A rebuttal to Abul Kasem’s article- Women in Hinduism: Part-1 08/03/2009 14:35:20
By Raju Maliger
“O Universal God, please lead us from untruth to truth, from darkness to light,
from death to immortality, OM let there be Peace, Peace, and Peace” said my
Vedic ancestors 5000 years ago in Brihadaranyaka
Upanishat (1.3.28).
Introduction
: Recently, I
came across on Islam-watch
website a derogatory article titled “Women in Hinduism” by Abul Kasem. The author
claims himself to be a Bangladesh-born X-Muslim that has written few books and
articles on issues concerning Islam and terrorism. He moved to Australia ever
since he became an apostate. It is evident from many of his articles that he is
better versed with Arabic language and its religion than the culture and
religion of his vedic ancestors.
Based on his article on women in Hinduism, it is quite evident that he simply
copied verses from books and websites that claim to
provide translations of the Vedas and
Vedanta, but never bothered to
investigate the real meaning of the original Sanskrit verses. Never once in his
article has Abul provided transliteration of the vedic verses he has quoted. Apparently, Kasem hasn’t done any
scholarly research on his own. Rather, he reproduced verses from a and few
books, without bothering to investigate the real meaning of the original
Sanskrit verses. When many sincere people on the forum questioned the non-existence
of the verses he is said to have taken from that website, he blamed that the
aforesaid website had removed many inconvenient verses and thus washed off his
hands. In Hinduism, there is a system of scholarly debate (vaada-vivaada), which Kasem is fully aware of. In the series of
articles, I shall refute Kasem by (i) describing the glorification of women in
Vedas and providing the correct transliteration and meanings of the verses
quoted by Kasem, and (ii) showing how Colonial British were involved in denigrating
Vedas and cooked up Aryan invasion theory, which Kasem and other hibernating
authors repeat like parrots without even bothering to look into the current
status of such theories.
Background
: It is
surprising to find an article about Hinduism on a website meant for scrutinizing
Islam. Prior to publishing this article, Kasem had translated
an article from Bengali in which he had described the following absurdities,
which are similar to the minutes of a Bengali communist party conference on
history. A sample of his translation runs like this: “In the period 600 BCE the human
society did not even had the idea of proper body attire. They looked at the huge trees and wondered
how those trees grew so gigantic. Men and women lived in small caves….. Around 85 CE, from the ruins of the
hunter-gatherer, a new, more habitable society started to emerge. People
started wearing loin cloths.” Western historians
date Gautama Buddha’s lifetime from 563 BCE to 483
BCE.
Piqued by Kasem’s knowledge in history, many educated people,
especially Hindus, questioned the authenticity of the article. It was then that
the Editor of Islam-watch published a derogatory article on Hinduism to counter
the loopholes in Kasem’s article. Whatever Kasem has translated, with or
without a conscious mind, does not surprise anyone because he took almost 40
years to learn the nature of the religion he was born into.
Analysis of Abul Kasem’s article
: Abul Kasem’s article can be found here.
It is interesting to note that he uses terms such as Sati Pratha and Dasi Pratha
that are patented by Christian missionary organizations which aim to harvest
so-called heathen, pagan, Asian souls by publishing derogatory information
about other religions.
Kasem writes
: Our oldest books are the 'Vedas', which contain highly
objectionable and condemnable passages concerning women.
Rebuttal
: The Sanskrit word Veda
comes from the root word vid, which
means knowledge. So, Vedas have been
imparting imperishable knowledge to mankind since time immemorial and are now
becoming popular in the West. Regarding Kasem’s comment on the presence of
objectionable verses in Vedas on women, it should be noted that Hinduism is the
last of the surviving so-called PAGAN religions (term coined by Abrahamic
faiths) that continues to worship GODDESS as Shakti and energy. In Vedas
earth, nature, rivers, and divine energy are represented by Mother Goddess. She
is also called the nourisher of mankind and all planets in the universe. If
Vedas were to denigrate women, then similar to Abrahamic scriptures, they
(Vedas) shouldn’t have contained glorifying verses on Mother Goddess, or women
in general.
Kasem writes
: Taking cue from the 'Vedas' authors of subsequent religious
scriptures referred to women in more contemptuous form.
Rebuttal
: When a person reads anything with a defective magnifying glass, to
him everything appears arid, contemptuous, and unworthy. There is a sea of
difference between Vedic and Abrahamic scriptures which Kasem is unable to
comprehend.
Kasem writes
: 'Sati pratha' (custom of burning widows with the
body of their husbands), 'Dasi Pratha' (keeping the slave-girls),
'Niyog Pratha' (ancient Aryan custom of childless widow or
women having sexual intercourse with a man other than husband to beget child),
were among cruel customs responsible for the plight of the women.
Rebuttal
: It should be noted clearly that the terms Sati Pratha, Dasi Pratha,
and Niyog Pratha do not find any
mention in any of the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva), 18 Puranas, and
Upanishats which are considered sacred by all Hindus. The meaning of Sati is virtuous woman or wife, and it
is always associated with Pati
(husband). The meaning of Pratha in
Sanskrit is scattering, flattening, extending, or spreading out. However, the word Pratha doesn’t appear together with Sati even once in any of the authentic Hindu scriptures mentioned above.
Abul Kasem should to do a personal research to locate the Sanskrit phrase sati pratha in our scriptures. On the
other hand, Kasem will be lucky to find such neo-Indology terms in any of the
Christian missionary websites and Bengali communist sources. The custom of burning widows with the body of
their husbands is not present in the scriptures. In fact, Rig Veda (10.18.8)
states exactly the opposite. Here is the transliteration of the same verse- “Rise, woman, and go to the world of living
beings: Come, this man near whom you lie is dead: You have enjoyed this state
of being the wife of your husband, the suitor who took you by the hand.”
Here, a widow is advised to live her life instead of grieving over her dead
husband as the Karma of spending earthly time as husband and wife is over due
to his death. Many of the Christian missionaries twist the meaning of this
verse to demonize Hinduism. In Ramayana, we find that King Dasharath’s wives
lived with their children even after their husband’s death. Ravana’s wife,
Mandodari, didn’t commit suicide upon the death of her husband. In Mahabharath
Kunti, Pandu’s widow, lived in the royal palace till she became old. If Kasem
finds enough time to read the medieval history of India,
he will notice that the custom of widows jumping into the funeral pyres of
their husbands started when Jihadi
thugs started invading India.
