‘A Woman is like a teabag – You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water’ – Eleanor Roosevelt
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. All the creations of God are beautiful, but a woman is not only endowed with beauty but also with Love, Affection, Compassion and inner Strength.
The Indian famous Poet Kalidasa would say “She is a golden lotus if it were to be endowed with tenderness and fragrance. When we refer to her strength, it is not just physical nerve but the power of mind also. Women are definitely stronger than men in mental strength. Physical firmness can get weakened by age, disease etc but not mental strength. Mental strength adds to the physical energy as well. The Upanishads declare ” Mana eva manushyaanaam kaaranam bandhamokshayoh” – It is the mind which decides a person is bound or liberated, so a woman is capable of liberating herself by her own mental strength. She should not confine herself to the kitchen or just be a child bearing machine. She has to realize to her full potential and rise to the demands of the situation by taking an active part in the nation building process.
Many oppression and atrocities on Women were committed in the past in all nations and in all communities, the Sati System and Purdah. Even in the Western Societies Women were not given equal voting rights as men almost till the middle of the last century. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of great man like Raja Ram Mohun Roy , Swami Dayanand, Swami Vivekanand and mahatama Gandhi, wisdom dawned in the society and women were liberated from social evils. In the present scenario women outshine men in every field of education. In the past 50 years, women have shot into limelight in every field whether its music , dance, scientific research or space travel. We have leading women as doctors, particularly gynecologists, lawyers, judges accountants, teachers and social workers contributing to the growth of the respective nations. The strength of a woman lies in several roles that she plays in her life – as the joint bread winner of a family, as a wife, she cater for the family , as a mother she protect her child(dren) and appears as a role model for the society.
She is a symbol of the spirit of service and sacrifice.
God could not appear in person on earth, so HE sent woman in the form of MOTHER. Shri Shankaracharya says in his first stanza of Saundarya lahari ” Can Lord Shiva perform any function without the support of Mother Shakti ? He cannot even move an inch without her”. Manu declared ‘Great will be the nation where women are respected.’ He further added ‘ Whenever women are respected ,there are God delight; and when they are not all works and effort come to naught‘.
In the ancient religious time, Goddesses enjoyed equal status with Gods. In Hinduism We have a ten days festival celebrated every year to mark the power of women deities called Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. They stand for POWER, PROSPERITY and KNOWLEDGE respectively. Shakti means the vital energies, the illuminating force that empowers the womanhood. Just as Durga manifested as Kali symbolizing, the Tamas aspect to protect the society from the tyranny of Raktabija. It clearly shows that women are indeed the peacemaker. In the form of mother, daughter , wife she will always be preparing to help symbolizing her strength and ability to fight injustice as Draupadi did in Mahabharata. She even vowed not to tied her locks of hair until her offenders were annihilated, that what inspired the Pandavas to fight against evil doers. She is truly a symbol of Power and Courage.
There is no limit to the women power that a woman possesses. The world came to realize their strength when great women like Indira Gandhi and Mrs Margaret Thatcher became the prime Ministers of their respective countries. Women are the newborn leaders in the filed of Economics and Politics that are shaping them to be more competent and intelligent at decision making at international level. They are showing the world what they are capable of, their contribution to the society has become vital and indispensable. They are showing the world as how to power can be exercised with love and affection. They are the modern apostles of appreciation and tenderness.
Still women are facing problems in the society. Disrespect towards them ?
The solution lies in the Women themselves. They should solve their problems and difficulties by themselves through their courage and inner strength. Elizabeth Cady Stanton , an American social activist of the last century mentioned that ‘The best protection any woman can have is Courage’. Women should not expect concessions from men, nor from the society. They are the best of whatever their for the society. They should compete with men on equal terms and establish their superiority.
The Bhagavad Gita – One should raise oneself by one’s own efforts.