Just yesterday my mother was telling me a little snippet from old memories from more than 20 years ago.
Back then my parents lived in a joint family with my paternal grandparents and my two uncles (father’s brothers).
Apparently, one day there was some kind of an argument between grandmother and one of her sons. My mom witnessed my grandmother reportedly scolding her adult sons and saying, “You may be a big officer outside the house, but inside the house I’m your mother. Be careful what you say to me!”.
This is really remarkable to me. According to me mom, all of grandmother’s adult and financially independent sons and daughters were reverently afraid of their mother while being affectionate at the same time.
My grandmother was not a PhD, nor a top-level executive at a Fortune 500 company. She successfully raised 10 children who all become successful in their lives. Her contentment was in being the mother of her family and keeping everyone together. The spiritual power she wielded came only from her santṛpti and being a good mother and grandmother. Her power came from her sadācāra.
Of all her grandchildren, I was luckiest as I got to spend many years with her when my grandparents lived with us.
The only words that come to mind when I remember her is “divine majesty”. This word comes to mind even when I remember by maternal grandmother, my aunts and my own mother.
There is this indescribable majestic grace with which traditional Indian women conducted themselves. They knew how to be feminine but at the same time strong and courageous. Their mannerisms and their way of speaking is just something else altogether.
This was the real power of Indian women. This is the ancient tradition of strong courageous women like Damayanti, Savitri, Kausalya, Sumitra, Sita, Satyavati, Kunti and Draupadi.
Those who say that Indian society was oppressive to women only have an agenda, and have not lived in a truly cultured Indian family.
