Why Women Fall, Why Some Are Servants, and How a Master Should Act

Verse 1 (13.222.1)

भगवन्देवदेवेश शूलपाणे वृषध्वज । पुंश्चल्य इव या स्त्रीषु नीचवृत्तिरताः स्मृताः । केन कर्मविपाकेन तन्मे शंसितुमर्हसि ॥

bhagavandevadeveśa śūlapāṇe vṛṣadhvaja | puṃścalya iva yā strīṣu nīcavṛttiratāḥ smṛtāḥ | kena karmavipākena tanme śaṃsitumarhasi

“Lord, god of gods, bearer of the trident, you whose banner is the bull: among women, those who are reckoned as delighting in base conduct, like the unchaste, by what ripening of deeds are they so? Please tell me.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1971-1973.

Verse 2 (13.222.2)

याः पुरा मनुजा देवि बुद्धिमोहसमन्विताः । कामरागसमायुक्ताः पतीनतिचरन्ति वै ॥

yāḥ purā manujā devi buddhimohasamanvitāḥ | kāmarāgasamāyuktāḥ patīnaticaranti vai

“Those women, goddess, who in a former life, deluded in mind and filled with passion and desire, are unfaithful to their husbands,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1974-1975.

Verse 3 (13.222.3)

प्रतिकूलपरा यास्तु पतीन्प्रति यथा तथा । शौचं लज्जां तु विस्मृत्य यथेष्टपरिचारणाः ॥

pratikūlaparā yāstu patīnprati yathā tathā | śaucaṃ lajjāṃ tu vismṛtya yatheṣṭaparicāraṇāḥ

“who are hostile to their husbands in one way or another, and who, forgetting purity and shame, wait upon whom they please,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1976-1977.

Verse 4 (13.222.4)

एवंयुक्तसमाचारा यमलोके सुदण्डिताः । यदि वै मानुषं जन्म लभेरंस्तास्तथाविधाः । बहुसाधारणा एव पुंश्चल्यश्च भवन्ति ताः ॥

evaṃyuktasamācārā yamaloke sudaṇḍitāḥ | yadi vai mānuṣaṃ janma labheraṃstāstathāvidhāḥ | bahusādhāraṇā eva puṃścalyaśca bhavanti tāḥ

“living in this way, they are heavily punished in the world of Yama; if they should obtain human birth of that kind, they become common to many men, and unchaste.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1978-1980.

Verse 5 (13.222.5)

पौश्चल्यं यत्तु तद्वृत्तं स्त्रीणां कष्टतमं स्मृतम् । ततःप्रभृति ता देवि पतन्त्येव न संशयः ॥

pauścalyaṃ yattu tadvṛttaṃ strīṇāṃ kaṣṭatamaṃ smṛtam | tataḥprabhṛti tā devi patantyeva na saṃśayaḥ

“That conduct, unchastity, is reckoned the most grievous for women; from that point on, goddess, they fall indeed, without doubt.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1981-1982.

Verse 6 (13.222.6)

शोचन्ति चेत्तु तद्वृत्तं मनसा हितमाप्नुयुः ॥

śocanti cettu tadvṛttaṃ manasā hitamāpnuyuḥ

“Yet if they grieve over that conduct, they may in their hearts attain what is good for them.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1983-1984. Split of input verse 6 at the page's own speaker heading (उमोवाच printed between 13-222-6a and 6b): this first line is Maheshvara's (CE line 1983); its ॥ was added as the verse end. The second line follows as Uma's.

Verse 7 (13.222.7)

भगवन्देवदेवेश प्रमदा विधवा भृशम् ॥

bhagavandevadeveśa pramadā vidhavā bhṛśam

“Lord, god of gods: women who are widowed, deeply wretched,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1983-1984. Split of input verse 6 at the page's own speaker heading (उमोवाच printed between 13-222-6a and 6b): this second line (CE line 1984) is Uma's and runs on into the next verse; it keeps wikisource_number 6.

Verse 8 (13.222.8)

दृश्यन्ते मानुषा लोके सर्वकल्याणवर्जिताः । केन कर्मविपाकेन तन्मे शंसितुमर्हसि ॥

dṛśyante mānuṣā loke sarvakalyāṇavarjitāḥ | kena karmavipākena tanme śaṃsitumarhasi

“are seen in the world of men, bereft of every blessing. By what ripening of deeds? Please tell me.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1985-1986.

