13.038
strīsvabhāvakathanam
Description of the nature of women.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
strīṇāṃ svabhāvam icchāmi śrotuṃ bharatasattama। striyo hi mūlaṃ doṣāṇāṃ laghucittāḥ pitāmaha ॥13-38-1॥
O best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear about the nature of women. Women are indeed the root of faults and are light-minded, O grandsire. (13-38-1)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। nāradasya ca saṃvādaṃ puṃścalyā pañcachūḍayā ॥13-38-2॥
Here too, they relate this ancient story: the conversation between Nārada and the courtesan Pañcachūḍā. (13-38-2)
lokān anucarann dhīmān devarṣir nāradaḥ purā। dadarśa apsarasaṃ brāhmīṃ pañcachūḍām aninditām ॥13-38-3॥
Once, the intelligent divine sage Nārada, while traveling through the worlds, saw the blameless apsaras Pañcachūḍā, who belonged to Brahmā. (13-38-3)
tāṃ dṛṣṭvā cārusarvāṅgīṃ papracchāpsarasaṃ muniḥ। saṃśayo hṛdi me kaścit tan me brūhi sumadhyame ॥13-38-4॥
Seeing her, whose every limb was beautiful, the sage questioned the apsaras: "A certain doubt has arisen in my heart; please tell me that, O slender-waisted one." (13-38-4)
evamuktā tu sā vipraṃ pratyuvācātha nāradam। viṣaye sati vakṣyāmi samarthāṃ manyase ca mām॥13-38-5॥
Thus addressed, she replied to the brāhmaṇa, to Nārada: 'If the matter is so, I will speak, if you consider me capable.' (13-38-5)
nārada uvāca॥
Nārada said.
na tvāmaviṣaye bhadre niyokṣyāmi kathaṃcana। strīṇāṃ svabhāvamicchāmi tvattaḥ śrotuṃ varānane ॥13-38-6॥
O auspicious one, I will not employ you in any matter that does not concern you in any way. I wish to hear from you about the nature of women, O beautiful-faced one. (13-38-6)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
etacchrutvā vacas tasya devarṣer apsarottamā। pratyuvāca na śakṣyāmi strī satī nindituṃ striyaḥ ॥13-38-7॥
Hearing these words of the divine sage, the foremost of the apsarases replied: "As a woman myself, I am not able to criticize women." (13-38-7)
viditās te striyo yāś ca yādṛśāś ca svabhāvataḥ। na mām arhasi devarṣe niyoktuṃ praśna īdṛśe ॥13-38-8॥
You already know the women and their natures; O sage among the gods, you should not appoint me to answer such a question. (13-38-8)
tām uvāca sa devarṣiḥ satyaṃ vada sumadhyame। mṛṣāvāde bhaved doṣaḥ satye doṣo na vidyate ॥13-38-9॥
The divine sage said to her: "Speak the truth, O slender-waisted one. Fault arises from falsehood; there is no fault in truth." (13-38-9)
ityuktā sā kṛtamatiḥ abhavat cāruhāsinī। strīdoṣān śāśvatān satyān bhāṣitum sampracakrame ॥13-38-10॥
Thus addressed, she, with a resolved mind and a beautiful smile, began to speak of the true and eternal faults of women. (13-38-10)
pañcachūḍo'vāca॥
Pañcachūḍa said.
kulīnā rūpavatyaś ca nāthavatyaś ca yoṣitaḥ। maryādāsu na tiṣṭhanti sa doṣaḥ strīṣu nārada ॥13-38-11॥
O Nārada, women of noble birth, beauty, and even those with husbands do not remain within boundaries; that fault is inherent in women. (13-38-11)
na strībhyah kiñcid anyad vai pāpīyastaram asti vai। striyo hi mūlaṃ doṣāṇāṃ tathā tvam api vettha ha ॥13-38-12॥
There is indeed nothing more sinful than women. Women are truly the root of faults, as you also know. (13-38-12)
samājñātānṛddhimataḥ pratirūpānvaśe sthitān। patīnantaramāsādya nālaṃ nāryaḥ pratīkṣitum ॥13-38-13॥
Having obtained other husbands who are well-known, prosperous, and similar and under their control, women are not able to wait. (13-38-13)
asaddharmastvayaṃ strīṇāmasmākaṃ bhavati prabho। pāpīyaso narānyadvai lajjāṃ tyaktvā bhajāmahe ॥13-38-14॥
O lord, this unrighteous conduct becomes ours as women; indeed, we resort to that which even more sinful men, having abandoned shame, do. (13-38-14)
striyaṃ hi yaḥ prārthayate saṃnikarṣaṃ ca gacchati। īṣacca kurute sevāṃ tamevecchanti yoṣitaḥ ॥13-38-15॥
Women desire only that man who seeks a woman, approaches her, and renders even a little service. (13-38-15)
