Anushasanika Parva — The creation of woman and the object thereof. The story of Vipula and Devasharman

Bhishma said Seeing his disciple returned from his mission, Devasharman of great energy addressed him in words which I shall recite to you, O king.

Devasharman said What have you seen, O Vipula, in course of your journey. O disciple, through the great forest? Then whom you have seen knew, you, O Vipula. I, as also my wife Ruchi, know how you had acted in the matter of protecting Ruchi.

Vipula said O twiceborn Rishi, who are those two whom I first saw? Who also are those other six whom I saw afterwards? All of them know me. Who indeed, are they to whom you prefer in your speech to me?

Devasharman said The first couple, O twiceborn one, whom you saw, are, Day and Night. They are ceaselessly moving like a circle. Both of them know the sin you have committed.

Those other men (six in number) whom, O learned Brahmana, you saw playing cheerfully at dice, are the six Seasons. They also are acquainted with your sins.

Having committed a sin secretly, no sinful man should cherish the assuring thought that his sin is known only to himself and not to any one else.

When a man commits a sinful deed in secret, the Seasons as also Day and Night see it always.

Those regions that are reserved for the sinful shall be yours. What you had done, you did not tell me. That your sin was not known to any one, was your belief, and this conviction had filled you with joy.

You did not inform your preceptor of the whole truth, choosing to hide from him a substantial portion. The Seasons, and Day and Night whom you have heard speak thus, thought it proper to remind you of your sin.

Day and Night and the Seasons, do know all the good and the bad deeds, that are in a man.

They spoke to you in that way, O twice born one, because they have full knowledge of what you had done but which you had not the courage to inform me of, fearing you had done wrong.

For this reason you will visit the regions that are reserved for the sinful. You did not tell me what you had done.

You were fully capable, O twiceborn one, of protecting my wife whose disposition, by nature is sinful. In doing what you did, you did not commit any sin I was for this, pleased with you.

O best of Brahmanas, if I had known you to have acted wickedly, I would, without hesitation, have cursed you entirely.

Women become united with men, Such union, is very desirable with men. You had, however, protected my wife in a different spirit. If you had acted otherwise, I would have cursed. Even this is what I think.

You had, O son, protected my wife I have known the manner in which you had done it as if you had yourself informed me of it. I have,O son, become pleased with you. Relieved of all anxiety, you shall go to heaven.

Having said these words to Vipula, the great Rishi Devasharman, ascended to Heaven with his wife and his disciple and began to pass his time there in great happiness.

In course of conversation, o king, on a former occasion, the great ascetic Markandeya had described to me this history on the banks of Ganga.

I therefore, recite it to you. Women should always be protected by you. Amongst them both kinds are to be seen, that is those who are virtuous and those who are not so.

The virtuous women are highly blessed. They are the mothers of the universe. They, it is, o king, that keep up the Earth with all her waters and forests.

Those women who are sinful, who are of wicked conduct, who are the destroyer of their race, and who are wedded to sinful purposes, are capable of being ascertained by marks, expressive of the evil that is in them, which appear, O king, on their persons.

It is thus that great persons are capable of protecting women. They cannot, O foremost of kings, be protected in any other way.

Women, O king are fierce. They are gifted with fierce prowess. They have none whom they love or like, so much as them that have sexual intercourse with them.

Women are like those (Atharvan) Mantrams which destroy life. Even after they have consented to live with one, they are prepared to leave him joining others. They are never satisfied with one person of the opposite sex, O son of Pandu.

Men should not love them, Nor should they cherish any jealousy on account of them, O king! Only for the sake of virtue, men should enjoy their society, not with enthusiasm and attachment but with unwillingness and absence of attachment.

By acting otherwise a man is sure to meet with destruction, O delighter of the Kurus. O foremost of kings, reason is respected at all times and under all circumstances.

Only one man viz., Vipula, had succeeded in protecting woman. There is none else, o king, in the three worlds who can protect women.