To be Sadhvis

Both of my dear “daughters” – young wives of my sons – Irina and Prema – did have birthdays in the beginning of July.

There is some thoughts on this occasion.

Somehow happened that Vaisnavi Ministry of our dear movement did not associate themselves nor with to be chaste wives, nor with to be loving mothers, nor with to be obedient daughters…
Somehow happened that therms like “Vaisnavi” are build and used now as far away from stri dharma as possible…

To be festival girl, to be temple president, to be divorced diksha guru, to be independent preacher, to be free woman, to be unmarried/remarried, sanyasi secretary, brahmacarini, to have own GURU, to be singer, dancer, leader…
When there is talk about “women of Bhakti” – somehow it is happened that there is no place for Mother, Chaste wife, daughter…

Therefore hail to them – to these girls, who despite constant programming chose original values – original devotion and surrendering – surrendering to their dharma, stri dharma.
As one of these brave girls said: – “… how one can talk about surrendering to Krishna, if one do not know what is surrendering? Why do we think that I will be able to surrender to Krishna, if I cannot surrender to my dharma, which is given by Krishna?”

It is said that devotional service to Krishna is to serve servant of servant of servant… of Krishna. And not Krishna directly.
Then where is a problem to serve devotees – Father, husband, sons?
Women in general (what to speak about Vaisnavis) have such a special place in this world – that they do not need (in mundane understanding) nor guru, nor temples, nor initiations, nor sadhana for to go back home to Godhead. Because as soon as they accept their stri dharma – they are already there.
Sadhvis. Chaste women.

SB 3.23.1
maitreya uvāca
pitṛbhyāṁ prasthite sādhvī
patim iṅgita-kovidā
nityaṁ paryacarat prītyā
bhavānīva bhavaṁ prabhum

Translation by HDG Srila Prabhupada:

“Maitreya continued: After the departure of her parents, the chaste woman Devahūti, who could understand the desires of her husband, served him constantly with great love, as Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva, serves her husband.”

Purport:

“The specific example of Bhavānī is very significant. Bhavānī means the wife of Bhava, or Lord Śiva. Bhavānī, or Pārvatī, the daughter of the King of the Himālayas, selected Lord Śiva, who appears to be just like a beggar, as her husband. In spite of her being a princess, she undertook all kinds of tribulations to associate with Lord Śiva, who did not even have a house, but was sitting underneath the trees and passing his time in meditation. Although Bhavānī was the daughter of a very great king, she used to serve Lord Śiva just like a poor woman. Similarly, Devahūti was the daughter of an emperor, Svāyambhuva Manu, yet she preferred to accept Kardama Muni as her husband. She served him with great love and affection, and she knew how to please him. Therefore she is designated here as sādhvī, which means “a chaste, faithful wife.” Her rare example is the ideal of Vedic civilization. Every woman is expected to be as good and chaste as Devahūti or Bhavānī. Today in Hindu society, unmarried girls are still taught to worship Lord Śiva with the idea that they may get husbands like him. Lord Śiva is the ideal husband, not in the sense of riches or sense gratification, but because he is the greatest of all devotees. Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ: Śambhu, or Lord Śiva, is the ideal Vaiṣṇava. He constantly meditates upon Lord Rāma and chants Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Lord Śiva has a Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, which is called the Viṣṇusvāmī sampradāya. Unmarried girls worship Lord Śiva so that they can expect a husband who is as good a Vaiṣṇava as he. The girls are not taught to select a husband who is very rich or very opulent for material sense gratification; rather, if a girl is fortunate enough to get a husband as good as Lord Śiva in devotional service, then her life becomes perfect. The wife is dependent on the husband, and if the husband is a Vaiṣṇava, then naturally she shares the devotional service of the husband because she renders him service. This reciprocation of service and love between husband and wife is the ideal of a householder’s life.”