According to divine Quranic injunctions, these Jihadis used to kill the captured
male soldiers and enslave women as concubines (Refer Quran 4.25). Instead of
falling prey to these marauders, Hindu women committed suicide by jumping into
the funeral pyre of their husbands. Later on, in the medieval ages it became a
custom under the name Johar in
certain parts of Northern India where the
Islamic onslaught was at its peak. Now, such a system is nowhere to be seen
except in the Christian missionary books and Kasem’s articles.
The meaning of Dasi is ‘female worker’ or ‘servant’ and
NOT ‘slave girl’ as mentioned by Kasem. We find the term ‘slave’ rampantly used
in Old Testament and Quran, wherein the God (?) gives permission for believers
to wage war against other religions, rape the enslaved women, and sell them in
the market as slaves. On the other hand, Kasem should be aware of the fact that
the wars between Hindu Kingdoms were fought only amongst the warriors. Civilians,
agricultural lands, properties, and places of worship were never touched
irrespective of the outcome of the war. I advice Kasem to read the rules and
regulations set aside by Bhishma for the Kurukshetra war in the Bhishma Parva section of Mahabharath. In
fact, Megasthanes, a Greek Ambassador during the time of Alexander, has
recorded in his memoirs that farmers, sages, and other civilians walking in the
field near the battlefield, where a war was fought between two Hindu kingdoms,
were never harmed. Therefore, the question of keeping slave-girls never existed
in Vedic society. If Kasem thinks that the assistants to princesses and Kings
are slaves, then I wonder what he considers the attendants of Queen Elizabeth
or the President of America. Being a receiver of dole money, his conscience
does not permit him to think that far! Finally, the meaning of the word Niyog is application, employment, task,
duty, or function. I am not sure how he is associating Niyog with Pratha. Many
disillusioned authors mention the phrase ‘Niyog pratha’ in their articles, but
no one dares to quote authentic references from the four Vedas, 18 Puranas, and
the Upanishats.
Kasem writes
: Naturally, seeking shelter under such religious sanctions,
unscrupulous women disgraced women to the maximum possible extent and made them
means of satisfying their lust. No one wanted a daughter. As a result; female
infant came to be considered unwanted. No one wanted a daughter. Everyone was
interested in having a son. The birth of the son was celebrated, but the birth
of the daughter plunged family into gloom. This attitude still persists, even
though certain other customs have undergone changes.
Rebuttal
: If Kasem is writing about the female infanticide practiced in few
remote villages in India,
then he has every right to criticize it. However, such a heinous system has no
backing from the Hindu religious scriptures. In fact there is a saying- every
family needs a daughter for performing Aarati
(an auspicious ceremony). The birth of a son or daughter in a family was
considered equally auspicious. In the last 1000 years, Hinduism may have
adopted bad practices due to outside influence. However, the core of Hindu
scriptures adores women. In fact, Sri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita “Among
women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness, and
patience; of poetry I am the Goddess Gayatri verse, sung daily by the
intelligent.”
Kasem writes
:
'Rig Veda' itself
says that a women should beget sons. The newly married wife is blessed so that
she could have 10 sons.
Rebuttal
: If Kasem has read Vedas, then he should be able to quote the exact
verse number in the Rig Veda to uphold his claim. Otherwise, he is venting out
his hallucination and displaying idiosyncrasy. In fact, Yajur Veda (14.2.71)
states “I am this man, that dame are you;
I am the psalm and you the verse. I am the heaven and you the
earth. So will we dwell together here, parents of children yet to be.”
Kasem writes
: So much so, that for begetting a son, 'Vedas' prescribe a special
ritual
called 'Punsawan sanskar' (a ceremony performed during third
month of pregnancy).
Rebuttal
: The word Punsawan means ‘manliness’.
During the ‘Punsawan Sanskar’ ceremony, which is performed during the third
month of pregnancy, a husband
vows
to observe celibacy during the duration of pregnancy and lactation and ensure
the happiness and health of his wife, and in return, the wife vows to do all
she can to ensure the perfect well-being of the foetus so that the child is
born strong and healthy. Saskaras cannot be leant by reading Arabic night
stories or Bengali comrades’ thoughts, but by dwelling into Vedas through the guidance of a Guru.
For more information on Sanskars, please visit the following link.
Kasem writes
: During the ceremony it is prayed:"Almighty God, you have
created this womb. Women may be born somewhere else but sons should be born
from this womb" [Atharva Ved 6/11/3].
Rebuttal
: Atharva Veda (6/11/3) states “Prajapati,
Anumati, Sinivali have ordered it. Elsewhere may he cause the birth of maids,
but here beget a boy.” It is already made clear what Punsawan Sanskar
is and it has nothing to do with the Atharva Veda verse. This verse is a prayer
to get a boy and has nothing against women. If a warrior family needed a male
child for the kingdom to fight future wars, then what is wrong in praying God
to beget them a male child. Likewise, there are many instances where parents
pray for the birth of a female child. Now, what do we infer from the following Rig
Veda verse (5.61.6) –“Many-a-times woman
is more firm and better than the man who shuns away from Gods and does not
offer sacrifices (yajna).” Why
did the sages quote exactly the opposite thing here when compared with Atharva
veda (6/11/3)? Isn’t Kasem quoting everything out of context?
Kasem writes
: "O Husband protect the son to be born. Do not make him a
women" [Atharva Ved 2/3/23]
Rebuttal
: It is important to note that Book 2, hymn 3 of Atharva Veda refers
to the medicinal properties of water. Most important thing here is that there
are only 6 verses in that section. Kasem is either ignorant about this or he is
using Al-taqiyya (deception)
technique to fool gullible people.
Kasem writes
: In 'Shatpath Puran (Shatpath Brahman)' a sonless women has been
termed as unfortunate.
Rebuttal
: Here, Kasem deliberately avoids quoting the exact verse number for
the fact that he has borrowed this statement from a secondary source.
Kasem writes
: Hindu scriptures in other places say: "There cannot be any
friendship with a women. Her heart is more cruel than heyna" [Rig Ved
10/95/15.]
