Now a day women power is rising in India. Girls are topping the board exams, involving in politics at a larger number; they are fighting combats as well as in every sector they are progressing rapidly. Though there is still some unfortunate event happening with them, but that can't affect their progress.
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| Panchakanya |
But in not much earlier they were not permitted to be involved in any such activity, even the basic education was also forbidden for them. The women were only kept indoors with the only job, to satisfy a man called husband and his family, with the household works and bearing and mothering children. To see or be seen by any other men was strictly prohibited for them.
Which was not our tradition, as per the references from the cultures of early Vedic period around 2000 BC, even the society was patriarchal, women had also important position in it, they were educated and they had access to assemblies. There are also instances of women who composed hymns. They had a right to choose their partner and could marry late. So the women enjoyed a free and respectful life.
Now as per our ancient scriptures, Panchakanyas are the most popular women of that time, who are five iconic heroines belongs to Hindu epic, who supported the cause of God and though the sins they committed during execution are eliminated due to the cause of good. Thus being with more than one man, the Panchakanyas are addressed as virgins by ancient scriptures. The Panchakanyas are Ahalya, Tara, Mandodari from Ramayana and Kunti, Draupadi from Mahabharat. Now a brief discussion about how they supported the cause of good and even sinned to pursue that.
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| Ahalya regains her human form |
Ahalya: Ahalya is the wife of sage Gautam, and also the most beautiful woman in the whole universe created by Prajapati Brahma. Ahalya is often regarded as the leader of the panchkanya due to the "nobility of her character, her extraordinary beauty and the fact of her being chronologically the first kanya". The king of the gods, Indra, was infatuated with her beauty and comes disguised as Gautama, when the sage was away, and requests for physical relationship. Though Ahalya recognized his disguise, but still involved with him or as per later phrase being forced to engage. After knowing that the sage Gautama got angered and cursed both of them, Ahalya turned into a stone and her lover Indra, was castrated. Later as per Ramayana, by the touch of Rama's foot, Ahalya regained her human form. Some versions also mention that she was turned into a dry stream and joins the river Gautami, in memory of her husband.
Now the Gods cause hidden in the curse of sage Gautam. As we know the Gods sends apsaras (beautiful angels) to break the meditation of the sages, in order to retain their superiority. Here the anger interrupted the meditation of the sage Gautam, and Ahalya acted as the reason in favor of Gods. Also while cursed Ahalya was posed as a stone, which implies Ahalya was in a state of deep meditation (tapasya) in order to wash away her sins.
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| Tara parcifies Laxman |
Tara: Tara was the queen of monkey king Vali of Kiskindha and after being widowed she became the queen of king Sugreev (Vali's twin brother). While Vali was challenged by his brother Sugreev to a duel, Tara wisely advises Vali not to accept because of the former’s alliance with Rama, but Vali does not heed her, and deceptively dies from Rama’s arrow. In dying breath Vali reconciles with his brother and instructs him to follow Tara’s wise counsel in all matters.
Later Sugreev became king and appropriates Tara as his chief queen and started spending the days carousing, eventually Sugreev fails to act on his promise to assist Rama in recovering his kidnapped wife, Sita. While Laksman (Rama's brother) angrily intended to destroy Kiskindha in retribution for Sugriva’s perceived treachery, Tara being the chief queen and diplomat, pacifies Laksman and initiates the process of army movement at the quickest possible, which resulted as the great support for Lord Rama in his victory against king Ravana.
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| Queen Mandodari |
Mandodari: Mandodari is the queen consort of King Ravana, the Rakshasa (demon) king of Lanka. Mandodari is the daughter of Mayasura, the King of the Asuras (demons), and the apsara (celestial nymph) Hema. Some tales narrate how an apsara called Madhura was cursed to become a frog and imprisoned in a well for 12 years, after which regains her beauty or a frog, blessed to a beautiful maiden, later adopted by Mayasura as his daughter Mandodari. The Hindu epics describe her as beautiful, pious, and righteous. Her love and loyalty to Ravana are praised in the Ramayana. Despite her husband's faults, Mandodari loves him and advises him to follow the path of righteousness. Mandodari repeatedly advises Ravana to return Sita to Rama, whom he has infamously captured, but the king didn't follow her advice.
