Misogyny

Just like every other religion, Hinduism is also created by men who considered women as mere objects that they own.

Worst verses: PP 52.19, BU 6.4.7, SP Mahatmyam 3.10, SP Rudra Samhita 54.25, MP 22.33, SB 6.18.42

Table of contents

Misogyny

Comments

Vedas

Atharva Veda

6.11.3

Prajāpati, Anumati, Sinīvālī hath shaped; may he put elsewhere woman-birth; but may he put here a male. Source

Bhagavad Gita

Ramayana

Ramayana Ayodhya Kanda sarga 24 shloka 20

ताम् तथा रुदतीम् रामः रुदन् वचनम् अब्रवीत् २-२४-२०
जीवन्त्या हि स्त्रिया भर्ता दैवतम् प्रभुर् एव च

sanskritdocuments.org: “Rama spoke thus these words bemoaningly to her, who was weeping= “as long as a woman is alive ,her husband is god and master to her”.

IITK: Adding his tears to his mother’s who was wailing Rama said As long as a woman lives, her husband is her god and also her lord (master).

Ramayana Ayodhya Kanda sarga 24 shloka 25

व्रत उपवास निरता या नारी परम उत्तमा २-२४-२५
भर्तारम् न अनुवर्तेत सा च पाप गतिर् भवेत्

sanskritdocuments.org: “Even if a woman is interested in religious vows and fastings in addition to being the best of the excellent ;if she does not obey her husband she will become ill-fated !”

IITK: A woman may be highly pious engaged in vows and fastings, but if she does not follow her husband, she will be condemned to hell.

Mahabharata

Upanishads

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

BU 6.4.7

सा चेदस्मै न दद्यात्, काममेनामवक्रिणीयात्; सा चेदस्मै नैव दद्यात्, काममेनां यष्ट्या वा पाणिना वोपहत्यातिक्रामेत्, इन्द्रियेण ते यशसा यश आदद इति; अयशा एव भवति ॥ ७ ॥

wisdomlib.org: If she is not willing, he should buy her over; and if she is still unyielding, he should strike her with a stick or with the hand and proceed, uttering the following Mantra, ‘I take away your reputation,’ etc. She is then actually discredited.

Puranas

Bhagavata Purana or Srimad Bhagavatam

SB 6.18.42

न हि कश्चित्प्रिय: स्त्रीणामञ्जसा स्वाशिषात्मनाम् ।
पतिं पुत्रं भ्रातरं वा घ्नन्त्यर्थे घातयन्ति च ॥ ४२ ॥

Translations:

srimadbhagavatam.org: A woman holds nobody dear just like that, she, easily wishing for nobody but herself, is willing to kill or get killed even her own dearest husband, father, son or brother.

Vedabase: To satisfy their own interests, women deal with men as if the men were most dear to them, but no one is actually dear to them. Women are supposed to be very saintly, but for their own interests they can kill even their husbands, sons or brothers, or cause them to be killed by others.

SB 6.18.33 to 34

पतिरेव हि नारीणां दैवतं परमं स्मृतम् ।
मानस: सर्वभूतानां वासुदेव: श्रिय: पति: ॥ ३३ ॥
स एव देवतालिङ्गैर्नामरूपविकल्पितै: ।
इज्यते भगवान् पुम्भि: स्त्रीभिश्च पतिरूपधृक् ॥ ३४ ॥

Translations:

srimadbhagavatam.org: The husband is considered the worshipable deity of the woman. Vâsudeva who, situated in the heart of all as the husband of the Goddess of Fortune, is worshiped as the Supreme Lord by men through the forms and names of the different divinities, is there also for women in the form of the husband.

Vedabase: A husband is the supreme demigod for a woman. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vāsudeva, the husband of the goddess of fortune, is situated in everyone’s heart and is worshiped through the various names and forms of the demigods by fruitive workers. Similarly, a husband represents the Lord as the object of worship for a woman.