Rebuttal
: Here is the correct transliteration of Rig Veda 10/95/15: [Urvashi
says] “Die not Pururava, fall not; let
not the hideous wolves devour you. Female friendships do not exist; their
hearts are the hearts of jackals.” I am sure Kasem doesn’t even know who the
addressor and addressee of this verse are, and yet he quotes everything out of
context. Here, it is essential to understand that out of jealousy Urvashi, a
WOMAN, is addressing Pururava (her lover) not to become friendly with other
women. As any person would fear the separation of her lover, Urvashi uttered
this out of sheer possessiveness for Pururava. More importantly, it is not told
by the venerable devatas (Gods) of the Vedas. For more information, one can
refer to ‘Vikramorvasheeya’, a play
written by the world renowned poet, Kalidasa, wherein he describes the romantic
life of Pururava and Urvashi.
Kasem writes
: 'Yajur Ved (Taitriya Sanhita)- "Women code says that the
women are without energy. They should not get a share in property. Even to the
wicked they speak in feeble manner" [Yajur Ved 6/5/8/2]
Rebuttal
: Firstly, the verse is incorrectly translated to suit the needs of
early Indologists. For the benefit of all readers, I shall quote the original Sanskrit
verse, its transliteration, and the context of the verse.
lokam ajigamsan
te swargam lokam na prajanan
te etam patnivacham
apashyan tam agrhanat
tato vai te
swargam lokam prajanan
yat patnivacho
grhyate swargasya lokasya prajnatyai
sa somo natishtata stribhyo grhymanas
te ghrtam vajram krtvaghnan
tasmaat striyo indriyaanigrahanti dayadaraah api paapaat
pumsa upasthiraram
lokam = world;
ajigamsan = discerned; te= they ; swargam = heaven; na = not ; prajanan =
discerned; te = they ; etam = this
; patni = wife ; vacham = speech ; apashyan = saw, discerned ; tam =
him; agrhanat = took, hold ; tato = from then ; vacho = speech; grhyate = being
taken; somo = soma drink; natishtata = not stand; stribhyo = women; grhya=
hold; prajna = consciousness; manas = mind; te = they; ghrtam = ghee; vajram=
thunderbolt; krtvaghnan= beat it and used; tasmaat = therefore; indriyaanigrahanti
= control sense organs; daya= compassionate; aadara = respectful, accommodating;
api = also; paapat = with sinful ; pumsa= man; upa= with; asthiraram = not
comfortable
Transliteration
: They could not discern the
world; then holding on to the speech of (their) wives, they certainly discerned
the heavenly world. Then, to be conscious about the heaven, they still held on
to their wives’ speech, but (in doing so) soma cold not be held by these women.
They powered on ghee to turn it into a bolt and used it. Therefore, women control
sense organs, are also compassionate and respectful, and are not comfortable
with sinful man.
Let
us analyze the verse more critically. It describes about the assistance of
women to their menfolk during the performance of Yajna, using soma, to
discern other planetary systems. Soma
is a non-alcoholic drink obtained from a plant and was used during Yajna ceremony. The first four lines in
all translated works, including the website Kasem hasquoted,
repeatedly talk about sages getting the help of their wives to discern the
object of meditation during Yajna. Therefore,
one should expect the last verse to praise them for their help even though they
(women) could not hold on to soma.
However, in many translations, we find that after acknowledging the help of the
women throughout Yajna, the last line
resorts to ridiculing them. Preserved manuscripts, knowledge of Sanskrit, and
logic can be used to debunk such claims. Here is how early Indologists
fabricated the last line of the verse: tasmaat
striyo nirindriya adayadhir api
papat pumsa upasthiraram. In the last line, indriya (senses) is replaced with nirindriya (without senses), daya
(compassionate) with adaya
(uncompassionate), and aadara
(respectful) with adhira (imprudent).
The most important thing to observe here is the Sanskrit grammar for the word
‘paapaat’. Paapaat is in fifth case (panchami),
which means ‘with sinful’. So, ‘paapat
pumsa’ should mean ‘with sinful man’. This is further stressed by the
presence of the word upa, which means
with. If we carefully reconstruct the
last line, it should mean “Therefore,
women control sense organs, are also compassionate and respectful, and are
uncomfortable with SINFUL MAN”. The Indologists, apart from inserting
negative words forgot to change the grammatical structure of the sentence—paapat pumsa upaasthiraram. The subject
of the last sentence is tasmaat striyo
(therefore women are) and the predicate is
paapat pumsa upasthiraram (uncomfortable with sinful man). The sages are definitely
complimenting their wives in the last sentence by describing the womanly nature--
not comfortable with sinful man, being compassionate, accommodating, and
controlling senses. For readers, belief that soma gives divine attributes is a matter of choice, but
understanding the context and grammar of
the verse is extremely important.
Kasem writes
: Shatpath Puran, preachings of the 'Yajur Veda' clubs women,
'shudras' (untouchables), dogs, crows together and says falsehood, sin and
gloom remain integrated in them. [14/1/1/31]
Rebuttal
: Kasem should note there is nothing called ‘Shatapath Puran’.
However, Shatapatha Brahmana mainly
explains how to conduct rituals such as Yajna,
offerings to ancestors etc. Before commenting on Shatapatha Brahmana (14/1/1/31),
let me quote Atharva Veda (14.1.64): “Let
the man offer vedic prayers in front of her, behind her, at your centre and at
her ends. By doing so, let God’s inviolable grace illuminate her home with good
fortune and dignity.” Similarly, Rig Veda (3.53.4) clearly asks every
husband to be accompanied by his wife during the Yajna ceremony. In the light
of the above verses, let us consider the translation of Shatapatha Brahmana
(14/1/1/31): “Let not the unintelligent
partake in the sacrificial Yajna; and so are menstruating women, dog, and black
crow during the performance of Yajna, for cleanliness is the essence of Yajna.”
According to Shaastras (scriptures),
persons performing the Yajna are
required to possess the real knowledge of the mantras recited and maintain a
clean environment throughout the duration of the ritual. Therefore,
unintelligent people stayed away from such rituals for it is futile to remain
there without understanding anything from the process. In those days, women,
undergoing menstruation temporarily abstained themselves from attending the
fire ceremony. This is the logical explanation for Shatapatha Brahmana
(14/1/1/31). If what Kasem says is true, then Rig Veda (3.53.4) and Atharva
Veda (14.1.64) should have corroborated his claim.
