Women Nature in Hindu Hinduism
Ancient Hindu texts often contain extreme and misogynistic views about women, portraying them as inherently deceitful, immoral, or even biologically defective. Verses from Srimad Bhagavatam, Manusmriti, Shiva Purana, and other scriptures go so far as to claim that women are naturally cunning, corrupt men, and exhibit sexual urges even toward close male relatives. These claims reflect the deep-seated patriarchal mindset and ignorance of the time, projecting fear, control, and superstition onto half of humanity. While these texts were framed as religious guidance, modern readers recognize them as absurd, harmful, and entirely disconnected from reality or science.
đź“–Srimad Bhagavatam 9.14.37
Women as a class are merciless and cunning. They cannot tolerate even a slight offense. For their own pleasure they can do anything irreligious, and therefore they do not fear killing even a faithful husband or brother.”
- Explanation: According to this, all women are inherently merciless and scheming, capable of committing murder for personal pleasure. This sweeping generalization reflects extreme misogyny and ignorance of human diversity. Ancient writers were so obsessed with controlling women that they painted them as inherently dangerous, as if every woman secretly has a murder plot in her pocket. The logic here is medieval paranoia, not reality.
đź“–Devi Bhagavata Purana Book 1 Chapter 5 Verses 83-86
Falsehood, vain boldness, craftiness, stupidity, impatience, over-greediness, impurity, and harshness are the natural qualities of women. Owing to that curse, the head of Vasudeva has fallen into the salt ocean. Now I will fix the head on His body as before. O Sura Sattamas! There is another cause, also, regarding this affair. That will bring you great success. In ancient days a famous Daitya, named HayagrÄ«va practised severe tapasya on the bank of the SarasvatÄ« river.”
- Explanation: Here, women are described as a catalog of vices: liars, greedy, stupid, and impatient by nature. The story tries to link cosmic events, like Vasudeva’s head falling, to the inherent “curse” of women. This is absurd—blaming half of humanity for mythical mishaps? Ancient authors clearly had an overactive imagination and a misogyny problem. It’s a mix of superstition and patriarchal projection.
đź“–Manusmriti 2:213-15
It is the very nature of women to corrupt men. It is for this reason that the wise are never unguarded regarding women.—In this world women are capable of leading astray the ignorant, as well as the learned, who becomes a servile follower of desire and passion.—One should not sit alone with his mother, sister or daughter. The powerful host of sense-organs overpowers even the learned.
- Explanation: Manusmriti claims women are walking moral traps, capable of corrupting men no matter how wise they are. This verse elevates paranoia to scripture, suggesting men must always be on guard, even against their own family members. The absurdity is clear: human behavior is reduced to gender stereotypes, ignoring the actual complexities of relationships and morality.
đź“–Guruda Purana 1.109.37
O Saunaka, it is true, definitely true that the vaginal passage of a woman begins to secrete profusely on seeing a well dressed man whether a brother or a son.
- Explanation: This verse is pure biological nonsense. Claiming that a woman’s body responds sexually to her own family members is not only scientifically false but also deeply disturbing. Ancient writers clearly confused mythology, superstition, and physiology. This is an example of how misinformation and patriarchal obsession were woven into religious texts.
đź“–Padma Purana 1.52.19
O Narada, it is true, (quite) true, that the vulva of women becomes moistened on seeing a well-dressed man, whether he is her brother or son.”
- Explanation: Just like the Guruda Purana verse, this one pushes the same absurd idea. It suggests women are biologically hardwired to react sexually to male family members, an insane claim reflecting misogynistic fantasy, not reality. Ancient ignorance at its peak.
đź“–Shiva Purana Section 5 Uma-Samhita Chapter 24 Verses 30-31
“O excellent sage, there is another secret of all women that immediately on seeing a man their vaginal passage begins to exude slimy secretions. On seeing a man fresh and clean from his bath with his body perfumed with sweet scents, the vaginal passage of women begins to exude like water dripping from a leather bag.”
- Explanation: This is another example of pseudo-scientific nonsense. It treats all women as biologically uniform in sexual response to men, creating a bizarre and demeaning stereotype. The imagery is crude, ridiculous, and a clear product of imagination rather than observation. Ancient authors were projecting fantasies and fears into “divine revelation.