Soham Gorugantu - Women in Sanatana Dharma

Project by: Soham Gorugantu

Mentor: Smt. Madhuri Vemulapalli

 Sanatana Dharma, among the oldest traditions of the world, envisions a universe sustained by the balance of masculine and feminine cosmic forces. The philosophy asserts that every being is pervaded by Brahman, the supreme soul. Eternal happiness, or Ānanda, cannot come through material possessions, but rather through internal satisfaction and a realization of Atman within. To one who does not practice this, Moksha is not possible, for real liberation lies beyond sorrow into bliss. Ānanda lightens the heart from sorrow and is amṛtam that nullifies the viṣa of life.

In the grand vision of Sanātana Dharma, the universe is balanced by the dynamic sustainability of Purusha (the masculine principle) and Prakriti (the feminine principle). These two forces function in distinct ways but are truly inseparable and collectively form the basis for Sṛṣṭi, along with Sthiti and Laya—that is, creation, preservation, and dissolution—of the universe. The feminine energy, often personified as Śakti, is not passive but is the very spirit that enables and sustains life. Women, as embodiments of Śakti, are integral to the eternal cycles of Sṛṣṭi and Moksha because they play an irreplaceable role in both the physical and spiritual spheres. This cosmic interplay of Purusha and Prakriti, eternally sustaining the universe, finds its moral parallel in the Bhagavad Gita’s sama-darshina — the vision of equality towards all beings. In Chapter 5, Verse 18, Bhagavan Krishna says,

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.

Lord Krishna conveys, a wise man sees a humble, learned Brahman, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even a dog-eater with the same eyes. This assertion affirms the fact that the same Ātman - the indivisible, eternal self exists in all mortals, beyond its external labels like gender, caste, status, or birth. The Gita is designed to help one pass through those inevitable dualities and contesting dharmas within which the duty towards society, one's family, and his inner-self lead in different directions. The greatness of Sanatana Dharma is that it does not fragment because of such contradictions, but finds a vision of harmony within plurality. The recognition of this dialectical nature is of primary importance for any honest interpretation of Hindu texts. The goal is to bring out the deeper egalitarian and dignified vision these works present when read with the core Vedantic principle of spiritual unity and the Gita's sama-darshinah-equal vision towards all beings. This equalizing dharmic principle is not merely theoretical but finds vivid embodiments in Itihasas, mostly with the instances of women such as Draupadi and Kunti emerging in the Sthri Parvam of the Mahabharata not as passive sufferer-women but rather as wielders of Śakti who chart the course of dharma itself.

Sthri Parvam, a vital section of the Mahabharatham, stands as a fierceful testament to the strength, courage, and wisdom of women, primarily in times of adversity. Amidst the narrative of the Kurukshetra War, Sthri Parvam delves into the women who shaped a dharmic society at the time. Those who stood up in times of adversity. Those who made countless sacrifices and possessed a sense of duty that transcended personal pain for the greater good of their families, society, and divine. These include Kunti and Draupadi or Panchali.

However, Draupadi was the main cause for a change in society, for justice, not only for the Pandavas, but for the universe as a whole. Draupadī, the Ayonijā, one not born from a womb, was no ordinary woman—she was Śakti incarnate, born from the sacred yajña to fulfill a divine purpose. Tested by fate at every step, she remained unbroken, proving that a true Strī is not weak but the very force that upholds dharma. Draupadī’s life defied societal norms when she was married to the five Pāṇḍavas. This was no curse but a divine play, for only she could hold them together as one. With unwavering dignity, she established strict rules of conduct, ensuring justice. Even Arjuna had to undergo exile for breaking her decree—showing that Draupadī was not just a wife but the protector of her household.

Humiliated in the Kaurava sabhā, Draupadī stood alone against a court of silence. As she was being disrobed, she resorted to the absolute Śaraṇāgati, surrendering to Bhagavan Krishna. In return, she was blessed with Akṣaya Vastra, thus showing that dharma protects those who go for it. But Draupadī was not satisfied with mere survival; she vowed revenge,  the words to ignite the fire that led to the Kurukṣetra war, in order for the justice of all women. In that moment, she was not just a queen but Kālī, the destroyer of adharma. Stripped of comforts, Draupadī walked the forests, unshaken, facing dangers and vile men like Kīcaka, whom Bhīma slayed.  She reminded Yudhiṣṭhira that forbearance must not be confused with weakness and that a kṣatriya king must never tolerate injustice. Even in exile, she remained a queen in spirit, a warrior in will. Though Draupadī did not carry & bear arms, she has always remained the uninvoked commander in Kurukṣetra. The shame that belonged to her made the war inevitable; it was she who remembered Bhima’s vows; and it was her pity for him that denied mercy to the Kauravas. And at the end of the war, she did not feel triumphant, but stood on the ashes, victorious yet without joy, once again demonstrating that even Śakti pays the price of destiny. Draupadī is not just a character of the past—she is the Nārī-Śakti that burns in every woman today. She teaches that a woman is never powerless—when dharma is threatened, she will rise as Kālī, as Durgā, as Draupadī. Those who wrong her may rise, but like the Kauravas, they will eventually fall. One who respects their dharma never walks alone; Bhagavan Krishna himself walks with them.

