From:      Internet: "Shandilya Risi das (Mahe-Sc)"

Hare Krishna prabhu,

Dandavat pranams!  Jay Srila Prabhupada! Jay Srila Bhakti Vikash maharaj!

I received a mail from one mathaji that inspired me to do some research on
what it is said about chasitity in our scriptures.  I got many hits.  But I
selected the best ones and I am presenting them with quotes and suitable
titles.

I feel that these quotes ( both from SP and scriptures) will help both men
and women.  So please read them and you may forward them to sangha members
if you feel it is ok.

Since there is no fonts installed from the internet cafe system here the
sanskrit is messed up.  You can easily rectify it in your system.

-----------------------

"We do not keep our women as slaves. They're respectful at home":

"So väma-svabhävä. They are, women are very simple, soft-hearted. The whole
idea is they should be given protection. No freedom. That is injunction of
the Manu-saàhitä. Na stré svätantryam arhati. Women should not be given
freedom. They must be protected. Not that if... Sometimes we receive the
complaint in foreign countries, they say that "You keep your women like
slaves." I replied, "We do not keep our women as slaves. They're very
respectful at home. The sons offer their highest respect to the mother. The
husband gives the topmost protection to the wife." This is the example. Just
like Lord Rämacandra. Lord Rämacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
but Rävaëa took Sétä from His protection. Rämacandra could marry many
millions of Sétäs, or He could create many millions of Sétä, but He's
showing the example that it is the husband's duty to give protection to the
wife at any cost. And He did it. For one woman He killed the whole Rävaëa's
dynasty. This is husband's
duty. So protection, not slave. It is protection."


"Woman should be trained up from the very beginning how to become good wife
and good mother"

"The husband should give to the wife the topmost protection, and the wife
should be so faithful to the husband that... Sétä-devé, she was king's
daughter, Videha-räja. She was the daughter... She was not a poor man's
daughter. And Daçaratha Mahäräja did not ask her to go to the forest with
her husband. She could easily say, "My dear husband, You are going to the
forest. I am king's daughter. I cannot take so much trouble. Better You go.
Let me go to my father's house." No. "I shall take all the troubles with my
husband." This is faithfulness.
Similarly, Draupadé. Draupadé also went with the Päëòavas in the forest when
they were banished, and Kunté-devé also went with her sons in the forest.
This is the system. Kunté-devé had nothing to do with the gambling of
Päëòavas and Duryodhana, but because the sons were to go to the forest, the
mother also followed and the wife also followed. This is Vedic system. Vedic
system... Caitanya Mahäprabhu also had very nice beautiful wife at home and
very affectionate mother. Both personalities are very good asset in family.
Cäëakya Paëòita said that if one hasn't got mother at home and the wife is
not very agreeable, or not very peaceful... He said, mätä yasya gåhe nästi
bhäryä cäpriya-vädiné
araëyaà tena gantavyaà
yathäraëyaà tathä gåham
He advises, if one has no mother at home and wife is apriya-vädiné, she
talks very roughly, not very nicely, then that person immediately leave that
home and go to the forest. Yathäraëyaà tathä gåham. For him, either at home
or in the forest, the same thing. Yathäraëyaà tathä gåham. This is Vedic
culture. Woman should be trained up from the very beginning how to become
good wife and good mother. That is the duty. Väma-svabhävä. So here is
example, Kuntédevé is one example. Draupadé one example. We have got many
examples how to train woman. They are very soft-hearted. They can be molded
in any way."

"If you break that shyness of woman, it will be very dangerous"

And Bhéñmadeva has advised... When Bhéñmadeva was in the bed of arrows,
çara-çayyä, so the Päëòavas, the Kurus, they took many advices about
politics, sociology. Many things—religion, king's duty, so many instruction
was taken. In that instruction he also confirmed the Vedic injunction that
woman should be always protected very carefully. There is one quality of
shyness. If you break that shyness of woman, it will be very dangerous. It
will be very dangerous".

