Does Hinduism allow beating wife

"Proper Context" भावार्थ :- ( समुद्र देव राम से कह रहे है) प्रभु ने अच्छा किया जो मुझे शिक्षा दी, किंतु मर्यादा (जीवों का स्वभाव) भी आपकी ही बनाई हुई है। ढोल, गँवार, शूद्र, पशु और स्त्री- ये सब शिक्षा के अधिकारी हैं।

Here these lines are said by Samudradev when he is taught lesson by Lord Rama, after getting understood he says these lines that women, artisans, etc are always invited for knowledge.

" Vijay Teeka Commentary" प्रभु ने अच्छा ही किया जो मुझे शिक्षा दी। परन्तु मर्यादा भी आपको ही बनाई हुई है। डोल गंवार शूद्र पशु बौर स्त्री ये सब दण्ड के अधि कारी हैं। ब्याल्या मद्यपि स्यूल दृष्टि से मेरा दोप नहीं प्रतीत होता पर बस्तुत मै दोपी है। सरकार ने मुझे भय दिखलाया सो बहुत ही अच्छा किया।

"Proper Understanding of Tadana" इसमे ढोल को पहिले कहा। मही चौपाई लगने को किल्ली है। जिस भाँति हिसाब से डोला पड जाने से ठीक काम न देने से ढोल बो ठोक ठाँककर ठोक कर लेते है इसी भाँति गंवार सूद पशु बोर नारी का भी ठोक ठाँक उनके सुधार की दृष्टि से होना चाहिए।

"Strict Conditions" विशेषता यह है कि ताडन का अधिकार तीन रात्रि उपवास के बाद प्राप्त होता है। नर्षात् जय सुधार के सब उपाय करके हार जाय तो इस माषा से दण्ड दें। जिससे बह कार्य लायक हो जाय।

"Tadana Means Education" सहाँ साडन का बर्ष शिक्षा देना है। यथा दशवर्षाणि ताडयेत्। दण्ड का वर्ष लाठी सकर पीटना ही नहीं है वाग्दण्ड भी दण्ड है। श्रीरामचरितमानस में कही स्त्रियो के शारीरिक दण्ड का उदाहरण नहीं है।

Here also in Vijay Teeka it’s clearly mentioned that ताडन means education and you get duty to beat someone only after performing fast for 3 days and that also only when all other mediums get closed, first you can do वाघ ताड़ना (oral scolding). Ramcharitamanas nowhere tells to beat women.

"Alleged Translation" "If she is not willing, he should buy her over; and if she is still unyielding, he should strike her with a stick or with the hand and proceed, uttering the following Mantra, 'I take away your reputation, etc. She is then actually discredited."

First of all this claim is from Karm Kand of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which isn’t an important part to follow, it’s upto the choice of person whether he want to follow or not as it tells how to get desired offspring from different ways.

Secondly this claim is only a matter of misinterpretation and a wide propaganda as we will explain in next slide, before moving forward we would make clear that as Mleccha quoted Shri Shankaracharya ji’s commentary, we will also clear it from Advaiti school of principle only.

"Sanskrit Text with Proper Breakdown" सा चेदस्मै न दद्यात्कामेनामवक्रीणीयात् सा चेदस्मै नैव दद्यात्कामेनां यष्ट्या वा पाणिना वोपहत्यातिक्रामेदिन्द्रियेण ते यशसा यश आददे इत्ययशा एव भवति ।।

"Correct Understanding" This is the refutation for Shankaracharya's commentary as Sringeri Matth translation clearly explains that उपहत्य is mistranslated as beating, the word comes from the root verb हन् which has the yaugika meaning "to go" or "to approach" apart from the generally taken meaning "to kill".

"Proper Understanding from Medhatithi" when any such has been committed by them, they should be beaten. As a matter of fact, beating is a form of hurt, and as such is forbidden by the general law-'no living beings shall be injured'; but an exception to this is made in the case of transgressions by the wife and other persons. All these are relative terms; hence the meaning is that the wife is to be chastised by him whose wife she is, the slave is to be chastised by him who is his master, and so forth.

"Method of Correction" What is enjoined here is the method of keeping the persons on the right path, and not actual beating; so that chastisement may be administered verbally; and in cases where the fault is serious, there may also be beating.

" Yama (Vivādaratnākara, p. 2.)" 'Split bamboo-the bark of the bamboo. This has been mentioned only as illustrative of the lotus-fibre and other such objects which cause only slight pain.-(299)'

‘Wife, son, slave, slave-girl and pupil, when these commit a fault, they should be chastised with a rope or with split bamboo; but in the lower, never in the higher, parts of the body: if one strikes them otherwise, he should be punished.‘

In commentary of Manusmriti 9.1 Medhatithi’s ji writes:

"Legal Protection" When the husband is very much harassed by his wife, or the wife is very much persecuted by her husband, the dispute is to be brought up before the king. So any sort of confusion is arising between Husband Or wife is to be brought up in front of King, they should not fight or indulge physically.

" Shiva Purana 2.3.54.53" A woman, who, after having been beaten by her husband, tries to beat back, she in her next birth becomes a tigress or a cat. A woman who looks at other persons with side glance, she becomes squint eyed.

" Skanda Purana 3/2/7/43" On being struck, if she were to strike him back, she is reborn as a tigress or a cat. She who casts loving glances at others, becomes a squint-eyed one.

First of all here it is being talked about an evil lady who cheats her husband, there are same punishments for men if they perform adultery. But few dharma shastras do not allow to beat women and here tadan may have different meaning rather than beating.

"Context - Evil-minded Woman" या भर्तारम्परित्यज्य रहश्चरति दुर्मतिः । उलूकी जायते क्रूरा वृक्षकोटरशायिनी ॥ ५२॥

An evil minded woman, who leaving her husband, unites herself with others, she becomes an owl in the next birth living in the cavity of a tree.

" Kularnava Tantra - Absolute Prohibition" या काचिदङ्गना लोके सा मातृ कुलसम्भवा ॥ ६४ ॥ कुप्यन्ति कुलयोगिन्यो वनितानां व्यतिक्रमात् । स्त्रियं शतापराधाञ्चेत् पुष्येणापि न ताडयेत् । दोषान्न गणयेत् स्त्रीणां गुणानेव प्रकाशयेत् ॥ ६५ ॥

सभी स्त्रियाँ माता के समान संसार में जो भी स्त्री है, वह माता के समान है। स्त्रियों पर व्यतिक्रम (अत्याचार) करने से कुलयोगिनियाँ रुष्ट होती है। सौ अपराध करने पर भी स्त्रियों को पुष्प तक से न मारे। स्त्रियों के दोषों का कभी वर्णन न करे, अपितु उनके गुणों को ही प्रकाशित करे ।। ६४-६५॥

"Clear Prohibition" Kularnava Tantra says not to beat a woman even if she commits hundreds of mistakes, so here ताडन might mean verbal scolding.