Kasem writes
: In 'Aiterey Puran', preaching of the 'Rig Veda' in Harsih Chandra
- Narad dialogue, Narad says: "The daughter causes pain"
Rebuttal
: Kasem has not quoted the verse number of Aittereya Purana, and so
his claim stands in muddy waters of Bangladesh. Moreover, ‘Aitareya
Purana’ doesn’t contain such fairytales.
Kasem writes
: To insult and humiliate women further, the Hindu scriptures depict
women of having sexual intercourse with animals or expressing desire for
intercourse with them. What greater insult can be heaped upon women than this!
Rebuttal
: I presume Kasem goes to bed reading Arabic night stories of the 7th
Century AD and wakes up to find his pet characters in other religions. It is
not unusual considering the fact that he makes a living out of writing books
and articles on Arab culture, religion, and fairytales.
Kasem writes
: "All wife of the host reciting three mantras go round the
horse. While praying, they say: 'O horse, you are, protector of the community
on the basis of good qualities, you are, protector or treasure of happiness. O
horse, you become my husband.'" [Yajur Veda 23/19.]
Rebuttal
: Firstly, let us consider how the source
quoted by Kasem translates Yajur veda 23.19 – “Thee we invoke, troop-lord of troops, Thee we invoke, the loved ones’
lord. Thee, lord of treasures, we invoke. My precious wealth!” Phew! There
is no mention of wife or husband in the entire verse. The verses from Chapter
23 explain rituals related to ‘Ashwamedha
Yagna’, which was performed by Emperors as a mark of showing superiority
over other kingdoms. A powerful king would perform the Yajna and release a horse to wonder in the neighboring kingdoms.
Any king that wished to challenge the one who performed the yajna would tie the horse and face him
in the battle. The loser would accept the supremacy of the winner. The horse,
therefore, is symbolically called ‘precious wealth’ here. It is to be
remembered that such battles were fought only between the warriors (Kshatriyas).Here is a video clip showing the
religious rites of an ‘Ashwamedha Yajna’. Whatever Kasem has written is not
only far from truth but also reveals nature of his Arabic mind.
Kasem writes
: After the animal is purified by the priest, the principal wife
sleeps near the horse and says:
"O Horse, I
extract the semen worth conception and you release the semen worth
conception'" [Yajur Veda 23/20]
The horse and principal
wife spread two legs each. Then the Ardhvaryu (priest) orders to cover the
oblation place, raise canopy etc. After this, the principal wife of the host
pulls penis of the horse and puts it in her vagina and says: "This horse
may release semen in me." [Yajur Veda 23/20]
Rebuttal
: Here is the Sanskrit verse and its transliteration for Yajur Veda
23/20
tau ubhau chaturah padah samprasarayava swarga lokam
|
prasuvava vrshavaaji raghu rathau dadati
|| Yajur Veda 23/20
tau = we two ;
ubhau = both ; chaturah = intelligent ; padah = subject ; samprasarayava =
reach out ; swarga lokam = heavenly planet ; prasuvava = command ; vrshavaaji =
horse ; raghu = Lord ; rathau = chariots ; dadati = provides
Transliteration
: We both command the
intelligent horse as our subject to reach out for heaven (where) the Lord
provides (us) the chariots.
The real meaning
here is that by performing Ashwamedha yajna, one can get the blessings (written
as chariots) of the heavenly King, Indra. A question then arises on how
terminologies such as ‘semen’ and ‘conception’ got embedded into the
manuscripts. It was the heinous work of early Indologists, namely, William
Jones, Max Mueller, and Pargiter. For a conclusive proof on how they distorted
the scriptures to make Hindus to look down upon their scriptures, refer links Aand B.
For more information on this topic, read pages 324-340 of the book “The true history and the religion of India: A
concise encyclopedia of authentic Hinduism” by Prakashanand Saraswati. The
fabricated manuscripts were translated into various languages across the world.
Some of the fabrications deliberately added were sacrificing beef for yajna,
pornography, and post-dating of the historical events of India. The
distorted verse of Yajurveda (23.20) quoted by Kasem is one of many doctored
verses. However, many orthodox Hindus still preserve the real manuscripts of
Vedas and Upanishads. When the original verses are compared with the distorted
ones, the cataract of ignorance of writers such as Kasem will be revealed.
Let me explain
how the verse in Yajurveda 23.20 is distorted to satisfy the whims and fancies
of the fabricators. The word rathao (chariots) is replaced by retau, which means ‘semen’. Next, dadatu (gives) is replaced by dadhatu, which means ‘insert’. Finally, raghu (King) is strangely replaced by retaudha, which means ‘conception’. Even
in the fabricated verse, it should be retaudheya
and not retaudha for the sentence to
be grammatically correct. This is how charlatans get caught when they distort
the meaning of the verses.
Kasem
writes: Then the host, while praying to the horse, says:
"O horse, please throw semen on the
upper part of the anus of my wife. Expand your penis and insert it in the
vagina because after insertion, this penis makes women happy and lively"
[23/21]
Rebuttal
: Kasem is clearly translating from the doctored manuscripts, which
were prepared by the Colonial Indologists during the middle of 19th
century. Here is the original verse.
utsuktya atra pravara guDa andhehi samanjana charya
vrsha
|
saha stribhyah sanjeeva bhojanah
|| Yajurveda (23.20)
utsuktya = interestingly;
atra = Here (in heaven) ; pravara = eminent (adj) ; guDa = sugar candy, palm
sugar (sweet charactered), andhehi = certainly blind ; samanjana = proper
understanding, adjustment ; charya = conduct, behavior ; vrsha = Bull ; saha =
He ; strishu = amongst women ; sanjeeva = reviving ; bhojanah = food
Transliteration
: Here (in the Heaven), even
if a sweet-charactered, eminent blind man conducts himself with a proper
understanding, (then) certainly he, the Bull (among men), will be respected
like a reviving food amongst women.
The
verse is basically describing about the nature of heaven, which is one of the
planets with higher dimensions. In the heaven, even a blind man with a modest
behavior is revered by women. The word ‘sanjeeva
bhojanah’ means ‘reviving food’. Let me explain how this original verse is
fabricated to suit the interests of twisted folks like Kasem.
