Everything is in the mind

“कार्येषु दासी, करणेषु मंत्री
भोज्येषु माता, शयनेषु रंभा

रूपे च लक्ष्मी, क्षमया धरित्री
षट्कर्म युक्ता कुलधर्मपत्नी”

(“Karyeshu Dasi, Karaneshu Manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha, Roopeshu lakshmi, Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Pathni”)

— Neetisara

This poem was written in Telugu in the 13^th century by the famous poet Baddena (Bhadra Bhupala). The meaning of this shloka is, a woman is a good housewife if,

·         She does all her household work as a servant. (Karyeshu Dasi)

·         Advises her husband like any minister. (Karaneshu Manthri)

·         Feeds her family, eg. husband, like a mother. (Bhojeshu Mata)

·         Is able to please her husband in bed like Rambha. (Shayaneshu Rambha)

·         Is as beautiful as Goddess Lakshmi. (Roopeshu lakshmi)

·         Has patience like Earth. (Kshamayeshu Dharitri)

A woman with all these six qualities, is an ideal housewife. (Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Pathni).

This is a very beautiful poem which was written very beautifully by this poet. But I wish there was at least one such beautiful shloka or poem written for becoming an ideal husband to let them know their duties towards their family. This poem was written back in 13^th century, but even today, it is served before every woman to remind them of their duties towards their family.

The sufferings of a woman is a never ending process. There are many people who still treat a woman like a substance. Every day we hear numerous cases, where a woman is molested and is hurt. I really fail to understand, how someone can be in peace after hurting someone or rather, a woman. Although the seriousness of this issue cannot be overlooked, a woman should never forget that “EVERYTHING IS IN THE MIND”. This means that if you think you are weak, you will always be so. It is very important for a woman to feel herself so strong that those strong vibes hit every person who comes near her. This may not stop the violence against women, but this will definitely reduce it to some extent.

In Indian tradition, there is a lot of respect given to womanhood. There are even many powerful goddesses like Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Even Manu, who is regarded as a founder of humanity, said, “The Gods are pleased where women are honored; where they are dishonored all works become fruitless.”

Thankfully, compared to the era in which the above poem was written, the position of a woman has improved a lot. And even though not all, but many have started treating a woman like a human being.  

A woman is a symbol of power, of self-respect and self-efficacy. She has the power to overcome the immense pain and give birth. She can go through all the adverse situation and still nurture. She can walk on the path of flowers happily and can even show off her smile while walking on the thorns. She has the power to make one feel relaxed and calm with her soft touch. A woman can happily become a servant for her family and give away everything that she has.

A woman is as soft as a petal and at the same time, she is as tough as a thorn. So, a woman should never be disrespected. One should always remember that the world is round and what goes, comes back.