सप्तजन्मसु मार्जारो महिषो जन्मपञ्चकम्
Let him be a cat for seven births, a buffalo for five births—
मत्स्यत्वे जन्मशतकं कर्कटी जन्मपञ्चकम्
Let him be born as a fish for a hundred births, a crab for five births—
नाविकः शवजीवी च व्याधश्च स्वर्णकारकः
A boatman, one who lives off corpses, a hunter, or a goldsmith—
इति चन्द्रं शुचिं कृत्वा समुवाच तु तारकाम्
Thus, having made the moon pure, he then spoke to Tārakā.
प्रायश्चित्तं विना पूता त्वमेवं शुद्धमानसा
Without atonement, you are purified, your mind thus made pure.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा शुक्रश्च चन्द्रं वा तारकां सतीम्
Having spoken thus, Śukra addressed either the moon or the virtuous Tārakā.
नारद उवाच कथं संप्राप तां साध्वीं तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
Nārada said: How did he obtain that virtuous woman? Please explain that to me.
श्रीनारायण उवाच प्रस्थापयामास शिष्यमन्वेषार्थं च जाह्नवीम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: He sent his disciple to search for Jāhnavī.
शिष्यो गत्वा च तद्वत्तं ज्ञात्वा वै लोकवक्त्रतः
The disciple, having gone there, learned of the matter from the words of the people.
श्रुत्वा सुरगुरुर्वार्तां शशिना च प्रियां हृताम्
Hearing the news that his beloved had been taken away by the moon, the preceptor of the gods was distressed.
रुरोदोच्चैः सशिष्यश्च हदयेन विदूयता
He cried out loudly along with his disciples, his heart torn with pain.
उवाच शिष्यान्सम्बोध्य नीतिं च श्रुतिसम्मताम्
Addressing his disciples, he spoke words of conduct approved by the scriptures.
बृहस्पतिरुवाच दुःखं धर्म्मविरुद्धो यः स प्राप्नोति न संशयः
Bṛhaspati said: There is no doubt that one who acts contrary to righteousness attains suffering.
भावानुरक्ता वनिता हृता यस्य च शत्रुणा
He whose devoted wife has been taken by an enemy—
सुशीला सुन्दरी भार्य्या गता यस्य गृहादहो 2.59.
He whose virtuous and beautiful wife has left his house—alas!
दैवेनापहृता यस्य पतिसाध्या पतिव्रता
He whose chaste wife, devoted to her husband, has been taken away by fate—
यस्य माता गृहे नास्ति गृहिणी वा सुशासिता
He who has no mother at home, or whose wife is not well-governed—
प्रियाहीनं गृहं यस्य पूर्णं द्रविणबन्धुभिः
He whose house is deprived of his beloved, though filled with wealth and relatives—
भार्याशून्या वनसमाः सभार्याश्च गृहा गृहाः
A house without a wife is like a forest; only houses with wives are truly homes.
अशुचिः स्त्रीविहीनश्च दैवे पित्र्ये च कर्मणि
A man without a wife is impure, both in divine and ancestral rites.
दाहिकाशक्तिहीनश्च यथा मन्दो हुताशनः
Just as a weak fire cannot burn, so is one lacking the power of a wife.
शक्तिहीनो यथा जीवो यथा चात्मा तनुं विना
Just as a living being without strength, or a self without a body—
न च शक्तो यथा यज्ञः फलदो दक्षिणां विना
Just as a sacrifice cannot yield fruit without a gift—
विना स्वर्णं स्वर्णकारो यथा शक्तः स्वकर्मणि
Just as a goldsmith is unable to work without gold—
तथा गृही न शक्तश्च सततं सर्वकर्मणि 2.59.
So too, a householder is never able to perform all his duties without a wife.
भार्य्यामूलाः क्रियाः सर्वा भार्य्यामूला गृहास्तथा
All rites are rooted in the wife; so too are households rooted in the wife.
भार्य्यामूलः सदा हर्षो भार्य्यामूलं च मङ्गलम्
Joy always arises from the wife, and auspiciousness too has its root in the wife.
यथा रथश्च रथिनां गृहिणां च तथा गृहम्
Just as a chariot belongs to the charioteer, so too is the house to the householder.
सर्वरत्नप्रधाना च स्त्रीरत्नं दुष्कुलादपि
Among all jewels, the jewel of a woman is foremost, even if she comes from a low family.
यथा जलं विना पद्मं पद्मं शोभां विना यथा
Just as a lotus cannot exist without water, so too a lotus is without beauty without its radiance.