Brahma Purana

BP 64.19

In regard to the people of the first three castes the rite of holy bathand the repitition of Mantras is in the manner mentioned in the Vedas. The utterance of the Vedic passage is to be avoided by women as well as Sudras. Source (Page - 357)

Markandeya Purana

MP 16.60

O virtuous lady. So women by obedience to their husbands obtain half of the entire merit painfully earned by their husbands. There is no separate sacrifice for women, nor shraddha, nor fasting : for by obedience to their husbands indeed they reach these desired worlds. Source (Page-142)

MP 22.33

For women have no deity besides a husband. For she would have to be thus bewailed by us, and her relatives, and other compassionate persons, if she were seperated from her husband. But this noble lady, who on hearing of the death of her husband has immediately followed her husband, should not for this reason be bewailed by the wise. Source (Page-169)

Shiva Purana

Source: PDF or wisdomlib.org

SP Mahatmyam 3.10

All the women too are equally crooked, whorish and sinful. Evil-tempered, loose in morals they are devoid of good behaviour and disciplined life. wisdomlib.org or PDF (Page-31)

SP Vidyesvara Samhita 1.32

Women too generally misbehave and err; they slight their husbands ; they are inimical to their fathers-inlaw ; fearlessly they pursue their immoral activities. wisdomlib.org or PDF (Page-58)

SP Rudra Samhita 54.19

A chaste lady shall never mention her husband’s name. If the husband scolds or rebukes her she shall not abuse him in return. Even when beaten by him she shall remain glad and say “I may even be killed, O lord. Be kind to me.” wisdomlib.org

SP Rudra Samhita 54.25

If a women wants holy water she shall drink the same with which her husband’s feet have been washed. All holy rivers are present in that water. wisdomlib.org

SP Rudra Samhita 54.53

If she desires to beat her husband in retaliation, she becomes a tiger or a wild cat. She who ogles at another man becomes squint-eyed. wisdomlib.org

Agni Purana

AP 227.46

One’s wife, sons, servants, pupil and brother having done an offence should be beaten with a rope or with a piece of bamboo. Source

Padma Purana

PP 52.19

0 Narada, it is true, (quite) true, that the vulva of women becomes moistened on seeing a well-dressed man, whether he is her brother or son. wisdomlib.org or PDF (Page 319 of pdf)

PP 52.23

Her father protects her in her childhood; her husband protects her in her youth ; her sons protect her in her old age. A woman never deserves freedom. wisdomlib.org or PDF

PP 52.25

As cooked food, in the absence of protection, is controlled by (i.e. eaten by) dogs and crows, in the same way, a young woman would become corrupt due to freedom. wisdomlib.org or PDF

Matsya Purana

Source: Part 1 PDF and Part 2 PDF

Part II CLIV.166

The husband of a woman in spite of his being poor, unfortunate, illiterate and void of all fortune is like God to her. Image

Ramcharitmanas

Ramcharitmanas 3.4.5

A woman is impure by her very birth; but she attains a happy state (hereafter) by serving her lord. (It is due to her loyalty to her husband that) Tulas∂ is loved by ›r∂ Hari even to this day and her glory is sung by all the four Vedas. Listen, S∂tå: women will maintain their vow of fidelity to their husband by invoking your very name, ›r∂ Råma being dear to you as your own life. It is for the good of the world that I have spoken to you on the subject. PDF (Page - 673)

Manusmriti

Source: sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm or PDF

MS II.67

The nuptial ceremony is stated to be the Vedic sacrament for women (and to be equal to the initiation), serving the husband (equivalent to) the residence in (the house of the) teacher, and the household duties (the same) as the (daily) worship of the sacred fire.

MS IV.41

For the wisdom, the energy, the strength, the sight, and the vitality of a man who approaches a woman covered with menstrual excretions, utterly perish. If he avoids her, while she is in that condition, his wisdom, energy, strength, sight, and vitality will increase.

MS V.147

By a girl, by a young woman, or even by an aged one, nothing must be done independently, even in her own house. In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent.

MS 5.152

Be he ill-mannered or of licentious habits or destitute of good qualities, the husband should always be attended upon like a god by the true wives. Source

MS V.155

No sacrifice, no vow, no fast must be performed by women apart (from their husbands); if a wife obeys her husband, she will for that (reason alone) be exalted in heaven.

Chanakya Niti

CN 17.10

A woman does not become holy by offering by charity, by observing hundreds of fasts, or by sipping sacred water, as by sipping the water used to wash her husbands feet. Source

ताम् तथा रुदतीम् रामः रुदन् वचनम् अब्रवीत्		२-२४-२०
जीवन्त्या हि स्त्रिया भर्ता दैवतम् प्रभुर् एव च

व्रत उपवास निरता या नारी परम उत्तमा		२-२४-२५
भर्तारम् न अनुवर्तेत सा च पाप गतिर् भवेत्