Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c12.34

v2.c12.34

So, too, the Brahman Uttanka cannot even see the faithful wife of King Paushya, and thinks he is being tricked by the ruler, as being he that brought him to her; because of this virtue she is invisible to anyone that is not wholly pure, and the holy man in the haste of his journey in the morning has forgotten to carry out the ritual purification (i, 3.101 ff.). “The chastity and goodness of a woman brings all knowledge, it has power over life and death, heaven and hell. Utterances such as the touchingly simple one in Rām., vi, 111.67: ‘It is not in vain that the tears of faithful wives fall to earth’ are tame indeed compared with what, as is well known, we so often find.” ¹ For a faithful wife is a sin-cancelling means of grace (tīrtha), just as much as asceticism, etc. MBh.K, xiv, 118.8 ff.