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Thread: Hinduism and menstruation

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    Hinduism and menstruation

    What is the main Hindu view on menstruation? I know that women who are menstruating are not allowed to go to temples. I heard from ISKCON that anything a woman touches while she is menstruating becomes unclean. Do most Hindus believe this?

    For example, if my wife touched my clean dhoti when I was menstruating, would it become unclean and require another washing before I could wear it to the temple? Would sprinkling Ganga water on it remove the impurity?

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    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    I will enlarge your question. What are the views of different religions about menstruation?

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    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    Really sensitive issue Scott....Its a taboo for some people to even talk about.....

    You cannot be totally isolating your wife from your life during the menstruation process....I personally dont think it is viable that touching will make thinks unclean. We cannot be washing our clothes, changing bedsheets, staying a meter away from our wife.

    I know that women during menstruation are not allowed to visit temples. Its only after the 5th day when they have a head bath then they usually go. If you are organising a prayer at your home and unfortunately your wife falls sick on the same day of the pooja and everythings arranged, then we certainly cannot cancel it can we. Its just that she wont be playing a part in the preparation and process prayer. She'l be more like a spectator.

    Hope i have thrown some insights from my point of view.

    Cheers
    Ravi

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    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    Quote Originally Posted by ScottMalaysia View Post
    For example, if my wife touched my clean dhoti when I was menstruating
    Wait, you menstruate?

    On a serious note, women who menstruate are actually kept in a separate part of the house and are not allowed to mingle with others until after an oil bath after the 4th day where she undergoes a purificatory ceremony. It is also proven that menstrual blood is extremely toxic and can cause all sorts of illnesses. This is why they are kept aloof and in the good old days, women actually followed this tradition and most still do in traditional households. Other so-called "modern" Hindus, don't enforce this so their menstruating women still mingle with others in the family (yuck!).

    The women do not cook, they don't touch anything else in the house (they are restricted to their "room" where there is a toilet/shower for them to use of course).

    I'm glad most Hindus I know still follow this tradition and are clean.
    Last edited by satay; 06 March 2010 at 07:40 PM. Reason: rewording

  5. #5

    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    Quote Originally Posted by ScottMalaysia View Post
    What is the main Hindu view on menstruation? I know that women who are menstruating are not allowed to go to temples. I heard from ISKCON that anything a woman touches while she is menstruating becomes unclean. Do most Hindus believe this?

    For example, if my wife touched my clean dhoti when I was menstruating, would it become unclean and require another washing before I could wear it to the temple? Would sprinkling Ganga water on it remove the impurity?



    I am aware of this practice and even in GVism this is taught. However, we have to remember that in every kind of religion there are practices that are invented by practitioners through the ages which have no basis in shastras.

    If there are specifically for this practice, please give me the precise quote.

    Of course. cleanliness is very important in rituals and there is symbolism , in any religious practices, that is why we try to clean our minds through meditation.

    Do you think it is better for a woman to stop doing her spiritual practice because she is menstruating and just watch tv?

    But tell me which one is physically clean, a woman menstruating who has a full shower or one who do not wash up?


    Additional: I asked a respected acharya, a life long celibate, a scholar, a similar general question. I asked: if one is in a circumstance where she can not follow the sadachars regulations, what then? He told me to do my best to follow but he added that what is very important is the state of one's mind -- that one's mind is clean.
    Last edited by Jivattatva; 05 March 2010 at 03:19 PM.

  6. #6

    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    Quote Originally Posted by TatTvamAsi View Post

    I'm glad most Hindus I know still follow this tradition and are clean.
    Really?

    I know of not one Hindu women that stays in a room not touching anything for 4 days. How is that even possible in modern society? We don't all have servants that can take care of our children and cook for our families. What about households that depend on a double income?

    As far as I know Scott, women simply don't go to temple until after 5 days and a hair washing. I can completely understand why in the past a women on her period could have been deemed 'unclean'. Running water for showers and hand washing, sanitary napkins, and washing machines weren't exactly readily available. Things could get, er, 'messy' for lack of a better word, along with too much information.

