मिष्टान्नं न च भुङ्क्ते सा न कुर्याद्विभवं व्रज । एकादश्यां न भोक्तव्यं कृष्णजन्माष्टमीदिने
She does not partake of sweet foods, nor should she display wealth; on the eleventh day (Ekādaśī) and on Kṛṣṇa's birth day (Janmāṣṭamī), she must not eat.
श्रीरामस्य नवम्यां तु शिवरात्रौ पवित्रया । अघोरायां च प्रेतायां चन्द्रसूर्योपरागयोः
On Rāma's Navamī, on the sacred night of Śiva, on Aghorā, on Pretā, and during lunar or solar eclipses,
भृष्टं द्रव्यं परित्यज्य भुज्यते परमेव च । ताम्बूलं विधवास्त्रीणां यतीनां ब्रह्मचानिणाम्
She should avoid roasted foods and eat only the purest fare; betel leaf is forbidden for widows, ascetics, and celibates.
संन्यासिनां च सौमांससुरातुल्यं श्रुतौ श्रुतम् । रक्तशाकं मसूरं च जम्बीरं पर्णमेव च
For renunciants, betel leaf is declared in the scriptures to be like meat or liquor; red leafy vegetables, lentils, lemons, and certain leaves are also to be avoided.
अलाबुर्वर्तुलाकारा वर्जनीया च तैरवि । पर्यङ्कशायिनी नारी विधवा पातयेत्पतिम्
Bottle gourd and round-shaped gourds are to be avoided by them; a widow who sleeps on a cot causes harm to her husband.
यानमारोहणं कृत्वा विधवा नरकं व्रजेत् । न कुर्यात्केशसंस्कारं गात्रसंस्कारमेव च
If a widow mounts a vehicle, she goes to hell; she should not arrange her hair or adorn her body.
केशवेणी जटारूपे तत्क्षौरं तीर्थकं विना । तैलाभ्यङ्गंन कुर्वीत नहि पश्यति दर्पणम्
She should not braid her hair or form matted locks, nor cut her hair except at holy places; she should not anoint herself with oil, nor look into a mirror.
मुखं च परपुंसां च यात्रां नृत्यं महोत्सवम् । नर्तनं गायनं चैव सुवेषं पुरुषं शुभम्
She should not look at the faces of other men, nor attend journeys, dances, great festivals, performances, songs, or well-dressed, handsome men.
शृणुयाच्च सतां धर्म सामवेदनिरूपितम् । परमार्थ परं चैव निबोध कथयामि ते
She should listen to the dharma of the virtuous as set forth in the Sāma Veda; now hear, as I tell you, the supreme and highest truth.
अध्यापनमध्यानं शिष्याणां परिपालनम् । गुरुणां सेवनं नित्यं द्विचदेवार्चनं तथा
Teaching, study, caring for disciples, constant service to teachers, and worship of the twice-born deities—
सिद्धान्तशास्त्रनैपुण्यं भावनं स्वात्मतोषणम् । व्याख्यानं परिशुद्धं च ग्रन्थाभ्यस्तं च संततम्
Expertise in the treatises of doctrine, contemplation, contentment of the self, pure exposition, and continuous study of scriptures—
प्यवस्थापरिशुद्ध्यर्थ विचारो वेदसंमतः । शास्त्रार्थाचरणं चैव कतध्यं स्वयमेव च
Deliberation for the sake of pure conduct, as approved by the Vedas, and the practice of the meaning of the scriptures, as well as self-study.
देवाह्निकेषु नैपुण्यं वेदाचरणमीप्सितम् । वेदोक्तभक्षणं चैव पवित्राचरणं सदा
Skill in the daily worship of the gods, the desire to practice the Vedas, eating as prescribed by the Vedas, and always conducting oneself in purity—these are sought.
पतिव्रतानां यं धर्म तं निबोध व्रजेश्वर । नित्यंतु भर्तर्यौत्सुक्यात्तत्पादोदकमीप्सितम्
O lord of Vraja, understand the duty of devoted wives: always, out of eagerness for their husband, they desire the water that has washed his feet.