anarthitvān manuṣyāṇāṃ bhayāt parijanasya ca। maryādāyām amaryādāḥ striyas tiṣṭhanti bhartṛṣu ॥13-38-16॥
Due to the lack of prosperity among men and out of fear of the attendants, even improper women remain with their husbands within the bounds of propriety. (13-38-16)
nāsāṃ kaścidagamyo'sti nāsāṃ vayasi saṃsthitiḥ। virūpaṃ rūpavantaṃ vā pumānityeva bhuñjate ॥13-38-17॥
For women, there is no one who is forbidden, nor is there constancy in age for them. Whether a man is ugly or handsome, she enjoys him just the same. (13-38-17)
na bhayānnāpyanukrośānnārthahetoḥ kathaṃcana। na jñātikulasambandhātstriyastiṣṭhanti bhartṛṣu ॥13-38-18॥
Women do not remain with their husbands out of fear, compassion, desire for wealth, or even because of family or kinship ties, in any way. (13-38-18)
yauvane vartamānānāṃ mṛṣṭābharaṇavāsasām। nārīṇāṃ svairavṛttānāṃ spṛhayanti kulastriyaḥ ॥13-38-19॥
Noble women desire youthful women who are present, adorned with ornaments and garments, and who have independent conduct. (13-38-19)
yāś ca śaśvad-bahumatā rakṣyante dayitāḥ striyaḥ। api tāḥ samprasajjante kubjāndhajaḍavāmanaiḥ ॥13-38-20॥
Even those women who are always beloved, highly regarded, and protected, become attached to hunchbacked, blind, dull-witted, or dwarfish men. (13-38-20)
paṅguṣv api ca devarṣe ye ca anye kutsitā narāḥ। strīṇām agamyaḥ loke 'smin nāsti kaścit mahāmune ॥13-38-21॥
O divine sage, even among the lame and other despised men, there is no one in this world who is not to be approached by women, O great sage. (13-38-21)
yadi puṁsāṁ gatir brahma kathañcin nopapadyate। apy anyonyaṁ pravartante na hi tiṣṭhanti bhartṛṣu ॥13-38-22॥
If men do not attain the goal of Brahman in any way, even then, they engage with each other and do not remain with their husbands. (13-38-22)
alābhāt puruṣāṇāṃ hi bhayāt parijanasya ca। vadhabandhabhayāc cāpi svayaṃ guptā bhavanti tāḥ ॥13-38-23॥
Indeed, out of fear of loss of men, fear of attendants, and also fear of being killed or bound, they themselves become cautious and guarded. (13-38-23)
calasvabhāvā duḥsevyā durgrāhyā bhāvatastathā। prājñasya puruṣasyeha yathā vācastathā striyaḥ ॥13-38-24॥
Women are of fickle nature, difficult to serve, and hard to understand in disposition; here, for a wise man, women are just like speech. (13-38-24)
nāgnistṛpyati kāṣṭhānāṃ nāpagānāṃ mahodadhiḥ। nāntakaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ na puṃsāṃ vāmalocanāḥ ॥13-38-25॥
Fire is never satisfied with wood, the great ocean is never satisfied with rivers, Death is never satisfied with all beings, and women are never satisfied with men. (13-38-25)
idam anyac ca devarṣe rahasyaṁ sarvayoṣitām। dṛṣṭvaiva puruṣaṁ hṛdyaṁ yoniḥ praklidyate striyaḥ ॥13-38-26॥
O divine sage, here is another secret of all women: when they see a pleasing man, their womb becomes excited. (13-38-26)
kāmānām api dātāraṃ kartāraṃ mānasāntvayoḥ। rakṣitāraṃ na mṛṣyanti bhartāraṃ paramaṃ striyaḥ ॥13-38-27॥
Even if he is the giver of desires, the doer, the consoler of the mind, and the protector, women do not tolerate even the supreme husband. (13-38-27)
na kāmabhogān bahulān nālaṅkārārthasañcayān। tathaiva bahu manyante yathā ratyām anugraham ॥13-38-28॥
They do not consider abundant enjoyments of desires or accumulations for the sake of ornaments as important; rather, they regard favor in pleasure as much more significant. (13-38-28)
antakaḥ śamano mṛtyuḥ pātālaṃ vaḍavāmukham। kṣuradhārā viṣaṃ sarpo vahnirityekataḥ striyaḥ ॥13-38-29॥
On one side are the destroyer, pacifier, death, the netherworld, submarine fire, razor's edge, poison, serpent, and fire; on the other side are women. (13-38-29)
yataś ca bhūtāni mahānti pañca; yataś ca lokā vihitā vidhātrā. yataḥ pumāṁsaḥ pramadāś ca nirmitā; t tad eva doṣāḥ pramadāsu nārada ॥13-38-30॥
From that source from which the five great elements arise, and from which the worlds are established by the creator, and from which men and women are created—O Nārada, in women, indeed, those very faults exist. (13-38-30)
