A woman cannot admire the beauty of another woman !
By Justice Markandey Katju
In the Uttarkand of Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas Kakbhushandiji ( a crow ) said to Garudji ( an eagle ) :
ज्ञान विराग योग विज्ञाना, ए सब पुरुष सुनहु हरिजाना
पुरुष प्रताप प्रबल सब भाँती अबला अबल सहज जड़ जाती
“Knowledge, sacrifice, yoga and science---these are manly qualities.
A man is powerful in every way. A woman is by nature weak and a fool "
( Sorry ladies, it is not I who said it, it is Kakbhushandiji )
A man of stable mind and sacrifice can ( i.e. should ) abandon women, but a lustful man cannot do that
पुरुष त्यागि सक नारिहि जो विरक्त मति धीर
न तु कामी विषयावस विमुख जो पद रघुबीर
Even a Muni full of knowledge gets entrapped by a beautiful women
सोउ मुनि ज्ञान निधान मृग नयनी बिधु मुख निरखि
विवश होइ हरिजान नारि विष्णु माया प्रगट
Then comes the punch couplet ( chaupai ) :
इहाँ न पच्छपात कछु राखउँ वेद पुराण संत मत भाषओं
मोहि न नारी नारी के रूपा पन्नगारि यह रीति अनूपा
"Without any bias I am saying, and I am only repeating what the Vedas, Puranas and the saints have said :
'A woman cannot admire the beauty of another woman. This is a unique trait ( vilakshan reeti ) "
Hari Om.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court. These are his personal views.)