(Srila Prabhupad's lecture on SB 1.7.43 -Vridavan on Oct 3, 1976)



To insult a chaste woman means to die immaturely:

"In the Bhagavad-gétä it is stated that when the women become unchaste for
want of proper protection, there are unwanted children called varëa-saìkara.
To insult a chaste woman means to bring about disaster in the duration of
life. Duùçäsana, a brother of Duryodhana, insulted Draupadé, an ideal chaste
lady, and therefore the miscreants died untimely. These are some of the
stringent laws of the Lord mentioned above."
(SB 1.8.5 purport)



Chaste women voluntarily accept path of their husbands:

TRANSLATION

"The Queen, the wife of Påthu Mahäräja, whose name was Arci, followed her
husband into the forest. Since she was a queen, her body was very delicate.
Although she did not deserve to live in the forest, she voluntarily touched
her lotus feet to the ground."

PURPORT

"Because Påthu Mahäräja's wife was the Queen and also a daughter of a king,
she never experienced walking on the ground, for queens used to never come
out of the palace. They certainly never went to the forests and tolerated
all the difficulties of living in the wilderness. In Vedic civilization
there are hundreds of similar examples of such renunciation on the part of
queens and dedication to the husband. The goddess of fortune mother Sétä
followed her husband, Rämacandra, when He went to the forest. Lord
Rämacandra went to the forest in compliance with the order of His father,
Mahäräja Daçaratha, but mother Sétä was not so ordered. Nonetheless, she
voluntarily accepted the path of her husband. Similarly, Gändhäré, the wife
of King Dhåtaräñöra, also followed her husband into the forest. Being the
wives of great personalities like Påthu, Lord Rämacandra and Dhåtaräñöra,
these were ideal chaste women. Such queens also instructed the general
people by showing them how to become a chaste wife and follow the husband in
every stage of life. When the husband is king, she sits beside him as the
queen, and when he goes to the forest, she also follows, despite having to
tolerate all kinds of difficulties in living in the forest. Therefore it is
said here (atad-arhä) that although she did not want to touch her feet to
the ground, she nonetheless accepted all difficulties when she went to the
forest with her husband."
SB 4.23.20



Meaning of being chaste:

TRANSLATION
"To render service to the husband, to be always favorably disposed toward
the husband, to be equally well disposed toward the husband's relatives and
friends, and to follow the vows of the husband—these are the four principles
to be followed by women described as chaste."
PURPORT
"It is very important for peaceful householder life that a woman follow the
vow of her husband. Any disagreement with the husband's vow will disrupt
family life. In this regard, Cäëakya Paëòita gives a very valuable
instruction: dampatyoù kalaho nästi tatra çréù svayam ägatäù. When there are
no fights between husband and wife, the goddess of fortune automatically
comes to the home. A woman's education should be conducted along the lines
indicated in this verse. The basic principle for a chaste woman is to be
always favorably disposed toward her husband. In Bhagavad-gétä (1.40) it is
said, stréñu duñöäsu värñëeya jäyate varëa-saìkaraù: if the women are
polluted, there will be varëa-saìkara population."

SB 7.11.25



Chaste women brings their husbands under control:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the Brahmana:

"As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control by service, the
pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and completely attached to Me in
the core of the heart, bring Me under their full control."

SB 9.4.66 Translation



Chaste women get supernatural power:

"Not only was mother Sétä powerful, but any woman who follows in the
footsteps of mother Sétä can also become similarly powerful. There are many
instances of this in the history of Vedic literature. Whenever we find a
description of ideal chaste women, mother Sétä is among them. Mandodaré, the
wife of Rävaëa, was also very chaste. Similarly, Draupadé was one of five
exalted chaste women. As a man must follow great personalities like Brahmä
and Närada, a woman must follow the path of such ideal women as Sétä,
Mandodaré and Draupadé. By staying chaste and faithful to her husband, a
woman enriches herself with supernatural power."