Verse 9 (13.222.9)

याः पुरा मनुजा देवि बुद्धिमोहसमन्विताः । कुटुम्बं तत्र वै पत्युर्नाशयन्ति वृथा तथा ॥

yāḥ purā manujā devi buddhimohasamanvitāḥ | kuṭumbaṃ tatra vai patyurnāśayanti vṛthā tathā

“Those women, goddess, who in a former life, deluded in understanding, needlessly ruined their husband's household,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1987-1988. Corrected वे पत्युर् → वै पत्युर् (misprint in Wikisource; वे is not a word here; critical edition vai).

Verse 10 (13.222.10)

विषदाश्चाग्निदाश्चैव पतीन्प्रति सुनिर्दयाः । अन्यासां हि पतीन्यान्ति स्वपतिद्वेषकारणात् ॥

viṣadāścāgnidāścaiva patīnprati sunirdayāḥ | anyāsāṃ hi patīnyānti svapatidveṣakāraṇāt

“who gave poison and fire, utterly merciless to their husbands, and who went to the husbands of other women out of hatred for their own,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1989-1990.

Verse 11 (13.222.11)

एवंयुक्तसमाचारा यमलोके सुदण्डिताः । निरयस्थाश्चिरं कालं कथंचित्प्राप्य मानुषम् । तत्र ता भोगरहिता विधवास्तु भवन्ति वै ॥

evaṃyuktasamācārā yamaloke sudaṇḍitāḥ | nirayasthāściraṃ kālaṃ kathaṃcitprāpya mānuṣam | tatra tā bhogarahitā vidhavāstu bhavanti vai

“living in this way, they are heavily punished in the world of Yama, remain long in hell, and when they somehow obtain human birth, they become widows there, bereft of enjoyment.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1991-1993.

Verse 12 (13.222.12)

भगवन्प्रमदा लोके पत्यौ ज्ञातिषु सत्सु च । लिङ्गिन्यः सम्प्रदृश्यन्ते पाषण्डं मतमाश्रिताः । केन कर्मविपाकेन तन्मे शंसितुमर्हसि ॥

bhagavanpramadā loke patyau jñātiṣu satsu ca | liṅginyaḥ sampradṛśyante pāṣaṇḍaṃ matamāśritāḥ | kena karmavipākena tanme śaṃsitumarhasi

“Lord, some women in the world, though they have husbands and kinsmen, are seen wearing the emblems of sects and clinging to a heterodox creed. By what ripening of deeds? Please tell me.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1994-1996. Corrected सत्सुच → सत्सु च (misprint in Wikisource; missing space; सत्सुच is not a word).

Verse 13 (13.222.13)

याः पुरा भावदोषेण लोभमोहसमन्विताः । परद्रव्यपरा लोभात्परेषां द्रव्यहारकाः ॥

yāḥ purā bhāvadoṣeṇa lobhamohasamanvitāḥ | paradravyaparā lobhātpareṣāṃ dravyahārakāḥ

“Those women, goddess, who in a former life, through a fault of disposition, were full of greed and delusion, intent on the goods of others, and from greed took the property of others,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1997-1998. Corrected भावदोषेणि → भावदोषेण (misprint in Wikisource; instrumental ending written ‑णि; critical edition bhāvadoṣeṇa).

Verse 14 (13.222.14)

अभ्यसूयापरा यास्तु सपत्नीनां प्रदूषकाः । ईर्ष्यापराः कोपनाश्च बन्धूनां विफलाः सदा ॥

abhyasūyāparā yāstu sapatnīnāṃ pradūṣakāḥ | īrṣyāparāḥ kopanāśca bandhūnāṃ viphalāḥ sadā

“who were envious, who slandered their co-wives, were jealous and quick to anger, and were always useless to their kinsmen,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 1999-2000.

Verse 15 (13.222.15)

एवंयुक्तसमाचाराः पुनर्जन्मनि ताः स्त्रियः । अलक्षणसमायुक्ताः पाषण्डं धर्ममाश्रिताः । स्त्रियः प्रव्राजशीलाश्च भवन्त्येव न संशयः ॥

evaṃyuktasamācārāḥ punarjanmani tāḥ striyaḥ | alakṣaṇasamāyuktāḥ pāṣaṇḍaṃ dharmamāśritāḥ | striyaḥ pravrājaśīlāśca bhavantyeva na saṃśayaḥ

“living in this way, those women in their next birth, marked with ill signs, take refuge in a heterodox creed, and become women given to going forth as wandering mendicants; there is no doubt.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2001-2003.

