13.039
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
इमे वै मानवा लोके स्त्रीषु सज्जन्त्यभीक्ष्णशः। मोहेन परमाविष्टा दैवादिष्टेन पार्थिव ॥ स्त्रियश्च पुरुषेष्वेव प्रत्यक्षं लोकसाक्षिकम् ॥१३-३९-१॥
O king, these men in the world are constantly attached to women, being completely overcome by delusion and what is ordained by fate. Likewise, women are attached to men; this is directly witnessed by the world. (13-39-1)
अत्र मे संशयस्तीव्रो हृदि सम्परिवर्तते। कथमासां नराः सङ्गं कुर्वते कुरुनन्दन ॥ स्त्रियो वा तेषु रज्यन्ते विरज्यन्तेऽथ वा पुनः ॥१३-३९-२॥
Here, an intense doubt turns in my heart: How do men form associations with these, O joy of the Kurus? Or do women become attached to them, or do they become detached again? (13-39-2)
इति ताः पुरुषव्याघ्र कथं शक्याः स्म रक्षितुम्। प्रमदाः पुरुषेणेह तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥१३-३९-३॥
Thus, O tiger among men, how is it possible to protect those women here by a man? You ought to explain that to me. (13-39-3)
एता हि मयमायाभिर्वञ्चयन्तीह मानवान्। न चासां मुच्यते कश्चित्पुरुषो हस्तमागतः ॥ गावो नवतृणानीव गृह्णन्त्येव नवान्नवान् ॥१३-३९-४॥
These, indeed, with Māyā's illusions, deceive men here. No man who has come into their grasp is freed from them. Just as cows always take fresh grass, so too do they continually seize the new. (13-39-4)
शम्बरस्य च या माया या माया नमुचेरपि। बलेः कुम्भीनसेश्चैव सर्वास्ता योषितो विदुः ॥१३-३९-५॥
The women knew all the illusions of Śambara, Namuci, Bali, and Kumbhīnaśa. (13-39-5)
हसन्तं प्रहसन्त्येता रुदन्तं प्ररुदन्ति च। अप्रियं प्रियवाक्यैश्च गृह्णते कालयोगतः ॥१३-३९-६॥
These women laugh at those who laugh and ridicule them; they cry at those who cry and weep over them; and, according to the influence of time, they accept what is unpleasant with pleasant words. (13-39-6)
उशना वेद यच्छास्त्रं यच्च वेद बृहस्पतिः। स्त्रीबुद्ध्या न विशिष्येते ताः स्म रक्ष्याः कथं नरैः ॥१३-३९-७॥
Whatever treatise Uśanas knows, and whatever Bṛhaspati knows, with the intellect of a woman, they are not distinguished; therefore, how should they be protected by men? (13-39-7)
अनृतं सत्यमित्याहुः सत्यं चापि तथानृतम्। इति यास्ताः कथं वीर संरक्ष्याः पुरुषैरिह ॥१३-३९-८॥
They say that untruth is truth, and likewise, truth is also untruth; O hero, how are such women to be protected by men here? (13-39-8)
स्त्रीणां बुद्ध्युपनिष्कर्षादर्थशास्त्राणि शत्रुहन्। बृहस्पतिप्रभृतिभिर्मन्ये सद्भिः कृतानि वै ॥१३-३९-९॥
I think that the treatises on polity, which destroy enemies, were indeed composed by the wise such as Bṛhaspati, by extracting the intelligence of women. (13-39-9)
सम्पूज्यमानाः पुरुषैर्विकुर्वन्ति मनो नृषु। अपास्ताश्च तथा राजन्विकुर्वन्ति मनः स्त्रियः ॥१३-३९-१०॥
When honored by men, women change their minds among men; when rejected, O king, women likewise change their minds. (13-39-10)
कस्ताः शक्तो रक्षितुं स्यादिति मे संशयो महान्। तन्मे ब्रूहि महाबाहो कुरूणां वंशवर्धन ॥१३-३९-११॥
Who is able to protect those women? This is my great doubt. Tell me that, O mighty-armed, increaser of the Kuru lineage. (13-39-11)
यदि शक्या कुरुश्रेष्ठ रक्षा तासां कथञ्चन। कर्तुं वा कृतपूर्वा वा तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥१३-३९-१२॥
O best of the Kurus, if it is possible to protect them in any way, or if such protection has been done before, you ought to explain that to me. (13-39-12)
