Question:
I am sending this mail with a question based on discussion I had with someone about Srila Prabhupada’s comment on women’s intelligence. I have tried to argue with this person that the vast majority of intellectuals, philosophers, scientists, inventors and artists are men, past and present. Men dominate scientific research, patents, publications and prizes like the Nobel. Men score the highest in IQ tests. Men dominate complex fields such as nuclear physics and neurosurgery. Even in Kali Yuga there are differences between men and women, what to speak of other yugas like Satya. Our Sampradaya is dominated by men, all gurus, sadhus, rishis, yogis and babajis are men. Despite all this information this person (a woman) can’t accept these facts. Is it my approach, right? Should we avoid these controversial and politically incorrect topics?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
In response to your 2nd question, you can decide that for yourself. In relation to a different topic of discussion, you will find in Cc Adi 2.117 the following remark: “A sincere student should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions, considering them controversial, for such discussions strengthen the mind. Thus one’s mind becomes attached to Çré Kåñëa.”
Here are some thoughts to add to your contemplations on this topic.
In Kali-yuga, everyone is unintelligent—both men and women: Kalau sudra-sambhavah: in the age of Kali, everyone is a sudra. Because the whole population of the world consists only of sudras, there is a decline of spiritual knowledge, and people are unhappy.” ( Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.12.48, Purport)
Krishna explains in Bhagavad Gita that a living being is not the material body but is the spiritual soul within the body. The distinctions between man and woman, however, are simply material; they have nothing to do with the spiritual soul within. A Krishna conscious person sees no difference between the spiritual soul in the body of a woman and that in the body of a man.
From the purport of Bhagavad-gita 3.42 we can know that Intelligence means the ability to discriminate between spirit and matter. To the degree that either a woman or a man thinks he/she is this body, to that degree he/she is less intelligent.
Srila Prabhupada however did say on many occasions that “Yes, women are not as intelligent as men, but when a woman becomes a devotee, she becomes as intelligent as a man.”
Please also refer to Digest 18D, and to the following links where this question is addressed by another devotee.
https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2012/01/why-are-women-considered-less-intelligent/
