as they see a man of handsome and charming features,
unfailing signs of desire appear on their persons.
They never show sufficient regard for even such husbands
as accomplish all their wishes, as always do what
is agreeable to them and as protect them from want
and danger. Women never regard so highly even
articles of enjoyment in abundance or ornaments or
other possessions of an agreeable kind as they do
the companionship of persons of the opposite sex.
The destroyer, the deity of wind, death, the nether
legions, the equine mouth that roves through the ocean,
vomiting ceaseless flames of fire, the sharpness of
the razor, virulent poison, the snake, and Fire—all
these exist in a state of union in women. That
eternal Brahman whence the five great elements have
sprung into existence, whence the Creator Brahma hath
ordained the universe, and whence, indeed, men have
sprung, verily from the same eternal source have women
sprung into existence. At that time, again, O
Narada, when women were created, these faults that
I have enumerated were planted in them!’”
“Yudhishthira said, ’All men, O king,
in this world, are seen to attach themselves to women,
overcome by the illusion that is created by the divine
Being. Similarly, women too are seen to attach
themselves to men. All this is seen taking place
everywhere in the world. On this subject a doubt
exists in my mind. Why, O delighter of the Kurus,
do men (when women are stained with so many faults)
still attach themselves to women? Who, again,
are those men with whom women are highly pleased and
who are they with whom they are displeased? It
behoveth thee, O chief of men, to explain to me how
men are capable of protecting women? While men
take pleasure in women and sport with them, women,
it seems, are engaged in deceiving men. Then,
again, if a man once falls into their hands, it is
difficult for him to escape from them. Like kine
ever seeking pastures new women seek new men one after
another. That illusion which the Asura Samvara
possessed, that illusion which the Asura Namuchi possessed,
that illusion which Vali or Kumbbinasi had, the sum
total thereof is possessed by women. If man laughs,
women laugh. If man weeps, they weep. If
the opportunity requires, they receive the man that
is disagreeable to them with agreeable words.
That science of policy which the preceptor of the
Asuras knew, that science of policy which the preceptor
of the celestials, Vrihaspati, knew, cannot be regarded
to be deeper or more distinguished for subtility than
what woman’s intelligence naturally brings forth.
Verily how can women, therefore, be restrained by men?
They make a lie appear as truth, and a truth appear
as a lie. They who can do this,—I
ask, O hero,—how can they be ruled by persons
of the opposite sex? It seems to me that Vrihaspati
and other great thinkers, O slayer of foes, evolved
the science of policy from observation of the understandings
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