In the doctored verse, guDa (palm sugar) is replaced with gudha, which means anus. Vrsha (Bull) is replaced with vrshaNa, which means scrotum. With these
two fabricated words, the meaning of the whole verse is rendered unpalatable.
Authors like Kasem scream ‘Eureka’ when
they site such doctored verses from secondary sources.
Kasem writes
: In the Vedic age, the customs of polygamy was prevalent. Each wife
spent most of the time devising ways and means to become favorite to her
husband. Clear references are available in Rig
Veda 14/45, and Atharva Veda 3/81.
Rebuttal
: Before copying the verses from communist and Christian missionary
websites, Kasem must understand that there are only 10 Chapters in Rig Veda.
Further, it is also interesting to note that there are only 31 hymns in Chapter
3 of Atharva Veda. Did Gabriel whisper hymn 81 in Kasem’s ever-listerning ears?
Or, is he exhibiting his Al-taqiyya skills
to cheat gullible readers?
The four Vedas
as such do not support polygamy. However, it is true that the custom of
polygamy was prevalent amongst the Kshatriyas
(warriors). This is because of the fact that due to war casualties, the
male population of warriors was numerically less than the population of their
female counterparts. A woman who preferred a brave warrior would never marry a
trader or a brahmana or a labor. Therefore, the warrior class practiced
polygamy. Even then we have glaring examples in Sri Rama, Lakshmana, and others
married to only one woman. The intellectual class, the merchant class, and the
labor class, in most circumstances, practiced monogamy. Many sages observed
celibacy throughout their life to practice Yoga. Currently, in developed
countries we find that both men and women have multiple sex partners, and the
institution of marriage has broken down completely. It is quite common to find
children born out of wedlock. In Australia, in two years alone
344 men have obtained orders cancelling
Child Support Agency declarations following
DNA tests that proved they were not the fathers of the children in
question. Many marriages last only for few years after which both men and women
look for new partners. Is this the new freedom of expression in democracy or
are men and women are becoming lusty enough to forget duties and morals. I hope
Kasem understands that such frequent changing of life partners is worse than a
forced polygamy. However, in Vedic ages, only kshatriyas (warriors) practiced polygamy for a valid reason without
any undue pressure on women. Kshatriya women chose their partners through a
practice called ‘Swayamvara’ (swayam =
self-choosing; vara = bridegroom).
Kasem writes
: The Aryans in those days used to attack the original inhabitants
of this place, or other tribe within their own race, loot them and snatch away
their women. Thus, these militant, wicked men had more wives. This custom of
polygamy helped a great deal in bringing down the women.
Rebuttal
: The Aryan invasion theory is just a myth propagated by the
Indologists of the 19th Century. According to them, Dravidians were
the native inhabitants of India.
In around 1500 BC, the Aryans (fair looking) arrived to India from Central Asia, attacked the Dravidians
and pushed them to South India. Further, the
theory says that Rig Veda was created in 1200 BC and all other Vedas, Puranas,
and Upanishats were subsequently written. This theory has not been proven by
any valid archeological evidence. Max Mueller, the Chief architect of this
theory believed, like any other Christian scholar, in the Biblical chronology
and its faulty concept of the age
of earth (6000 years). Therefore, by disregarding the events mentioned
in the Vedas and Puranas, they post-dated the entire history of India. For more
information on the absurdities in Aryan invasion theory, view the following video.
Kasem’s
unsubstantiated claims on Aryans looting and snatching away women cannot be
found in any of the four Vedas, Upanishats, and Puranas. However, he is gracious
enough to borrow such heinous facts from Quran and Old Testaments and create
his own thesis on Hinduism.
Kasem writes
: Rig Ved 10/59 says that Lord Indra had many queens that were
either defeated or killed by his principal wife.
Rebuttal
: Rig Veda 10.59 contains 10 hymns, and none of them refers to any
slaying of queens. Kasem, an Al-taqiyya
(deception) tactician, refrains from quoting the exact verse number. Secondly,
his favorite website
doesn’t say anything that he murmured about Indra’s queens.
Kasem writes
: In 'Aitrey Puran', preachings of 'Rig Veda', (33/1), Harish
Chandra is referred to have had 100 wives.
Rebuttal
: Firsly, there are only 10 Chapters in Rig Veda. Hasish Chandra is
one of the noblest Kings in Indian history and is the central figure of Aiteraya Purana. Contrary to what Kasem
writes, Harish Chandra had only one wife. To get more information on his
virtuous life, refer the following link.
Kasem writes
: 'Yajur Veda' in the context of 'Ashva Medha' (Horse Sacrificing
ceremony) says that many wives of Harish Chandra participated in the 'Yagyna'
(religious sacrifice).
Rebuttal
: Again, Kasem refrains from quoting the exact verse number, thereby
betraying the nature of his mind.
Kasem writes
: In 'Shatpath Puran (Shatpath Brahmin)', preachings [13/4/1/9] of
the Veda, it is written that four wives do service in 'Ashva Megha'. In another
place, Puran [Tatiraity Brahamin, 3/8/4] says wives are like property.
Rebuttal
: The reason why Kshatriyas
(warriors) practiced polygamy is already explained above. A warrior-class woman
would willingly marry someone who is strong, bold, and knows the rule of law. As
mentioned before, through Vedic ceremony, ‘Swayamvara’, the bride
would choose her life-partner amongst a list of suitors. Thus, by clarifying
that these warrior-class marriages were not forceful, it can be concluded that Queens’ accompanying their husbands to perform religious
ceremonies was a part of the vedic life. There is not single evidence in the vedic
history to show that a noble king (Arya)
would marry a woman without her consent.
Kasem writes
: Not only one man had many wives (married and slave girls), but
there were cases of many men having a joint wife. It is confirmed from the
following hymn in 'Atharva Veda': "O men, sow a seed in this fertile
women" [Atharva Veda 14/1]
Rebuttal
: The concept of ‘slave girls’ existed in Saudi Arabia, Biblical times, and in
Kasem’s wondering mind. Atharva Veda 14/1 has 64 hymns. They talk about the
marriage ceremonies in general. However, in none of the 64 hymns do we find
such irresponsible statements. Kasem’s favorite website
does not list that either. Here is a gem from Atharva Veda (14.1.64) – “Let the
man offer Vedic prayers in front of her, behind her, at your centre and at her
ends. By doing so, let God’s inviolable grace illuminate her home with good
fortune and dignity.”
