तस्य पत्नी दमोपेता मम माता विशेषतः। पतिव्रतां तपोवृद्धां साध्वाचारैरलङ्कृताम्
His wife, my mother, is especially endowed with self-restraint, devoted to her husband, grown strong in austerity, and adorned with virtuous conduct.
अप्रमादेन ते ब्रह्मन्मातृभूतां विमुञ्च वै
O brāhmaṇa, with care, release my mother, who is as a mother to you.
एवमुक्त्वा तु याचन्तं विमुञ्चेति मुहुर्मुहुः। प्रत्यवोचद्द्विजो राजन्नप्रगल्भमिदं वचः
Thus, though Śvetaketu repeatedly begged, 'Release her,' the brāhmaṇa replied, O King, with these unassuming words:
अपत्यार्थी श्वेतकेतो वृद्धोऽहं मन्दचाक्षुषः। पिता ते ऋणनिर्मुक्तस्त्वया पुत्रेण काश्यप
'Śvetaketu, I am old, weak of sight, and seeking offspring; your father is freed from debt by you, his son, O Kāśyapa.'
ऋणादहमनिर्मुक्तो वृद्धोऽहं विगतस्पृहः। मम को दास्यति सुतां कन्यां संप्राप्तयौवनाम्
'But I am not yet freed from debt, old and without desire; who will give me a daughter, a maiden come of age?'
प्रजारणिमिमां पत्नीं विमुञ्च त्वं महातपः। एकया प्रजया प्रीतो मातरं ते ददाम्यहम्
'Release this wife of yours, fit for producing offspring, O great ascetic; with a single son I will be satisfied, and then I will return your mother to you.'
एवमुक्तः श्वेतकेतुर्लज्जया क्रोधमेयिवान्।' क्रुद्धं तं तु पिता दृष्ट्वा श्वेतकेतुमुवाच ह
Hearing this, Śvetaketu, out of shame, restrained his anger; but seeing his son enraged, the father spoke to Śvetaketu.
मा तात कोपं कार्षीस्त्वमेष धर्मः सनातनः। अनावृता हि सर्वेषां वर्णानामङ्गना भुवि
'Do not be angry, my son; this is the eternal law. For women of all castes on earth were unrestrained.'
यथा गावः स्थिताः पुत्र स्वेस्वे वर्णे तथा प्रजाः। `तथैव च कुटुम्बेषु न प्रमाद्यन्ति कर्हिचित्
'Just as cows are kept, so too, my son, are women among their own kind; and so, in families, they never act carelessly.'
ऋतुकाले तु संप्राप्ते भर्तारं न जहुस्तदा।' ऋषिपुत्रोऽथ तं धर्मं श्वेतकेतुर्न चक्षमे
'But when the proper season arrives, they do not abandon their husbands.' Yet the sage's son, Śvetaketu, could not accept this law.
चकार चैव मर्यादामिमां स्त्रीपुंसयोर्भुवि। मानुषेषु महाभागे न त्वेवान्येषु जन्तुषु
And he established this boundary between man and woman on earth, O illustrious one, among humans, but not among other creatures.
तदाप्रभृति मर्यादा स्थितेयमिति नः श्रुतम्। व्युच्चरन्त्याः पतिं नार्या अद्यप्रभृति पातकम्
From that time onward, it is heard by us that this boundary has remained: from today, if a wife leaves her husband, it is a sin.
भ्रूणहत्यासमं घोरं भविष्यत्यसुखावहम्। `अद्याप्यनुविधीयन्ते कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः
It will be as dreadful and joyless as the sin of killing an embryo; even today, those free from desire and anger still follow this rule.
उत्तरेषु महाभागे कुरुष्वेवं यशस्विनि। पुराणदृष्टो धर्मोऽयं पूज्यते च महर्षिभिः
In the northern regions, O renowned one among the Kurus, this ancient law is observed and honored by great sages.
भार्यां तथा व्युच्चरतः कौमारब्रह्मचारिणीम्। पतिव्रतामेतदेव भविता पातकं भुवि
If a man approaches a wife who is a maiden and devoted to chastity, this alone will become a sin on earth.
नियुक्ता पतिना भार्या यद्यपत्यस्य कारणात्। न कुर्यात्तत्तथा भीरु सैनः सुमहदाप्नुयात्। इति तेन पुरा भीरु मर्यादा स्थापिता बलात्
If a wife, assigned by her husband for the sake of offspring, does not act accordingly, O timid one, she incurs a great fault; thus, O timid one, this boundary was forcibly established in ancient times.
