03.196
pativratopākhyānam
The story of a devoted wife.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā mārkaṇḍeyaṃ mahādyutim। papraccha bharataśreṣṭho dharmapraśnaṃ sudurvacam॥03-196-1॥
Then King Yudhishthira, best of the Bharatas, asked the illustrious Markandeya a profound question about dharma, which was extremely difficult to answer. (03-196-1)
śrotum icchāmi bhagavan strīṇāṃ māhātmyam uttamam। kathyamānaṃ tvayā vipra sūkṣmaṃ dharmaṃ ca tattvataḥ॥03-196-2॥
I wish to hear from you, O revered one, the supreme greatness of women, as well as the subtle and true dharma, as narrated by you, O brāhmaṇa. (03-196-2)
pratyakṣeṇa hi viprarṣe devā dṛśyanti sattama। sūryācandramasau vāyuḥ pṛthivī vahnireva ca ॥03-196-3॥
Indeed, O best of Brāhmaṇa sages, the gods can be seen directly—namely, the Sun and the Moon, Wind, Earth, and Fire. (3-196-3)
pitā mātā ca bhagavan gāva eva ca sattama। yaccānyad eva vihitaṃ tac cāpi bhṛgunandana ॥03-196-4॥
Father, mother, and cows, O venerable one, are to be revered, as well as anything else prescribed, O descendant of Bhrigu. (03-196-4)
manye'ham guruvat sarvam eka-patnyaḥ tathā striyaḥ। pati-vratānāṃ śuśrūṣā duṣkarā pratibhāti me ॥03-196-5॥
I think that, just as towards a teacher, all monogamous women likewise, the service of devoted wives appears difficult to me. (03-196-5)
pativratānāṃ māhātmyaṃ vaktumarhasi naḥ prabho। nirudhya cendriyagrāmaṃ manaḥ saṃrudhya cānagha॥ patiṃ daivatavaccāpi cintayantyaḥ sthitā hi yāḥ॥03-196-6॥
O lord, you are fit to tell us about the greatness of devoted wives—those who, truly having restrained their senses and controlled their minds, always remain thinking of their husband as a deity. (03-196-6)
bhagavan duṣkaraṃ hy etat pratibhāti mama prabho। mātā-pitṛṣu śuśrūṣā strīṇāṃ bhartṛṣu ca dvija ॥03-196-7॥
O Lord, this seems extremely difficult to me, O master: serving one’s mother and father, and, for women, serving their husbands, O twice-born. (03-196-7)
strīṇāṃ dharmāt sughorād dhi nānyaṃ paśyāmi duṣkaram. sādhvācārāḥ striyo brahman yat kurvanti sadādṛtāḥ ॥ duṣkaraṃ bata kurvanti pitaro mātaraś ca vai ॥03-196-8॥
Indeed, O Brahman, I see no other difficult task more terrible than the duty of women. The women of virtuous conduct always do what is to be respected. Indeed, fathers and mothers also perform difficult deeds. (03-196-8)
ekapatnyaśca yā nāryo yāśca satyaṃ vadantyuta। kukṣiṇā daśa māsāṃśca garbhaṃ sandhārayanti yāḥ ॥ nāryaḥ kālena sambhūya kimadbhutataraṃ tataḥ ॥03-196-9॥
Women who have only one husband, and who truly speak the truth, who also bear an embryo in their womb for ten months—women, by uniting in due season—what is more wonderful than that? (03-196-9)
saṃśayaṃ paramaṃ prāpya vedanām atulām api। prajāyante sutān nāryo duḥkhena mahatā vibho ॥ puṣṇanti cāpi mahatā snehena dvijasattama ॥03-196-10॥
Having reached the utmost uncertainty and experiencing even immeasurable pain, O noble one, women give birth to sons with great suffering. And, O best of twice-born, they also raise them with immense affection. (3-196-10)
ye ca krūreṣu sarveṣu vartamānā jugupsitāḥ। svakarma kurvanti sadā duṣkaraṃ tacca me matam॥03-196-11॥
Those who exist among all cruel beings, who are to be despised, always perform their own actions—which are difficult; that is my view. (03-196-11)
kṣatradharmasamācāraṃ tathyaṃ cākhyāhi me dvija। dharmaḥ sudurlabho vipra nṛśaṃsena durātmanā ॥03-196-12॥
O brāhmaṇa, tell me truly about the conduct of the kṣatriya's duty. Righteousness, O brāhmaṇa, is very hard to attain for a cruel, wicked man. (03-196-12)
etadicchāmi bhagavan praśnaṃ praśnavidāṃ vara। śrotuṃ bhṛgukulaśreṣṭha śuśrūṣe tava suvrata ॥03-196-13॥
O venerable one, I desire to ask this question to you, best among those skilled in questions; O best of the Bhṛgu lineage, I am eager to listen to you, O righteous one. (03-196-13)
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca॥
Markandeya said.
hanta te sarvam ākhyāsyē praśnam etaṃ sudurvacam। tattvēna bharata-śrēṣṭha gadatas tan nibōdha mē॥03-196-14॥
Indeed, O best of the Bharatas, I shall tell you in truth this question, which is very difficult to answer; listen to that from me. (03-196-14)
mātaraṃ sadṛśīṃ tāta pitṝnanye ca manyate। duṣkaraṃ kurute mātā vivardhayati yā prajāḥ॥03-196-15॥
O dear one, others consider the mother to be equal to the fathers; but mother does the very difficult thing—she who raises her children. (3-196-15)
tapasā devatejyābhirvandanen titikṣayā। abhichārairupāyaiś ca īhante pitaraḥ sutān ॥03-196-16॥
Fathers strive to benefit their sons by means such as austerity, offerings to the gods, reverence, forbearance, magical rites, and other methods. (03-196-16)
evaṃ kṛcchreṇa mahatā putraṃ prāpya sudurlabham। cintayanti sadā vīra kīdṛśo'yaṃ bhaviṣyati॥03-196-17॥
Thus, after obtaining, with great difficulty, a son so hard to attain, people always wonder, O hero, what will this child become. (03-196-17)
āśaṁsate ca putreṣu pitā mātā ca bhārata। yaśaḥ kīrtim athaiśvaryaṁ prajā dharmaṁ tathaiva ca॥03-196-18॥
O Bhārata, both father and mother desire in their sons fame, renown, prosperity, offspring, and virtue alike. (03-196-18)
tayorāśāṁ tu saphalāṁ yaḥ karoti sa dharmavit। pitā mātā ca rājendra tuṣyato yasya nityadā ॥ iha pretya ca tasyātha kīrtirdharmaś ca śāśvataḥ ॥03-196-19॥
O King, he who fulfils the hopes of both (his) father and mother is truly a knower of dharma; with such a person, the father and mother are always pleased. For him, both here and after death, fame and dharma remain eternal. (03-196-19)
naiva yajñaḥ striyaḥ kaścinna śrāddhaṃ nopavāsakam। yā tu bhartari śuśrūṣā tayā svargamupāśnute ॥03-196-20॥
There is neither sacrifice nor śrāddha nor fasting (prescribed) for women. But the woman who serves her husband attains heaven by that. (03-196-20)
etatprakaraṇaṃ rājannadhikṛtya yudhiṣṭhira। prativratānāṃ niyataṃ dharmaṃ cāvahitaḥ śṛṇu ॥03-196-21॥
O king Yudhiṣṭhira, having taken up this section, attentively listen to the established duty of devoted wives. (03-196-21)
