta thought that Raam was transgressing the rules of propriety in promising protection to the Rishi in the forest, she emphatically
protests and says - "You are transgressing Dharm". She lists three transgressions of Dharm to which a man is liable - lying, violating the wife of another and lastly adopting force without proper provocation - the last one being the most serious. She questions Raam - "What business is it of yours"? Raam however does not take her advice with serious consequences.

Seeta was a lady accustomed to speak freely as evidenced by her utterances to Lakshman when Maareech cried in the voice of Raam. Raam holds Lakshman responsible for the consequence as He thinks that when Seetaa talked absurdity in anger he should not have become angry at all. Raam says - "No blame rests upon Seetaa as she was mad and you should not get angry with mad people."

Seetaa's presence of mind is demonstrated when she saw five monkeys in Pampaa and dropped her ornaments tied to her upper garment of silk so that when Raam and Lakshman came there (by chance) they would get a clue. Even in distress she could demonstrate her strong mind and she knew what to do as shown in the Ashok grove - when Raavan gave instructions to his Raakshasee. She sustains the torments of Raavan and his Raakshasee for almost a year (ten months) continuously till Hanumaan came there to bring a word about Raam.

Seetaa had enormous strength as She herself says addressing Raavan - "I have so much power in me that if I only care and direct it against you, you would be a mass of ash. But I refrain from doing so as I want to preserve my Tapas and I consider that it is Raam's responsibility
to save me."

When Raam accuses Seetaa of infidelity and tells Her that he cannot take Her back and that She is free to choose a protector anywhere, She speaks in complete self possession - "How harsh and cruel are the things you have told me! .... suspect me not...... Do you refer to Raavan touching my body? That was not of my seeking, nor even of my tolerating. That which I can control, my heart has always been with you. As for my limbs, what could I do when they were overpowered? ......... ...You have let your ill temper run away with your judgment. ........Lakshmana, build me a pyre......fire is the only remedy for this woe".

Struck again in the most tender spot when Raam abandoned Her to the forest and Lakshman told Her the truth about Her banishment, She collected her thoughts as a brave woman, without forgetting her dignity, and tells him........"take a careful note of my body. It bears obvious signs of pregnancy." She courageously brings up her two sons Lav and Kush with the help of the Rishi Vaalmeeki.

When Vaalmeeki brings her to the court of Raam along with the two sons, Raam again asks for the oath of purity before He takes Her back. She declares - ".....This Earth is not for me, nor this husband, nor these subjects whom no proof can ever convince." She then prays to her mother Earth to allow her to go back to her place of origin. The Earth opens up with a throne and Her mother accompanies Her into herself. Her pitiless husband had to remain dazed.

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