The Strength Of A Woman's Character!

“The mansion of human life should be built on charity, purity, unity and Divinity. Women play a crucial role in cultivating these four pillars.” (Bhagwan Baba)

There is a legend about a Brahmin called Kaushik. He was a characterless man who contracted leprosy seemingly due to his habits and loose character. But his habits did not change. His wife Sumathi was a woman of great virtue and character. Due to the physical condition of Kaushik the couple was shunted out of the village and were living under a tree on the outskirts of the village. The virtuous Sumathi did not fail in performing her duties towards her diseased husband. One day Kaushik asked his wife to take him to a prostitute. Sumathi tried in vain, to dissuade him but the characterless man did not relent. So, Sumathi put her husband in a basket and carried him on her head and took him to a prostitute. The prostitute was stunned at this act of Sumathi. She gave a good piece of her mind to Kaushik and told him to go away.

Sumathi carried Kaushik on her head and took him back. She had to make her through a cremation ground in the darkness of the night.

Sage Mandavya had been falsely accused of stealing some money that had been left near him by a thief while running away. Mandavya was wrongly punished and was made to carry a huge stone around his neck. While he was carrying the burden of the heavy stone round his neck, he too was passing through the cremation ground at night.

As Sumathi inadvertently crossed by Sage Mandavya, the leg of Kaushik that was protruding out of the basket on her head, hit Mandavya and he cursed in pain. Mandavya said, “Who is it, who dares strike me with his foot? Oh insolent one! May your head break the moment the sun rises!!!” Sumathi begged

Mandavya to withdraw the curse, and spare the life of her husband. But Mandavya refused to let up.

Then Sumathi took a vow, “If I am a woman of character, then the Sun shall not rise!” Such was the power of this chaste woman, that there was no Sunrise and the world was steeped in darkness. Everyone prayed to Brahma. Brahma advised them to ask help from Anusuya the wife of Rishi Atri, for Anusuya was a woman of chastity.

Anusuya persuaded Sumathi to let the Sun rise, promising her that as soon as Kaushik died at sunrise, Anusuya would resurrect him. Anusuya kept her promise and gave Kaushik back, not only his life but also a disease-free body.

Women are capable of great things. They have great strength of character. The changing values of society today have set different dimensions for women and their role in the contemporary world. But deep down somewhere, the ancient values still hold true and are always a guiding light when in doubt.