Why do certain religions consider menstruating women to be impure? Where did the concept of impurity stem from?
07.06.2025 18:05
Sanathan Dharm ki Jaiho.
Regarding Masa Shoucha there is a Story in Bhagavatam&other Puranas……..
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We know Brihaspati is the Purohit/Priest of Devthas. As per Vaidic tradition it is the duty of the King to stand up and say Pranam(Salute) to the Purohit when the latter enters the courtyard of the King. Indra is the King of Devaloka. Once out of ignorance he didn't rise to salute DevGuru Brihaspati when he enters the courtyard.Out of humiliation Brihaspati leaves the Devendra Sabha(Court of Indra) and goes for Thapa(Meditation). As per Vaidic Tradition a King can't occupy his Chair in absence of a Purohit. Indra senses that his divine energy is going down due to absence of the Purohit. He then asks other Gods for help.Finally Devas decide to appoint a Purohit as a stop gap arrangement till Brihaspati is brought back. No Brahmin comes forward to act as a Purohit to Indra. Finally Indra finds one Brahmin named Vishwaroop an Asura Priest who obliges to work as DevGuru. Indra and Suras all feel happy and things passed on smoothly for sometime. One day Indra learns that the Purohit Vishwaroop is carrying secrets of Devas to their enemy Asuras(Demons).Out of anger Indra chops off the Head of Vishwaroop at one go. Vishwaroop dies. But,Indra has to bear the brunt of killing a Brahmin.Brahma Hatya Dosh(Sin of killing a Brahmin) started looming over Indra’s Divine Energy. Indra becomes Powerless and feels agony of the Effect. He is advised to pray Lord Brahma,the Creator. Indra sincerely prays Brahma for relief. Brahma Dev suggests that there can't be respite from the Shap but the punishment of a Father for committing a Sin could be undergone by his Children so that a Father can be free. Then he can perform Brahma Yagna which gives relief form Brahma Hatya Dosh. King is like a Father for his People and Creatures. Indra is like Father for Devas, Humans,all creatures ,Planets,Rivers & Mountains. Actually Indra is the ruler of Indrias ie Organs in every Creature.Idrias are 2types. Gyanendriyas and Karmendriyas.(It is a lengthy subject). On seeing his agony Women folks,who by nature are Kind at others,come forward to accept a 1/4th of the Brahma Hatya Dosh.Then Earth Goddess ie Bhumatha comes forward to agrees to take 1/4th of it. Then comes Rivers who accepts to take another 1/4th.Finally Trees come forward to take rest of the 1/4th Dosa.They all touch Indra and receives/accepts the Dosa on them with all Respect and Humility.
Masa Shoucha is a Happy event. Every Creature has to carry forward it's Clan by reproduction only. No reproduction-> No Life. So,Masa Shoucha(Menstrual Cleanliness)is also treated as a Pleasant event because a Woman is able to become Pregnant only if she has a Healthy&Regular Menstrual Cycle. No Menstrual Cycle = No Child Bearing !.This is the reason Masa Shoucha is given such an importance by our Ancestors.That is why the First Menstruation is celebrated as a Ritual by that Family/Vamsh in a Big Way. The Girl is worshipped as the Shakti/D/Kumari on the 5th day.
Mrutha Shocha is Sorrowful event. Loss of Family Member gives Pain&Grief to that Family Members ,other Friends & Relatives.Pitru Karmas are performed to give the departed Soul the Moksha or atleast a better Re-birth. Heaven is not the end point 8n Hinduism. Moksha is the Final Destination.
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Masa Shoucha: This is known as Ruthu Kram or Menstruation. Masa means Month. The Woman/Teen Girl is given a seperate space in house and she is not supposed to do any Worshipping or perform any Pooja or go on any Yatra.Food restrictions are there. This is observed for 3days. On 4th day they can perform routine Family duties except Worshipping. From the 5th day they can do Worshipping.
The Sanathana Dharm/Hinduism and also some Pre-Abrahamic Faiths do observe some restrictions for Women during the Menstruation Period.
There are 3 types of Shouchas followed during 3 different Occasions by Hindus. In Sancrit Shouch/Shoucha means Shuchi ie Cleanliness.These 3types of Shouch are 1.Jatha Shouch,2.Mrutha Shouch & 3.Masa Shoucha..Here Shoucha defines as staying with self Purity from rest of others.
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A relieved Indra prays Brihaspati to condone his mistake and respectfully brings him back to Amaravati the City of Indra.A happy Indra then performs 100 Brahma Yagnyas with help of Brihaspati and gets his Energy back. He then wanted to Bless all 4 Sections of Universe who gave him relief by accepting the Sin. Indra Blesses Trees with a Boon that Trees can grow back again&again even after Cutting them.Rivers are blessed that any thing thrown in to the flow can move out to the banks and bathing in Rivers bacame Sacred and Urinating in River Waters is Prohibited. Earth is blessed with a power that how ever big a Trench,/Hole is dug ,it gets levelled up naturally incourse of time.
