EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF

SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA

  • EDUCATION OF WOMEN
  •  

    Education of Women

    Domestic Life

    Spiritual Life

    Heroic Life

    Content of Education for Women

     

    1. Introduction :
    2. Revered Swami Ranganathananda has given much importance to education of women. He was very much inspired by the 'Holy Mother Sarada Devi'. He explained about Indian women's ideality in his writings. Let us see in detail how Swamiji views education of women.

      In our 'Gayatri Mantra' we pray: 'Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat' - 'Endow us with (the light of) understanding'. It is a prayer to lead us from the darkness of ignorance and spiritual blessedness to the light of knowledge and spiritual awareness. The first step of our education is to radiate the light of knowledge. We have to receive education to banish the darkness around us in our society.

    3. Education of Women:
    4. With the great responsibilities women have to shoulder and the many problems they are expected to solve they need education. Daughters should be supported and educated with as much care and attention as sons. As sons are marry after they have lived bramacharis upto their thirtieth year, so daughters also should observe brahmacharya and be educated before they got married.

      To Swamiji, Brahmacharya is the care of spiritual life. It can be attained only by cultivating certain positive attitudes of love and service. Those who can do this will become Brahmacharis and Brahmacharins.

      In our country usually girls are brought up in a state of helplessness and dependence on others. Women must be put in the position to solve their problems in their own way.

      Women's Education is to be developed and spread with religion as its centre. All training should be secondary to religion. Religious training (knowing about our culture and tradition), the formation of character and observance of the vows of celibacy these should be the primary concern. Hindu women easily understand what chastity means, because it is in their heritage.

      The ideal of chastity and fearlessness should be strengthened above everything else so that they may develop strong character, by the force of which, in every stage of their lives, whether married or single, they will acquire fearlessness and would give up their lives rather than flinch from the ideal.

    5. Education of Women - Domestic life:
    6. Till the beginning of the present century the content of education at all levels was almost the same for boys and girls. In this century, thinkers on education began to see that the different duties that women have to perform in the home and outside demanded a distinct type of education for them.

      This led to the evolution and development of a new subject called Home Science which lays emphasis on the utilization of modern scientific knowledge in their daily living, such as nutrition, better upbringing of children, home nursing, health and house hold management, care of clothing and human relationships.

    7. Education of Women - Spiritual Life:
    8. India requires for her well - being that at least some of her children become pure souled 'Bramacharis' and 'Brahmacharins'. Even if one woman attains spiritual realization, then by the radiance of her personality, thousands of women would be inspired and awakened to truth.

      We want such Bramacharins of education, and character to take-up the task of teaching. In villages and towns they must open centres and strive hard for the spread of education of women.

      The Rg-Veda presents a picture of woman as the equal to man in civic and religious spheres. In the pursuit of knowledge and virtue, in the performance of rituals of war and statecraft. We find the Vedic woman as a companion and helpmate of man. This equality in practice soon found its sustenance only in theory and discontinued its practice due to various historical, social resources.

    9. Education of Women - Heroic Life:
    10. Women should acquire the spirit of valour and heroism. In the present day, it has become a necessity for them to learn self-defense. We shall bring to the need of India great fearless women, women worthy to continue the traditions of Jhansi Lakshmi, Sanghamitra, Lila, Ahalya Bai and Meera Bai, women fit to be mothers of heros, because they are pure and fearless, and strong. All these come out of touching the feet of God.

      We must see to their growing up as ideal mothers of home. The children of such mothers will make further progress in the virtues that distinguish themselves. It is only in the homes of educated and pious mothers that great men were born.

      If the women are raised in their status, their children will glorify the nature of their country, knowledge, power and devotion are got awakened in the country.

    11. Content of Education of Women:

    With regard to the content of women's education we need: History and Puranas, house-keeping and the arts, the duties of home life and principles that make for the development of character, have to be taught.

    Other methods such as sewing, culinary art (art of cooking), rules of domestic work and upbringing of children will also to be taught. Japa (reading and chanting) worship and meditation shall form an indispensable part of their teaching.

    Swami Ranganathananda has focussed and strongly emphasized these elements in women's education, along with inculcation of spiritual values as the foundation of education.

    To Sum Up:

    No society can progress with men alone getting education and opportunities and women being neglected. Indian society bears that mark of arrested development, because its women were neglected for centuries. They were denied economic and social opportunities for education and development. To make society dynamic, we need to educate women without any discrimination with men. This is a profound idea for modern India. We are engaged in a revolutionary movement from the feudal to the modern age. It is only by widespread education of our men and women and provision of adequate opportunities for their economic uplift we can speak of India as having fully entered the modern period of her long history.

     

    Introduction

    Significance of the Study

    Review of Literature of works of Swami Ranganathananda

    Brief Life Sketch of Swami Ranganathananda

    Meaning_and_Purpose_of_Education

    Values_of_Education

    Content_of_Education

    Aims_of_Education

    Education_of_Women

    Education_and_Religion

    Education_and_Creativity

    Education_and_Development

    Conclusion

    Suggestions

    © Copy Right: M. Padma Lalitha Sharada Kumari, M.Ed. Osmania University, Hyderabad

    E-mail: kpmiyapuram AT yahoo.com

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