A woman cannot admire the beauty of another woman : By Justice Katju

A woman cannot admire the beauty of another woman

By Justice 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 ) "