SB 9.10.7 Purport



An important key to bring peace and prosperity to the society:

TRANSLATION
Women as a class are merciless and cunning. They cannot tolerate even a
slight offense. For their own pleasure they can do anything irreligious, and
therefore they do not fear killing even a faithful husband or brother.
PURPORT King Purüravä was greatly attached to Urvaçé. Yet despite his
faithfulness to her, she had left him. Now, considering that the King was
wasting his rarely achieved human form of life, Urvaçé frankly explained the
nature of a woman. Because of her nature, a woman can respond to even a
slight offense from her husband by not only leaving him but even killing him
if required. To say nothing of her husband, she can even kill her brother.
That is a woman's nature. Therefore, in the material world, unless women are
trained to be chaste and faithful to their husbands, there cannot be peace
or prosperity in society.

SB 9.14.37



The power of being chaste and its positive influence on sinful husbands:

TRANSLATION
"The wife of a brähmaëa suffering from leprosy manifested herself as the
topmost of all chaste women by serving a prostitute to satisfy her husband.
She thus stopped the movement of the sun, brought her dead husband back to
life and satisfied the three principal demigods [Brahmä, Viñëu and
Maheçvara]. PURPORT The Äditya Puräëa, Märkaëòeya Puräëa and Padma Puräëa
tell about a brähmaëa who was suffering from leprosy but had a very chaste
and faithful wife. He desired to enjoy the company of a prostitute, and
therefore his wife went to her and became her maidservant, just to draw her
attention for his service. When the prostitute agreed to associate with him,
the wife brought her the leprotic husband. When that leper, the sinful son
of a brähmaëa, saw the chastity of his wife, he finally abandoned his sinful
intentions. While coming home, however, he touched the body of Märkaëòeya
Åñi, who thus cursed him to die at sunrise. Because of her chastity, the
woman was very powerful. Therefore when she heard about the curse, she vowed
to stop the sunrise. Because of her strong determination to serve her
husband, the three deities—namely Brahmä, Viñëu and Maheçvara—were very
happy, and they gave her the benediction that her husband would be cured and
brought back to life. This example is
given herein to emphasize that a devotee should engage himself exclusively
for the satisfaction of Kåñëa, without personal motives. That will make his
life successful.
CC Antya 20.58



Chaste wife helps the husband in the 4 principles of life:

"Family woman and prostitute are different. Still in India, the uncontrolled
woman, or there is a class of prostitutes. They are not family women. But
kula-striyaù, family women, they have got so many obligations. There is a
verse that svargäpta-käma-mokñäya dharä samprati hetutä. Dharä means wife.
Wife can help one to be elevated to the heavenly planets, and
dharmärtha-käma, to become helpful in the matter of advancement in religious
and spiritual knowledge: dharma; artha, economic development; käma,
satisfying the husband for sense gratification; dharma artha käma; and mokña
also, also for salvation. The wife is so important. If there is chaste wife,
she can help the husband in these four principles of life, dharma artha käma
mokña [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ädi 1.90], dharä samprati hetutä. If we can train up
nice wife, or the society trains the girls to become nice wife, she becomes
a great source of energy to the husband.
Dharma-artha-käma-mokñäù dharä sampra.... And if they
are polluted, they become source of the saìkara, varëa-saìkara."


Lecture on BG 1.41-42 in London on July 29, 1973




Gandhari, a chaste woman:


