Ethics Series2: Matruvat Para Dareshu

We are in Kali Yuga which is termed as the last yuga in the list. It is the Yuga where Dharma suffers lot and Adharma reins. Kali Purusha is said to be seen with two things in his hand, sense organs and gold. This is a symbolic representation of features of yuga where people get attached to sensual desires and riches ie., Kama and Ardha with out bothering about Dharma. It is surely not a bad thing for a Grihasthu to get sense gratification and earn riches but if only they are achieved through Dharmic means. Here I try to inspect kama aspect.

Matruvat Para Dareshu -- Treat women other than one’s wife as mother

Even though at the face of it the above statement looks like giving a lesson to men, it is applicable to women as well. They did not explicitly mention about women either because they thought if men follow it religiously it works well or at the time of formulating the above statement women were pious and chaste. But in today’s context it needs to be clearly pointed that the statement is applicable to both men and women.

ParaDara in Sanskrit means other man’s wife and the statement talks about treating her as one would treat mother. Does it mean one can do bad and illegal things with a lady who is not any man’s wife at one point in time? Really smart, isn’t it, we are at exploiting the loopholes of the rules. When we apply rules of Syllogism, the above statement translates to treat every woman/girl who is not your wife as mother. This is to ensure unmarried/widowed girls/women are covered too and thus they are not exploited.

Transformation has occurred in girls too. Even though one cannot generalize it for all, but the cultural degradation has got its worst impact on girls. In the name of love they resort all bad deeds that degrade their character. The transformation has occurred multifold right from their dressing, behavior with boys, attitude, beliefs and this gave a chance to men to exploit them at will. Now only the way we bring up our next generation girl child can save us from the catastrophe. And it is responsibility of us to protect the girl child at all stages so that cultural degradation is stopped as per Manu


Pita rakshati Kaumare, -- Father should protect when she is child
bhartta rakshati yawwane, -- Husband should protect when she is in youth
rakshati sthavire putra -- Son to protect her when she is old.