According to Manu-saṁhitā, our Vedic literature, the Manu-saṁhitā says, na striyaṁ svatantratām arhati: "Women should not be given independence," or "Women are not independent." That is a, I mean, a truth, Vedic truth. Now, so far a girl is child, she is dependent on the father, and it is hoped . . . at least in India we have got this principle. When a girl is grown up, the father gives him . . . gives her in charity to a boy to protect her, protect her, give her protection. And similarly, when a woman is grown up, old enough, she becomes protected by the grown-up boys, children.
So this Vedic truth that woman has no independence . . . she is always under the protection, either under the protection of the father or under the protection of the husband or under the protection of the grown-up sons. That is position. And woman becomes happy in that way. Those who are not following this principle, I think they are not happy. This Vedic principle is truth.
So as the woman or the child requires the protection of somebody, similarly, by nature we are under the protection of some leader. But that supreme leadership is rested in the Supreme Lord. And when we do not accept the leadership of the Supreme, then we have to accept somebody else, A-B-C-D, as our leader, and they will misguide us. Andhā yathāndhair upanīya . . . how they are misguiding, just try to understand. How our leaders are misguiding us, just try to understand. In the Bhāgavata it is said:
- na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
- durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
- andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
- te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
- (SB 7.5.31)