मूक उवाच-। किं कुप्यसि वृथा विप्र न बकोहं तवाधुना। कोपस्सिद्ध्यति ते तावद्बकेनान्यत्र किंचन
Muka said: Why do you become angry in vain, Brahmin? I am not your crane now. Your anger will succeed only as much as a crane's elsewhere.
गगने स्नानशाटी ते न शुष्यति न तिष्ठति। वचनं खात्ततः श्रुत्वा मद्गृहं चागतो भवान्
Your bathing cloth in the sky neither dries nor remains; hearing these words, you have come to my house.
तिष्ठ तिष्ठ वदिष्यामि नोचेद्गच्छ पतिव्रतां। तां च दृष्ट्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठ दयितं ते फलिष्यति
Stay, stay, I will speak; otherwise, go to the chaste woman. Upon seeing her, O best of Brahmins, your desire will be fulfilled.
ततस्तस्यगृहाद्विष्णुर्द्विजरूपधरो विभुः। विनिस्सृत्य द्विजं प्राह गेहं तस्याः प्रयाम्यहं
Then, from his house, Vishnu, taking the form of a Brahmin, the Lord, emerged and said to the Brahmin: I am going to her house.
स विमृश्य द्विजश्रेष्ठस्तेन सार्धं चचाल ह। गच्छंतं तमुवाचेदं हरिं विप्रेति विस्मितः
Having considered, the best of Brahmins went together with him; as they went, he spoke to Hari, astonished, saying:
किर्थं च त्वया विप्र चांडालस्य गृहोदरे। सदा संस्थीयते तात योषाजनवृते मुदा
Why, O Brahmin, do you always remain in the house of a Chandala, surrounded joyfully by women?
हरिरुवाच-। इदानीं मानसं शुद्धं न भूतं भवतो ध्रुवम्। पतिव्रतादिकं दृष्ट्वा पश्चाज्ज्ञास्यसि मां किल
Hari said: Now your mind is certainly not pure; after seeing the chaste woman and others, you will indeed know me.
विप्र उवाच-। पतिव्रता च का तात किं वा तस्याश्श्रुतं महत्। येनाहं तत्र गच्छामि कारणं वद मे द्विज
The Brahmin said: Who is this chaste woman, O father, and what great thing have I not heard about her? For what reason am I going there? Tell me, Brahmin.
हरिरुवाच-। नदीनां जाह्नवी श्रेष्ठा प्रमदानां पतिव्रता। मनुष्याणां प्रजापालो देवानां च जनार्दनः
Hari said: Among rivers, the Ganga is supreme; among women, the chaste wife; among men, the progenitor; among gods, Janardana.
पतिव्रता च या नारि पत्युर्नित्यं हिते रता। कुलद्वयस्य पुरुषानुद्धरेत्सा शतं शतं५० 1.50.
A chaste woman is she who is always devoted to her husband's welfare; she uplifts hundreds upon hundreds of men from both families.
स्वर्गं भुनक्ति तावच्च यावदाभूतसंप्लवं। स्वर्गाद्भ्रष्टो भवेद्वास्याः सार्वभौमो नृपः पतिः
She enjoys heaven as long as the dissolution of the world does not occur; if her husband, a universal monarch, falls from heaven, he becomes her husband again.
अस्यैव महिषी भूत्वा सुखं विंदेदनंतरं। पुनः पुनः स्वर्गराज्यं तस्य तस्या न संशयः
By becoming his queen, she experiences happiness thereafter; again and again she attains the kingdom of heaven—of this there is no doubt.
एवं जन्मशतं प्राप्य अंते मोक्षो भवेद्ध्रुवम्। विप्र उवाच-। पतिव्रता भवेत्कावा तस्याः किं वा च लक्षणं
Thus, after a hundred births, at the end, liberation is surely attained. The sage said: Who is a devoted wife, and what are her characteristics?
ब्रूहि मे द्विजशार्दूल यथा जानामि तत्त्वतः। हरिरुवाच-। पुत्राच्छतगुणं स्नेहाद्राजानं च भयादथ
Tell me, O best of twice-born, so that I may know the truth of this. Hari said: She has a hundred times more affection for her son, and regards the king with fear.
आराधयेत्पतिं शौरिं या पश्येत्सा पतिव्रता। कार्ये दासी रतौ वेश्या भोजने जननीसमा
She who worships her husband as the Lord and sees him as such is a devoted wife. In work she is like a servant, in pleasure like a courtesan, in feeding like a mother.