Verse 16 (13.222.16)

भगवन्मानुषाः केचित्कारुवृत्तिसमाश्रिताः । प्रदृश्यन्ते मनुष्येषु नीचकर्मरतास्तथा । केन कर्मविपाकेन तन्मे शंसितुमर्हसि ॥

bhagavanmānuṣāḥ kecitkāruvṛttisamāśritāḥ | pradṛśyante manuṣyeṣu nīcakarmaratāstathā | kena karmavipākena tanme śaṃsitumarhasi

“Lord, some humans are seen among men who live by the work of craftsmen and are intent on low occupations. By what ripening of deeds? Please tell me.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2004-2006. Corrected शंसितुमर्हति → शंसितुमर्हसि (misprint in Wikisource; second-person ending required; critical edition arhasi, as in the refrain elsewhere).

Verse 17 (13.222.17)

ये पुरा मनुजा देवि स्तब्धमानयुता भृशम् । दर्पाहङ्कारसंयुक्ताः केवलात्मपरायणाः ॥

ye purā manujā devi stabdhamānayutā bhṛśam | darpāhaṅkārasaṃyuktāḥ kevalātmaparāyaṇāḥ

“Those men, goddess, who in a former life were exceedingly stiff with pride, full of arrogance and conceit, wholly devoted to themselves alone,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2007-2008.

Verse 18 (13.222.18)

तादृशा मानुषा देवि पुनर्जन्मनि शोभने । कारवो नटगन्धर्वाः सम्भवन्ति यथा तथा ॥

tādṛśā mānuṣā devi punarjanmani śobhane | kāravo naṭagandharvāḥ sambhavanti yathā tathā

“such men, goddess, in their next birth, fair one, come to be, as chance has it, craftsmen, actors and singers,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2009-2010. Corrected कात्वो → कारवो (misprint in Wikisource; कात्व is not a word; critical edition kāravo, 'craftsmen').

Verse 19 (13.222.19)

नापिता बन्दिनश्चैव तथा वैतालिकाः प्रिये । एवंभूतास्त्वधोवृत्तिं जीवन्त्याश्रित्य मानवाः ॥

nāpitā bandinaścaiva tathā vaitālikāḥ priye | evaṃbhūtāstvadhovṛttiṃ jīvantyāśritya mānavāḥ

“barbers, bards and heralds, my dear; so constituted, these people live by a lowly livelihood, depending on others.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2011-2012.

Verse 20 (13.222.20)

परप्रसाधनकरास्ते परैः कृतवेतनाः । परावमानस्य फलं भुञ्जते पौर्वदैहिकम् ॥

paraprasādhanakarāste paraiḥ kṛtavetanāḥ | parāvamānasya phalaṃ bhuñjate paurvadaihikam

“They do the adorning of others, hired by others for pay; they enjoy the fruit, from their former body, of having despised others.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2013-2014.

Verse 21 (13.222.21)

भगवन्देवदेवेश मानुषेष्वेव केचन । दासभूताः प्रदृश्यन्ते सर्वकर्मपरा भृशम् ॥

bhagavandevadeveśa mānuṣeṣveva kecana | dāsabhūtāḥ pradṛśyante sarvakarmaparā bhṛśam

“Lord, god of gods, some among men are seen as slaves, ever busy at every kind of work,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2015-2016.

Verse 22 (13.222.22)

आघातभर्त्सनसहाः पीड्यमानाश्च सर्वशः । केन कर्मविपाकेन तन्मे शंसितुमर्हसि ॥

āghātabhartsanasahāḥ pīḍyamānāśca sarvaśaḥ | kena karmavipākena tanme śaṃsitumarhasi

“enduring blows and rebukes, and oppressed in every way. By what ripening of deeds? Please tell me.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2017-2018.

Verse 23 (13.222.23)

तदहं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु कल्याणि कारणम् ॥

tadahaṃ te pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu kalyāṇi kāraṇam

“I shall tell you that; listen, auspicious one, to the cause.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), line 2019.

Verse 24 (13.222.24)

ये पुरा मनुजा देवि परेषां वित्तहारकाः । ऋणवृद्धिकरं कृष्या न्यासदत्तं तथैव च ॥

ye purā manujā devi pareṣāṃ vittahārakāḥ | ṛṇavṛddhikaraṃ kṛṣyā nyāsadattaṃ tathaiva ca

“Those men, goddess, who in a former life took the wealth of others, through loans swollen by interest, through tilling, and through goods placed in their trust,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2020-2021. The word कृष्या is kept as printed; the critical edition has kuryān here (sense of this line is uncertain).

Verse 25 (13.222.25)

निक्षेपकारणाद्दत्तपरद्रव्यापहारिणः । प्रमादाद्विस्मृतं नष्टं परेषां धनहारकाः ॥

nikṣepakāraṇāddattaparadravyāpahāriṇaḥ | pramādādvismṛtaṃ naṣṭaṃ pareṣāṃ dhanahārakāḥ

“who appropriated the property of others that was given to them in deposit, and who took the wealth of others when it was forgotten or lost through carelessness,”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2022-2023.

