Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 13.73
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13.73.1
स्त्रीणां स्वभावमिच्छामि श्रोतुं भरतसत्तम ।
स्त्रियो हि मूलं दोषाणां लघुचित्ता हि ताः स्मृताः ॥ १३.७३.१ ॥
Best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear the nature of women. Women are indeed the root of faults; they are held to be light-minded.
13.73.2
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् ।
नारदस्य च संवादं पुंश्चल्या पञ्चचूडाया ॥ १३.७३.२ ॥
Here too they recount this ancient story: the dialogue of Nārada with the unchaste woman Pañcacūḍā.
13.73.3
लोकाननुचरन्सर्वान्देवर्षिर्नारदः पुरा ।
ददर्शाप्सरसं ब्राह्मीं पञ्चचूडामनिन्दिताम् ॥ १३.७३.३ ॥
Once, wandering through all the worlds, the divine sage Nārada saw the blameless apsaras Pañcacūḍā, born of Brahmā.
13.73.4
तां दृष्ट्वा चारुसर्वाङ्गीं पप्रच्चाप्सरसं मुनिः ।
संशयो हृदि कश्चिन्मे ब्रूहि तन्मे सुमध्यमे ॥ १३.७३.४ ॥
Seeing her, beautiful in every limb, the sage asked the apsaras: "O slender-waisted one, a doubt has arisen in my heart; tell me that."
13.73.5
एवमुक्ताऽथ सा विप्रं प्रत्युवाचाथ नारदम् ।
विषये सति वक्ष्यामि समर्थां मन्यसे च माम् ॥ १३.७३.५ ॥
Thus addressed, she replied to the brahmin Nārada: "If it lies within my scope, I will tell you, if you deem me capable."
13.73.6
न त्वामविषये भद्रे नियोक्ष्यामि कथञ्चन ।
स्त्रीणां स्वभावमिच्छामि त्वत्तः श्रोतुं वरानने ॥ १३.७३.६ ॥
Nārada said: "O auspicious one, I will in no way assign you to anything beyond your scope. O fair-faced one, I wish to hear from you the nature of women."
13.73.7
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य देवर्षेरप्सरोत्तमा ।
प्रत्युवाच न शक्ष्यामि स्त्री सती निन्दितुं स्त्रियः ॥ १३.७३.७ ॥
Hearing these words of the divine sage, the foremost of apsarasas replied: "Being a faithful woman, I cannot blame women."
13.73.8
विदितास्ते स्त्रियो याश्च यादृशाश्च स्वभावतः ।
न मामर्हसि देवर्षे नियोक्तुं कार्य ईदृशे ॥ १३.७३.८ ॥
O divine sage, you know what kinds of women there are and what their nature is; you should not appoint me to a task of this kind.
13.73.9
तामुवाच स देवर्षिः सत्यं वद सुमध्यमे ।
मृषावादे भवेद्दोषः सत्ये दोषो न विद्यते ॥ १३.७३.९ ॥
The divine sage said to her: "Speak the truth, O slender-waisted one; fault lies in speaking falsehood, and no fault is found in truth."
13.73.10
इत्युक्ता सा कृतमतिरभवच्चारुहासिनी ।
स्त्रीदोषाञ्शाश्वतान्सत्यान्भाषितुं सम्प्रचक्रमे ॥ १३.७३.१० ॥
Thus addressed, she, the sweetly smiling one, resolved, and began to speak the enduring faults of women, which are true.
13.73.11
कुलीना रूपवत्यश्च नाथवत्यश्च योषितः ।
मर्यादासु न तिष्ठन्ति स दोषः स्त्रीषु नारद ॥ १३.७३.११ ॥
Even women of good family, beautiful and having husbands or protectors, do not remain within the bounds of propriety; this, O Nārada, is the fault among women.
13.73.12
न स्त्रीभ्यः किञ्चिदन्यद्वै पापीयस्तरमस्ति वै ।
स्त्रियो हि मूलं दोषाणां तथा त्वमपि वेत्थ ह ॥ १३.७३.१२ ॥
There is indeed nothing more sinful than women; women are the root of faults, as you too know.
13.73.13
समाज्ञातानृद्धिमतः प्रतिरूपान्वशे स्थितान् ।
पतीनन्तरमासाद्य नालं नार्यः परीक्षितुम् ॥ १३.७३.१३ ॥
Though they have well-known, prosperous, fitting husbands who remain under their control, women, having reached another man, are not able to test them.
13.73.14
असद्धर्मस्त्वयं स्त्रीणामस्माकं भवति प्रभो ।
पापीयसो नरान्यद्वै लज्जां त्यक्त्वा भजामहे ॥ १३.७३.१४ ॥
O lord, this is the wicked conduct of women, and it is ours as well. Abandoning shame, we attend upon even the most wicked men.
13.73.15
स्त्रियं हि यः प्रार्थयते सन्निकर्षं च गच्छति ।
ईषच्च कुरुते सेवां तमेवेच्छन्ति योषितः ॥ १३.७३.१५ ॥
The man who desires a woman, goes near her and does her a little service, that very man women desire.
13.73.16
अनर्थित्वान्मनुष्याणां भयात्परिजनस्य च ।
मर्यादायाममर्यादाः स्त्रियस्तिष्ठन्ति भर्तृषु ॥ १३.७३.१६ ॥
Because men are indifferent, from fear, and because of household members, women who transgress the bounds of propriety nonetheless remain with their husbands.
