Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c20.71.2

v2.c20.71.2

Excellencies of mind, and virtuous conduct in the woman likewise confer the sceptre on her, as can be seen at once from very much that has gone before. A wise saying has it : “To harm is the strength of evil men, the strength of kings is the power to punish, but obedience is the strength of women, tolerant patience the strength of the virtuous” (v, 34.75). As so often elsewhere, the same teaching as to the humility of woman is also set forth in the fascinating, though undoubtedly not so very old, section iii, 233, 234; and this shows at the same time how the means that were so frequent already in Vedic and in all later India, and were especially used by women, to ensure the man’s love and devotion, flourish greatly in the Epic world, too. Kṛṣṇa is on a visit to the Pāṇḍavas, accompanied by his wife Satyabhāmā. She sits with Draupadī in long conversation on things that have happened among the Kurus and the Yadus. Then Satyabhāmā asks her friend : “What dost thou do, then, so to rule the Pāṇḍavas, those heroes like unto the wardens of the world, and men of exceeding great strength?³ And how is it that they are at thy call and are not angered, O lovely one? For ever and always subject to thee are the sons of Pāṇḍu, O thou so sweet to look upon, and gaze on thy countenance all of them. Tell me this, and speak truly. Is it the practising of vows of mortification, or fasting and other asceticism, or bathing arts; is it magic spells and herbs;