भगवन्दुष्करं त्वेतत्प्रतिभाति मम प्रभो। मातापित्रोश्च शुश्रूषा स्त्रीणां भर्तरि च द्विज
O lord, this too seems most difficult to me: the service of women to their mother and father, and to their husband, O twice-born one.
स्त्रीणां धर्मात्सुघोराद्धि नान्यं पश्यामि दुष्करम्। साध्वाचाराः स्त्रियो ब्र्हमन्कुर्वन्तीह सदादृताः
I see nothing more difficult than the dharma of women, which is truly severe; women of good conduct, O brāhmaṇa, always perform it with respect.
दुष्करं खलु कुर्वन्ति पितरो मातरश्च वै। एकपत्न्यश्च या नार्यो याश् सत्यं वदन्त्युत
Indeed, fathers and mothers perform difficult tasks, as do those women who are devoted to one husband and always speak the truth.
कुक्षिणा दशमासांश्च गर्भं संधारयन्ति याः। नार्यः कालेन संबूय किमद्भुततरं ततः
Women bear a child in their womb for ten months—what could be more wondrous than this, when they give birth in due time?
संशयं परमं प्राप्य वेदनामतुलामपि। प्रजायन्ते सुतान्नार्यो दुःखेन महता विभो
Having reached the utmost uncertainty and incomparable pain, women give birth to sons through great suffering, O mighty one.
पुष्णन्ति चापि महता स्नेहेन द्विजपुङ्गव। `चिन्तयन्ति ततश्चापि किंशीलोऽयंभविष्यति
And then, with great affection, they nurture them, O best of twice-born; and they worry, 'What kind of character will he have?'
याश्च क्रूरेषु सर्वेषु वर्तमाना जुगुप्सिताः। स्वकर्म कुर्वन्ति सदा दुष्करं तच्च मे मतम्
And those women who, though living among all manner of cruelty and contempt, always perform their own duties—this too, in my view, is most difficult.
क्षत्रधर्मसमाचारतत्त्वं व्याख्याहि मे द्विज। धर्मः सुदुर्लभो विप्र नृशंसेन महात्मना
Explain to me, O brāhmaṇa, the true nature of kṣatriya dharma and conduct; for dharma is very hard to attain, O sage, by one who is cruel, even if he is great-souled.
एतदिच्छामि भगवन्प्रश्नं प्रश्नविदांवर। श्रोतुं भृगुकुलश्रेष्ठ शुश्रूषे तव सुव्रत
O venerable one, foremost among those who know questions, I wish to hear this question from you, O best of the Bhṛgu lineage, for I am eager to listen, O steadfast one.
हन्त तेऽहं समाख्यास्ये प्रश्नमेतं सुदुर्वचम्। तत्त्वेन भरतश्रेष्ठ गदतस्तन्निबोध मे
Well then, I shall explain to you this question, which is very difficult to answer; listen to me as I speak it truly, O best of the Bharatas.
मातरंश्रेयसीं तात पितृनन्ये तु मेनिरे। दुष्करं कुरुते माता विवर्धयति या प्रजाः
Some consider the mother to be superior, O dear one, while others regard the father as such; for the mother performs the difficult task of nurturing the offspring.
तपसा देवतेज्याभिर्वन्दनेन तितिक्षया। सुप्रशस्तैरुपायैश्चापीहन्ते पितरः सुतान्
Through austerity, worship of the gods, reverence, endurance, and other excellent means, fathers too strive to support their sons.
एवं कृच्छ्रेण महता पुत्रं प्राप्य सुदुर्लभम्। चिन्तयन्ति सदा वीर कीदृशोऽयं भविष्यति
Thus, after obtaining a son—so hard to attain—through great difficulty, parents always ponder, O hero, what kind of person he will become.
आशंसते हि पुत्रेषु पिता माता च भारत। यशः कीर्तिमथैश्वर्यं तेजो धर्मं तथैव च
Indeed, O descendant of Bharata, a father and mother hope for fame, renown, prosperity, brilliance, and righteousness in their sons.
मातुः पितुश्च राजेन्द्र सततं हितकारिंणोः'। तयोराशां तु सफलां यः करोति स धर्मवित्
O king, he who fulfills the hopes of his ever well-wishing mother and father is truly a knower of righteousness.
