रोदमाना दिवारात्रौ निद्रा लेभे न वै निशि । क्षुधां न विंदते राजन्दुःखेन विदलीकृता
Weeping day and night, she found no sleep at night, nor did she feel hunger, O King, so crushed was she by grief.
अथ सख्यः समायाताः पप्रच्छुः सुकलां तदा । सुकले चारुसर्वांगि कस्माद्रोदिषि संप्रति
Then her friends approached and questioned Sukalā, saying, 'Sukalā, beautiful one, why are you weeping now?'
ततस्त्वं कारणं ब्रूहि दुःखस्यास्य वरानने । सुकलोवाच- स मां त्यक्त्वा गतो भर्ता धर्मार्थं धर्मतत्परः
So tell us, lovely-faced one, the reason for this sorrow.' Sukalā said: 'My husband, devoted to righteousness, has left me and gone away for the sake of dharma.'
तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन अटते मेदिनीं ततः । मां त्यक्त्वा स गतः स्वामी निर्दोषां पापवर्जिताम्
On the pretext of a pilgrimage, he wanders the earth; having abandoned me, his blameless and sinless wife, my lord has departed.
अहं साध्वी समाचारा सदा पुण्या पतिव्रता । मां त्यक्त्वा स गतो भर्ता तीर्थ साधनतत्परः
I am virtuous in conduct, always pure, and faithful to my husband; yet he has left me, intent on fulfilling pilgrimage duties.
तेनाहं दुःखिता सख्यो वियोगेनाति पीडिता । जीवनाशो वरं श्रेष्ठो वरं वै विषभक्षणम्
Because of this, O friends, I am sorrowful, tormented by separation; death would be better, or even the drinking of poison.
वरमग्निप्रवेशश्च वरं कायविनाशनम् । नारीं प्रियां परित्यज्य भर्ता याति सुनिष्ठुरः
Better to enter fire, better to destroy the body; for a husband who abandons his beloved wife is truly cruel.
भर्तृत्यागो वरं नैव प्राणत्यागो वरं सखि । वियोगं न समर्थाहं सहितुं नित्यदारुणम्
Abandoning the husband is not preferable, but giving up life is, O friend; I am not able to endure the constant agony of separation.
तेनाहं दुःखिता सख्यो वियोगेनापि नित्यशः । सख्य ऊचुः- तीर्थयात्रां गतो भर्ता पुनरेष्यति ते पतिः
Therefore, O friends, I am ever sorrowful from this separation.' The friends said: 'Your husband has gone on pilgrimage; he will return to you.'
वृथा शोषयसे कायं वृथाशोकं करोषि वै । वृथा त्वं तप्यसे बाले वृथा भोगान्परित्यजेः
You are wasting away your body in vain, grieving needlessly; you torment yourself for nothing, child, and needlessly give up pleasures.
पिबस्व पानं भुंक्ष्व त्वं स्वप्रदत्तं हि पूर्वकम् । कस्य भर्ता सुताः कस्य कस्य स्वजनबांधवाः
Drink what is to be drunk, eat what is given to you from before; whose husband, whose children, whose relatives truly are there?
कः कस्य नास्ति संसारे संबंधः केन चैव हि । भक्ष्यते भुज्यते बाले संसारस्य हि तत्फलम्
Who belongs to whom in this world, and by whom is relationship made? One eats and is eaten, child; that is the fruit of worldly existence.
मृते प्राणिनि कोऽश्नाति को हि पश्यति तत्फलम् । पीयते भुज्यते बाले एतत्संसारतः फलम्
When a living being dies, who eats, who sees that result? It is eaten and drunk, child; this is the fruit of worldly life.
सुकलोवाच- भवतीभिः प्रयुक्तं यत्तन्न स्याद्वेदसंमतम् । यातु भर्तुः पृथग्भूता तिष्ठत्येका सदैव हि
Sukalā said: 'What you have spoken is not in accord with the Vedas; a wife, separated from her husband, should always remain alone.'
पापभूता भवेन्नारी तां न मन्यंति सज्जनाः । भर्तुः सार्धं सदा सख्यो दृष्टो वेदेषु सर्वदा
A woman who acts otherwise becomes sinful; the virtuous do not approve of her. In the Vedas, it is always seen that a wife remains with her husband.
