CONCEPT OF FEMININE PERSONALITY IN INDIAN CLASSICS

Contemporary Indian society is passing through a transition. Different social concepts are re-oriented, re-interpreted and a number of views and ideas are being evolved and restructured in the social fabric of Indian society as per the need of era. No doubt, there is a legacy of cultural mosaic with Unity and Diversity in free India. Thinkers and Philosophers of contemporary era have tried to create a renaissance in India acc. to the need of their time based on our eternal cultural values. But numerous concepts and theories regarding, person, personality, personal identity, society, social behavior, fraternity, liberty and equality are yet to be evolved and restructured. The concept of feminine personality is one among these.

The paper attempts to make an analytical approach in favour of feminine personality in Indian classics. But when, highlighted on the term of feminine personality, we got that it was not familiar concept for Indian classics. This term was the result of the first wave of the feminist movement which was started in the middle of the 19^th century and continued in 20^th century. It continued in the political and social struggle for 1- Right to learn (education) 2- Right to legal equality 2- Right to vote or adult suffrages.

The first movement comes to an end during 1920-30 due to conservation and antifeminist politics. But the second wave of movement, once again started after the Second World War (1935-45), and particularly during the 60^s to 70^s. The movement enabled women to sensitize them and to realize about their oppression, atrocities and exploitation. This is also enabled women to analyze the patriarchal violence and to raise political counter strategies for emancipation. This process has been accelerated all over the world. In this series the first women movement conference was held in 1948, in America. It has sensitized the women from U.K. Italy, Germany, U.S.A., and France, to fight against the male superiority and their oppression. Further the third wave of movement, leading to their participation in decision making bodies and capital to share in power, status and authority system of the society began. It has started during 1990_s. In this regard mention may be made of the view points of some prominent feminine activists, for example Dalma, Pamela Abbott and Clare Wallace. They have presented different feminist viewpoints in regard to emerging feminist movement in the process of globalizing development with respect to economy, polity of the social structure all over the world.

In the western societies like U.S.A., Canada, France, and Germany and also in Latin American countries, the black feminist argue that a feminist perspective needs to take account in differentiated solution as well as racialised man. Therefore, the emerging power structure in the process of political practice is to fight for liberalization of black people both men and women, for example, Negros and Anglo Indians and Canadian Aboriginals.

During the last 25 to 30 years Feminist activism in India is activated to bring about a consistent and homogeneous social interplay among their male counter parts in regard to life and social work and images, rights and duties.

Tagore’s essay entitled 'Women' and Woman and Home' endeavor has been made to redefine the woman's position and her significance in restoring the balance in society and bridging the gap between human individuals.

21^st century women throughout the world are proving worthy of this statement. She has become a superwoman, tackling various incompatible tasks effectively. Ramkrishnan has already once predicted that she creates, preserves, and destroys the world, a mere wink of her wondrous eyes; she held the universe in her womb." Women have been accepted as the milestone in the history of human civilization. But a very next moment we got the fine words of these documents as well as all those of the Vienna Declaration in 1933 and the declaration of Beijing in 1995 stand in sharp contrast to the regular routine of life of millions of feminine personality. And the 70 percent poverty of 1.3 billion people is feminine and the majority of world's refugees are women and female illiteracy is invariably higher than male illiteracy. Women economic, social and cultural rights continue to be neglected. This is accepted by Boutras Ghali, the UN secretary General who says, "There is still a gap between what should be, and what is. The United Nations, its member states and their partner in civil society must now focus as never before on how to accelerate the practical implementation of programmes aimed at improving women's daily lives and solidifying their status as full and equal partners in the drive for better world.

In Indian scenario regarding woman population is more critical and pathetic, after 1975. So many programmes have been launched for upliftment of women community but all the efforts and business done so far, are futile and meaningless because of peculiarity of Indian culture. The questions and problems of Indian woman are not equal and at par with western social milieus and a generalized approach with one universal concept of woman couldn't solve.

The problem of our society, in spite of gender difference, woman is human being. She shouldn't be treated as a social entity only. The total women personality is the outcome of culture and socialization. Culture creates the personality and socialization decided the role of the person, personal significance, glory and identity are the basic questions, which should be answered in process of civic and social upliftment and it is rather difficult to identify and answer the questions of personality with the methodology of scientific exploration. But a human touch in all the efforts is inevitable and this is the place where the role of Philosophy starts.

As so far Indian context of feminist movement is concern an attempt to evolve the concept of feminine person, based on Indian tradition, is not done till now. This is the area of a literary vacuum because of the oppressment of western feminist movement. This is only Dr. Ambedkar, who had tried to fill this gap with his versatile knowledge of Indian history, culture and philosophy, but he was not committed with woman problems particularly but, his deep concern was, with depressed class only.

Great revolutionist Shri Aurobindo showed 'India's great role in world formation in his marvellous creation 'foundation of Indian culture'. His views are based on Vedic philosophy. There are no any separate entity as Masculine or feminine personality. Brihadaranyak Upnishad also focused on composite entity of feminine and masculine personality. They are as one as a peas and pad. It also revealed by the conversation of lord Shankar and Goddess Uma that, there's no any feminism or masculism, in concept of soul. A single soul focused in all and all women are also the initial part of the supernatural power so masculine and feminine personalities have same rights, duties and role.

