Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c17.33

v2.c17.33

hold any duties had piled themselves up,¹ then I rose early and had everything carried out, or did it myself. When my husband went away on any business, then I practised many luck-bringing things with the utmost care. When my husband was away, I gave up black eye-salve, orpiment, bathing, wreaths, ointments for the body, and ornaments. I never awoke my husband, when he was quietly sleeping, even if there was business calling²; in this my heart grew joyful. I never wearied my husband with household matters; I always kept that secret which should be hidden, and the house was fair and clean. If a woman thus keeps the path of virtue carefully before her eyes, she is raised high in the world of heaven, as Arundhatī among women.’”³ The same teaching is found in xiii, 146.33 ff. : The woman’s law and virtue, which are laid on her before the fire, and which make of her a sahadharmacārī, “the man’s life-comrade in the fulfilling of the holy duties,” are among other things : a friendly mind, friendly speech, a friendly eye, to think of none but the husband, to look on his face as on the son’s. “The woman that shows her husband a bright and friendly countenance, when he addresses her with harsh words or gives her angry looks, she is a faithful wife. The woman who waits on her poor, suffering, sorrowful, way-worn husband as on a son, is one gifted with virtue. The woman who, filled with deep heedfulness, busily astir, and skilled, with the blessing of sons, is dear to her husband, has her life in her husband, is one gifted with virtue.” Further, she must rise early, see to the service of the holy fire, make the flower-gifts to the gods, make the house clean, spread the cow-dung, give food to Brahmans, the weak, the helpless, the forlorn, the poor, carry out vows of mortification, and so forth. “This is holiness, this is asceticism, this is everlasting heaven, when a woman sees her highest good in her husband, is devoted to her husband with a religious zeal, and is good and chaste. For the husband is the woman’s god, the husband is her kinsman, the husband is her refuge, the husband’s regard is her heaven.” 1