Is Killing a woman by a man sin ? Is even hitting a woman sin?

Question

Is killing a woman or hitting on a woman (by a man ) sin ? What does various scriptures say about this ?

I know killing in general is sin but there are various situation where killing is not sin. Killing another warrior by a warrior after giving him proper calling for a fight is not sin. Killing a criminal by giving him death sentence is also not sin. etc. For ex- Krishna Killed Shishupal , but it was not sin. Ram Killed Bali but it was not sin . (Although Ram didn't give him proper calling for a fight but still it was not a big sin as Bali was a bad person )

Answer 1

Killing any one is of course a sin unless it is in a war. You really want to know if women can be given capital punishment and whether a woman can be hit. The answer to both these questions is negative. Women cannot be hit and they cannot be given capital punishment.

Pay respect to womanhood, as they are all born of the family of the Divine Mother. Punish them not in however mild a manner, whatever the transgression. Their excellences, not failings, are to be stressed.

Kularnava Tantra, Worship, Readings by M.P. Pandit

Another passage on women is given below.

Then again woman can commit no fault. It is man only that commits faults. By perpetrating an act of adultery, the man only becomes stained with guilt. It has been said that the husband is the highest object with the wife and the highest deity with her. My mother gave up her sacred person to one that came to her in the form and guise of her husband. Women can commit no fault. It is man who becomes stained with fault. Indeed, in consequence of the natural weakness of the sex as displayed in every act, and their liability to solicitation, women cannot be regarded as offenders.

Mahabharata Santi Parva Section CCLXVI

There are some stray passages that suggest hitting a woman. However, they can not be accepted as scripture because they do not satisfy the test of reason. Even a Shruti passage is invalid if it does not satisfy the test of reason.

Bhishma said in Mahabharata:

Even the words heard from an ignorant person, if in themselves they be fraught with sense, come to be regarded as pious and wise. In days of old, Usanas said unto the Daityas this truth, which should remove all doubts, that scriptures are no scriptures if they cannot stand the test of reason.

Mahabharata Shanti Parva Section CXLII

Only passages that speak of love, justice and fairness thus satisfying reason are to be accepted. Those that do not are to be discarded.

The Smritis and the Puranas are productions of men of limited intelligence and are full of fallacies, errors, the feelings of class and malice. Only parts of them breathing broadness of spirit and love are acceptable, the rest are to be rejected. The Upanishads and the Gita are the true scriptures.

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 6/Epistles - Second Series/CXXIV