It is the Ethnic entity's reflection and Indian recent concept, about women, where they are restricted, reserved and neglected. This movement is growing in isolation; it is not coherent with Indian culture. In Indian tradition we got that the women like Sita, Draupadi, Kunti, Apala and Ghosha were, the matter of faith, and all the women have same attribute, as they had, so women should be powerful, energetic, willful, brave and skilled in their strategy to serve and protect their nation, whereas they can.

In spite of Indian tradition, the women, who formed herself in fully modern civilization, they thought that the women like Sita, Savitri, Damyanti, Draupadi and Kunti were bound to compromise with their given condition; they were unable to fight with circumstances. They were weak, soft and over ruled by the masculine personality. In the book "In search of Answers: Indian women's voices from Manushi", it has spoken that 'Sita' and other feminine personality, in traditional cultural treasure, were tortured by their counterparts, due to their settled cultural sentiments. But it is far from the truth.

In the Vedic philosophy, we can see that there were no any single concept of man and women. There we get only soul and both male and female personality was the initial properties of this. They were dignified only for conceptual elaboration of Prakriti or world.

In 'Vedic Philosophy' and in Indian classics', it is hard to find, any separate identity of male or female. In Bhagavat Gita, Krishna says that all the world, included male-female or human beings and non-human beings or non-living things, are the part of a soul and all they are focused by that part of peculiar soul only. They have no any separate identity. There are the concept of all in one and one in all.

Feminine personality, it means, soul of whole biological world. Family is not possible without women and concept of village is impossible to think without family and it is unexpected to think about state or nation without state or village. So in this scenario family is the unit of all national or world level social, economical or cultural organization and women is the unit of the family. If women will be rejected and restricted then axis will be stammered, shivered and whole world will feel digginess. Due to the improper impression of westernization, the man of high technological era, sawed off the family tree and keep the world off, from the family shade and introspection.

Historically woman has been remained a neglected entity in the power structure of society. The patriarchal society fused with religion and moved with materialism had only increased segregation and differentiation from holistic rules. However in the present patriarchal society and system of class as also gender differentiation, they need admiration and recognition. These needs are expected to be fulfilled by the civil society, but the situation is not up to the mark. Here is the place, where the human rights may keep a watch on this situation and may offer guidelines from Indian classics, in this regard.

Woman should recognize their own identity. It seems women are not aware, as they are required to be. Women must be proved that they are feminine. Christian women community says that, it is the duty of their own community to define the concept of women. It is clear that, to be governing body of all women of entire world, is, also the result of 'white Man's burden'. It is but natural because history speaks about their courage, boldness and style of fighting against the circumstances. But due to this wonderful history they are suffering in the problem of superstition. Still they are brave and have patience, they all are facing same problem in their social and philosophical life, and it is only Indian women, who can pick them out from the recent deprived society. Indian women have patience and feeling of brotherhood also. She knew how to remove the suffrages, how to handle the coalition. Self assessment and self-realization needed by European woman and Indian woman can present a guideline to them. Women of India can give spiritual help which make the Christian Men firstly a human being. They can also suggest the key of internal happiness. In the same way Hindu woman can help the Muslim woman also.

Indian women can attend this duty in the full-fledged way but, for this she should be healthy active and with her all intelligence and prosperity. She must be practical, enlightened and introspective, to be recognize herself. Only such kind of women can save the entire world from metallic shade of life and society. It is their internal nature to upgrade their sincerity. Women should keep their eagle eye view on superstition and cultural harassment, which needs assessment and let’s stop to think this hilarious concept that the Christian society is the society of world.

As the same Christian society, when India ruled over by Muslim emperors, much more milestones were there which affected India's cultural, social and religious life badly. Women should stop strolling and wandering in the lobby of Christian's and Muslim's impression. There's no need to plead their guilty. It is needed here to think how the society will be balanced? How will women understand what are their rights and duties and what they do? How they will attend the concept of women empowerment and what's the impact is passing on society?

In the scenario of world characterized by domination by the strong over the weak and their increased deprivation and exploitation, and if, women are weak then, it is their fault and so they should not expect any help from the others.

In the Indian context, given the existing gender equalities, a woman requires active participation for their social and economical development. As they are not in position to bear the relentless logic of society forces on their own, any reduction in public distribution system, education, health, care and others, is bound to have an adverse effect on the quality of life.

In order to meet the challenges of feminine identity, it is modern Indian women's duty to reduce the cultural and religious darkness, and kick them out from the society. Truth is the highest power of Indian women so, it is her duty to preserve the culture and heritage of society in its real perspective, as it should be.

The stated above are a positive prophesy about the role and future of Indo-centric women behaviour. It will be merely and Utopia, if sound and clear concept of femaleness will not be sketched out. And this task needs exhaustive and innovative effort of reinterpretation of Indian classics. But up to the time any serious work on has done so far. Therefore this proposed work is a noble initiation to make a small submission in said area. This is an attempt to philosophize the ongoing movement of feminist domain with clear sound and script based analysis of concepts inherent in Indian classics, regarding female, feminine gender and feminine personality.