Posted on: 06 Jul 2021
[Ms. Thrylokya asked: Swāmi, there are masculine and feminine qualities although there is no strict boundary between the both. The Sages in the Daṇḍkāraṇya analysed that all souls are females before God who is the husband of all souls. So, can we say that we should have a balance of both kinds of qualities when dealing with the world (without God) and we should have feminine qualities before the Sadguru (God)?]
Swāmi Replied:- Exactly correct. The masculine and feminine qualities are based on the tendencies (saṃskāras) of the soul and have no connection with the physical body. There are several men, who act as wives before their so called wives. There are several women, who act as husbands before their so called husbands. The word used for husband is Bhartā, which means he who maintains his wife (Bibharti iti Bhartā). The word used for wife is Bhāryā, which means she who is maintained by her husband (Bhriyate iti Bhāryā). God maintains this entire world including all the souls and hence, every soul is said to be female and His wife and for the same reason, God is said to be the male and the husband of every soul. The Veda says that all males are not only females but also wives of God (Striyaḥ satīḥ puṃsaḥ…- Veda). The soul is said to be the best part (Parā Prakṛti) of the creation or Prakṛti or female in the Gītā (Prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām, Jīvabhūtām…- Gītā). The Gītā says that Puruṣa is God or creator and Prakṛti is the creation. By this, God is treated as male (Puruṣa) and the entire creation including souls is treated as female. We have to take male and female in view of the tendencies only and not based on the physical body. There are several males maintaining females and several females maintaining males. Gender in reality is based on qualities and capacities only but not based on biological bodies. Mīrā asked Tulasīdās “Is there a male in us, the souls also?”