Kasem writes
: Both these customs clearly show that a women was treated like a
moving property. The only difference between the two customs was that whereas
according to former one man had a number of movable properties, in the latter,
women a joint movable property.
Rebuttal
: A lie, if repeated hundred times, will not be considered true.
Kasem writes
: The Atharva Veda says: "O dead man following the religion and
wishing to go to the husbands world, his women comes to you."
Rebuttal
: Which Chapter? Which verse?
As usual, Kasem fails to quote the exact verse number in Atharva Veda.
Kasem writes
: In the 'Vedas', widow is treated inhumanly. For example it is
mentioned that on death of her husband, the wife was handed over to some other
man, or to her husband younger brother.
Rebuttal
: Again, all these arguments are not corroborated with any evidence
from scriptures. What can we expect from someone who makes a living out of
writing history books on the 7th century Arabia?
Kasem writes
: Swami Vivekananda opines that even at that time women used to have
sexual intercourse with a person other than her husband to beget a child.
Rebuttal
: Kasem fails to quote any reference here. In none of Swami
Vevekananda’s works do we find such statements.
Kasem writes
: The hymn says: "O woman, get up and adopt the worldly life
again. It is futile to lie with this dead man. Get up and become the wife of
the man who is holding your hand and who loves you. [Rig Ved 10/18/8]
Rebuttal
: Rig Veda (10.18.8) states exactly the opposite. The Sanskrit verse
and its transliteration is given below.
Udeershva naaryabhi jeevalokam jagaasumetamupa shesha
edi
|
Hastagrabhasya didhishostavedam patyujeenitvamabhi sam
babhuva
|| (10.18.8)
Udeershva =
Rise, get up ; naaryabhi = woman ; jeevalokam = living beings ; gataasum =
departed, dead ; etam = this ; upashesha = lie by the side ; hastagrabhasya =
took you by the hand ; didhishostavedam = enjoyed the state of being, as per
Vedas ; pati = husband ; jeenitva = lived ; sam = happily ; babhuva = happened
Transliteration
- “Rise, woman, and go to the
world of living beings (sons, grandsons): Come, this man near whom you lie by
the side is dead: You have happily lived to enjoy this state of being the wife
of your husband, who took you by the hand.” Here, a widow is advised to spend
the rest of her life with her children and grand children instead of grieving
over her dead husband as her Karma of spending their earthly time as husband
and wife is over due to his death. Many of the Christian missionaries twist the
meaning of this verse to demonize Hinduism. Kasem blindly copied such doctored
verses into his article, thereby revealing his utter stupidity.
Kasem writes
: If
the women was not remarried, then her head was shaved. This is evident from
Atharva Veda (14/2/60).
Rebuttal
: Atharva Veda
(14.2.60) warns every householder that if a
daughter
weeps in a
house, then it is a bad omen and that all the positive karma will burn up. Here
is the exact translation of the verse: “If
in your house your daughter has wept with disheveled locks, then you are
committing sin as a result of her grief.” There is neither any mention of
remarriage nor shaving of head. I believe by writing such non-sense, Kasem is
caught with his pants down. Even the website he quoted refutes his tall claim.
Kasem writes
:
The condition of widows was miserable. She was considered to be a
harbinger of inauspiciousness and was not allowed to participate in ceremonies
like marriage.
Rebuttal
: Kasem writes
more inauthentic paragraphs. In Mahabharath, Kunti, the widow of Pandu, lived
with her sons and took part in all occasions. She even was the part of the ‘Rajasooya Yajna’ that was conducted by her
eldest son. Likewise, Satyavati, looked after the affairs of her kingdom under
the guidance of her foster son, Bhishma. Rani Chennamma, the widow of Mallasarja Desai, remained the
queen of Kittur province and fought bravely against the British in the early 19th
Century. Likewise, widow Jhansi Rani Laxmi Bai, fought
courageously with the British in India’s first war of independence.
It seems Kasem is not well versed with Indian history at all. Let me remind him
that culturally river Ganga is more accessible to him than river Thames. Considering widows as harbinger of
inauspiciousness does not find any mention in the Vedas. Therefore, currently
such a practice doesn’t exist at all.
Kasem writes
:
In Rig Veda there are references to slave girls being given in
charity as gifts. After killing the men-folk of other tribes, particularly of
the native inhabitants, their women were rounded up and used as slave girls. It
was custom to present slave girls to one other as gifts.
Rebuttal
: A man who imparts false knowledge to the world is a scorpion to entire
humanity. I reserve this statement to Kasem for he doesn’t quote any references
from Indian history to buttress his claim. The four sacred Vedas, Upanishats,
Puranas, and the medieval history of India never mention that Hindu
Kings attacked other kingdoms to take women as slave girls. I challenge Kasem
to produce one reference to redeem his claim. Let him look at the code of
conduct of wars mentioned in Hindu scriptures and take a final stand.
Kasem writes
: The
kings used to present chariots full of slave girls to their kith and kin and
priests (Rig Veda 6/27/8).
Rebuttal
: More
mistranslation! Since the western Indologists were well-versed with the term
‘slave girls’ (found in Biblical scriptures), they translated Sanskrit words,
such as ‘yosha’ (woman) and apsara (non-earthly woman)
, into English as ‘slave girls’. Some of the authors in this list
are Keith and Pischel. Rig Veda (6/27/8) talks about the presence of damsels
for a vedic ritual such as yajna and
singing. What is wrong in seeing a group of women assembled at a yajna ceremony? I would like to remind
Kasem not to confuse vedic verses with hadiths
on Banu Quraiza and Banu Nadir. With his twisted logic, can he conclude the
same thing about the dancing girls in the Olympics ceremony or ANZAC Day
ceremony in Australia?
It is difficult to understand why Kasem’s mind is preoccupied with absurdities.
Kasem writes
: King
Trasdasyu had given 50 slave girls. It was custom to present slave girls to
Saubhri Kandav (Rig Veda 8/38, 5/47/6).
Rebuttal
: There are 10
verses in Rig Veda 8.38. Out of these verses, only 8.38.10 has feminine names.
