संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 31 — Code of Woman's Behavior
Literal. The young wife asks the sannyasi for guidance. He explains, at length, the code of female behavior drawn from the Kashi Khand of the Skanda Purana — Lopamudra and Brihaspati's discourse. The code is detailed: when to bathe, when to apply halad-kunkum, what foods are forbidden, how to behave in monthly course, etc. The discourse is presented in the chapter without metacommentary; it is what was held to be the right code in the source tradition.
Symbolic. Codification of normative behavior is itself an act of pastoral teaching — though much of the content is by modern standards archaic and exclusionary. The book preserves it; this treatise notes it without endorsing it.
Honest scope note. The content of this chapter (and parts of 32, 36, 37) reflects 15th-century normative codes around caste and gender that are not endorsed by this treatise. Their inclusion here is to faithfully describe the source. A reader writing from this material in 2026 or later should engage critically with this content rather than reproducing it.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नम: ।
śrīgaṇeśāya nama: |
Salutations to Śrī Gaṇeśa.
The chapter opens with the customary invocation to Gaṇeśa (remover of obstacles), asking his blessing before the teaching begins.
Begin any important undertaking with a moment of humility and invocation of what you hold sacred.
सिध्द म्हणे नामधारका । पुढें अपूर्व झालें ऐका । योगेश्वर कारणिका । सांगे स्त्रियांचे धर्म सकळ ॥१॥
sidhda mhaṇe nāmadhārakā | puḍhem apūrva jhālem aikā | yogeśvara kāraṇikā | sāmge striyāmce dharma sakaḷa ||1||
Siddha says to Nāmadhārak: 'Listen, something wondrous follows — the compassionate Yogeśvara (lord of yoga, Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī) tells the whole duty (dharma) of women.'
Siddha resumes the frame story, promising Nāmadhārak — and the listener — a new teaching: the guru's discourse on women's conduct within the tale of Agastya and Lopāmudrā.
Stay attentive when a teacher signals that something important is coming next.
योगेश्वर म्हणती स्त्रियेसी । आचार स्त्रियांचे पुससी । सांगेन तुज विस्तारेंसी । भवसागर तरावया ॥२॥
yogeśvara mhaṇatī striyesī | ācāra striyāmce pusasī | sāmgena tuja vistāremsī | bhavasāgara tarāvayā ||2||
Yogeśvara says to the woman [Lopāmudrā]: 'You ask about women's conduct; I will tell you in full detail, for crossing the ocean of worldly existence.'
The guru frames the coming teaching as a means of liberation — bhavasāgara (the ocean of birth and rebirth) — not merely social custom but a path meant to carry the seeker across.
When you ask for guidance, expect a real answer, not a shortcut — and be willing to receive it in full.
पति असतां कवण धर्म । अथवा मेलिया काय कर्म । उभयपक्षी विस्तारोन । सांगेन ऐकचित्ते ॥३॥
pati asatām kavaṇa dharma | athavā meliyā kāya karma | ubhayapakṣī vistārona | sāmgena aikacitte ||3||
'What is the duty while the husband lives, and what is the practice after his death? I will explain both sides in detail — listen with a single mind.'
The guru sets up the two-part structure of the teaching to come: conduct during marriage, and conduct in widowhood — asking for undivided attention, ekacitta (one-pointed mind).
Give your full, undivided attention when someone is about to teach you something structured and important.
कथा स्कंदपुराणांत । काशीखंडीं विस्तृत । स्त्रियांचे धर्म बहुत । एकचित्तें ऐकावे ॥४॥
kathā skamdapurāṇāmta | kāśīkhamḍīm vistṛta | striyāmce dharma bahuta | ekacittem aikāve ||4||
The story is told at length in the Skanda Purāṇa, in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa section; much of women's dharma is there — it should be heard with a single mind.
The narrator grounds the coming teaching in scriptural authority, the Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kashi section) of the Skanda Purāṇa, the classical source for this story of Agastya and Lopāmudrā.
Root what you teach or believe in a real, traceable source rather than hearsay.
