In India and Nepal mainly son preference is deeply rooted and sex-selective abortion is in increasing trend. I always used to wonder why and from where our ideologies have been guided. Just came to know from some of my facebook network friends that the Garuda Puran and the Law of Manu (Manusmriti) written by Indian Brahmin sage in c.200 CE as a scared holy scriptures of Hindu society are crap and insane that teach and promote discriminatory practices in our society.
Tulsa Basnet (in our phone conversation on 25 June 2012) said while she was listening the Garuda Puran in one of the Puja Hindu priest was telling that women should sacrifice their lives for their husband (as Sati partha) that has been stated in the Garuda Puran to earn Punya. She shared to me that she couldn't tolerate thus stood and spoke against it. Likewise, in the facebook discussion Nilu P. Basnyat (26 June) said "That Garud puran is INSANE! None should be listening to such crap. It's totally discriminatory and I can't stand it."
Surja Karki Nepali affirmed that (on 26 June) I have listened to Garuda Purana, in March(while doing kiriya of my mom)!! And I can confirm that it is totally anti-female and casteist. This junkbook has no relevance. The theme of serving parents and staying away from sins is relevant though!!
So I googled and found that this Garuda Purāna Sārodhhāra (Extracted essence of the Garuḍa Purāṇa) was compiled or written by one Navanidhirāma, son of Śrī Hari Nārāyaṇa, who lived in the city of Jhunjhuṇū, which was ruled by a King Śrī Sūkhalālajī. It was done for the helping of those who cannot understand the difficult earlier works; but itself is not easy to understand, and required much labour, the author informs us. It is entirely originally written, he says, and comprises the results of very deep study of the sacred books, and is the extracted essence of them on the subjects with which it deals.
It is used all over India at funeral ceremonies, but some are afraid to read it on other occasions, thinking it inauspicious.
In the Chapter 7 of Garuda Puran I found some below discriminatory wordings and phrases which have been guided our belief, tradition, and culture and even so-called literate hindu believer Nepalese are blindly following it without question it.
"7. If by any past action of his the birth of a son has been prevented, then some means should be taken for obtaining a son.
8. Having listened to the Harivanśa, or performed the Śatachaṇḍī, or worshipped the Blessed Śiva with devotion, the intelligent should beget a son.
9. The son saves his father from the hell called Put; therefore he was named "putra" by the Self-existent himself.
10. Even a single son, if righteous, carries the whole family over. 'By the son he conquers the worlds,' is the ancient saying.
11. The Vedas also proclaim the great importance of the son. Accordingly, having seen the face of a son, one is released from the debt to the forefathers.
12. By the touch of his grandson a mortal is released from the three-fold debt. With the help of sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons he goes from the worlds and obtains heaven.
13. The son of a Brāhma marriage uplifts, but the illegitimate drags down. Knowing this, O Best of Birds, one should avoid a woman of lower caste.
14. Sons having father and mother of the same caste are legitimate, O Bird. They alone, by making Śrāddha-gifts are the means of their fathers' attaining heaven.
15. Need I say one attains heaven by means of the Śrāddha performed by a son, when a Departed One went to heaven even when it was offered by another. Now listen.
16. Concerning this I will give you, from ancient history, an example of the efficacy of gifts for the higher body.
17-19. Formerly, in the Treta age, Tārkṣya, there reigned over the delightful city of Mahodaya a king named Babhruvāhana, who was very powerful, and firm in righteousness,
A sacrificer, Lord of Gifts, prosperous, a lover of Brāhmaṇs, valuing the good, endowed with good character and of good conduct, compassionate, skilled,
Righteously protecting his subjects as though they were his own sons, always delighting in Kṣattriya duties, and punishing the guilty.
Reference:
1. The Garuda Purana Translated by Ernest Wood and S.V. Subrahmanyam accessed from
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/gpu/gpu09.htm
Tulsa Basnet (in our phone conversation on 25 June 2012) said while she was listening the Garuda Puran in one of the Puja Hindu priest was telling that women should sacrifice their lives for their husband (as Sati partha) that has been stated in the Garuda Puran to earn Punya. She shared to me that she couldn't tolerate thus stood and spoke against it. Likewise, in the facebook discussion Nilu P. Basnyat (26 June) said "That Garud puran is INSANE! None should be listening to such crap. It's totally discriminatory and I can't stand it."
Surja Karki Nepali affirmed that (on 26 June) I have listened to Garuda Purana, in March(while doing kiriya of my mom)!! And I can confirm that it is totally anti-female and casteist. This junkbook has no relevance. The theme of serving parents and staying away from sins is relevant though!!
So I googled and found that this Garuda Purāna Sārodhhāra (Extracted essence of the Garuḍa Purāṇa) was compiled or written by one Navanidhirāma, son of Śrī Hari Nārāyaṇa, who lived in the city of Jhunjhuṇū, which was ruled by a King Śrī Sūkhalālajī. It was done for the helping of those who cannot understand the difficult earlier works; but itself is not easy to understand, and required much labour, the author informs us. It is entirely originally written, he says, and comprises the results of very deep study of the sacred books, and is the extracted essence of them on the subjects with which it deals.
It is used all over India at funeral ceremonies, but some are afraid to read it on other occasions, thinking it inauspicious.
In the Chapter 7 of Garuda Puran I found some below discriminatory wordings and phrases which have been guided our belief, tradition, and culture and even so-called literate hindu believer Nepalese are blindly following it without question it.
"7. If by any past action of his the birth of a son has been prevented, then some means should be taken for obtaining a son.
8. Having listened to the Harivanśa, or performed the Śatachaṇḍī, or worshipped the Blessed Śiva with devotion, the intelligent should beget a son.
9. The son saves his father from the hell called Put; therefore he was named "putra" by the Self-existent himself.
10. Even a single son, if righteous, carries the whole family over. 'By the son he conquers the worlds,' is the ancient saying.
11. The Vedas also proclaim the great importance of the son. Accordingly, having seen the face of a son, one is released from the debt to the forefathers.
12. By the touch of his grandson a mortal is released from the three-fold debt. With the help of sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons he goes from the worlds and obtains heaven.
13. The son of a Brāhma marriage uplifts, but the illegitimate drags down. Knowing this, O Best of Birds, one should avoid a woman of lower caste.
14. Sons having father and mother of the same caste are legitimate, O Bird. They alone, by making Śrāddha-gifts are the means of their fathers' attaining heaven.
15. Need I say one attains heaven by means of the Śrāddha performed by a son, when a Departed One went to heaven even when it was offered by another. Now listen.
16. Concerning this I will give you, from ancient history, an example of the efficacy of gifts for the higher body.
17-19. Formerly, in the Treta age, Tārkṣya, there reigned over the delightful city of Mahodaya a king named Babhruvāhana, who was very powerful, and firm in righteousness,
A sacrificer, Lord of Gifts, prosperous, a lover of Brāhmaṇs, valuing the good, endowed with good character and of good conduct, compassionate, skilled,
Righteously protecting his subjects as though they were his own sons, always delighting in Kṣattriya duties, and punishing the guilty.
Reference:
1. The Garuda Purana Translated by Ernest Wood and S.V. Subrahmanyam accessed from
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/gpu/gpu09.htm