Its translation is- “I solicit the
protection of Indra and Agni, associated with Saraswati, to whom this Gayatri
mantra is addressed.” A person, who sees everything with jaundiced eyes,
sees only yellow. This is well applicable to Kasem.
The translation of Rig
Veda 5/47/6 is – “To Him worshippers
multiply praises and acts of adoration; for a son, the divine mothers weave
garments of light. Rejoicing in the contact of impregnation, the wives (solar
rays) of the Sun come to our presence by the path of the sky.” Kasem’s
favorite website translates it as – “
For him they lengthen
prayers and acts of worship: the Mothers weave garments for him their
offspring.
Rejoicing, for the Steer's impregning contact, his Spouses move on paths or
heaven to meet him
.” There is no mention of slave
girls either in 8/38 or 5/47/6 of Rig Veda. Emperor Kasem is now wearing no
clothes at all!
Kasem writes
: A slave girl was called 'Vadhu' (wife), with whom sexual
intercourse could be performed without any kind of marriage ceremony.
Rebuttal
: The meaning of Vadhu in
Sanskrit is ‘bride’ and not ‘slave girl’. Vedic scriptures strictly recommend
marriage ceremony in front of fire before commencing married life. As usual,
Kasem fails to provide any reference.
Kasem writes
: These girls belonged to the men who snatched them from the
enemies, or who had received them in dowry, or as gifts. Only the men to whom
they belonged could have sexual intercourse with them. But some slave girls
were kept as joint property of the tribe or the village. Any man could have
sexual relations with them. These girls became the prostitutes.
Rebuttal
: Kasem is hallucinating here without backing himself up with
references. I presume he is describing the plight of his own friends and family
members when Bangladesh
was plundered by the Pakistani army in 1971. I hope he remembers that it was
Indians (Hindus) who liberated them from the clutches of Pakistani regime. The
episode of Pakistani Muslims perpetrating crimes on Bangladeshi Muslims still
haunts the mind of Kasem. As a result, he is unable to distinguish between the
glory of vedic civilization and
Arabic barbarism.
Kasem writes
: The 'Vedas' also talk about 'Niyog', the custom of childless,
widow or woman having sexual intercourse with a person other than her husband
to beget a child.
Rebuttal
: The Sanskrit meaning of ‘Niyog’ is application, order, command,
request, or demand. The fact that Kasem
is unable to quote to buttress his claim proves that he does not have first
hand knowledge of the Vedas.
Kasem writes
: Indication of this custom is available in 'Rig Veda'
Rebuttal
: Rig Veda does not contain any custom called ‘Niyog’. Again, he has
not cited any verse from Rig Veda.
Kasem writes
: In 'Aadiparva' of 'Mahabharata' (chap. 95 and 103), it is
mentioned that Satywati had appointed her son to bestow sons to the queens of
Vichitrvirya, the younger brother of Bhishma, as a result of which Dhratrashtra
and Pandu were born.
Rebuttal
: In Chapter 95 of Mahabharath, Pandu kills a brahmana by mistake
and is cursed by the latter before death. As a result of this curse, Pandu is
unable to enjoy marital relationship with his wives. His wife, Kunti, had
learnt the art of invoking vedic deities through Mantras. Pandu knew this and
solicited her to have offspring raised for him. She invoked many deities
through the power of mantra. By Dharma she had Yudhishtira; by Maruta, Bhima;
and by Sakra, Arjuna. And Pandu well pleased with her said- “this co-wife is
also childless! Therefore, cause her also to bear children.” Kunti saying “so
be it” IMPARTED unto Madri the mantra of invocation, and through by this matra
Madri begot the twins Nakula and Sahadeva.
In Mahabharath,
there is no mention of sexual intercourse for begetting such children. Karna
was born to Kunti when she, as a young lady, invoked ‘Sun God’ through mantra.
Scriptures consider that the divine spirit entered the womb of such women who
recited mantras. Hundred years ago, if someone had talked about the concept of
test-tube baby, he would have been called a quake. Likewise, the miracles of
mantra are completely forgotten in this age of Kaliyuga. Even now, there is no perfect
cure for ‘white jaundice’ with current medicine. However, in Ayurveda, if the
root of a white flamengo tree is tied to the arm of the sick person after
reciting mantras, white jaundice is cured in two hours. It is still practiced
in many parts of India.
I have been the recipient of that medicine. Some miracles cannot be
explained.
In Chapter 105
of Adi Parva, Satyavati speaks to her foster son, Bhishma, to break his oath
and get married to a princess from neighboring province to raise kids for the
kingdom. Her son, Vichitravirya, had died at a young age, leaving Ambika and
Ambalika childless. In spite of her requests, the great Bhishma says “ O
mother, what you say is certainly sanctioned by virtue. I repeat that the
pledge I once gave shall abide by it at the cost of renouncing three worlds,
the empire, or anything that may be greater than that. In reality, I would
never renounce the pledge.” In Chapter 106, Vyasa invokes mantras on Ambika and
Ambalika; through divine spirit they begot Pandu and Dhritarashtra. It is to be
noted that nowhere in the Chapter do we find any references on sexual
intercourse of Vyasa with Ambika and Ambalika.
Kasem writes
: Pandu himself has asked his wife, Kunti, to have sexual
intercourse with a Brahmin to get a son [Aadi Parva, chapters 120
–
23].
Rebuttal
: It is true that Pandu asked his wife to beget a son through
remarriage. However, Pandu is not the epitome of truth in vedic history. Hearing
Pandu’s words Kunti says that she wouldn’t even think in her dream about associating
herself with another man. She then soothed Pandu by telling him that she knew
the art of invoking deities through mantras, through which she could bear
children.
Kasem writes
: In the name of 'beejdan' (seed donation), they used to have sexual
intercourse with issueless women. This was a cruel religious custom and the
chastity of the women was not safe. The so called caretakers of the religion
were allowed to have sexual intercourse with other man's wife.
Rebuttal
: If anyone had practiced such a thing, then it was totally against
the authentic vedic scriptures. It is
strange that Kasem does not quote from any of the four Vedas, Upanishats,
Puranas - which are regarded as holy by all Hindus- to support his claims.
Kasem writes
: From 'Niyog pratha' it can be inferred without fear of
contradiction that women were looked upon as mere child producing machines.
