Why are menstruating women considered as inauspicious in Hindu religion. Is it written in any sacred text?

Answer 1

most of Hindu traditions came into force after taking all points like hygiene,psychology, health of persons into consideration. during menses, there will be heavy bleeding and disturbance of harm ones occur which cause some changes in the behaviour of a woman which is accepted by scientists also.our fore fathers wanted to give rest to women during those three days and said those days as inauspicious other wise men don't allow women to take rest and force the women to participate in sex thus depriving them of rest.

Answer 2

Scientifically there is nothing wrong in menustrating women participating in daily household activities. If fact now-a-days these women go for work, cook themself and do other activities.

Actually during mensturation women get the bleeding which contains the the damaged eggs released from Overy. So, menstruation is considered a period of impurity and female while menustrating went through several restrictions as it is considered inauspicious especially at weddings, temples and performing pujas. Mansturating women are required to take rest to avoid pain in the abdoman and cramps and hot flashes.

It is not only in Hindu religion but other religions also observe this.Many religions have menstruation-related traditions. These may be bans on certain actions during menstruation (such as intercourse in orthodox Judaism and Islam), or rituals to be performed (such as the mikvah in Judaism and the ghusl in Islam).

Answer 3

No it is not a documented thing in any sacred text. In fact Hinduism is the only religion (most probably) wherein nothing is forbidden. Hinduism does not tell us what to do and what not to do. Hinduism to me is "a way of living" rather than a religion. Nowhere in Hindu religion sacred texts you'll find so called "Rules and Regulations".
As for your question of menstruating women been inauspicious, it is one of those many things which somehow started and followed generations after generation and eventually, we accepted that it must be written somewhere, actually it is not.

Answer 4

No where in any civilisation a woman who is menstruating is considered as a good sight. Blood is discharged during these days which itself makes a dirty sight so a menstruating woman is considered as inauspicious. There is no scientific basis of curtailing the activity of a menstruating woman.
Sex and even the routine household work is prohibited to these women. So it is a simple though unscientific correlation that a woman shedding blood is inauspicious.

Answer 5

I think. It started out as miss understanding of woman body functions.

Lots of people in olden days had various theory about what was happening to the woman once a month approximately. At the end of the four or five days ritual baths were in order. Lot of cultures still practise it as hand me down.

In the days of yours there were very few people who could write and read, they were the leaned and the elite, people followed them blindly, not only that but there were no other options presented to them. It was neither the communication age nor the information age, those were the dark ages.

The remote parts of this world are still in dark ages.

The habits and cultural Patrices die slowly.

All so called sacred text were written by people like me and you, by the passing of time the views of these people became what you call thesacred text, to day.

Answer 6

Menstruating women are considered as inauspicious because of the curse that was given to them. the most popular incident of a menstruating woman is when Dropadi did not come to King Drutrastra to greet him when Pandavas came to Hastinapur for gambling. And also when she was forced to come to the place where Pandavas had lost her in gambling.

Answer 7

I agree with senthil !

It is a social custom,...with no roots in religion. In none of Upanishadas, Gita or any sacred text have i ever read that the periods make a woman inauspicious.

However, in practical almost all hindus practice it.

I personally treat it as non-sense....women is never auspicious. she is shakti in her every form....

Answer 8

The truth?

Every major religion was founded by males. Men have always harbored a secret uneasiness, even a fear of women because we bleed every month but don't die. They handled women with PMS by separating them in some manner using the religious excuse so the woman would go quietly rather than bashing their brains in with the nearest heavy object.

Answer 9

Mensurating women arent inauspicious in Hinduism(I speak not of practices but about view of scriptures and teachings). The body of a woman extracts more energy from food when compared to men. The metabolism is generally more efficient in female than in male. This extends to animals. Includes not just mammals but also insects. A mosquito which bites is always a female. It uses the protien in blood of host for the development of eggs and for laying them(laying eggs involves high energy in insects. Similar to birth of a child in a women's case though egg laying is easier the laying is in hundreds and thus high energy involvement)
The periods is the time when a woman loses much of the accumulated energy. Infact the body reserves energy for periods time. The original reason that the women needs more rest on such days will only be thrown aside by dominant husbands and other men of the family. Behold there wasnt any electrical mixer or grinder in those days and the whole household was put on the shoulders of the woman. It is not advisable to behave the same way as she would towards the household work. More over the woman is no machine and needs some holidays for her to take rest. Now we have sundays as holidays which wasnt a practice earlier. Hence the first three days of the periods time in which the woman loses much of her energy was the time when she was asked to rest.
She was nearly abandoned from any household work or even touching her children as it would automatically loop her into work starting from bathing infants. Yet the touch wasnt applicable to just borns as it is the mother who could handle her child the best. A child which could help the self in bathing, eating was not allowed near the mother since it would add work when in 'rest'. The woman had to stay away from others and even 'sleep' alone for its not just her mind but also body which needs rest. More over this finishes the package being a strong rope(Ideal time for a woman to get pregnant is the 18th day from periods which falls during two and half weeks after periods - Time of high energy. Impregnation needs much energy and a weak woman is no good for the pain of giving birth). Every rule regarding woman is related to internal energy of the woman. Also you have to take into consideration the other metabolic activities during periods like the periods flow is itself a flush of the ovary and uterus like a flush from closet(please see it as an comparison for explanation its not any means to mock at women or such stuff). This includes ovules to a great extent (Definetely indulges high amount of energy)
The woman was also exempted from any rituals and even a visit to temples or a pilgrimage since any exemption from rest would not be permitted even if it is the gods, in waiting for her visit to temples. The whole was framed with good intentions.
As you know any law can be used and also misused. Though the women were rested in the period the chaulvenist male said she couldnt do the work as she was inauspicious. Another wave of supression from his side. Yet the basic criteria of rest was maintained.
The rest is not being practiced by all hindu women, these days. You could see it to be in practice in certain families but the numbers are growing thin.
Since the mensuration period is the peak of flow and related metabolic changes women needed extra rest. She is more inauspicious.Again misuse by men who never understood why?
Science in Ancient India was much advanced from what it was during medival times. Medicne and certain feilds excelled over todays world but the lineage broke and much was left untaught to future generations who followed rules without knowing why. The so called civilised India of today looks down the glorious past and ignores the many other rules.
Note 1: This is an issue regarding female metabolism. I am a male and have put the data as was explained to me with additional related data i obtained elsewhere. If any woman finds any scentence to be in bad taste please do forgive me.
Note 2: There are more reasons and priority mismatch might in what I have furnished but am sure that all those furnished above come under the reasons for the treatment and can be verified with any learned scholar in Sanadhana Dharma (Hinduism as you know).

Answer 10

Rh402: Women's Beliefs about Disease and Health
... often results in severe blood loss and is therefore considered very harmful as ... The compulsions of religion in this case, work to the advantage of women. ...
http://gendwaar.gen.in/Sexuality/SE5.htm