पिता माता च राजेन्द्र तुष्यतो यस् नित्यशः। इह प्रेत्य च तस्याथ कीर्तिर्धर्मश्र शाश्वतः
O king, he whose father and mother are always pleased with him attains lasting fame and righteousness in this world and the next.
नैव यज्ञक्रियाः काश्चिन्न श्राद्धं नोपवासकम्। या तु भर्तरि शुश्रूषा तया स्वर्गं जयत्युत
Neither sacrifices, nor śrāddha rites, nor fasting—none of these—grant heaven as surely as devoted service to one's husband.
एतत्प्रकरणं राजन्नधिकृत्य युधिष्ठिर। पतिव्रतानां नियतं धर्मं चावाहितः शृणु
O king, with this topic in mind, listen attentively as I recount the established duty of devoted wives, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
कश्चिद्द्विजातिप्रवरो वेदाध्यायी तपोधनः। तपस्वी धर्मशीलश्च कौशिको नाम भारत
There was once a certain eminent twice-born, rich in asceticism and devoted to the Vedas, named Kauśika, who was steadfast in austerity and righteousness, O descendant of Bharata.
साङ्गोपनिषदान्वेदानधीते द्विजसत्तमः। सवृक्षमूले कस्मिंश्चिद्वेदानुच्चारयन्स्थितः
That best of the twice-born studied the Vedas with their branches and Upaniṣads, and, reciting the Vedas, stood beneath a certain tree.
उपरिष्टाच्च वृक्षस्य बलाका संन्यलीयत। तया पुरीषमुत्सृष्टं ब्राह्मणस्य तदोपरि
Above that tree, a crane had taken shelter, and it released its droppings right on the brāhmaṇa below.
समवेक्ष्यततः क्रुद्धः सममध्यायत द्विजः। `तां बलकां महाराज निलीनां नगमूर्धनि
Seeing this, the brāhmaṇa became angry and fixed his gaze upon the crane, O great king, as it sat hidden atop the tree.
भृशं क्रोधाभिभूतेन बलाका सा निरीक्षिता। अपध्याता च विप्रेण न्यपतद्धरणीतले
Overcome by intense anger, the brāhmaṇa glared at the crane and, by his thought, caused it to fall dead to the ground.
बलाकां पतितां दृष्ट्वा गतसत्वामचेतनाम्। कारुण्यादभिसंतप्तः पर्यशोचत तां द्विजः। अकार्यं कृतवानस्मि द्वेषरागबलात्कृतः
Seeing the crane fallen, lifeless and unconscious, the brāhmaṇa was filled with remorse and compassion, lamenting, 'I have acted wrongly, compelled by anger and aversion.'
इत्युक्ताव बहुशो विद्वान्ग्रामं भैक्षाय संश्रितः। ग्रामे शुचीनि प्रचरन्कुलानि भरतर्षभ
Thus reflecting repeatedly, the learned one entered a village to beg alms, moving among the pure households, O bull among the Bharatas.
देहीति याचमानोऽसौ तिष्ठेत्युक्तः स्त्रिया ततः। शौचं तु यावत्कुरुते भाजनस्य कुटुम्बिवी
As he begged, saying 'Give,' a housewife told him, 'Wait'; meanwhile, she was cleaning the vessel for the family.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजन्क्षुधासंपीडितो भृशम्। भर्ता प्रविष्टः सहसा तस्या भरतसत्तम
Meanwhile, O king, her husband, greatly afflicted by hunger, suddenly entered, O best of the Bharatas.
सा तु दृष्ट्वा पतिं साध्वी ब्राह्मणं व्यपहाय तम्। पाद्यमाचमनीयं वै ददौ भर्तुस्तथाऽऽसनम्
Seeing her husband, the virtuous woman left the Brahmin aside, and gave her husband water for washing the feet, water for sipping, and a seat.
प्रह्वा पर्यचरच्चापि भर्तारमसितेक्षणा। आहारेणाथ भक्ष्यैश्च वाक्यैः सुमधुरैस्तथा
With humility, the dark-eyed woman attended to her husband with food, delicacies, and also with words that were very sweet.
उच्छिष्टं भाविता भर्तुर्भुङ्क्ते नित्यं युधिष्ठिर। दैवतं च पतिं मेने भर्तुश्चित्तानुसारिणी
Yudhishthira, she always ate her husband's leftovers, considering her husband as a deity, and followed his mind.