विपत्सु मंत्रिणी भर्तुः सा च भार्या पतिव्रता। भर्तुराज्ञां न लंघेद्या मनो वाक्कायकर्मभिः
In adversity she is her husband's counselor; such a wife is devoted. She does not transgress her husband's command by thought, word, or deed.
भुक्ते पत्यौ सदा चात्ति सा च भार्या पतिव्रता। यस्यां यस्यांतु शय्यायां पतिः स्वपिति यत्नतः
When her husband has eaten, she always eats; such a wife is devoted. On whatever bed her husband sleeps, she carefully attends to him there.
तत्र तत्र च साभर्तुरर्चां करोति नित्यशः। नैव मत्सरमायाति न कार्पण्यं न मानिनी
There, in every place, she constantly performs worship with her husband. She does not become jealous, nor miserly, nor proud.
मानेऽमाने समानं च या पश्येत्सा पतिव्रता। सुवेषं या नरं दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं पितरं सुतं
She who sees honor and dishonor as equal is a devoted wife. Seeing a well-dressed man—be he brother, father, or son—
मन्यते च परं साध्वी सा च भार्या पतिव्रता। तां गच्छ द्विजशार्दूल वदकामं यथा तव
She regards him as another, O virtuous one; such a wife is devoted. Go to her, O best of twice-born, and ask whatever you wish.
तस्य पत्न्योऽष्ट तिष्ठंति तन्मध्ये वरवर्णिनी। रूपयौवनसंपन्ना दयायुक्ता यशस्विनी
He has eight wives; among them is one of excellent complexion, endowed with beauty and youth, full of compassion, and renowned.
शुभा नामेति विख्याता गत्वा तां पृच्छ ते हितं। एवमुक्त्वा तु भगवांस्तत्रैवांतरधीयत
She is known as Shubha by name; go to her and ask what is good for you. Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord vanished there itself.
तस्यैवादृश्यतां दृष्ट्वा विस्मितोभूद्द्विजस्तदा। स च साध्वीगृहं गत्वा पप्रच्छाथ पतिव्रतां
Seeing him disappear, the sage was amazed. He then went to the house of the virtuous woman and questioned the devoted wife.
अतिथेर्वचनंश्रुत्वागृहान्निःसृत्यसंभ्रमात्। दृष्ट्वा द्विजं सती तत्र द्वारदेशे स्थिताभवत्
Hearing the guest's words, she quickly left the house without confusion. Seeing the sage, she stood there at the doorway.
तां च दृष्ट्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठ उवाच वचनं मुदा। प्रियं ममहितं ब्रूहि यथादृष्टं त्वमेव हि
Seeing her, the best of sages spoke these words with joy: Tell me what is dear and beneficial to me, as you have seen it yourself.
पतिव्रतोवाच-। सांप्रतं पत्युरर्चास्ति न चास्माकं स्वतंत्रता। पश्चात्कार्यं करिष्यामि गृहाणातिथ्यमद्य वै
The devoted wife said: At present, I am engaged in my husband's worship, and we have no independence. Afterwards I will do what is needed; please accept hospitality today.
विप्र उवाच-। मम देहे क्षुधा नास्ति पिपासाद्य न च श्रमः। अभीष्टं वद कल्याणि नोचेच्छापं ददामि ते
The sage said: I have no hunger in my body, nor thirst today, nor fatigue. Speak what is desired, O blessed one, or else I will lay a curse upon you.
तमुवाच तदा सापि न बकोहं द्विजोत्तम। गच्छ धर्मतुलाधारं पृच्छ तं ते हितं द्विज
She then said: I am not a crane, O best of sages. Go to Dharmatula, the upholder of righteousness, and ask him what is good for you, O sage.
इत्युक्त्वा सा महाभागा प्रययौ च गृहोदरम्। तत्रापश्यद्द्विजो विप्रं यथा चांडालवेश्मनि
Having said this, the noble lady entered the inner part of the house. There the sage saw a Brahmin, as if in the house of a Chandala.
विमृश्य विस्मयापन्नस्तेन सार्धं ययौ द्विजः। तिष्ठंतं च द्विजं तं च सोपश्यद्धृष्टमानसम्
Reflecting, the sage became astonished and went together with him. He saw that Brahmin standing there, his mind fearless.