A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s7.89

v1.c8.s7.89

“When he is about to ascend, he addresses his wife in the following words: ‘Wife, let us ascend to heaven,’ and the wife answers: ‘Yes, let us ascend.’ The reason why he addresses his wife thus is this: She the wife, is indeed his own half; therefore as long as he has no wife, so long he does not propagate his species, so long he is no complete individual; but when he has a wife, then he propagates his species, then he is complete. ‘As a complete individual will I go this way (to heaven),’ he thinks; therefore he addresses his wife in this manner.” (Śat. V, 2, 1, 10.)