As a woman, there are 'n' number of things I have learnt by reading these two books of HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami—“Glimpses of Traditional Indian Life" and “Women: Mothers or Masters?” (now Mothers and Masters). Although I was raised in a "modern independent Indian environment” in which many things mentioned in those books are considered quite backward, after reading about exemplary women in the Bhagavatam, I feel that this is the actual (and natural) way for me to live,...

We are a preaching movement, and that literally means that everyone should preach. Including women, children, old, sick, temple cat, etc. BUT at the same time, he teaches us what comes first. First is to finish our duties at home, towards our family. That is the prescribed duty for grihastha asrama. That means, that we should not leave our crying baby at home, because we have to run to the temple to cook 50 preparations for festivals or book distribution,...

The book "Women: Masters or Mothers?" by H.H. Bhakti Vikasa Swami is in my humble opinion a unique contribution to our society which is yet to be built. Unfortunately we all witness the bitter fruits of the Western culture in every field of human life in this dark age. This book brings a hope that there is genuine, selfless care for womanhood still living in the timeless tradition of Vedic culture. Boldly presented by Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja solely through Srila...

This book to me, as an older woman, looks very positive. These thoughts are very much need! It's really a big problem when women prefer their career and employment at the expense of their family and above all, their children. This attitude of women, when they are intolerant and feel superior to their husband whenever he stumbles or makes a mistake, is from my point of view de facto reason of family breakdown.

Women: Masters or Mothers? called by the author a “tract,” is much more than just a religious pamphlet. It is a deep and thoroughly cogent treatise on the current social anomalies within ISKCON (mirroring the social aberrations of the Western world) and how these incongruities relate to and have arisen due to our members remaining too much influenced by Western society.

Despite Śrīla Prabhupāda and our previous ācāryas explaining clearly why daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma is of great importance for devotees and ISKCON as a preaching movement, there is still sometimes some confusion as to how it should be introduced, what aspects are of more or less importance, the speed at which we should endeavor to establish it and so on. The dharma of women, strī-dharma, is unfortunately often brushed aside as something of lesser importance — or even totally neglected — as...

I am very grateful for having come across this book, Women: Masters or Mothers? but I lament not having come across it earlier, for I would then have avoided many mistakes in my life. I was born and brought up in a simple South Indian family. My mother always dreamt that her daughter should be an independent woman. It didn’t take much time for me to develop this desire and prove my worth. To enjoy power, respect in the society...

Women: Masters or Mothers? gives profound psychological, social, and above all spiritual insights into the actual role and position of women in society. In the material world people tend to decide what is right and wrong based on their selfish standards. They don’t think about what Kṛṣṇa wants, and what He said and so their whole so-called knowledge and perception is based on the mental platform. On that mental platform, one is simply pulled this or that way by the...

Women: Masters or Mothers? is refreshingly dif ferent in that it makes us halt and review the direction our movement is taking and the path that we, its individual members, are treading. His Holiness Bhakti Vikāsa Swami appears to have delved deep into the recesses of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mind and instructions before coming up with a searchlight to show us the way ahead.

I was raised in America and came of age during the rise of the women’s liberation movement and the sexual revolution. Luckily, I was too young to participate in all those so-called newfound freedoms, but unfortunately they did have an effect on my consciousness. I came across Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings quite late in my life, but it was not hard for me to see that Śrīla Prabhupāda was presenting the Absolute Truth. I could easily see that Kṛṣṇa had...

I read the book, Women: Masters or Mothers? and really appreciate Mahārāja producing such a publication. Śrīla Bhakti Vikāsa Swami has presented a realistic view of todays culture through his divine and realized knowledge. He made the point in the book that everyone should respect women and also gave the way for women to be respected in society. In the modern age women suffer due to the cruelty and brutality of some of the members of society.

How do we continuously keep Śrīla Prabhupāda’s ISKCON on the right track being loyal to the aim that he as the founder-ācārya had set for our movement to save the entire human society? HH Bhakti Vikāsa Swami gives a clear and unambiguous answer to this question in his book Women: Masters or Mothers?