Puṁsaḥ for all human beings or just men -- help to understand statement of Hari Bhakti Vilasa

[Damodara Dasa]

||Hare Krishna||

Respected Vidvaj-janas,

In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Chapter 3rd (topic sadācāra) beginning it is stated:

puṁsaḥ gṛhīta-dīkṣasya śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ-pūjayiṣyataḥ|
ācāro likhyate kṛtyaṁ śruti-smṛty-anusārataḥ||2||

Sanātana Gosvāmī's Commentary:

puṁsaḥ puṁmātrasyetyarthaḥ, śrī-viṣṇudīkṣāgrahaṇamātreṇa sarveṣāmeva
tatrādhikārāt yadyapi strīṇāmapyadhikāro'sti iti purvaṁ likhitam,
tathāpi karmasu puṁsaḥ prādhānyāt puṁsa ityatra likhitam| evamagre
lekhyaṁ brāhmaṇamityādikamapyūhyam|

My translation:
"The word puṁsaḥ here should be taken to mean 'of all human beings'
because just by taking viṣṇudīkṣā everyone becomes eligible for that.
Although it is said before that women also becomes eligible for that
(karma), but because in acts of karma dominance is that of men, here
it is written 'puṁsaḥ' which seem to indicate men only. In this way it
should be understood in other places to come in this book when
brāhmaṇa etc are mentioned."

Is my understanding of the commentary correct? Any comments and
additions welcome.

Thankyou,
Damodara das
+91 9737475085

[Hari Parshad Das]

my pranams. hare krishna.

What it says here is that whenever the term 'pumān' is mentioned, 'strī' should also be counted as upalakṣaṇa, just as when 'brāhmaṇa' is mentioned, 'brāhmaṇī' should be included as upalakṣaṇa. Her name need not be mentioned separately. Just as someone says — brāhmaṇo na hantavyaḥ, a brāhmaṇī is also included in that instruction by upalakṣaṇa and her name need not be mentioned separately. Since Haribhaktivilāsa has already said — strīṇām apy adhikāro 'sti (ladies have rights), so it will not keep mentioning ladies separately everywhere. They are to be understood as included wherever the men are mentioned. To make a long story short, the Haribhaktivilāsa says that initiated ladies acquire the same rights.

sādhu-caraṇa-rajo'bhilāṣī,

hari parshad das.

[Damodara Dasa]

||Hare Krishna||
Pranam Prabhu.

I think that is not the full meaning of it. Here in the commentary the
word used is 'karmasu,' i.e. in the matter of karma or religious
duties and sadacara, men has pradhanya or dominance and thus the male
word is used.

I think it cannot be expanded to anywhere when the word brahmana is
used brahmani is also included. For instance, in sastras we find that
yājana is one of the duties of a brāhmaṇa. But this belongs
specifically to male brahmana and not female brahmana. Female brahmana
has some eligibility to do yajana but not yājana.

I think, in the commentary, it means that the duties that are now
being mentioned are primarily mentioned keeping in the mind the males
and not females. Females may be eligible or even required for some of
these duties, but not all of them.
This is also our general way of describing things. What is dominant is
addressed.

Thankyou,
Your servant,
damodara das

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[Damodara Dasa]

May be other respected scholars also have something to say about this
explanation?

[Hari Parshad Das]

While other scholars may reply I will attempt to give as literal as possible translation of the verse and commentary here:

puṁso gṛhīta-dīkṣasya śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ pūjayiṣyataḥ

ācāro likhyate kṛtyaṁ śruti-smṛty-anusārataḥ

Translation: For a person who has accepted initiation, the code of conduct pertaining to worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is being written now according to śruti and smṛti.

Commentary:

puṁsaḥ puṁ-mātrasyety arthaḥ |

Translation: The term 'puṁsaḥ' means 'for any person'.

śrī-viṣṇu-dīkṣā-grahaṇa-mātreṇa sarveṣām eva tatrādhikārāt |

Translation: Because merely by accepting Śrī Viṣṇu-dīkṣā, everyone gets a right [pertaining to such worship].

yadyapi strīṇām apy adhikāro’sti iti pūrvaṁ likhitaṁ, tathāpi karmasu puṁsaḥ prādhānyāt puṁsa ity atra likhitam |

Translation: Although it has been mentioned previously that ladies too have rights to such worship, still due to predominance of men in such acts, the term 'puṁsa' is being mentioned here.

evam agre lekhyaṁ brāhmaṇam ity ādikam apy ūhyam |

Translation: Similarly when the verses written ahead mention 'brāhmaṇam' [a masculine term], one should understand it similarly [to include initiated women].

Note: An example of this can be seen in the 13th verse of this very chapter. The 13th verse says — sālasyaṁ ca durannādaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ bādhate’ntakaḥ — Yamarāja punishes a brāhmaṇa who is lazy and who eats contaminated food. Although only the masculine gender has been used, it does not mean that the condition does not apply for a brāhmaṇī. A brāhmaṇī should also ensure that she is not lazy and that she does not eat contaminated food, or else ayvāpti-doṣa (fault of incomplete domain of application) will come into effect.

śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ pūjayiṣyata iti tat-pūjārthaka ity arthaḥ |

Translation: The phrase 'śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ pūjayiṣyataḥ' means 'pertaining to the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa'.

śruty-ādy-anusāreṇa kṛtyam avaśyaṁ kartuṁ yogyaṁ yat yat karma, śruti-smṛty-anusārata ity asya likhyata ity anena vā sambandhaḥ ||

Translation: The phrase 'śruti-smṛty-anusārataḥ' indicates that whatever acts are mentioned according to śruti and smṛti as being compulsorily worthy of being performed. Or it can mean 'whatever is written here is according to śruti and smrti'.

(End of Translation)

Please note: I have tried my best to be as literal and logical as possible in this translation, and wherever I have added my explanations, I have put them in brackets and supported them with quotes found in the haribhaktivilāsa itself.

sādhu-caraṇa-rajo'bhilāṣī,

hari parshad das.

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[Damodara Dasa]

||Hare Krishna||
Pranam Prabhu.

Yes. I think this is the best possible translation, very loyal to the
original language.

It is now clear to me.

Thankyou,
Your servant,
damodara das

On 2/20/18, Hari Parshad Das <hpd...@gmail.com> wrote:
> While other scholars may reply I will attempt to give as literal as
> possible translation of the verse and commentary here:
>

> *puṁso gṛhīta-dīkṣasya śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ pūjayiṣyataḥ*
> *ācāro likhyate kṛtyaṁ śruti-smṛty-anusārataḥ*
>
> *Translation*: For a person who has accepted initiation, the code of

> conduct pertaining to worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is being written now according
> to śruti and smṛti.
>

> *Commentary*:
>
> *puṁsaḥ puṁ-mātrasyety arthaḥ |*
>
> *Translation*: The term 'puṁsaḥ' means 'for any person'.
>
> *śrī-viṣṇu-dīkṣā-grahaṇa-mātreṇa sarveṣām eva tatrādhikārāt |*
>
> *Translation*: Because merely by accepting Śrī Viṣṇu-dīkṣā, everyone gets a

> right [pertaining to such worship].
>

> *yadyapi strīṇām apy adhikāro’sti iti pūrvaṁ likhitaṁ, tathāpi karmasu
> puṁsaḥ prādhānyāt puṁsa ity atra likhitam |*
>
> *Translation*: Although it has been mentioned previously that ladies too

> have rights to such worship, still due to predominance of men in such acts,
> the term 'puṁsa' is being mentioned here.
>

> *evam agre lekhyaṁ brāhmaṇam ity ādikam apy ūhyam |*
>
> *Translation*: Similarly when the verses written ahead mention 'brāhmaṇam'

> [a masculine term], one should understand it similarly [to include
> initiated women].
>

> *Note*: An example of this can be seen in the 13th verse of this very
> chapter. The 13th verse says — *sālasyaṁ ca durannādaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ
> bādhate’ntakaḥ* — Yamarāja punishes a *brāhmaṇa *who is lazy and who eats

> contaminated food. Although only the masculine gender has been used, it

> does not mean that the condition does not apply for a *brāhmaṇī*. A
> *brāhmaṇī
> *should also ensure that she is not lazy and that she does not eat

> contaminated food, or else ayvāpti-doṣa (fault of incomplete domain of
> application) will come into effect.
>

> *śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ pūjayiṣyata iti tat-pūjārthaka ity arthaḥ |*
>
> *Translation*: The phrase 'śrī-kṛṣṇaṁ pūjayiṣyataḥ' means 'pertaining to

> the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa'.
>

> *śruty-ādy-anusāreṇa kṛtyam avaśyaṁ kartuṁ yogyaṁ yat yat karma,
> śruti-smṛty-anusārata ity asya likhyata ity anena vā sambandhaḥ ||*
>
> *Translation*: The phrase 'śruti-smṛty-anusārataḥ' indicates that whatever

> acts are mentioned according to śruti and smṛti as being compulsorily
> worthy of being performed. Or it can mean 'whatever is written here is
> according to śruti and smrti'.
>

> (*End of Translation*)
>
> *Please note*: I have tried my best to be as literal and logical as

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>
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> *Automatically Inserted Signature*: Dear receiver. In case I am not able to

> reply to your emails due to lack of time, kindly do not take it negatively.
> In the age of the internet and social media, it is almost impossible to
> respond to hundreds of individuals who are simultaneously communicating
> with us using these platforms. Although my attempt is to try and respond to
> every possible email, it is simply not possible sometimes due to work
> overload and time related constraints. Kindly understand my predicament and
> excuse me if I am sometimes unable to reply to your emails.
>

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