The glorious Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, exemplified śraddhā and dharma. With courage against the odds ever present, she chose to be steadfast in these trying times and became a paragon of tapasyā, dāna, and śakti in her service to her sons and the will of Paramatma. Madri, along with Kunti, had experienced the death of her husband, Pāṇḍu, who retired to the forest. Kuntī bereaved her husband. Shattered by loss, Madri left the world in disbelief. Kuntī, though defeated in grief, restrained herself and obeyed Vidura’s ājñā, returning to Hastināpura for dharma’s restoration through her sons. As a kumārī, Kuntī received a vara from Rishi Durvāsā to invoke any devata. Testing it, she called the Sun God, Bhagavan Surya, birthing Karṇa. Unwed, she faced a dilemma, hiding his janma, a burden that would haunt her forever. Her deepest agony lay in her secret sambandha with Karṇa, torn between vātsalya and kartavya. She carried silent grief, choosing to uphold dharma by standing with the Pāṇḍavas. At Kurukṣetra’s onset, Kunti’s torment deepened: her five sons or Karṇa. She revealed his truth, begging him to fight for dharma. Yet Karṇa, blinded by his loyalty to Duryodhana, refused. Kuntī bore this rejection with śānti, placing dharma above personal sorrow. Kuntī overcame every trial — widowhood, exile, maternal grief, and ethical torment — through steadfast dharmic resolve. She symbolizes strī-śakti upholding dharma amid suffering. A mother, queen, and sage-hearted woman, Kuntī remains Itihāsa’s embodiment of resilience, wisdom, and righteous sacrifice.

Gandhari’s marriage to Drithirashtra led her to blind herself to his darkness: an act of compassion, as well as dharma. This noble sacrifice became a struggle to overcome, as she relinquished sight to miss agency and watched adharma rise in silence. This was torn between vātsalya (maternal love) and dharma; the voice that weighed heavily on her in the preference of her sons was far from objective judgment. Her weakness by silence in the face of humiliating Draupadī would have been counted among Duryodhana's arrogant proclamations, which thrived on injustice. Herein lies her greatest lesson: sacrifice must be dharmic; compassion must never become orchestrated complicity, virtuous though it may be. Unimaginable grief was endured by Gandhari, yet through sharanagati, she accepted as karma's decree her sorrows.

One of the most ancient and earliest among śāstras delineating social and moral order, the Manu Dharma Smṛti becomes a preeminent treatise, among the most ancient and important texts, which deals with the obligations or dharma taught to individuals, depending on his stage of life, varṇa, and gender.

Manusmriti is also one of those documents which are far more misunderstood or misapplied with respect to caste and gender; yet in truth, its very heart stands for justice, dharma, and social harmony when interpreted in the rightful way. Most importantly, Manusmriti does speak Dharma as the supreme principle. Justice, accountability, and truth are more than merely privileges arising from birthright. Contrary to what people believe, the idea of varṇa was earlier founded on guna (qualities) and karma, and not on rigid birth divisions. Society thereby claims that destiny is only confined to one's behavior and abilities, aspirating that birth declares nobility stem from virtue. Far from being patriarchal, it considers women of importance. It declares that such societies glorify women and such societies shall perish (Manusmriti 3.56). Women are divine forces forming a crucial part for families and nations. Not a religious or social ceremony, it notes, would be complete without their presence.

Besides, Manusmriti also recognizes a woman's ownership right to stridhana-patrimony, assets, or possessions that cannot be pillaged, not even by her male relatives. As the currency banker presided over maintaining house-monies (Verse 9.11) which speaks of financial judgments, it exhibited faith and it reiterated mutual fidelity in marriage (Verses 9.101, 9.102). It would not be complete, says (Verse 9.96), without women's involvement. It puts great emphasis on respect and honor. The text reads wherein women should be saluted by men of their own families (Verses 3.55-3.59) and that their welfare is thus meaningless with the prosperity of a family or society. Poor women, widow, barren, or sick, would get state protection (Verse 8.28) and recognize all the early principles of social welfare responsibility. But it rather formed the ground for oppressing caste hierarchies and male dominance. Originally its main idea, in fact, put varṇa as merit-based and entrenched women in civilization. Rather than a code for oppression, it sought to establish ethical governance and harmonious social structures. He who rightly interprets the Manu Dharma Smriti, appears to be an advocate for dharma, respect and justice for all. It indeed transcends to rigidity of social constructs into its dharma advocacy for equality through ethical deed at times the foundation for women's empowerment at rights to property, financial agency, religious participation while assuring her protection and dignity. Though misused in time, clouding its very purpose, at the heart of its philosophy are justice, dignity, and respect within a cosmic order under which dharma reigns.

