The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s6.157

c2.s6.157

The chief duty of the husband toward the wife is to keep her pleased and amused, that she may be a cheerful ‘lamp in the house;’ for ‘without a wife the house is empty,’ or is ‘like a dreary forest.’ The estimation of the wife may be known by a few more such remarks, which may as well be grouped together: ‘a man’s highest good is a wife;’ ‘there is no medicine equal to a wife, no friend like a wife, no refuge like a wife;’ ‘one’s self resides in the son, one’s wife is a friend given by God; ‘happy are those that have wives, the highest good;’ ‘reverend are women, sacred lamps in the house; wives are the joy of a house, and should therefore be guarded well.’ I have given above some platitudes of misogynistic character, and pointed out that all the glory was for woman as wife, when on the other side equal extravagance reigns. But these citations must suffice for such a theme.* The wife was to the Hindu not only flesh of his flesh, but soul of his soul. In bearing a son she bore her husband, and is therefore called *dhātrī* and *janinī*, because she has incorporated and borne anew the husband’s self, and has, therefore, become identical with it.† Matrimonial relations being freely discussed, as indicated above on *maithuna*, we find the general rule laid down that a husband must be regarded as guilty who does not please his wife in this regard. ‘To leave a woman full of love is blamed;’ ‘the same as one that commits abortion is he that fails to have marital connection with a love-filled wife, when secretly besought.’‡