"Therefore this tapasviné, this Gändhäré... Tapasviné. She has been
described as tapasviné. She wanted to be a faithful, chaste wife. What is
the result? If a woman becomes faithful, chaste wife, then the next life
there is chance of her becoming a male. Because according to Vedic
literature, to take a birth as woman is low-grade. Striyaù çüdräs tathä
vaiçyä ye 'pi syuù päpa-yonayaù. In the Bhagavad-gétä the... As there are
higher grade and lower grade births, so according to Vedic understanding,
the women, the body of woman is lower grade birth. Therefore if she's
fortunate to have a good husband, devotee, and if she becomes faithful to
that husband, then her life is successful. That is called tapasya.
So Gändhäré did it. Gändhäré... In India still, marriage does not take by
canvassing all of a sudden. The father and mother, especially in
aristocratic
family, royal family, even in Western countries, the father, mother select
the husband or wife. Even in England, the Kind Edward VIII, he was
intimately in friendship with a common girl. So the state would not allow
him that "You can marry a common girl." So at that time the prime minister,
one Mr. Baldwin, he said to him that "Either you have to give up the company
of that common girl or you have to give up this empire." So out of
sentiment, he gave up the empire.
Later on he was very sorry. And his second brother, George VI, he... George
VI means the father of the present Queen, Elizabeth. So still this is
current in aristocratic family, that the husband and wife should be selected
by the parents.




" So Gändhäré, she was the daughter of Afghanistan, Ghandahar. Still, the
name is there Gandahar. Gandhar. Formerly the name was Gandhar. So Gändhäré
means the daughter of Gandhar country. So when she was informed that her
would-be husband is a blind man—Dhåtaräñöra was blind from birth—so
immediately she practiced austerity. Voluntarily she closed her eyes with
cloth that she would also live as blind. "My husband would be blind. So,
although I'm not blind, I must live also as blind." This is the beginning of
austerity, Gändhäré. So Gändhäré was so faithful, one of the most exalted
chaste wife mentioned in the çästras, Gändhäré, that in all conditions she
followed the husband. At last, when everything was finished in the Battle of
Kurukñetra, no Kaurava, none of the sons or grandsons of Dhåtaräñöra was
living, neither of the Päëòavas, still, Gändhäré was faithfully serving her
husband. And Dhåtaräñöra was living with the nephews, Yudhiñöhira and his
brothers. They were keeping the uncle very comfortably as elder uncle, all
respect. But Vidura came there, and he criticized him, that "You have no
shame. You all along remained enemy to your nephews. Now your nephews have
killed all your descendants, and you are living here just like a dog. They
are giving you some morsel of bread and you are eating and living here. You
have no shame. You have become old." So he became very sorry: "My dear
brother, what shall I do?" "Please come immediately along with me, and come
to the forest." So Dhåtaräñöra went according to the instruction of Vidura.
Gändhäré followed. Gändhäré never said that "I am now old. I have lost my
children. These nephews, they're taking care of me. Why shall I go with my
husband?" No. She also went.
So there are many good qualities in Mahäbhärata about Gändhäré. Therefore
she is described here as tapasviné. Tapasviné. Very chaste faithful wife.
Ideal wife. Gändhäré. Tapasviné."

Lecture on  SB 1.9.48, Mayapur


Why only one husband for a woman?

"This Vedic culture is so scientifically made. Just like according to Vedic
culture, the women are instructed or trained up to become very chaste, very
chaste. Only one husband. Why? That is explained: stréñu duñöäsu
varëa-saìkaraù
bhaviñyati. If women do not remain chaste, then unwanted population will
come out."

Pandal Lecture in Delhi – Nov 20, 1971




When do women actually become beautiful?

"Different personalities become beautiful by possessing different qualities.
Cäëakya Paëòita says that the cuckoo bird, although very black, is beautiful
because of its sweet voice. Similarly, a woman becomes beautiful by her
chastity and faithfulness to her husband, and an ugly person becomes
beautiful when he becomes a learned scholar."

SB 9.15. 40 Purport



How women get elevated to a higher status of life:

"The instruction given herein by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to the
gopés was not at all sarcastic. Such instructions should be taken very
seriously by all honest women. The chastity of women is specifically
stressed herein by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore this
principle should be followed by any serious woman who wants to be elevated
to a higher status of life. Kåñëa is the center of all affection for all
living creatures. When this affection is developed for Kåñëa, one surpasses
and transcends all Vedic injunctions. This was possible for the gopés
because they saw Kåñëa face to face. This is not possible for any women in
the conditioned state."

