Periods, A topic which has become more vocal nowadays and everyone are sharing their opinions and thoughts on it. I am writing this article because I think we need to establish a common ground between dharma aspect of periods and the current social aspect of it.
I read an article on Periods in ‘Aura-2017‘ edition magazine of college ‘KJSEIT-Mumbai’ by two girls which I wouldn’t name here, which was my motivation for writing this article. I will be quoting that article here wherever needed. I will first applaud the girls for talking the topic out on such a platform and being straightforward and practical about it. Their article was unbiased and commendable on their level.
They had done their superficial research about the dharma, spiritual aspect of it, but I felt they didn’t have much concern and regard for it, so there wasn’t deep research considering that aspect. I will put some more light on it in this article.
- What are periods?
I am guy writing this, and moreover a monk now, so I won’t be specific here. But I had taken up biology in my Junior college, so I had studied about it, but I don’t recall it well now. But all in all, it is a discharge of blood, raging hormones and maybe cramps in the stomach. This is what I have heard and known from my classmate back then.
- Social perspective:
First of all, it is not something to joke upon and nothing to make a big issue of. It is natural and we must treat it with more understanding and make a fuss about it.
One must be nice and sensitive towards women in such days, at least guys, don’t be jerks and harass them. Don’t harass anyone anytime!
Even the ladies can be normal about it, but there is no need to become a motormouth and say anything indecent just to be called bold and independent. There is something called decency, maintain it.
If you don’t over-react, even men will treat it normally.
Many places including ancient India had respected and mollycoddled women and nature they bent around them. Periods were periods of rest and pamper, not that of ill-treatment and frustration! It is the medieval clowns that didn’t bother to regard the logic behind the words of their ancestors.
- But what gives periods such undue fame?
We know the internet has been exploding either PMS jokes! The pr menstrual syndrome is as serious as it sounds. Maybe. Should be. Well, there is a whirlwind of hormones suddenly running around in the body, uttering walls shedding, eggs being mourned! That counts for something.
Irritability, angry outbursts, anxiety, mood swings all in all a roller coaster of emotions destabilizing us time and again, but it is not as crazy as they portray. In fact, social media has on aggravated the unnecessary notions in men’s as well as women’s brains. There are champions who are lifting insane weights while there are goals who won’t move until they get a choco brownie because hey, periods! (Yes girls, we gave us away…)
The circumstances are only as odd as we want them to be. The world is making an attempt to grow sensibly and we might want to take part.
Men and women, don’t be in denial, are meant to co-exist with coherence, with respect for one another and for the package the nature has sent us with.
The article covered the social aspect well, but it misses on the spiritual and the religious perspective. One must understand the difference between purity and holy. The mineral water might be clean, but it isn’t as pure and holy as the water of river Ganga. Even Christians have sacred water.
Similarly, the sanitary pads and other modern things provide cleanliness and ease for one’s daily routine. One might be able to attend college, or job and do whatever they want, but one must not interfere with religious matters, and shouldn’t insist and revolt against it. If one expects understanding towards their problems, then one must respect the religious sentiments of others. I understand the religious orators shouldn’t use derogatory terms for periods and women in periods, but women shouldn’t violate their rules too.
- Personal Experience:
In my personal experience, during my college days, even I had female friends, who were very understanding towards me, and they informed me directly or indirectly depending on the situation that they had periods. It was because I maintained my discipline of touching women in periods, and not consuming the food brought or prepared by them. They were cool about it.
Even I treated them as a normal person and not otherwise.
I would like to thank my family for this because I remember how cool my father was regarding this topic. He would buy sanitary pads for my mother, and he never made a fuss about it. We never discussed the topic in particular, but it wasn’t a big issue! It was a normal thing and it was treated normally.
Yes, the inhibitions and rules ordained by Lord Swaminarayan were followed strictly by us, and she followed it willingly and happily. There wasn’t any kind of force.
- The origin of it in scriptures:
In Bhagawatam 6.9.6, there is a story where Indra killed a demon Brahmin named Vishwaroopa, and relieved many people from his terror.
Now he had killed a brahmin and he accepted the sin even though he could ward it off. He remained tainted by it for a year and then divided it into four parts and assigned them to trees, the earth, water and young women. This was an act of self-purification in the eyes of other beings.
The young women took it with a boon of constant sexual urge(capacity of sexual union even during the time of gestation). And the sin clearly perceived in them in the form of menstrual discharge month to month. Hence they are regarded as untouchable and are unfit for sexual commerce during periods.
Shrimad Bhagwat explains, ‘In return for the blessing of always living with their husband, women accepted the fourth part of the sin of Brahmhatya.’ Thus, this blessing was received by all women in return for acquiring the sin of Brahmhatya that is evident through their monthly Maasic Vrat. Only after observing the 3-day Vrat, does a woman become free from such sin.
- What are the inhibitions for women during periods?
- No women shall touch anybody or any clothes etc. for three days during the period of menses but can do so on the fourth day after taking a bath. Shikshapatri 174
- It is not allowed for them to directly take part in any kind of puja or direct seva of God.
- It isn’t allowed to enter the kitchen as food for God is prepared there.
- It isn’t allowed to touch a person or clothes(cotton or its derivatives). A small child and woollen or Reshami clothes are permitted.
- How should the Satsangis, the followers of Swaminarayan Sect follow these rules?
I will discuss how we used to follow in my home:
- A separate sleeping arrangement, a pillow, a chadar and something soft to sleep on was made for the lady. All of it was either Reshami or synthetic material. Nowadays we have a lot of options.
- The meal was prepared by the gentlemen in the house or the relatives and neighbours if they understood and followed such discipline.
- They can read scriptures and sing kirtans, but they can’t do puja.
- One shouldn’t go around asking if someone is in her periods, instead, one can simply take a bath after coming home to maintain the purity at home. Because it is understandable that in public transport and places one may have touched a woman in periods unknowingly and unintentionally.
Parashar adds that if a Rajsvala has to attend a wedding, festival, Yagna etc., then she may purify herself by performing an Upvaas (full day fast), and thus become free from the Rajsvala Vrat.
Every year, she should observe the Rushi Panchmi Vrat in order to dissolve the sins performed during her Rajsvala days and also makes up for any faults, short giving and discrepancies in performing her Rajsvala Dharma.
- How to count the three days?
Shatanand then explains how to calculate the first day of Rajsvala dependant on when exactly Rajodarshan (time of menstrual cycle) takes place. Mitakshara explains, ‘If Rajodarshan occurs at night, then splitting the night-time into three equal parts, if Rajodarshan occurred in the first two parts of night-time then the previous day should be considered as the first day. If it occurred in the last third then the next day is considered the first day of Rajsvala Vrat.’
Other Smrutis explains that if Rajodarshan occurs before the middle of night-time then the previous day should be considered as the first day.
Nirnyasindhu, however, explains that one should act in such cases in accordance with what is accepted in the village, town, country etc.
If Rajodarshan occurs again after a short space of time then it is explained: ‘If rajodarshan occurs again after seventeen days then one is cleansed by merely bathing; after eighteen days, then one day of Rajsvala Vrat should be observed; after nineteen days, then two days should be observed; and if after twenty days or more then the full three days should be observed.’
Swaminarayan Glory 