The Rama's monkey generals used her or tricked her to reveal a secret arrow (bramhastra), by which later Ravana was killed by Rama, and his era ended. During the battle she lost her almost entire family. Thus Mandodari aided the cause of God, later king Vibhisana (brother of king Ravana) married her on the advice of Rama.
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| Lord Surya & Kunti |
Kunti: Kunti was daughter of the Yadava king Shurasena and was adopted by the childless Kuntibhoja, king of Kunti Kingdom. By her service, she propitiated the sage Durvasa, who granted her a mantra by which she could summon a god and have a child by him. She was young, so recklessly tests the boon and invites Lord Surya (the Sun-god), who grants a son named Karna, who she abandons, as she was not married. In due course of time, Kunti chooses Pandu in her 'swayamvara' and get married with him. But due to being cursed of a sage that union with a woman will result in his death, king Pandhu abdicates the throne and died in a jungle, not much later. Just before king Pandus death, at Pandu’s behest, Kunti uses Durvasa’s boon to mother Yudhishtira, from the god Dharma, then Bhima from the god Pavan, and thirdly Arjuna, from the god Indra. Her co-wife Madri bears the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, from the Asvins.
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| Kunti & Pandavas |
Since birth Kunti looked after the five pandavas and protected them from any harm, with the help of Mantri Vidura, who is a step-brother of Pandu. Kunti nurtured and educated the Pandavas the righteous, honest way of life, which reflected in the nobility of their actions afterwards.
Before the war of Kurukshetra Kunty approached Karna in disguise and asked for his kavach and kundal (armor and ear-ring), which is the mark and protection of Lord Surya, as Karna was a great donator, he donates those to an unknown woman. Later during the war, while Karna become the general of Kauravas, Kunti reveals to him about being his mother and gets him to promise her that he will not kill any other Pandava, except Arjuna.
All these instances prove that Kunti acted as a very impotent person behind the victory of Pandavas, which establishes the faith on humanity, as well as the cause of the God.
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| Draupadi's bastraharan |
Draupadi: Draupadi is the heroine of the Mahabharata. She is the common wife of the five Pandava brothers and queen of Hastinapur, in their reign. Draupadi is compelled to marry all the five brothers on command of her mother-in-law Kunti. As per mythology Draupadi in her another life, worshiped lord Shiva with the desire of getting a husband like him. As all the qualities of God, can't be consisted in one person, thus she got five husbands at the same time. She mothers five sons from each of the Pandavas, regaining her virginity after every union. She was born from a fire-sacrifice of king of Panchala - Drupada; Draupadi was prophesied to lead to the end of Drona and the Kauravas.
After being insulted by Dushasana in the Hastinapur court, and rescued by Sree Krishna, Draupadi pledges to keep her hair untied till they were drenched by Dushasana’s blood and mocks her husbands and all present in the court. During the 13 years exile of Pandavas, Draupadi encouraged them for her vengeance.
After life in exile, a war breaks between the Kauravas and Pandavas, in which the Kauravas are slain and her insult avenged, Yudhisthira became the emperor of Hastinapur with Draupadi as the chief consort. But Draupadi also loses her father, brothers and sons during the war.
Those examples indicates that from ancient time women has controlled the nerves of the man with love and affection, and there were no such mandate thing for women, like they have to be indoor, can't speak with another person or outlawed from the polity, even having physical relationship with another person was not any obstacle for nobility. Conscience was considered the most important basis for assessment of any person, and it is very logical as well. It is said that one recites or chants the holy name of Panchakanya, it will wash away all their sins.
Milan Chatterjee
PS: Some include Sita instead of Kunti as Panchakanya but majority of devotees says only Kunti is among Panchakanya.
Some tradition equates the panchakanya with the five elements, i.e. water, fire, earth, wind and ether.
*Information from Wikipedia; Images: Google
© Milan Chatterjee
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