Coming to the point….
Thosands of Years passed. Lot of changes took place in our Social and Family Systems. But,even today People are following these 3 types of Shoucha to the with outmost respect, belief and faith.
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Out of the 3 Shouchas Jatha Shocha and Masa Shoucha are considered as Pleasant Happy Events whereas the Mrutha Shoucha is considered as a Sorrowful Period.
With this Brahma Hatya Dosa,Trees started releasing Gum resulting in attracting Pests/Insects.Rivers started becoming Yellow with White Foam during Rainy Season due to this Sin. Earth started giving rise to Deserts/Barren Soils.From then Women started getting Menstrual Cycles regularly due to this Brahmana Hatya Dosh. So we have to understand that earlier to this event,Women had no Menstruation Cycles !.
We all know that The Sanathan Dharm(Modern name Hinduism)is completely different from other Abrahamic Faiths.Vedas remain as source of Hindu Culture,Faith and systems. In addition to Vedas, Hindus have Puranas,Upanishads,Aranyakas,Kandas,Itihasas all remain as most Sacred Scriptures for maintaining the Glory and Essence of the Vedic Dharma.Puranas remain as Guiding tool for Our Life systems. Otherwise is is impossible to understand Vedas in their right perspective.Sanscrit knowledge is also most important in understanding Hinduism in it's right sence. Dharma has got many meanings and perimeters. There is no appropriate word for Dharma in any other Abrahamic Languages . Here Hindu Dharma means we have to take Hinduism and it's byproduct faiths Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Hindus hold esteem respect and value for Gotra and Vamsha. Gotra is a Large group of Families. Family Structure, Family Identity,Blood Relations and Family Rituals are very important for Hindus .
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Jai Sri Ram.
Then Indra gives many Boons to Women who were generous to accept his Sin. He restricts the Menstrual Cycle to Maximum of 40 years only from the date of 1st Menstruation. He blesses Women that as long as they Menstruate they posses the capacity to give Birth to Children. Indra also blessed them that the Women will forget the pain of Delivery right immediately after seeing her Child or hearing the First cry of the Child. Indra and Other Devthas also Bless Women that they are exempted from all Vaidic Ceremonies and blessed that 50% of their Husbands Punya(Reward of Good Deeds) will automatically come to them(Women), Women are allowed to wear Ornaments on from Head to Toe(Men are barred from wearing Ornaments below the Novel) and gives Boon that presence of a Kanya(Teen age Girl) or a Married Women(Sumangali) in any Ceremony/Event is auspicious as presence of all Gods together. Men are barred from performing Yagna&Agnihotra in absence of Wife !. This is the story behind Masa Shoucha(Menstrual Cycle) of Women.
Jatha Shoucha is the one which is followed when a Baby comes in to a Family.Jatha means Birth.From the time of Birth of the Child ,that Vamsh(Vamsha means a Group of Families of almost 5+ Generations whose Progenitor was the same at that time) observes a type of Deeksha(No correct word in English.A specific type of self Quarantine ) for 10days. They will not perform any Ritual or go to any Temple. Any one who visits that house is supposed to wash Feet,Hands and Face before entering the Hall/Room. The Baby and Mother are kept in a seperate room with medium light. No one is supposed to kiss either the Baby or the Mother for 10days.Others are not supposed to touch the Baby&the Mother except the Nurse/Aya and Doctor. A seperately made Food is served to the Mother.Utmost care is taken by Family Members to keep the Child and the Mother in a Happy,Healthy Condition away from heavy Sound,excessive Light and Pullution.
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Mrutha Soucha: Mrutha means Death. Whenever a Death takes in a Family,all the Members of that Family/Vamsh stay in isolation from other People for 10days They will not go to Temples or Marriage Functions. They will not do any Pooja/Worshipping except the Pitru Sanskar or Worshipping of the Deceased Person through seperate Rituals.On the They will not go to others Houses till the Dwadasha Dina(12th day) Ceremony is completed.There are some relaxations for the Girls of that Family.Sons of the Deceased Person should wear the Dhavala Vastra(White Cloths) only for 10days. Sons should not perform any other Rituals for 1year except Pitru Karma !. Except Merging Ashes of the Deceased Person in any of the Sacred Rivers like Ganges,Yamuna,Sindhu,Narmada,Godavari,Brahmaputra,Kaveri, Krishna,Tungabhadra they will not perform any other Yatra for 1 whole year.However performing Daughter's Marriage before the end of 1year is considered as Auspitious as this will give the Credit/Phal of Kanyadan to the deceased Soul.
If a Baby comes in to the Family it is a Happy Moment for all the Family Members. A Cradle Ceremony is performed on the 21st day as a Celebration.A Generation is carried forward.Human Race is carried forward.