KB 29 The Rasa Dance Introduction



Nala Damayanti story:

If the woman is trained, a girl is trained from the very beginning that:
"You should remain chaste," that is dharma. It is called Satétä dharma. Saté
means chastity. There are many stories of Saté, chaste woman.
Nala-damayanté. His husband became so poverty-stricken. He was king, but he
became later on so poverty-stricken that he had no sufficient cloth. The
husband and wife was putting on the same cloth, half and half. So still,
still there was no divorce.
You see. Still the woman did not consider... She was also king's daughter.
But the husband has fallen down to so much poverty-stricken condition. "So
why shall I live with him?" These are some of the extreme examples of
chastity.

"I have seeen in Bombay."

"Not to speak of olden days, I have seen in Bombay, in 1935 or '34, on the
roadside, there was a beggar. The beggar, the face was defaced. Might be
some accident. His eyes and everything became defaced. He could not see,
everything became useless. So he, he was sitting on the roadside, and his
wife also, also sitting. But I saw that beggar was neat and clean. The wife
was also neat and clean. The wife's business was that to keep the husband
always neat and clean and fresh and bring him there and again take him at
home. Young woman. So I could understand that the wife is so chaste. She has
not left such ugly husband. Because his face was defaced. And helping him.
Because they require some money. So we have seen."


Another story of a chaste woman during Sri Ramanaju's time:

"There are many stories of chaste woman. Many stories. There was one
disciple of Rämänujäcärya, a very poor. So Rämänujäcärya came in that poor
disciple's house and he saw there was no one in the house. So he thought:
"What is this?
This is my disciple's house. He's family man. Why there is none?" That means
he could understand that the door is not locked. Door was closed only. Then
he could understand that within the door his wife is there. Therefore he
knocked the door, and there was response also, knocking, but she could not
come out. That means she, she was so poor that she had no garment. She was
keeping herself within the room, naked. So Rämänujäcärya could understand
that "There is his wife. Maybe she has no sufficient clothing." So
immediately, his own cloth he gave her, within the room, and the woman came
out, putting on that...
And then offered obeisances. So he could understand the position. They were
very, very poor. Even no clothing. So after putting on the cloth, she went
to the grocer's shop. Because Rämänujäcärya is there. She must receive.
Grocer shop. The grocer knew that this woman is very woman, uh, very poor,
so his business was to entice her. But she never agreed, although she was
young. Now this woman went to the grocer's shop that: "You know that I am
very poor. I require immediately some grains, ghee, and other things. My
Guru Mahäräja has come at home. I must receive. So tonight I agree with your
proposal. Please give me. Even at the sacrifice of my chastity I want this."
So the grocer was very glad. "Oh, this woman, I have canvassed her, I have
tried to induce her. She never agreed. And now she's agreeing." So: "All
right, you take, whatever you like. Take." So she was given all kinds of
food grains, as much as she wanted. And she cooked and gave to the spiritual
master and his associates, his servants. Everything was very nice. In the
meantime, the husband came, working whole day. And he saw that everything
was nicely done. "Guru Mahäräja is fed, and his associates, they're fed." So
he asked his wife: "How did you get all these things?" Then she narrated the
whole story. Then husband also said: "Yes, you have promised. All right.
Take some prasädam and go to him. Because you have promised to meet him this
evening. So go." Then the grocer heard the whole story and his mind became
changed. "Oh, such a chaste woman. Such a faithful... You are my mother. You
take more ingredients, grains, as much as you like, you shall..."
So there are still. That is not very long ago. So this was the training."