Kumara Sambhavam, authored by Kalidasa, this sacred scripture from Hinduism has often been interpreted as a portrayal of the passiveness of women. On deeper introspection, one begins realizing Shakti, the divine feminine force, to be the very basis of creation itself. In Kumāra-Sambhavam, Devi Parvati epitomizes this primordial force on her journey from the Himalayan princess to the cosmic consort of Lord Shiva and mother of Kumara. The tale is one of resilience that speaks of overcoming the greatest challenges in her earthly life and endeavors of self-discovery and spiritual ascendance.

In Sanatana Dharma, Shakti denotes the primogenic energy. Without Prakriti, Shiva is Purusha, the divine consciousness in repose. Parvati is much more than the faithful wife; she embodies the balanced cosmic forces of the universe. Her incarnation as the reincarnation of Sati meant her atman was destined to reunite with Shiva, which implies that her very being is beyond the constraints of the society. With resolute determination, she charts her own course against those conventions that would bind her. Parvati's tapasya serves as a center for empowerment. Born into the royal family of Himavan, she forsook all comforts and set out for a life of penance, meditating under conditions that were harsh. Thus, through this austerity, Parvati proclaims her spiritual agency as per Vedic science, the saha-dharma-charinī, an equal partner in dharma. She may not be a passive consort but indeed an active force in bringing forth dharma. The voice of Kālidāsa thus becomes a female voice, thereby empowered, challenging the patriarchal notions and associating Parvati as an equal in the universal domain.

In this union of Shiva and Parvati, the very image of "ardhanarishvara" becomes the symbol of inseparability between divinely masculine and divine feminine powers. Other representations of this balance are to bring Kumara into existence, as no creation is possible unless there is a harmony of both energies caught together. It is not just at the disposal of the male principle. Here we realize Parvati's empowerment as a defiance of the expectations placed on her. She rejects the suitors presented by her father, Himavan, and chooses instead, on her own terms, to devote herself to Lord Shiva. Her tapasya is so intense that it even compels Lord Shiva to acknowledge her divine strength. Thus, Parvati emerges as divine Mother not just a nurturer but also a protector, giving birth to Kumara, the warrior destined for the restoration of cosmic order. Kumāra-Sambhavam is thus not only a beautiful love story; it is a glorification of the strength of Shakti. Parvati's journey shows empowerment is not about contestation, but rather mastery over one's own being. Parvati's ascetic penance and consequent marital union with Shiva represent the realization of one's divine essence and alignment to the cosmic order. Their union is a perfect balance of masculine transcendence and feminine creation, sustaining harmony in the universe.

            In conclusion, the divine Śakti in Hinduism is neither passive nor mild but rather a raging transforming force. Draupadī, Kuntī, Gandhārī, and Parvati are figures representing Śakti in the form of a cosmic energy that creates, preserves, and dissolves. These women can hardly be called victims; they who stand proud with their resilience, wisdom, and rigour in pursuing Dharma. Draupadī stands against injustice; Kuntī stands tall in grief; Gandhārī gives up everything for Dharma; Parvatī wages war on Adharma in her tapasya. This exemplifies how feminine power is revered and celebrated in Sanātana Dharma.

The universe embodies a beautiful power balance between the working of Purusha and Prakriti. These texts narrate how the feminine is independent, rather, the very energy that sustains and transforms the cosmos—a raging fire that never fails to rise in challenging times of its own, setting the very pace for Dharma and Satyam. Realizing the power of womanhood in Hinduism lets one discern that real power lies in steadfast and uncompromising adherence to Dharma, thus enjoining the inner shakti to fight against all forces of adharma. Coursing through the universe, it is that very energy manifested through these women that ultimately gives every woman the possibility for such empowerment upon the universe.

Today, these ideals inspire modern women to embrace their inner strength, pursue justice, and lead with wisdom, resilience, and dignity.

Link to Final Presentation File

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Bibliography:

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2. Kalidasa. Kumāra Sambhavam. Translated by Hank Heifetz, Clay Sanskrit Library, 2009.

3. Manu. The Laws of Manu. Translated by Patrick Olivelle, Oxford University Press, 2005.

4. Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. The Principal Upanishads. HarperCollins, 1994.

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Vyasa. The Mahabharata. Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Sacred-texts.com, 1883–1896, https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm.