The menstrual Cycle from a shastric
point of view:
References to sites that deal
with various symptoms of PMS:
The
Proper Time for Sex - Rtu dinam:
What is PMS ?
http://www.premenstrualsyndrome.com/pmssx.html
Understanding the mystery of the Cyclical Turmoil of
PMS & PMDD:
http://members.attcanada.ca/~vizprint/small.html
Over 150 (one hundred and fifty) PMS symptoms:
http://www.progesterone.com/pms.htm
Recognition of our observed symptoms, by health professionals, yet instead
of giving positive health solutions,
they prescribe sex http://www.premenstrualsyndrome.com/Copyofqstadnapms1.htm
"Perhaps Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a Western
known problem; however, many women all over the world suffer from it one
way or the other. Many women including some Iranian women, do not even
know that they suffer from PMS. Every month these women go through physical
and psychological pain without knowing that they don't have to, because
there are solutions to this problem.
Perhaps because of the cultural reasons, only
a few of us were told about the menses. One day, out of the blue, we discovered
it in a panic; later it became part of our lives. As a result, talking
about PMS is difficult. Our traditional culture/religion considers menstruation
something unholy and unclean. However, science has shown that menstruation
is a healthy release for a woman's body so women should be nourishing,
kind and patient to their bodies during their periods."
http://www.iranian.com/May96/Articles/PMS.html
PMS symptoms - http://www.premenstrualsyndrome.com/symptomspms.htm
"Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) That Respond to Natural Therapy".
PMS - Pamper Me Softly - page - gentle solutions to PMS:
http://www.pampermesoftly.com/
Yoga to help with the menses:
http://www.yogacircle.com/menses.html
Has the monster gone - feel like yourself again?
http://www.prelievepms.com/
Views that many women experience a Permanent Menstrual Tension:
http://www.ihatefeminism.com/letters3.htm#pmt
mirrored at:
http://www.hknet.org.nz/PMT.html
How to overcome PMT:
"As for the question about menstrual cycle, the only remedy is chanting.
" (ACBSP. letter to Himavati. 14th February 1972. Madras India.)
Scriptural reference behind the menstrual period:
Appearance of the Demon Våträsura
SB 6.9 Summary.
"As described in this chapter, Indra,
the King of heaven, killed Viçvarüpa, and therefore Viçvarüpa’s
father performed a yajïa to kill Indra. When Våträsura
appeared from that yajïa, the demigods, in fear, sought shelter of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and glorified Him.
Because of affection for the demons,
Viçvarüpa secretly supplied them the remnants of yajïa.
When Indra learned about this, he beheaded Viçvarüpa, but he
later regretted killing Viçvarüpa because Viçvarüpa
was a brähmaëa. Although competent to neutralize the sinful reactions
for killing a brähmaëa, Indra did not do so. Instead he accepted
the reactions. Later, he distributed these reactions among the land, water,
trees and women in general. Since the land accepted one fourth of the sinful
reactions, a portion of the land turned into desert. The trees were also
given one fourth of the sinful reactions, and therefore they drip sap,
which is prohibited for drinking. Because women accepted one fourth of
the sinful reactions, they are untouchable during their menstrual period.
Since water was also infested with sinful reactions, when bubbles appear
in water it cannot be used for any purpose.
After Viçvarüpa was
killed, his father, Tvañöä, performed a sacrifice to kill
King Indra. Unfortunately, if mantras are chanted irregularly, they yield
an opposite result. This happened when Tvañöä performed
this yajïa. While performing the sacrifice to kill Indra. Tvañöä
chanted a mantra to increase Indra’s enemies, but because he chanted the
mantra wrong, the sacrifice produced an asura named Våträsura,
of whom Indra was the enemy. When Våträsura was generated from
the sacrifice, his fierce features made the whole world afraid, and his
personal effulgence diminished even the power of the demigods. Finding
no other means of protection, the demigods began to worship the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the enjoyer of all the results of sacrifice, who
is supreme throughout the entire universe. The demigods all worshiped Him
because ultimately no one but Him can protect a living entity from fear
and danger. Seeking shelter of a demigod instead of worshiping the Supreme
Personality of Godhead is compared to trying to cross the ocean by grasping
the tail of a dog. A dog can swim, but that does not mean that one can
cross the ocean by grasping a dog’s tail.
Being pleased with the demigods,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead advised them to approach Dadhéci
to beg him for the bones of his own body. Dadhéci would comply with
the request of the demigods, and with the help of his bones Våträsura
could be killed." (ACBSP. Srimad Bhagavatam 6:9 summary to chapter.)
çaçvat-käma-vareëäàhas
turéyaà jagåhuù
striyaù
rajo-rüpeëa täsv
aàho
mäsi mäsi pradåçyate
"In return for Lord Indra’s benediction that they would be able to enjoy lusty desires continuously, even during pregnancy for as long as sex is not injurious to the embryo, women accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions. As a result of those reactions, women manifest the signs of menstruation every month." (Srimad Bhagavatam 6:9:9. text.) (download section to read HERE)
The
Proper Time for Sex - Rtu dinam:
"The recommended period is six days
after the menstruation period." (ACBSP. letter to Syama. 18th January 1969.
Los Angeles)
"So there is regulated principle. You can have sex life once in a month. That is prescribed. Because the woman has once in a month menstrual period. So sex life is meant for simply begetting nice children, not for sense gratification. Therefore, because the woman is, gets the menstrual period once in a month, therefore the man can have sex life just after the menstrual period, over, after five days, he can sex life, have sex life with his wife under garbhädhäna-samskära, responsibility. Otherwise he becomes implicated in sinful activities. That is Vedic injunction." (ACBSP. 1st July 1972. Hare Krishna Festival Address. Balboa Park Bowl, San Diego.)
"So there is regulation of sex life.
Therefore Krishna says, dharma-aviruddha, sex life is sanctioned under
certain conditions. That is humanity, not like... Even the cats’ and dogs’
life there is some limitation. They have got a period of sex life. Similarly,
for grihastha, there is a period for sex life. After menstrual period,
five days after menstrual period, one may have sex life for begetting children.
And if the woman or wife is pregnant, then there is no more sex life till
the child is born and six months old. These are the regulations." (ACBSP.
5th April 1971. Bhagavad Gita lecture 7:11-13. Bombay.)
Asaucham:
(Asaucham pages)
"According to the smarta vidhi,
women cannot touch deity during menstrual period but the goswami viddhi
allows. But it is better not to do it. One thing is that the seva can never
be stopped for any reason. This also for the cooking." (ACBSP. letter to
Amsu. 13th August 1974. Vrindavan, India.)
Sri Dharma pages and links: (The attributes and qualities of glorious womanhood)