अगस्ति ऋषि महामुनि । जो का काशीभुवनीं । लोपमुद्रा महाज्ञानी । त्याची भार्या परियेसा ॥५॥
agasti ṛṣi mahāmuni | jo kā kāśībhuvanīm | lopamudrā mahājñānī | tyācī bhāryā pariyesā ||5||
The great sage Agastya, who dwelt in the realm of Kāśī [Varanasi] — Lopāmudrā, a woman of great wisdom, was his wife, know this.
The story's central couple is introduced: the sage Agastya and his learned wife Lopāmudrā, whose devotion will become the model of ideal womanhood in this chapter.
Recognize and honor the wisdom of your life partner, not only your own.
पतिव्रताशिरोमणि। दुजी नव्हती आणिक कोणी । असतां तेथें वर्तमानी । झाले अपूर्व परियेसा ॥६॥
pativratāśiromaṇi| dujī navhatī āṇika koṇī | asatām tethem vartamānī | jhāle apūrva pariyesā ||6||
She was the crown-jewel among devoted wives (pativratā); no other equaled her. While things stood so, something wondrous happened — hear it.
Lopāmudrā is set up as the supreme exemplar of pativratā (a wife wholly devoted to her husband) before the narrative pivots to the episode that will prove it.
Let your reputation for integrity be earned through consistent action, not mere claim.
त्या अगस्तिच्या शिष्यांत । विंध्य नामें असे विख्यात । पर्वतरूपें असे वर्तत । होता भूमीवर देखा ॥७॥
tyā agasticyā śiṣyāmta | vimdhya nāmem ase vikhyāta | parvatarūpem ase vartata | hotā bhūmīvara dekhā ||7||
Among Agastya's disciples was one named Vindhya, well known, who existed in the form of a mountain standing upon the earth.
The story introduces its second character: Vindhya, here personified as a mountain who is also a disciple of Agastya — a device typical of purāṇic storytelling, where nature itself has a guru.
Recognize that even the mightiest of forces still needs a teacher to keep it in check.
विध्याचळ म्हणिजे गिरी । अपूर्व वनें त्यावरी । शोभायमान महाशिखरी । बहु रम्य परियेसा ॥८॥
vidhyācaḷa mhaṇije girī | apūrva vanem tyāvarī | śobhāyamāna mahāśikharī | bahu ramya pariyesā ||8||
The Vindhya range is a great hill, with wondrous forests upon it, shining with mighty peaks — very beautiful indeed.
A brief descriptive verse paints the natural splendor of the Vindhya mountains before pride enters the story.
Appreciate natural beauty and take a moment to notice what is genuinely wondrous around you.
ब्रह्मर्षि नारदमुनि । हिंडत गेला तये स्थानीं । संतोष पावला पाहोनि । स्तुति केली तये वेळी ॥९॥
brahmarṣi nāradamuni | himḍata gelā taye sthānīm | samtoṣa pāvalā pāhoni | stuti kelī taye veḷī ||9||
The sage Nārada, wandering about, arrived at that place; seeing it he was pleased, and at that time offered praise.
Nārada, the wandering celestial sage who often triggers purāṇic plots, arrives and praises Vindhya — setting up the pride that follows.
Be careful how you praise someone; sincere words can also feed unhealthy pride.
नारद म्हणे विंध्यासी । सर्वात श्रेष्ठ तूं होसी । सकळ वृक्ष तुजपासीं । मनोरम्य स्थळ तुझें ॥१०॥
nārada mhaṇe vimdhyāsī | sarvāta śreṣṭha tūm hosī | sakaḷa vṛkṣa tujapāsīm | manoramya sthaḷa tujhem ||10||
Nārada says to Vindhya: 'You are the greatest of all; all manner of trees are upon you; your place is most delightful.'
Nārada's flattery calls Vindhya the greatest of all mountains — the compliment that will soon curdle into arrogance.
Receive praise gratefully but do not let it convince you that you are beyond all others.
परी एक असे उणें । मेरुसमान नव्हेसी जाणें स्थळ स्वल्प या कारणें । महत्व नाहीं परियेसा ॥११॥
parī eka ase uṇem | merusamāna navhesī jāṇem sthaḷa svalpa yā kāraṇem | mahatva nāhīm pariyesā ||11||
'But one thing is lacking: know that you are not equal to Mount Meru; your extent is small, and for this reason you lack true greatness.'