Rebuttal
: As said before, it is a challenge for ignorant Kasem to quote
terms such as Sati Pratha and Niyog Pratha from the four Vedas,
Upanishats, and 18 Puranas.
Kasem writes
: In The Position of women in Hindu Civilization, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
writes:
"Though
women is not married to man, she was considered to be a property of the entire
family. But she was not getting share out of the property of her husband, only
son could be successor to the property."
Rebuttal
: Ambedkar is not the final authority of Vedas and he hasn’t quoted
any references to uphold his claim. He could be telling about certain customs
during the last 200 years, but that does not apply to the entire history of
Hinduism. Kasem fails to appreciate the number of Hindu queens who fought
valiantly against the British regime in India. In Adi Parva of Mahabharath
(Chapters 100-115) we can find that Bhishma offers, as a mark of respect, gold
and jewelry to princesses Ambika and Ambalika before bringing them to get them
married to his brothers. In any case, a woman was looked after by her father,
husband, and children throughout her life. Even now, in India it is considered a sin not to
look after ageing mother (and father), who in western countries end up staying
emotionally starved in the age-care centers.
Kasem writes
: Gajdhar Prasad Baudh says [Arya Niti Ka Bhadaphor, 5th ed., p.
14]:
"No woman
of the Vedic age can be treated as pure. Vedic man could not keep even the
relations brother-sister and father-daughter sacred from the oven of rape and
debauchery/adultery named 'Niyog'. Under the influence of intoxication of wine,
they used to recognize neither their sister nor their daughter and also did not
keep the relations with them in mind. It is evident from their debauchery and
adultery what a miserable plight of women was society in then."
Rebuttal
: It can be noticed that some of the gullible Indians were made to
believe in the non-vedic terms such as Sati
Pratha and Niyog Pratha, which
were created to misguide the practicing Hindus, thereby opening the gate to
harvest souls. The non-existence of these terms in the Vedas shows that Kasem
has not done any original research.
Kasem writes
:
In the 'Vedas' there are instances where daughter was impregnated by her father
and the sister by her brother.
Rebuttal
: Kasem, like a frog in a well, considers that the unholy
relationships during the Biblical and Quranic times were universally practiced.
How he shamelessly twists the vedic verses can be seen in the next paragraph.
Kasem writes
: "When father had sexual intercourse with his daughter, then
with the help of earth he released his semen and at that time the Righteous
Devas (deities) formed this 'Vartrashak (Rudra) Devta' (Pledge keeper deity
named Rudra)" [Atharva Veda 20/96/15].
Rebuttal
: After reading this, I have no doubt that Kasem is the biggest liar
on earth. He is said to have copied the translations from Ralph T.H Griffith’s
work, which can be found in this link.
Atharva Veda 20/96/15 states- “What rests
by thee in borrowed form of brother, lover, or
of lord, And would destroyed the progeny,—even this
will we exterminate.” The hymn talks about warding off any evil effects
that destroys progeny. It is quite possible that Kasem is a mentally deranged
person who does not hesitate to insert false references in his work. I suggest
that along with adopting the food habits of Hindus- by giving them due credit
for inventing spices- he should also study the Vedas and Vedanta (conclusion of
Vedas) to heal his disturbed mind. Proven Hindu techniques such as Pranayama, Sudarshana Kriya, Mudra Yoga,
Dharana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Ayurveda will definitely improve his disgraceful
personality and tune him to become a normal human being. However, at the
moment, the remnants of medieval Arabic genes in him are still doing the
trick.
Final note
: Some people
like Kasem, due to their intrinsic character (jeeva swarupa) of their soul, will never be able to understand the
gifts of Vedas to mankind. There is a beautiful saying in Hindi – Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swaad –
meaning “a monkey will never be able to
relish the taste of ginger”. Let me conclude with the following quotes on Vedas by some of the world’s greatest personalities.
Access
to the Vedas is the greatest privilege this century may claim over all
previous centuries.- Julius Robert
Oppenheimer, Scientist and Philosopher.
Vedanta
is the most impressive metaphysics the human mind has conceived.- Alfred
North Whiteland, British Mathematician
The
conception of the world as deduced from the Veda, and chiefly from the
Upanishads, is indeed astounding – Max Mueller, German Indologist
We owe a
lot to Indians who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile
scientific discovery could have been made- Albert Einstein, Scientist
I go
into the Upanishads to ask questions - Neil Borh, Nobel Laureate, 1922
The
Hindu religion is the only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to
the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite,
number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time
scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run
from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion
years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the
time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scales still – Carl Segan, Astrophysicist
Land of
religions, cradle of human race, birthplace of human speech, grandmother
of legend, great grandmother of tradition. The land that all men desire to
see and having seen once even by a glimpse, would not give that glimpse
for the shows of the rest of the globe combined – Mark Twain, American author
India
is the mother of religion. In her
are combined science and religion in perfect harmony, and that is the
Hindu religion, and it is India
that shall be again the spiritual mother of the world – Annie Besant, Social Activist
In the
family of religions, Hinduism is the wise old all-knowing mother. Its
sacred books, the Vedas, claim, 'Truth is one, but sages call it by
different names.' If only Islam, and all the rest of the monotheistic
'book' religions, had learned that lesson, all the horror of history's
religious wars could have been avoided.- Robert Zaehner, British historian of religion
Whenever
I have read any part of the Vedas, I have felt that some unearthly and
unknown light illuminated me. In the great teaching of the Vedas, there is
no touch of sectarianism. It is of all ages, climes and nationalities and
is the royal road for the attainment of the Great Knowledge. When I am at
it, I feel that I am under the spangled heavens of a summer night.- H.D Thoreau, Philosopher
It is
true that even across the Himalayan barrier India has sent to us such
questionable gifts as grammar and logic, philosophy and fables, hypnotism
and chess, and above all our numerals and our decimal system. But these
are not the essence of her spirit; they are trifles compared to what we
may learn from her in the future.- Will
Durant, American Historian
The Indian air surrounds us, the
original thoughts of kindred spirits.....And O! how the mind is here
washed clean of all its early ingrafted Jewish superstition! It is the
most profitable and most elevating reading which is possible in the world.
– Arthur Schopenhauer, German
philosopher