संबंधः पुण्यसंसर्गाज्जायते नात्र संशयः । नारीणां च सदा तीर्थं भर्ता शास्त्रेषु पठ्यते
Relationship arises from contact with virtue—of this there is no doubt; and for women, the husband is always declared in the scriptures to be their holy place.
तमेवावाहयेन्नित्यं वाचा कायेन कर्मभिः । मनसा पूजयेन्नित्यं भावसत्येन तत्परा
One should always invoke him with speech, body, and actions; one should always worship him with the mind, intent on sincerity of feeling.
भर्तुः पार्श्वं महातीर्थं दक्षिणांगं सदैव हि । तमाश्रित्य यदा नारी गृहस्था परिवर्त्तयेत्
The husband's side is a great sacred place, always the right side indeed; when a householder woman revolves around, taking refuge in him—
यजते दानपुण्यैश्च तस्य दानस्य यत्फलम् । वाराणस्यां च गंगायां यत्फलं न च पुष्करे
Whatever fruit comes from sacrifices and gifts, and the merit of giving, whatever fruit is in Varanasi, on the Ganges, or at Pushkara—
द्वारकायां न चावन्त्यां केदारे शशिभूषणे । लभते नैव सा नारी यजमाना सदा किल
Nor in Dvaraka, nor in Avanti, nor at Kedara, beloved of the Moon—such a woman, though always a sacrificer, never attains that fruit.
तादृशं फलमेवं सा न प्राप्नोति कदा सखि । सुमुखं पुत्रसौभाग्यं स्नानं दानं च भूषणम्
Such a result, O friend, she never attains at any time: a lovely face, good fortune in sons, bathing, giving, and adornment—
वस्त्रालंकारसौभाग्यं रूपं तेजः फलं सदा । यशः कीर्तिमवाप्नोति गुणं च वरवर्णिनी
Good fortune in garments and ornaments, beauty, radiance, and always the fruit; she attains fame, renown, and virtue, O beautiful-complexioned one.
भर्तुः प्रसादात्सर्वं च लभते नात्र संशयः । विद्यमाने यदा कांते अन्यं धर्मं करोति या
By the husband's favor, she obtains all this—there is no doubt here; but if, while her beloved is present, she performs another duty—
निष्फलं जायते तस्याः पुंश्चली परिकथ्यते । नारीणां यौवनं रूपमवतारं स्मृतं ध्रुवम्
It becomes fruitless for her; she is called a wanton woman. For women, youth and beauty are certainly considered a descent.
एकस्यापि हि भर्तुश्च तस्यार्थे भूमिमंडले । सुपुत्रा सुयशा नारी परिकथ्येत वै सदा
Even for the sake of one husband alone, on this earth, a woman is always spoken of as having good sons and good fame.
तुष्टे भर्तरि संसारे दृश्या नारी न संशयः । पतिहीना भवेन्नारी भवेत्सा भूमिमंडले
When the husband is pleased in this world, the woman is seen—there is no doubt; but a woman without a husband becomes so on this earth.
कुतस्तस्याः सुखं रूपं यशः कीर्तिः सुता भुवि । सुदौर्भाग्यं महद्दुःखं संसारे परिभुज्यते
How can she have happiness, beauty, fame, renown, or sons on earth? She experiences great misfortune and much suffering in the world.
पापभागा भवेत्सा च दुःखाचारा सदैव हि । तुष्टे भर्तरि तस्यास्तु तुष्टाः सर्वाश्च देवताः
She becomes a sharer in sin and always follows a path of suffering; but when the husband is pleased, all the deities are pleased with her.
तुष्टे भर्तरि तुष्यंति ऋषयो देवमानवाः । भर्ता नाथो गुरुर्भर्ता देवता दैवतैः सह
When the husband is pleased, the sages, gods, and men are pleased; the husband is protector, the husband is teacher, the husband is deity along with the gods.
भर्ता तीर्थश्च पुण्यश्च नारीणां नृपनंदन । शृंगारं भूषणं रूपं वर्णं सौगंधमेव च
The husband is a sacred place and merit for women, O delight of kings; he is their adornment, beauty, complexion, and fragrance.