Verse 26 (13.222.26)

वधबन्धपरिक्लेशैर्दासत्वं कुर्वते परान् । तादृशा मरणं प्राप्ता दण्डिता यमशासनैः ॥

vadhabandhaparikleśairdāsatvaṃ kurvate parān | tādṛśā maraṇaṃ prāptā daṇḍitā yamaśāsanaiḥ

“and who by beating, binding and torment made slaves of others: such men die and are punished by the decrees of Yama.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2024-2025.

Verse 27 (13.222.27)

कथञ्चित्प्राप्य मानुष्यं तत्र ते देवि सर्वथा । दासभूता भविष्यन्ति जन्मप्रभृति मानवाः ॥

kathañcitprāpya mānuṣyaṃ tatra te devi sarvathā | dāsabhūtā bhaviṣyanti janmaprabhṛti mānavāḥ

“Having somehow obtained human birth, they will in every way, goddess, be slaves from birth onward.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2026-2027.

Verse 28 (13.222.28)

तेषां कर्माणि कुर्वन्ति येषां ते धनहारकाः । आसमाप्तेः स्वपापस्य कुर्वन्तीति विनिश्चयः ॥

teṣāṃ karmāṇi kurvanti yeṣāṃ te dhanahārakāḥ | āsamāpteḥ svapāpasya kurvantīti viniścayaḥ

“They do the work of those whose wealth they took; they do it until their own sin is exhausted. This is certain.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2028-2029.

Verse 29 (13.222.29)

पशुभूतास्तथा चान्ये भवन्ति धनहारकाः । तत्तथा क्षीयते कर्म तेषां पूर्वापराधजम् । अतोऽन्यथा न तच्छक्यं कर्म भोक्तुं सुरासुरैः ॥

paśubhūtāstathā cānye bhavanti dhanahārakāḥ | tattathā kṣīyate karma teṣāṃ pūrvāparādhajam | ato'nyathā na tacchakyaṃ karma bhoktuṃ surāsuraiḥ

“Others who took wealth become beasts; so the deed born of their former offence is exhausted. In no other way can that deed be worked off, even by gods and asuras.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2030-2032.

Verse 30 (13.222.30)

किन्तु मोक्षविधिस्तेषां सर्वता तत्प्रसादनम् । अयथावन्मोक्षकामः पुनर्जन्मनि चेष्यते ॥

kintu mokṣavidhisteṣāṃ sarvatā tatprasādanam | ayathāvanmokṣakāmaḥ punarjanmani ceṣyate

“But the way of their release lies wholly in pleasing him. One who seeks release improperly is again to be sought out in a later birth.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2033-2034.

Verse 31 (13.222.31)

मोक्षकामी यथान्यायं कुर्वन्कर्माणि सर्वशः । भर्तुः प्रसादमाकाङ्क्षेदायासान्सर्वथा सहन् ॥

mokṣakāmī yathānyāyaṃ kurvankarmāṇi sarvaśaḥ | bhartuḥ prasādamākāṅkṣedāyāsānsarvathā sahan

“One who seeks release should do all his tasks as is proper, and should look for his master's favour, enduring every hardship.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2035-2036.

Verse 32 (13.222.32)

प्रीतिपूर्वं तु यो भर्त्रा मुक्तो मुक्तः स्वपापतः । तथाभूतान्कर्मकरान्सदा सन्तोषयेत्पतिः ॥

prītipūrvaṃ tu yo bhartrā mukto muktaḥ svapāpataḥ | tathābhūtānkarmakarānsadā santoṣayetpatiḥ

“He who is released by his master with affection is released from his own sin; a master should always keep such workers content.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2037-2038.

Verse 33 (13.222.33)

यथार्हं कारयेत्कर्म दण्डकारणतः क्षिपेत् । वृद्धान्बालांस्तथा क्षीणान्पालयन्धर्ममाप्नुयात् ॥

yathārhaṃ kārayetkarma daṇḍakāraṇataḥ kṣipet | vṛddhānbālāṃstathā kṣīṇānpālayandharmamāpnuyāt

“He should have work done as is fitting, and punish only for a cause; by protecting the old, the young and the weak, he will gain dharma.”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), lines 2039-2040.

Verse 34 (13.222.34)

इति ते कथितं देवि भूयः श्रोतुं किमिच्छसि ॥

iti te kathitaṃ devi bhūyaḥ śrotuṃ kimicchasi

“This is what I have told you, goddess; what more do you wish to hear?”

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition proper (vulgate recension); parallel text in Appendix I No. 15 (after 13.134.57d), line 2041.