उद्दालकस्य पुत्रेण धर्म्या वै श्वेतकेतुना। सौदासेन च रम्भोरु नियुक्ता पुत्रजन्मनि
By Uddalaka's son, the righteous Shvetaketu, and by Saudasa, O slender-waisted one, this rule was established regarding begetting children.
मदयन्ती जगामर्षिं वसिष्ठमिति नः श्रुतम्। तस्माल्लेभे च सा पुत्रमश्मकं नाम भामिनी
It is heard by us that Madayanti went to the sage Vasishtha, and from him, O radiant one, she obtained a son named Ashmaka.
एवं कृतवती सापि भर्तुः प्रियचिकीर्षया। अस्माकमपि ते जन्म विदितं कमलेक्षणे
Thus she acted, wishing to please her husband; O lotus-eyed one, you know that your own birth is also like this.
कृष्णद्वैपायनाद्भीरु कुरूणां वंशवृद्धये। अत एतानि सर्वाणि कारणानि समीक्ष्य वै
From Krishna-Dvaipayana, O timid one, for the increase of the Kuru lineage; therefore, considering all these reasons—
ममैतद्वचनं धर्म्यं कर्तुमर्हस्यनिन्दिते। ऋतावृतौ राजपुत्रि स्त्रिया भर्ता पतिव्रते
You should act according to my righteous words, O blameless princess; at the proper season, the husband is the lord of the devoted wife.
नातिवर्तव्य इत्येवं धर्मं धर्मविदो विदुः। शेषेष्वन्येषु कालेषु स्वातन्त्र्यं स्त्री किलार्हति
This is the law, say the knowers of dharma: it must not be transgressed; at other times, it is said, a woman may have independence.
धर्ममेवं जनाः सन्तः पुराणं परिचक्षते। भर्ता भार्यां राजपुत्रि धर्म्यं वाऽधर्म्यमेव वा
Thus, people speak of this ancient law; whether righteous or unrighteous, O princess, the wife should do as the husband commands.
यद्ब्रूयात्तत्तथा कार्यमिति वेदविदो विदुः। विशेषतः पुत्रगृद्धी हीनः प्रजननात्स्वयम्
This is what the knowers of the Veda declare: whatever the husband says should be done, especially when he desires a son but is himself unable to beget.
यथाऽहमनवद्याङ्गि पुत्रदर्शनलालसः। अयं रक्ताङ्गुलिनखः पद्मपत्रनिभः शुभे
Just as I, O faultless one, long to see a son; this one, with red-tipped nails and lotus-leaf-like hands, O beautiful one—
प्रसादनार्थं सुश्रोणि शिरस्यभ्युद्यतोऽञ्जलिः। मन्नियोगात्सुकेशान्ते द्विजातेस्तपसाऽधिकात्
For the sake of pleasing you, O lovely-hipped one, I raise my joined palms to my head; by my command, O fair-haired one, through the ascetic power of a Brahmin—
पुत्रान्गुणसमायुक्तानुत्पादयितुमर्हसि। त्वत्कृतेऽहं पृथुश्रोणि गच्छेयं पुत्रिणां गतिम्
You should produce sons endowed with virtues; for your sake, O broad-hipped one, I would attain the destiny of those who have children.
एवमुक्ता ततः कुन्ती पाण्डुं परपुरञ्जयम्। प्रत्युवाच वरारोहा भर्तुः प्रियहिते रता
Thus addressed, Kunti, of noble form, devoted to her husband's welfare, replied to Pandu, the conqueror of enemy cities.
अधर्मः सुमहानेषु स्त्रीणां भरतसत्तम। यत्प्रसादयते भर्ता प्रसाद्यः क्षत्रियर्षभ। शृणु चेदं महाबाहो मम प्रीतिकरं चः
O best of the Bharatas, it is a great injustice among women that a husband, once pleased, must be pleased again, O bull among Kshatriyas. Hear now, mighty-armed one, this which will bring you joy.
पितृवेश्मन्यहं बाला नियुक्ताऽतिथिपूजने। उग्रं पर्यचरं तत्र ब्राह्मणं संशितव्रतम्
While still a girl in my father's house, I was assigned to honor guests; there, I served a fierce and resolute Brahmin.