Women in Hinduism

Women's intellect hath little weight:

"Indra himself hath said, The mind of woman brooks not discipline, Her intellect hath little weight." [Rig-Veda 8:33:17]

Women are powerless and they have no inheritance. They are even worse than bad man:

"Women are powerless, have no inheritance, and speak more humbly than even a bad man." [Krsna Yajur-Veda Taittiriya Samhita 6:5:8:2]

There can be no lasting friendship with women. Their hearts are like hyenas':

"With women there can be no lasting friendship: hearts of hyenas are the hearts of women." [Rig-Veda 10:95:15]

Women should beget sons, not daughter:

"Almighty God, you have created this womb. Women may be born somewhere else but sons should be born from this womb" [Atharva-Veda 6:11:3]

"O Husband protect the son to be born. Do not make him a women." [Atharva-Veda 2:3:23]

Women's veil and other limitations:

"Cast down thine eyes and look not up. More closely set thy feet. Let none See what thy garment veils, for thou, a Brahman, hast become a dame." [Rig-Veda 8:33:19]

Widow burning (Sati):

"Let these unwidowed dames with noble husbands adorn themselves with fragrant balm and unguent. Decked with fair jewels, tearless, free from sorrow, first let the dames go up to where he lieth. Rise, come unto the world of life, O woman: come, he is lifeless by whose side thou liest. Wifehood with this thy husband was thy portion, who took thy hand and wooed thee as a lover." [Rig-Veda 10:18:7-8]

"If a womans husband dies, let her lead a life of chastity, or else mount his pyre." [Vishnusmrti xxv.14] [Clayton 13]

"Arjuna having found the bodies of Krishna and of Rama, performed for them, and the rest of the slain, the obsequial rites. The eight queens of Krishna, who have been named, with Rukmini at their head, embraced the body of Hari, and entered the funeral fire. Revat also, embracing the corpse of Rama, entered the blazing pile, which was cool to her, happy in contact with her lord. Hearing these events, Ugrasena and Anakadundubhi, with Devaki and Rohini committed themselves to the flames." [Vishnu Purana, 5:28]

Slavery in Vedas:

"Two wagon-teams, with damsels, twenty oxen, O Agni, Abhydvartin Cayamdna, The liberal Sovran, giveth me. This guerdon of Prthu's seed is hard to win from others." [Rig-Veda 6:27:8]

Dowry system in Vedas:

The Vedas prescribe that a dowry be given by the brides family to the groom. The Rig Veda states that cows and gifts given by the father of the bride to the daughter accompanied the brides procession [Rg Ved X.85] [Apte 12]. Kakshivat says he became rich by the father-in-law giving him 10 chariots and maids and 1060 cows during the marriage ceremony [Rg Ved I.126] [Apte 13]. The ancient custom of kanyadan, where the father presented his daughter with jewelry and clothes at the time of her marriage, and vardakshina where the father presented the groom with kith and kind are, in essence the dowry system.

Disable women and the women from low family cannot be married:

"Nor (should he marry) one of a low family (such as an agriculturer's, or an attendant of the king's family); Nor one diseased; Nor one with a limb too much (as e. g. having six fingers); Nor one with a limb too little." [The Institutes of Vishnu, 24:10-14]

There is no creature more sinful than women; women are blazing fire; they are poison; they are snake; they are living lies:

"There is no creature more sinful, O son, than women. Woman is a blazing fire. She is the illusion, O king, that the Daitya Maya created. She is the sharp edge of the razor. She is poison. She is a snake. She is fire. She is, verily, all these united together. Women have no especial acts prescribed for them. Even this is the ordinance that was laid down. The Sruti declares that women are endued with senses the most powerful, that they have no scriptures to follow, and that they are living lies." [Mahabharata, 13:40]

Although Gita doesn't talk about men-women issue yet it accuses only women for corruption and unwanted progeny:

"And when immorality prevails, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupted; when women are corrupted, unwanted progeny is born." [Gita 1:41]

Destruction of womens independence:

"In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a women must never be independent." [Manu-Smrti 5:148]

"Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence." [Manu-Smrti 9:3]

Mental subjugation:

"By violating her duty towards her husband, a wife is disgraced in this world, (after death) when enters the womb of a jackal, and is tormented by diseases (as the punishment of) her sin." [Manu-Smrti, 5:164]

Women must worship their husband as god:

"Though destitute of virtue, or seeking pleasure (elsewhere); or devoid of good qualities, (yet) a husband must be constantly worshipped as a god by a dutiful wife." [Manu-Smrti 5:154]

Women and Sudras were declared to be unfit for study of their own sacred texts:

"And as women, Sudras and the inferior members of the twice-borne classes were unfitted for hearing the Veda, and were infatuated in desiring the blessings, arising from the ceremonies, the muni, with a vision to their felicity, in his kindness composed the narrative called the Mahabharata." [Bhag.Pur. I.4.25; Muir III, p.42]

"They [women and Sudras] are debarred ... from being competent students of the Veda." [Vedarthaprakasha of Madhava Acharyya on the Taittriya Yajur-Veda, quoted in Muir III, p.66]

No remarriage:

Manu (V.157) states that a widow should never think of remarriage after her husband's death [1200, p.69].

The Aditya Purana (XXI.14) also says that widow remarriage should not be performed in the Kali age. [1200, p.69]

If by a mistake or under some pressure a person married a widow, he had to perform penance and abandon her as the marriage was invalid [Laghu Ashvalayana XXI.6] [1200, p.69]

The offspring of remarried woman are declared to be illegitimate:

"Offspring begotten by another man is here not (considered lawful), nor (does offspring begotten) on another man's wife (belong to the begetter), nor is a second husband anywhere prescribed for virtuous women." [Manu-Smrti V.162]

Women cannot even sleep alone:

"Whilst her husband is absent, she shall sleep with one of her female relatives and not alone." [Vasishta's Padma Purana, DuB.p.349]

Female infanticide:

"Tasmat striyam jatam parasyanti ut pumamsam haranti." (Hence they reject a female child when born, and take up a male.) [Taitt. Samh. VI.5.10.3] [Muir I 26]

Child marriage:

"A man, aged thirty years, shall marry a maiden of twelve who pleases him, or a man of twenty-four a girl of eight years of age; if (the performance of) his duties would otherwise be impeded, he must marry sooner." [Manu-Smrti IX.94]

Death Penalty for guilty of infidelity:

"When a woman, proud of her relations [or abilities] deceives her husband (with another man), then the king should [ensure that] she be torn apart by dogs in place much frequented by people"[Manu Smrti 8:371] "And the evil man should be burnt in a bed of red-hot iron." [Manu-Smrti 8:371-2]

VIII.371. "If a wife, proud of the greatness of her relatives or (her own) excellence, violates the duty which she owes to her lord, the king shall cause her to be devoured by dogs in a place frequented by many. VIII.372. Let him cause the male offender to be burnt on a red-hot iron bed; they shall put logs under it, (until) the sinner is burned (to death)." [Manu-Smrti Buhler VIII 371-372]

Adultery is defined as the simple touching of clothes and even conversing with men:

"He who addresses the wife of another man at a Tirtha, outside the village, in a forest, or at the confluence of rivers, suffer (the punishment for) adulterous acts (samgrahana)."

"Offering presents (to a woman), romping (with her), touching her ornaments and dress, sitting with her on a bed, all (these acts) are considered adulterous acts (samgrahana)."

"If one touches a woman in a place (which ought) not (to be touched) or allows (oneself to be touched in such a spot), all (such acts done) with mutual consent are declared (to be) adulterous (samgrahana)." [Manu-Smrti VIII 356-358]

Incest in Vedas:

Pushan is the lover of his sister [Rig-Veda VI.55.4] [Apte 11]

Agni is the lover of his own sister [Rig-Veda X.3.3] [Apte 11]

Ashvins are referred to as the sons of Savitar and Ushas who are brother and sister [Apte 11].

The Ashvins married Surya and Savitri who is their sister [Rig-Veda I.116.19].

Agni is the son of his father and his sister [Rig-Veda I.91.7]

Yama wards off his sister Yami, saying marriage between brother and sister is forbidden [Rig-Veda X.10] [Apte 11]

These are just some samples!

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