13.039
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
ime vai mānavā loke strīṣu sajjantyabhīkṣṇaśaḥ। mohena paramāviṣṭā daivādiṣṭena pārthiva ॥ striyaś ca puruṣeṣveva pratyakṣaṃ lokasākṣikam ॥13-39-1॥
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)
atra me saṁśayastīvro hṛdi samparivartate। kathamāsāṁ narāḥ saṅgaṁ kurvate kurunandana ॥ striyo vā teṣu rajyante virajyante'tha vā punaḥ ॥13-39-2॥
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)
iti tāḥ puruṣavyāghra kathaṁ śakyāḥ sma rakṣitum। pramadāḥ puruṣeṇeha tanme vyākhyātumarhasi ॥13-39-3॥
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)
etā hi mayamāyābhir vañcayantīha mānavān। na cāsāṃ mucyate kaścit puruṣo hastam āgataḥ ॥ gāvo navatṛṇān iva gṛhṇanty eva navān navān ॥13-39-4॥
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)
śambarasya ca yā māyā yā māyā namucer api। baleḥ kumbhīnaśeś caiva sarvāḥ tā yoṣito viduḥ ॥13-39-5॥
The women knew all the illusions of Śambara, Namuci, Bali, and Kumbhīnaśa. (13-39-5)
hasantaṃ prahasanty etā rudantaṃ prarudanti ca। apriyaṃ priyavākyaiś ca gṛhṇate kālayogataḥ ॥13-39-6॥
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)
uśanā veda yac chāstraṃ yac ca veda bṛhaspatiḥ। strībuddhyā na viśiṣyete tāḥ sma rakṣyāḥ kathaṃ naraiḥ ॥13-39-7॥
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)
anṛtaṃ satyam ity āhuḥ satyaṃ cāpi tathānṛtam। iti yās tāḥ kathaṃ vīra saṃrakṣyāḥ puruṣair iha ॥13-39-8॥
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)
strīṇāṃ buddhy-upaniṣkarṣād arthaśāstrāṇi śatruhan। bṛhaspati-prabhṛtibhir manye sadbhiḥ kṛtāni vai ॥13-39-9॥
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)
sampūjyamānāḥ puruṣairvikurvanti mano nṛṣu। apāstāśca tathā rājanvikurvanti manaḥ striyaḥ ॥13-39-10॥
When honored by men, women change their minds among men; when rejected, O king, women likewise change their minds. (13-39-10)
kastāḥ śakto rakṣituṃ syāditi me saṃśayo mahān। tanme brūhi mahābāho kurūṇāṃ vaṃśavardhana ॥13-39-11॥
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)
yadi śakyā kuruśreṣṭha rakṣā tāsāṃ kathaṃcana। kartuṃ vā kṛtapūrvā vā tanme vyākhyātumarhasi ॥13-39-12॥
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)
