Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c12.28

v2.c12.28

her pleasure in obedience to him, leading a good life, pure, active, and skilful, thinking always of her family’s welfare. And whatever was wholesome for her husband, that she lived for always, ever taken up with the humble service of the gods, guests, and servants, as, too, of her mother-in-law and father-in-law, and ever with a bridle on her senses. While now the bright-eyed one was giving obedient service to her husband, she saw the Brahman standing and asking for alms, and bethought herself of him.¹ The good woman was then taken with shame, O best among the Bhāratas, took alms for the Brahman, and went out, the glorious one. The Brahman spoke : ‘ What does this mean? “ Wait ” thou didst tell me, O fair lady, and then keep me to my loss and not send me away.’ Mārkaṇḍeya spoke : ‘ When the good woman saw the Brahman, aflame with anger, flare up, as it were in a mighty fire, soothingly she said these words to him : “ I beg thee, forgive me, O wise one! My husband is my great godhead. And he arrived hungry and weary, and therefore was waited on by me.” The Brahman spoke : “ Thou didst not hold the Brahmans as being more worshipful, thou didst hold thy husband as more worshipful; although thou livest in householder’s rank, thou dost despise the Brahmans. Even Indra bows himself before them. How much the more so a human being on earth! Thou haughty one, dost thou not know and hast thou not heard from the old that the Brahmans are like fire, and could burn up even the earth!” The woman spoke : “ I am no hen-crane, O Brahmanic Ṛishi. Put away thine anger, O thou rich in asceticism. What wouldst do, angry one, to me with this angry look? I do not despise the Brahmans, those wise ones, like unto the gods. Do thou forgive me this slight, thou blameless one. I know the greatness of the Brahmans, for by the anger of the Munis of just such glowing asceticism