Psychology of woman
"And the psychology is that woman, the first man she meets and if she is
kept carefully, she becomes staunch lover. This is psychology. There is good
psychology in maintaining the society. Therefore a woman, especially in
India, especially in Bengal, before attaining puberty, she was married. Not
to meet the husband unless she attains puberty. But she remained at father's
house, but she must know that: "I am married. I have got husband." This
psychology. Then she becomes very chaste. Because she thinks of her husband,
and becomes more and more devoted. So this arrangement that woman must be
married before puberty... Or even after puberty, she must get a husband. So
if this dharma...
It is called kanyä-däya, kanyä-däya. Kanyä-däya means it is very obligatory
that the father must get the daughter married. This is dharma. So if this
dharma, or this religious principle is violated, that is... Arjuna is
marking:
adharma-abhi, abhi-bhava. When people become neglectful of the
family tradition and religious principles, adharma abhibhavät kåñëa
praduñyanti kula-striyaù [Bg. 1.40]. Kula-striyaù. Kula-striyaù means...
Kula means family, and striyaù means woman. So woman must be belonging to a
respectable family. Therefore it is said: kula-striyaù. Not society-girls.
Kula-striyaù. Of the family."

Srila Prabhupada tells another story:

"We have got experience in our school, college days. I was sitting in a
friend's house and one sweeper woman, sweeper, with broomstick and with,
what is called, covering?
Devotee: Shawl.
Prabhupäda: She was standing, say, about twenty yards distant from our
sitting place. So I asked my friend that: "Your, this sweeper woman wants to
come in. She's waiting because we are sitting. She is ashamed to come. So
let us come here." So we stood separately. That means although she was a
sweeper woman, still we had to honor her to enter. We stood up separately.
She was feeling that; "How can I go between two men?" This we have seen in
our... So this is Vedic culture"

BG Lecture 1.40 London July 28, 1973



" Only my husband is good"
Not that "Kåñëa is also good, and this demigod is also good, you are also
good, I am also good. You are also God, I am also God." There is no çraddhä.
Just like a chaste woman cannot say that every man is good. She'll say,
"Only my husband is good." That is chastity. If some woman says that "Any
man is good..." Similarly, çraddhä means to become chaste, pure
kåñëa-bhakta. That is çraddhä.

SB Lecture 1.2.18 – Calcutta, September 26, 1974




What does protection of women means?
In the glorious days or before the advent of the age of Kali, the Brahmin,
the cow, the women, the children and the old men, all were properly given
protection.

1. Protection of the Brahmin means to maintain the institution of Varna and
Ashrama or the most scientific culture for attainment of successful goal of
life.
2. Protection of cows means to get the miraculous form of food i.e., milk
for maintaining the finer tissues of brain for understanding higher aims of
life.
3. Protection of women means to maintain the chastity of society by which we
can get good generation for peace, transquility and progress of life. 4.
Protection of children means to give the human form of life best chance for
the matter of preparing the way of liberty from material bondage. Such
protection of children begins from the very day of begetting a child by the
purificatory process of Garbhadhan Samaskara the beginning of pure life. 5.
Protection of old men means to give them chance to prepare themselves for
better life after death. The complete outlook is based on the factors of
successful humanity as against the civilization of polished cats and dogs.

SB 1.8.5-1964: Prayers by Queen Kunti and Parikshit Saved



Uncontrolled mind is compared to unchaste women:

An uncontrolled mind and an unchaste wife are the same. An unchaste wife can
kill her husband at any time, and an uncontrolled mind, followed by lust,
anger, greed, madness, envy and illusion, can certainly kill the yogé. When
the yogé is controlled by the mind, he falls down into the material
condition. One should be very careful of the mind, just as a husband should
be careful of an unchaste wife.

SB 5.6.4 Purport


Chaste women liked by her husband
Prabhupäda: This is psychology. If woman is chaste, even though she is not
very beautiful, she will be liked by the husband. So train them in that way:
very chaste, faithful wife and knows how to cook very nicely. Other
qualification, even they haven't, that's all right. And Kåñëa consciousness
is being trained up. Then there will be no difficulty. And boys should be
first-class man. Then our Gurukula will be successful. What do you think? Am
I right?

Morning Walk- July 10, 1975, Chicago.



Dasanudas,

Shandilya Rishi dasa.