In the ancient discourse, it is said that the character of a woman has the power to shape the destiny of entire families. One woman may bring ruin upon a household, while another may raise it to greatness. For this reason, a wise man should take great care and effort to marry a woman of noble lineage and good character. When a virtuous woman unites two families through marriage, she stands as a bridge between them, preserving their honor and wellbeing. Such a woman safeguards both lineages, while a wicked woman can certainly bring about their destruction. Indeed, in this world, a wife holds sway over many crucial aspects of life—heaven and family, purity and impurity, fame and infamy, the welfare of sons and daughters, and even the bonds of friendship all depend upon her. Recognizing the importance of the wife, a wise man may marry one or even a second wife, seeking progeny and fulfillment of desire, even though women too may have their faults. Yet, there are sacred boundaries to be observed: a husband who does not respect his wife’s period of impurity incurs the gravest of sins, akin to the murder of a Brahmin or an unborn child, and falls into deep misfortune. Worse still, a deluded man who abandons a virtuous wife, causing her suffering and untimely death, must bear the burden of her sin and descend to hell. To abduct a woman is to become an outcaste, and to abandon one’s wife brings similar disgrace. The one who bears a woman away carries her on his shoulders in Yama’s realm, suffering filth and humiliation for a long time. For thousands of years, the wicked soul endures this burden, and for as many hairs on his body, he must enter the terrible Raurava hell. After this, he is reborn as an insect, and only after passing through these lower births does he regain human form, where he continues to suffer quarrels and sorrow as a result of his previous misdeeds. Only after three such births is the soul finally freed from the stain of sin. The woman too, after suffering the torments of hell, may be reborn as a deceitful crow, and after enduring the hell of leftovers, she returns to human life as a widow. If a man seeks union with an outcaste, a foreigner, or a barbarian woman, he suffers two, three, or fourfold punishment. If he approaches his own mother, his teacher’s wife, a Brahmin woman, or a queen, or even the wife of another man, a lord, his own sister, his son’s wife, his daughter, or his daughter-in-law, or any such close maternal relative, there is no atonement for such transgressions. Such a man becomes as sinful as a Brahmin-slayer, afflicted with blindness, muteness, and deafness, and falls into utter ruin, with no hope of expiation. Even the utterance of obscene words, prompted by lust for women, is a grave offense. The twice-born then asks: “O Lord, having committed such evil, how can one find liberation again? Please tell me the truth.” The Blessed Lord replies: “He who has sinned thus must enter a burning statue of molten iron. Embracing death, the pure soul departs to another world. Yet, whoever, renouncing the householder’s stage, is born with his mind fixed upon me—whoever always remembers Govinda—his sins are destroyed. Even the sins of killing a Brahmin ten thousand times, or violating a teacher’s wife, eating forbidden meat, stealing gold, and other grave offenses, all are consumed like dry grass in fire by the remembrance of my name. Therefore, by remembering me—Govinda—a person becomes purified. Even one who remains in the householder’s stage, if he constantly proclaims my name, crosses over sin. On the beautiful banks of the Bhagirathi, in the presence of Shiva, or at the time of capturing the bird, the merit gained by giving away ten million cows is his, and a thousand times more, simply by praising Govinda. Such a devotee dwells eternally in my city; he may remain at home, yet by desire becomes a universal sovereign, a king. One who hears my story from the Purāṇa attains likeness to me; one who recites the Purāṇa reaches union with Vishnu. Therefore, let the Purāṇa, which gathers dharma, always be heard and shared, so that in this world one may attain the form of Vishnu. If a fault is committed for the sake of a woman, its appropriate result surely comes. But listen, O delight of the twice-born, for I will declare a means of purification: by giving all kinds of seeds in a full pot to a Brahmin on a holy day, one is instantly purified. All grains and seeds should be given to a Brahmin at the proper time; thus, all sins are destroyed, and one enjoys inexhaustible heaven. Now, O sage among Brahmins, hear the steadfast virtue of chaste women. Through her purity, her lineage is uplifted, and prosperity always abides with her. Both her husband’s and her own families attain heaven because of her. The quality of a devoted wife is so great that you had forgotten and asked about it. Let me declare again the auspiciousness that devoted wives bring to all worlds. After living out the fruits of their previous actions, whether meritorious or sinful, such women attain my state. Whether for six months, a year, or more, the devotion of a wife is highly praised. As long as she remains pure, she ascends to heaven—even if her husband is a drinker, a killer of Brahmins, or full of all sins. The devoted wife, by her own purity, lifts her husband from the mire and leads him to heaven; her husband appears as handsome as Kāma, and she herself is as delightful as Rati. In this world, she enjoys endless happiness for a long time, like the mighty Jishnu. But if a chaste wife, by force, causes her husband’s fall, she is cast far away. Yet, if she receives her husband’s mark, she lifts him from sin in the fire, like nectar, and does not go to another even after his death. Taking her husband’s mark, she lies down in the fire and ascends to heaven, as does the Brahmin woman who follows her deceased husband. Thus, the scriptures praise the power and virtue of the devoted wife, the importance of righteous conduct, and the supreme grace that comes from remembering the Lord’s name.