भक्तिभावेन सततं भोक्तव्यं तदनुज्ञया । व्रतं तपस्यां देवार्चां परित्यज्य प्रयत्नतः
With devotion, she should always partake only with his permission; she should carefully abandon vows, austerities, and worship of gods.
कुर्याच्चरणसेवां च स्तवनं परितोषणम् । तदाज्ञारहितं कर्म न कुयद्विरैतः सती
She should serve his feet, offer praise, and strive to please him; a chaste woman must not perform any act without his command.
नारायणात्परं कान्तं ध्यायते सततं सती । परपुंसां मुखं चैव सुवेषपुरुषं परम्
A chaste woman constantly meditates on no beloved higher than Nārāyaṇa; she does not look at the faces of other men, even if they are handsomely adorned.
यात्रामहोत्सवं नृत्यं नर्तनं गायनं व्रज । परक्रीडां च सततं न हि पश्यति सुव्रता
She does not attend festivals, grand celebrations, dances, or singing, nor does she ever watch the play of others, O Vraja.
यद्भक्ष्यं स्वामिनो नित्यं तदेवमपि योषिताम् । नहि त्यजेत्तु तत्सङ्गं क्षणमेव च सुव्रता
Whatever food is for her husband, that alone is for the wife; a virtuous woman does not abandon his company, even for a moment.
उत्तरे नोत्तरं दद्यात्स्वामिनश्य पतिव्रता । न कोपं कुरुते शुद्वा ताडिता चापि कोपतः
A devoted wife does not reply to her husband with a counter-argument; she does not become angry, even if struck in anger.
क्षुधितं भोजयेत्कान्तं दद्यात्पानं च भोजनम् । न बोधयेत्तं निद्रालुं प्ररेयेन्नैव कर्मसु
She should feed her hungry husband, give him drink and food; she does not wake him when he sleeps, nor urges him to work.
पुत्राणां च शतगुणं स्नेहं कुर्यात्पतीं सती । पतिर्बन्धुर्गतिर्भर्ता दैवतं कुलयोषितः
A chaste woman should show a hundred times more affection to her husband than to her sons; for the women of the family, the husband is kin, refuge, and deity.
शुभं दृष्ट्वा सुधातुल्यं कान्तं पश्यति सुन्दरी । सस्मितं वदनं कृत्वा भक्तिभावेन यत्नतः
Seeing something auspicious or as sweet as nectar, the beautiful wife looks at her husband, smiling and with devotion, carefully.
पुरुषाणां सहस्रं च सती स्त्री च समुद्धरेत् । पतिः पतिव्रतानां च मुच्यते सर्वपातकात्
A chaste wife can deliver even a thousand men, and her husband is freed from all sins through her fidelity.
नास्ति तेषां कर्मभोगः सतीनां व्रततेजसा । तया सार्धं च निष्कर्मी मोदते हरिमन्दिरे
For such chaste women, there is no experience of karmic results; with her, freed from action, he rejoices in the abode of Hari.
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि सतीपादेषु तान्यपि । तेजश्च सर्वदेवानां मुनीनां च सतीषु च
All the sacred places on earth are found at the feet of a chaste woman; the radiance of all the gods and sages is present in chaste women.
तपस्विनां तपः सर्वं व्रतिनां यत्फलं व्रज । दाने फलं यद्दातणां तत्सर्व तासु संततम्
All the austerity of ascetics, the fruit of vows, and the merit of charity—O Vraja—are continually present in them.
स्वयं नारायणः शंभुर्विधाता जगतामपि । सुराः सर्वे च मुनयो भीतास्ताभ्यां च संततम्
Nārāyaṇa himself, Śaṃbhu, the creator of the worlds, all the gods and sages are always in awe of them.
सतीनां पादरजसा सद्यः पूता वसुंधरा । पतिव्रतां नमस्कृत्वा मुच्यते पातकान्नरः
By the dust of chaste women's feet, the earth is instantly purified; by bowing to a devoted wife, a man is freed from sins.
त्रैलोक्यं भस्मसात्कर्तुं क्षणेनैव पतिव्रता । स्वतेजसा समर्था सा महापुण्यवती सदा
A chaste wife, endowed with great merit, is always capable, by her own radiance, of reducing the three worlds to ashes in a moment.