03.196
The story of a devoted wife.
Vaiśampāyana said.
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)
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)
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)
Father, mother, and cows, O venerable one, are to be revered, as well as anything else prescribed, O descendant of Bhrigu. (03-196-4)
I think that, just as towards a teacher, all monogamous women likewise, the service of devoted wives appears difficult to me. (03-196-5)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Markandeya said.
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)
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)
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)
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)
O Bhārata, both father and mother desire in their sons fame, renown, prosperity, offspring, and virtue alike. (03-196-18)
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)
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)
O king Yudhiṣṭhira, having taken up this section, attentively listen to the established duty of devoted wives. (03-196-21)
