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restraints assigned to them. This fault truly stains them, O Narada! There is nothing else that is more sinful than women. |
Verily, women, are the root of all faults. That is, certainly known to thee, O Narada! Women, even when possessed of |
husbands having fame and wealth, of handsome features and completely obedient to them, are prepared to disregard them if |
they get the opportunity. This, O puissant one, is a sinful disposition with us women that, casting off modesty, we cultivate the |
companionship of men of sinful habits and intentions. Women betray a liking for those men who court them, who approach |
their presence, and who respectfully serve them to even a slight extent. Through want of solicitation by persons of the other |
sex, or fear of relatives, women, who are naturally impatient of all restraints, do not transgress those that have been ordained |
for them, and remain by the side of their husbands. There is none whom they are incapable of admitting to their favours. They |
never take into consideration the age of the person they are prepared to favour. Ugly or handsome, if only the person happens |
to belong to the opposite sex, women are ready to enjoy his companionship. That women remain faithful to their lords is due |
not to their fear of sin, nor to compassion, nor to wealth, nor to the affection that springs up in their hearts for kinsmen and |
children. Women living in the bosom of respectable families envy the condition of those members of their sex that are young |
and well-adorned with jewels and gems and that lead a free life. Even those women that are loved by their husbands and treated |
with great respect, are seen to bestow their favours upon men that are hump-backed, that are blind, that are idiots, or that are |
dwarfs. Women may be seen to like the companionship of even those men that are destitute of the power of locomotion or |
those men that are endued with great ugliness of features. O great Rishi, there is no man in this world whom women may |
regard as unfit for companionship. Through inability to obtain persons of the opposite sex, or fear of relatives, or fear of death |
and imprisonment, women remain, of themselves, within the restraints prescribed for them. They are exceedingly restless, for |
they always hanker after new companions. In consequence of their nature being unintelligible, they are incapable of being kept |
in obedience by affectionate treatment. Their disposition is such that they are incapable of being restrained when bent upon |
transgression. Verily, women are like the words uttered by the wise.[271] Fire is never satiated with fuel. Ocean can never be |
filled with the waters that rivers bring unto him. The Destroyer is never satiated with slaying even all living creatures. |
Similarly, women are never satiated with men. This, O celestial Rishi. is another mystery connected with women. As soon as |
they see a man of handsome and charming features, unfailing signs of desire appear on their persons. They never show |
sufficient regard for even such husbands as accomplish all their wishes, as always do what is agreeable to them and as protect |
them from want and danger. Women never regard so highly even articles of enjoyment in abundance or ornaments or other |
possessions of an agreeable kind as they do the companionship of persons of the opposite sex. The destroyer, the deity of wind, |
death, the nether legions, the equine mouth that roves through the ocean, vomiting ceaseless flames of fire, the sharpness of the |
razor, virulent poison, the snake, and Fire--all these exist in a state of union in women. That eternal Brahman whence the five |
great elements have sprung into existence, whence the Creator Brahma hath ordained the universe, and whence, indeed, men |
have sprung, verily from the same eternal source have women sprung into existence. At that time, again, O Narada, when |
women were created, these faults that I have enumerated were planted in them!'" |
SECTION XXXIX |
"Yudhishthira said, 'All men, O king, in this world, are seen to attach themselves to women, overcome by the illusion that is |
created by the divine Being. Similarly, women too are seen to attach themselves to men. All this is seen taking place |
everywhere in the world. On this subject a doubt exists in my mind. Why, O delighter of the Kurus, do men (when women are |
stained with so many faults) still attach themselves to women? Who, again, are those men with whom women are highly |
pleased and who are they with whom they are displeased? It behoveth thee, O chief of men, to explain to me how men are |
capable of protecting women? While men take pleasure in women and sport with them, women, it seems, are engaged in |
deceiving men. Then, again, if a man once falls into their hands, it is difficult for him to escape from them. Like kine ever |
seeking pastures new women seek new men one after another. That illusion which the Asura Samvara possessed, that illusion |
which the Asura Namuchi possessed, that illusion which Vali or Kumbbinasi had, the sum total thereof is possessed by women. |
If man laughs, women laugh. If man weeps, they weep. If the opportunity requires, they receive the man that is disagreeable to |
them with agreeable words. That science of policy which the preceptor of the Asuras knew, that science of policy which the |
preceptor of the celestials, Vrihaspati, knew, cannot be regarded to be deeper or more distinguished for subtility than what |
woman's intelligence naturally brings forth. Verily how can women, therefore, be restrained by men? They make a lie appear as |