    Go give your wife a hug and a kiss, don't make her feel like an alien for functioning as God created her to.

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    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    Dear Scott,

    Whatever has been said is all true so far about menstruating women & Hindu society. I have seen happening in some families what TTA has said. However, as you know, there are no hard & fast rules followed equally in all Hindu families.

    The situation has changed considerably. Except a very minor percentage of families, I don't think people are now so much strict about this. Yes, not going to worship room, not going to temples & not touching anything meant to be offered to God is still followed by most of the Hindus.

    You may decide what suits you.

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    as far as my experience goes i have seen most women refraining from direct participation in religious activities during the period of mensturation . ofcourse a preplanned festival can go on with the help of others , but she would not touch anything ( objects of offering or untensils flowers etc) thats requried in puja.

    in india people bath every day ! infact its highly unnatural if someone doesnt take a bath everyday . but even that doesnt make her clean untill the period has ended .

    actually this restriction arises from the idea that any body secretions are a type of impurities --like sweat , tears , blood , semen , ear wax etc etc . the idea is to stay as clean as practically possible .

    but i must say that i have not come across any women in my area who stays completely isolated during these days . its only that they dont partake in religous ceremonies .

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    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    Quote Originally Posted by Jivattatva View Post
    which have no basis in shastras.

    If there are specifically for this practice, please give me the precise quote.
    Pranam

    Here is what Manu smriti says in chapter 5

    66. (A woman) is purified on a miscarriage in as many (days and) nights as months (elapsed after conception), and a menstruating female becomes pure by bathing after the menstrual secretion has ceased (to flow).

    This is strange one as a young lad I could never understand why I could not touch my mother or her bad.
    Yes this tradition is still observed in most Hindus in varying degree at least not taking part in religious activities.
    I don’t think this should be looked in any way as degrading women but an acknowledgement of their difficult time and may be allow for their mood swings, also they have an enforced break from mundane chores.

    Jai Shree Krishna
    Rig Veda list only 33 devas, they are all propitiated, worthy off our worship, all other names of gods are derivative from this 33 originals,
    Bhagvat Gita; Shree Krishna says Chapter 3.11 devan bhavayatanena te deva bhavayantu vah parasparam bhavayantah sreyah param avapsyatha Chapter 17.4 yajante sattvika devan yaksa-raksamsi rajasah pretan bhuta-ganams canye yajante tamasa janah
    The world disappears in him. He is the peaceful, the good, the one without a second.

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    Re: Hinduism and menstruation

    Vannakkam all:

    Scott: From a mystical viewpoint, human fluids attract negative inner forces. Some might say lower or asuric. This is not like Abrahamic good/bad. More like big waves and small waves. This includes blood of all kinds, waste elimination fluids, etc. Any priest who knows these rules will abstain from pujas if they cut their finger as well. They would take the time off until the finger cut has at least scabbed over, and is no longer flowing.

    This is subtle energy, and of course many wouldn't believe as mysticism isn't really part of it. Some of the mystic knowledge has been lost over time. Fortunately within the Kali Yuga, a few old souls have kept it alive within themselves from their mystic realisations.

    For me personally, I have actually gotten up and left the temple when I have felt such forces inadvertently come in. Usually it is from a guest who doesn't know better. I never say anything, I just leave. Even when I am landscaping and have cut myself with a pruning blade or some such thing, I have left the temple property and gone home.

    Again, mystically, it means the barrier between here, and there is more open. Places have vibrations. Surely you've walked along a street in a city where you felt uneasy (criminal activity, drug use, prostitution, etc). You felt uneasy because you were tuning into the lower astral forces there,

    In my community temple, everyone practises this custom. But as Shanti put it, in modern society the whole practice is nigh impossible, and probably unnecessary to begin with. Nuclear families instead of extended families, better sanitation, and the like have all changed our lives.

    Aum Namasivaya

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