The Controversy of Fallen Women in Bhagavad Gita As it Is

(written on November 23, 2019)

Bhagavad Gita 9.32:

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās

te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim “O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.”

This quote sparks some controversy amongst people who don’t read it in the context of all the knowledge explained in the Bhagavad Gita prior to this verse. People might believe that Prabhupada was a misogynist by agreeing with the fact that women are of lower birth, but that is false. Prabhupada is not saying that all women are of lower birth.

The purport doesn’t clearly clarify why women are classified as people of lower birth, however, Prabhupada clears up this issue in the Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita: “Thus the Lord says that even a merchant, a fallen woman or a laborer or even human beings in the lowest status of life can attain the Supreme.” So, in actuality the verse is not referring to all women, but only to the fallen women. Also, the other two categories, vaishyas and shudras, are the categories of men, so this verse is not specifically picking on women only. It is saying that there are both fallen women and fallen men who are of lower birth.

Additionally, in the purport of BG 9.32 itself it is clarified that, “According to the different modes of material nature, men are classified in the mode of goodness (brāhmaṇas), the mode of passion (kṣatriyas, or administrators), the mixed modes of passion and ignorance (vaiśyas, or merchants), and the mode of ignorance (śūdras, or workers).” This is the main point. The living entity is classified based on the modes they act under, not what family they were born into, or whether they were born as male or female. It is not based on the physical characteristic. Even the son of a bramhana can be one of lower birth if he speaks and acts like a lowly person. Hence, Srila Prabhupada did not make a mistake in this verse by translating to lower birth. It is the people who don’t read it in the context of the prior knowledge and don’t read the alternate purport who actually made the mistake because they will not be able to understand that this quote is actually not an insult to women. Also, since these people are still seeing at the material level (I am this, I am that…) they will not be able to understand what the purpose of this verse is.

This verse is not trying to make a point about fallen women or fallen men, or anybody, it is actually making the point that anybody can take up the process of devotional service regardless of any material classifications, even the lowest of all mankind, the candalas: “In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.4.18) it is stated that even the lowest, who are called caṇḍālas (dog-eaters), can be purified by association with a pure devotee.” It doesn’t matter whether you are male, female, intelligent, unintelligent, Hindu, or Christian. This is because devotional service is spiritual work, it does not belong to this material world.

It is important to understand the concept of following the spirit of the vs. following the letter of the law. People will not be able to understand the spirit or the true intentions of the verse if they do not read all the purports and understand what the full concept is. Otherwise, they make misinformed conceptions of the concept by only reading the translation and they find problems for the knit-picky details without focusing on the substantial information which is actually the message of the Bhagavad Gita. This is why Srila Prabhupada wrote detailed purports for almost every verse in the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam- so that people would not speculate about the sacred contents of the vedic scriptures.