Anushasanika Parva — The disposition of women

Yudhishthira said O best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear you describe the disposition of women. Women are said to be the root of all evil. They are all considered as highly frail.

Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old history of the discourse between the celestial Rishi Narada and the (celestial) courtezan Panchachuda.

Once in ancient times, the celestial Rishi Narada, having roamed over all the world, met the Apsara Panchachuda of faultless, beauty, having her residence in the region of Brahman.

Seeing the Apsara every limb of whose body was highly beautiful, the ascetic addressed her, saying Oyou of slender waist, I have a doubt in my mind. Do you explain it!

Bhishma said Thus addressed by the Rishi, the Apsara said to him If the subject is one which is known to me and if you consider me competent to speak on it, I shall certainly say what is in my mind.

Narada said O amiable one, I shall not certainly ask you for any task that is beyond your power. O you of beautiful face, I wish to hear from you of the disposition of women.

Bhishma said Hearing these words of the celestial Rishi, that foremost of Apsaras replied to him, saying I am unable being myself a woman to speak ill of women.

You know what women are and with what nature they are gifted. You should not, O celestial Rishi, set me to such a task.

It is very To her the celestial Rishi said true, O you of slender waist! One commits sin by speaking what is untrue. In saying however, what is true, there can be no sin.

Thus addressed by him, the Apsara Panchachuda of sweet smiles consented to answer Narada's question. She then addressed herself to mention what the true and eternal shortcomings are of women.

Panchachuda said Even if highborn and gifted with beauty and possessed of protectors women wish to transgress the restraints assigned to them. This fault truly attaches them, O Narada.

There is nothing else that is more sinful than women. Verily, women are the root of all evils. That is certainly known to you, O Narada.

Women even when having husbands of fame and wealth, of handsome features and completely obedient to them, are prepared to disregard them if they get the opportunity.

This, O powerful one, is a sinful disposition with us women, casting off modesty, we seek the companionship of men of sinful habits and intentions.

Women show a liking for those men who court them, who approach their presence and who respectfully serve them to even a slight extent.

Through want of solicitation by persons of the other sex, or fear of relatives, women, who are naturally impatient of all control, do not transgress those that have been ordained for them, and remain by the side of their husbands.

There is none whom they cannot admit to their favours. They never consider about the age of the person they are prepared to favour. Ugly or handsome, if only the person happens to belong to the opposite sex, women are ready to enjoy his companionship.

That women remain faithful to their husbands is due not to their fear of sin, nor to mercy, nor to riches, nor to the affection that originates in their hearts for kinsmen and children.

Women living in the respectable families envy the condition of those members of their sex who are young and welladorned with jewels and gems and that lead a free life.

Even those women who are loved by their husbands and treated with great respect, are seen to confer their favours upon men who are humpbacked, who are blind, who are idiots or who are dwarfs.

Women may be seen to like the companionship of even those men who are inert or those men who are ugly to look at, O great Rishi, there is no man in this world whom women may consider as unfit for companionship!

Through inability to obtain persons of the opposite sex, or fear of relatives or fear of death and imprisonment, women remain, of themselves under control.

They are highly fickle, for they always hanker after new companions. On account of their nature being unintelligible, they are incapable of being kept in obedience by loving treatment. Their nature is such that they are incapable of being controlled when bent upon transgression. Indeed, women are like the words uttered by the wise.

Fire is never satiated with fuel. Ocean can never be filled with the waters that the rivers bring to him. The destroyer is never satiated with killing even all living creatures. Likewise, women are never satiated with men.

This, O celestial Rishi, is another mystery about women. As soon as they see a man of beautiful and charming features, unfailing signs of desire appear on their body.

They never show sufficient regard for even such husbands as satisfy all their wishes, as always do what is agreeable to them, and as protect them from want and danger.

Women never prize even profuse articles of enjoyment or ornaments or other delightful things so much as they do the companionship of persons of the opposite sex,

The destroyer, the god of wind, death the nether regions, the equine mouth that roves through the ocean, vomiting ceaseless flames of fire, the sharpness of the razor, dreadful poison, the snake and Fire all these exist in a state of union in the woman.

Indeed from that eternal Brahma whence the five great elements have originated whence the Creator Brahman has ordained the universe and whence, indeed, men have sprung, have women sprung into existence. At that time, again, ONarada, when women were created, these faults that I have described were planted in them.