truth, and a truth appear as a lie. They who can do this,--I ask, O hero,--how can they be ruled by persons of the opposite sex? |
It seems to me that Vrihaspati and other great thinkers, O slayer of foes, evolved the science of policy from observation of the |
understandings of women. Whether treated by men with respect or with disdain, women are seen to turn the heads and agitate |
the hearts of men.[272] Living creatures, O thou of mighty arms, are virtuous. Even this is what has been heard by us. (How |
then, can this be consistent with fact)? For treated with affection and respect or otherwise, women (forming a fair portion of |
living creatures) are seen to deserve censure for their conduct towards men.[273] This great doubt fills my mind, viz., when |
their behaviour is such, what man is there that can restrain them within the bounds of righteousness? Do thou explain this to |
me, O highly blessed scion of Kuru's race! It behoves thee to tell me, O chief of Kuru's race, whether women are truly capable |
of being restrained within the bonds prescribed by the scriptures or whether any one before our time did really succeed in so |
restraining them.'" |
SECTION XL |
"Bhishma said, 'It is even so as thou sayest, O thou of mighty arms. There is nothing untrue in all this that thou sayest, O thou |
of Kuru's race, on the subject of women. In this connection I shall recite to thee the old history of how in days of yore the high- |
souled Vipula had succeeded in restraining women within the bounds laid down for them. I shall also tell thee, O king, how |
women were created by the Grandsire Brahman and the object for which they were created by Him. There is no creature more |
sinful, O son, than women. Woman is a blazing fire. She is the illusion, O king, that the Daitya Maya created. She is the sharp |
edge of the razor. She is poison. She is a snake. She is fire. She is, verily, all these united together. It has been heard by us that |
all persons of the human race are characterised by righteousness, and that they, in course of natural progress and improvement, |
attain to the status of deities. This circumstance alarmed the deities. They, therefore, O chastiser of foes, assembled together |
and repaired to the presence of the Grandsire. Informing Him of what was in their minds, they stood silent in his presence, with |
downcast eyes. The puissant Grand sire having ascertained what was in the hearts of the deities, created women, with the aid of |
an Atharvan rite. In a former creation, O son of Kunti, women were all virtuous. Those, however, that sprang from this creation |
by Brahman with the aid of an illusion became sinful. The grandsire bestowed upon them the desire of enjoyment, all kinds of |
carnal pleasure. Tempted by the desire of enjoyment, they began to pursue persons of the other sex. The puissant lord of the |
deities created Wrath as the companion of Lust. Persons of the male sex, yielding to the power of Lust and Wrath, sought the |
companionship of women. Women have no especial acts prescribed for them. Even this is the ordinance that was laid down. |
The Sruti declares that women are endued with senses the most powerful, that they have no scriptures to follow, and that they |
are living lies. Beds and seats and ornaments and food and drink and the absence of all that is respectable and righteous, |
indulgence in disagreeable words, and love of sexual companionship,--these were bestowed by Brahman upon women. Men |
are quite unable to restrain them within bounds. The Creator himself is incapable of restraining them within the limits that are |
proper: what need then be said of men? This, O chief of men, I heard in former days, viz., how Vipula had succeeded in |
protecting his preceptor's spouse in ancient times. There was in days of yore a highly blessed Rishi of the name of Devasarman |
of great celebrity. He had a wife, Ruchi by name, who was unequalled on earth for beauty. Her loveliness intoxicated every |
beholder among the deities and Gandharvas and Danavas. The chastiser of Paka, viz., Indra, the slayer of Vritra, O monarch, |
was in particular enamoured of her and coveted her person. The great ascetic Devasarman was fully cognisant of the |
disposition of women. He, therefore, to the best of his power and energy, protected her (from every kind of evil influence). The |
Rishi knew that Indra was restrained by no scruples in the matter of seeking the companionship of other people's wives. It was |
for this reason that he used to protect his spouse, putting forth all his power. Once on a time, O son, the Rishi became desirous |
of performing a sacrifice. He began to think of how (during his own absence from home) his wife could be protected. Endued |
with high ascetic merit, he at last hit upon the course he should adopt. Summoning his favourite disciple whose name was |
Vipula and who was of Bhrigu's race, he said as follows: |
"Devasarman said, 'I shall leave home (for a while) in order to perform a sacrifice. The chief of the celestials always covets this |
Ruchi of mine. Do thou, during my absence, protect her, putting forth all thy might! Thou shalt pass thy time heedfully in view |
of Purandara. O foremost one of Bhrigu's race, that Indra assumes various disguises.' |
Bhishma continued, 'Thus addressed by his preceptor, the ascetic Vipula with senses under control, always engaged in severe |
penances, possessed of the splendour, O king, of fire or the sun conversant with all the duties of righteousness, and ever |
truthful in speech, answered him, saying, 'So be it.' Once more, however, as his preceptor was about to set out Vipula asked |
him in these words.' |
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