13.73.17
नासां कश्चिदगम्योस्ति नासां वयसि निश्चयः ।
विरूपं रूपवन्तं वा पुमानित्येव भुञ्जते ॥ १३.७३.१७ ॥
For them no man is unapproachable, and there is no fixed rule of age; ugly or handsome, they enjoy him merely as 'a man.'
13.73.18
न भयान्नाप्यनुक्रोशान्नार्थहेतोः कथञ्चन ।
न ज्ञातिकुलसम्बन्धात्स्त्रियस्तिष्ठन्ति भर्तृषु ॥ १३.७३.१८ ॥
Women do not remain with their husbands out of fear, nor out of compassion, nor for the sake of wealth in any way, nor from the ties of kin and family connection.
13.73.19
यौवने वर्तमानानां मृष्टाभरणवाससाम् ।
नारीणां खैरवृत्तीनां स्पृहयन्ति कुलस्त्रियः ॥ १३.७३.१९ ॥
Women of good family also long for those women in the bloom of youth, adorned with polished ornaments and fine garments, who live by their own whims.
13.73.20
याश्च शश्वद्बहुमता रक्ष्यन्ते दयिताः स्त्रियः ।
अपि ताः सम्प्रसज्जन्ते कुब्जान्धजडवामनैः ॥ १३.७३.२० ॥
Even women who are always honored, cherished as beloved, and guarded, still cling to hunchbacks, the blind, the dull, and dwarfs.
13.73.21
पङ्गुष्वथ च देवर्षे ये चान्ये कुत्सिता नराः ।
स्त्रीणामगम्यो लोकेऽस्मिन्नास्ति कश्चिन्महामुने ॥ १३.७३.२१ ॥
O divine sage, even among the lame and other despised men, O great sage, there is no one in this world who is unapproachable to women.
13.73.22
यदि पुंसां गतिर्ब्रह्मन्कथंचिन्नोपपद्यते ।
अप्यन्योन्यं प्रवर्तन्ते न हि तिष्ठन्ति भर्तृषु ॥ १३.७३.२२ ॥
O Brahmin, if men cannot somehow attain their way, then they go among one another; indeed, women do not remain with their husbands.
13.73.23
दुष्टाचाराः पापरता असत्या मायया वृताः ।
अदृष्टबुद्धिबहुलाः प्रायेणेत्यवगम्यताम् ॥ १३.७३.२३ ॥
They are of wicked conduct, delighting in sin, untruthful, enveloped in deceit, and full of unseen, unreasoning minds; generally, this should be understood.
13.73.24
अलाभात्पुरुषाणां हि भयात्परिजनस्य च ।
वधबन्धभयाच्चापि स्वयं गुप्ता भवन्ति ताः ॥ १३.७३.२४ ॥
Only because men are not available, because of fear of their household, and because of fear of death and bondage do women keep themselves guarded.
13.73.25
चलस्वभावा दुःसेव्या दुर्ग्राह्या भावतस्तथा ।
प्राज्ञस्य पुरुषस्येह यथाभावास्तथा स्त्रियः ॥ १३.७३.२५ ॥
Women are of fickle nature, hard to serve, and by disposition hard to grasp; for a wise man, here they are just as their disposition is.
13.73.26
नाग्निस्तृप्यति काष्ठानां नापगानां महोदधिः ।
नान्तकः सर्वभूतानां न पुंसां वामलोचनाः ॥ १३.७३.२६ ॥
Fire is not satisfied with logs of wood, the great ocean is not satisfied with rivers, death is not satisfied with all beings; so too the fair-eyed women are not satisfied with men.
13.73.27
इदमन्यच्च देवर्षे रहस्यं सर्वयोषिताम् ।
दृष्ट्वैव पुरुषं ह्यन्यं योनिः प्रक्लिद्यते स्त्रियाः ॥ १३.७३.२७ ॥
O divine sage, this is another secret of all women: at the mere sight of another man, a woman's womb becomes moist.
13.73.28
कामानामपि दातारं कर्तारं मानसान्त्वयोः ।
रक्षितारं न मृष्यन्ति स्वभर्तारमसत्स्त्रियः ॥ १३.७३.२८ ॥
Even her own husband, the giver of desires, the consoler of the mind, the protector, is not endured by base women.
13.73.29
न कामभोगान्विपुलान्नालङ्कारार्थसञ्चयान् ।
तथैव बहुमन्वन्ते यथा रत्यामनुग्रहम् ॥ १३.७३.२९ ॥
They do not value abundant pleasures of desire, nor accumulations of ornaments and wealth, as much as they value the favour obtained through sexual union.
13.73.30
अन्तकः शमनो मृत्युः पातालं बडबामुखम् ।
क्षुरधारा विषं सर्पो वह्निरित्येकतः स्त्रियः ॥ १३.७३.३० ॥
Ender, pacifier, death, the netherworld, the mare's-mouth fire, the razor's edge, poison, the serpent, fire — these are on one side, and women on the other.
13.73.31
यतश्च भूतानि महान्ति पञ्च ।
यतश्च लोका विहिता विधात्रा।
यतः पुमांसः प्रमदाश्च निर्मिता-
स्ततश्च दोषाः प्रमदासु नारद ॥ १३.७३.३१ ॥
From whence come the five great elements, from whence the creator ordained the worlds, from whence men and women were made, from that very source arise the faults in women, O Nārada.