Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c12.26

v2.c12.26

obedience towards her husband—through this she wins heaven. As to that which relates to this chapter, O King Yudhishthira, with heed hear then of the firm-set virtue of faithful wives. There was one most excellent among the twice-born, given up to Veda study, rich in penance, of virtuous character, Kauçika his name, O child of the Bharatas. The best among the twice-born studied the Vedas, together with the knowledge helpful to them and the Upanishads. (Once) he was by the root of a tree, repeating the Veda aloud. Up in the tree a hen-crane had perched, and let its droppings fall on the Brahman. When the angry twice-born one saw her, he cursed her in his thoughts. With the eye of the hotly angered Brahman on her, and cursed in his heart, the hen-crane fell down onto the ground. When the twice-born one saw her lying there, lifeless, and bereft of consciousness, he bewailed her, seized with a burning pain through pity: “I have done evil, overcome by anger and passion.” So spoke the wise one many times, and then went into the village to beg, calling on the pure families in the village, O bull among the Bharatas. When now he came into a house, where he had already visited before, and made request “Give”, the woman said to him: “Wait.” While the lady of the house was now seeing to the cleaning of the crockery, her husband suddenly came in with the pangs of hunger on him, O best of the Bhāratas. And when the good wife saw her lord, she left the Brahman standing there unheeded, and handed her husband water for washing the feet and rinsing the mouth, and a seat, and reverently did the black-eyed one then wait on her husband, with very delicious food, hard and soft; what her husband left over she was wont to eat, she with the pure soul, O Yudhishthira. And she looked on her lord as a god, fitting herself to her husband’s thoughts; in deeds, thoughts, and words she took her course from her husband alone, not giving a thought to any other, devoted to him with all her being and life, finding