Rebuttal to Slavery and Vedic Sex Slaves in Hinduism

 Slavery in Santana Dharma ? . Refuting the Malechas and their Malecha website

A malecha website named Mythbuster and Vedkabhed has published an article showing slavery in Hinduism by using fake references . I am now gonna refute it . Similarly I am gonna refute vedkabhed as well

First lets understand the meaning of the term das or Daasi that comes in Vedas or Itihasaas

• he first and important point which differentiate dasa from slaves are their basic definition – Vachaspatyam says ( दास्यते भृतिरस्मै दासति ) that One who is paid for service is Dasa where a slave is a person who is the property of another and forced to provide unpaid labor.

• 

  वाचस्पत्यम् पृष्ठ ३५६१

  

  In the definition of the word Dasa in Shabdakalpadrum it is also said –

  दास्यते दियते भूतिमुल्यादिकं यस्माई सः (दासः)

  The one who is given wealth,property etc. is called a Dasa. भूति means property as well as power. भूति also means (

  उत्तरोत्तरवृद्धि

  ) progressive growth.That is, the Dasa got salary, money, value for their good work along with necessary increment and gradually increasing pay scale.

  

  शब्दकल्पद्रुमः पृष्ठ २/७०७

  CONCLUSION OF FIRST POINT

  ➡From the first point – It is clear from the basic definition of Dasa and Slave that Dasa and Slave are different. Dasa is called the one who gets salary with increment whereas Slaves are someone’s property and forced to do unpaid labour

  • ➡ 2nd Point which differentiate Dasa from slave is Will

  In Sanatan Dharm it is clearly said that you can’t make someone dasa against his/her will ..

  It is said

  बलाद्दासीकृतश्चौरैर्विक्रीतश्चापि मुच्यते ।

  – that if someone is forcibly made a Dasa or sold by thieves, even when already sold, he/she has to be released

  

  याज्ञवल्क्यस्मृतिः/व्यवहाराध्यायः / अभ्युपेत्याशुश्रूषाप्रकरणम्/182

  

  नारदस्मृतिः / अभ्युपेत्याशुश्रूषा / 38

  Acarya Aparaditya says that if the one is forced into servitude or sold and he/she is not being freed by the owner, he should be freed by the king himself

  

  Aparararka tippani

  Whereas a slave is one who is forced to work against his/her will

  

  keeping this in mind lets start the rebuttal

  Claim- Matsya Purana 71.26-30

  

  Rebuttal

  Coming to matsya Purana 71.26–30 his refernce doesnt exist

  Matsya Purana chapter 71 has only 20 vereses

  

  Claim 2-

  Bhishma had also taken women captives with him,

  Mahabharata 1.102

  

  Rebuttal -

  

  Claim 3- Many Hindu scriptures clearly speaks about female slaves,

  Narada Smriti 12.78

  

  Rebuttal

  coming to Narada Smriti 12.78 lets see the context of the verse

  Narada Smriti 12.62 to 12.78

  we get the context in which the verse is spoken about. it talks about unmarried couple being physically intimate with each other it seem an instruction to the jury on who is guilty and who is not. Now Narada smriti 12.72–12.75 it warns about not being intimate with one mother sister mother in law daughter in law and daughter and 15 other prohibitions . If a person is found doing this the his penis should be cut off

  Narada Smriti 12.71 and 12.72 mentions that if one has sexual intercourse with a woman without her permission and rapes her then his penis and fingers should be cut off

  

  If a man has sex with a woman without her permission that is rape then the man’s fingers and penis should be cut off . A man can only have sex with a woman only if she is desiring and gives the permission to man

  Narada Smriti 12.73,74,75 mentions the woman with whom you cannot have sexual intercourse

  

  If a person has sexual intercourse with these woman then then his penis should be cut off

  Now who are this woman

  mother, sister ,mother in law ,daughter in law and daughter and 15 other prohibitions .

  Narada smriti 12.75–78

  

  if a person who is found being intimate with the woman whom he has not married with her permission and consent then he can use these loopholes to escape the punishment by state not that he maintains them as sex slaves. in fact this verse mentions prostitutes' if this verse is about sex slavery then why prostitutes be mentioned

  Claim 4- Agni Purana 211.37-43 ”

  

  Rebuttal - One can understand the difference between the translation shared by VEdkabehd and actual translation

  

  Claim 5- Hinduism also levies custom duties on importing female slaves,

  Agni Purana 223.23-29

  

  Rebuttal - This author is sharing completely fake translation done by him . The Actual Verse is talking about Brahmins not slaves

  

  Claim 6-

  Krishna also gave many females slaves,

  Mahabharata 4.72

  

  Rebuttal -

  

  Claim 7- Krishna’s father Vasudeva also a over a thousand concubines,

  Mahabharata 14.7

  

  Rebuttal - It is talking about 16000 wives of Lord Krishna not harem of Vasudev Shri Krishna father

  

  Claim 8 - Hindu god Rama’s father named Dasharath also had many conubines, I am reproducing the passage where Dashrath’s organizes Ashvamedha Yajna,

  Valmiki Ramayan, Bala Kanda 1.14.35 ”

  

  Rebuttal - Valmiki Ramayan 1.14.35

  

  This is IIT Kanpur translation

  

  This is Geeta press translation

  claim 9 - Hindu scriptures on concubines of Kings,

  Natya Shastra 34.26-29 and 34.40

  

  Rebuttal -

  Natya Shastra 34.40

  

  Natya Shastra 34.26–29

  

  No where it is talking about concubines of any king . Does it ? no

  Claim 10 -

  It’s mentioned in Narada Purana,

  Narada Purana 35.43

  

  Rebuttal -

  

  Claim 11 -

  Maharshi Manu on types of Slaves,

  Manu Smriti 8.415

  

  Rebuttal - Manu Smriti 8.414 - 415 is interpolated

  

  And here is the reason why they are interpolated

  

  Claim 11- Female Slave can’t perform the rites of a wife,

  Baudhyana Dharma Sutra, Prasna 1, Adhyaya 11, Kandika 21

  

  Rebuttal - Lol he quoted Baudhyana dhramasutra out of context

  

  In the next verse Of Baudhyana Dharma sutra 1.11.21.3 selling and buying woman is criticized and its told that those who sell and buy woman go to hell and their upcoming family generations are destroyed

  Now refuting the article slavery in hindusim

  Again i will repeat who is a das or daasi

  • The first and important point which differentiate dasa from slaves are their basic definition – Vachaspatyam says ( दास्यते भृतिरस्मै दासति ) that One who is paid for service is Dasa where a slave is a person who is the property of another and forced to provide unpaid labor.

  

  Now Refuting his article

  Claim 1

  

  Rebuttal -

  Rig Veda 8.56.3

  

  Aiterya Brahman 8.4

  

  Here it mentions Dasis serving the sages and helping them in yajna and feeding them and taking care of there needs . There is a large difference between Daasi and female slave

  Rig Veda 6.27.8

  

  Here also Dasi is mentioned . Rememeber meaning of Das/Daasi is not slave

  Claim 2

  

  Rebuttal -

  

  Claim 3 -

  

  Rebuttal

  Mahabharata Sabha Parva 52.45

  

  Here it is simple mentioned Das and Dasi serving the celibate Rishis and giving them food etc and taking care of their needs . Again Das is not equal to slave

  Mahabharat Vana Parva 233/43 does not exist

  

  Mahabharat Vana Parva chapter 233 has only 30 slokas or verses

  Mahabharat Virat Parva 18/21

  

  Nowhere it is stated that 26 lakh slaves were given at the rate of 30 slaves per graduate

  It states that 88000 Brahmins and Rishis had come to attend the Ashwamedha yagna and 30 Dasa and Dasi were employed to serve and take care of each Rishi

  Claim -

  

  Rebuttal -

  Valmiki Ramyana Bal Kand sarga 74 sloka 5

  

  As i have stated there is a large difference between slave and Dasi

  

  Claim -

  

  Rebuttal -

  This is Mahabharata Adi Parva section 220

  

  Let me tell you the context . The context is about Arjuna kidnapping Subhadra and marrying her in Dwarka . Then Arjuna and Subhadra returning to Indraprastaha . Then lord Krishna and Balaram went to Indraprastha and gave them Dahej [ Dowry] and honored the new couple . Then it later Talks about birth of Abhimanyu

  Mahabharata Adi Parva section 220 sloka 44- 66

  

  

  here it talks about what was given in Dowry which includes Chariots , Horses, Trained Army personals and Trained Beautiful Maid Servants to serve the queen . Now notice the description of dasi . The Dasi were adorned with costly and beautiful Jewellery and Diamond and Gold Ornaments and Beautiful clothes . Does it fit the description of a slave ? No

  Also again remembering the meaning of das/daasi

  

  

  From the above it is clarified that there is a large difference between slave and Das/Daasi

  . So its utter stupidness to eqaute Das/Dasi to Slaves

  Now Prohibition of Slavery in Santan Texts

  PROHIBITION OF SLAVERY IN HINDUISM

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  AGNI PURAN CHAPTER 236.62-65

  

  Respect for das and daasi

  If a Dasa saves the life of his Swami,he becomes equivalent to the son. Not only this ,He gets property rights too. Compare this with Slavery of west(right)

  

  This is from Anushasana parva 23. One who eats food without giving it to "Dasa" "kids" &"elders". He goes to narka.

  

  Manusmriti 3.116 along with the smriti of Yajnavālkya(1.105) and Vishnu(67.41) describes the same thing.

  

  This is from the Brahmvaivarta purana. Dasa are called as Son. You can't expect this in Slavery. See right

  

  No one works as Servant forcefully. It is condemned. The duties of King is decided that he must make Dasa and Dasis free.

  Narad smriti/chapter5

  

  

  This occurs in Agni Purana 258.72 and Yajnavalkya smriti. Anyone who cause trouble to Dasis is Punished.

  

  All the Dasis were gifted Jewelries, Good clothes. See their description in ramayana and Mahabharata. Can you expect such behavior in Slavery where workers weren't even paid?

  Ramayana

  

  MAHABHARAT

  

  further

  A Das/daasi COULD QUIT IF HE WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH Salary

  NARAD SMRITI 4/36

  

  So it is clear from above evidence that there is no slavery in hinduism