Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c20.41

v2.c20.41

world, that is, the keeping up of the castes (vi, 25.41).¹ Then morality in general is above all in the hands of the gentler sex : “ Most important of all is the way of life womenfolk ; what way the woman takes, that is the way always which prevails in mankind ” (xiii, 146.10).² Food from a woman that runs after men the twice-born man must not eat ; for it is mūtra (urine, xiii, 135.14).³ But Utathya is fully contented merely with having back again his wife that has been carried off and so long enjoyed by Varuṇa ; so likewise Gautama takes to himself again Ahalyā who has been defiled by Indra, though indeed only after a long penance. In the old legends and tales, however, the husband who has been really, or to outward seeming, injured by his wife’s unfaithfulness often orders her without more ado to be killed. So Paraçurāma’s father, and at first Cirakārin’s. When Svāhā burning with love has taken on the shapes of the wives of the first six out of the seven Ṛishis and has thus received Agni’s embraces, the six seeming cuckolds cast off their wives, but afterwards learn that the poor wretches are only victims of a clever trick, and are quite innocent ; yet they do not take them back again (iii, 226.8 ff. But cp. 230.1 ff.). The explanation of their action is given by Nīlakaṇṭha in a very characteristic way : “ Through fear of the talk of people like Rāma ” (for çl. 17).