Nārada, having flattered Vindhya, adds a barb — comparing him unfavorably to Meru (the cosmic mountain) — a classic trigger of envy in purāṇic tales.
Notice when a compliment is really a provocation, and don't let it goad you into overreaching.
ऐसें म्हणतां नारदमुनि । विंध्याचळ कोपोनि । वाढता झाला ते क्षणी । मेरुपरी होईन म्हणे ॥१२॥
aisem mhaṇatām nāradamuni | vimdhyācaḷa koponi | vāḍhatā jhālā te kṣaṇī | meruparī hoīna mhaṇe ||12||
When Nārada said this, Vindhya grew angry, and at that very moment began to grow, saying, 'I shall become like Meru.'
Wounded pride turns into unchecked ambition: Vindhya begins to swell in size out of anger and rivalry, the seed of the disorder to come.
Notice when anger is driving your ambition, and pause before you act from wounded pride.
वाढे विंध्याचळ देखा । सूर्यमंडळासंमुखा । क्रमांतरें वाढतां ऐका । गेला स्वर्गभुवनासी ॥१३॥
vāḍhe vimdhyācaḷa dekhā | sūryamamḍaḷāsammukhā | kramāmtarem vāḍhatām aikā | gelā svargabhuvanāsī ||13||
Vindhya grew, rising to face the very disc of the sun; growing on by stages, it is said, it reached up to the heavenly world.
Vindhya's unchecked growth becomes cosmic overreach, rising high enough to block the sun and touch the heavens — pride made literal in scale.
Watch for the point where healthy growth becomes overreach that blocks the light for others.
विंध्याद्रीच्या दक्षिण भागासी । अंधकार अहर्निशीं । सूर्यरश्मी न दिसे कैशीं । यज्ञादि कर्मे राहिलीं ॥१४॥
vimdhyādrīcyā dakṣiṇa bhāgāsī | amdhakāra aharniśīm | sūryaraśmī na dise kaiśīm | yajñādi karme rāhilīm ||14||
On the southern side of the Vindhya range there was darkness day and night; the rays of the sun could not be seen at all, and rites like the sacred fires were left undone.
Vindhya's pride now has real consequences: the land to the south is plunged into darkness, and ordinary religious life — the daily yajña (fire ritual) — cannot continue.
Recognize when someone's unchecked pride begins to harm the ordinary lives of people around them, and act.
ऋषि समस्त मिळोनि । विनवूं आले इंद्रभुवनी । विध्याद्रीची करणी । सांगते झाले विस्तारें ॥१५॥
ṛṣi samasta miḷoni | vinavūm āle imdrabhuvanī | vidhyādrīcī karaṇī | sāmgate jhāle vistārem ||15||
All the sages gathered together and came to petition in Indra's realm, and told at length what Vindhya had done.
The sages, unable to solve the problem themselves, take collective action and appeal to a higher authority — a model of communal problem-solving.
When a problem is bigger than you, gather allies and take it to those who can help.
इंद्र कोपे तये वेळी । गेला तया ब्रह्मयाजवळी । सांगितला वृत्तान्त सकळी । तया विंध्य पर्वताचा ॥१६॥
imdra kope taye veḷī | gelā tayā brahmayājavaḷī | sāmgitalā vṛttānta sakaḷī | tayā vimdhya parvatācā ||16||
Indra grew angry at that, and went to Brahmā, and told him the whole account of the Vindhya mountain.
Indra, in turn, escalates the matter to Brahmā — the sequence shows a proper chain of appeal rather than a rash, unilateral response.
Escalate a problem through proper channels rather than trying to fix everything yourself by force.
ब्रह्मा म्हणे इंद्रासी । आहे कारण आम्हांसी । अगस्ति असे पुरीं काशी । त्यासी दक्षिण दिशे पाठवावें ॥१७॥
brahmā mhaṇe imdrāsī | āhe kāraṇa āmhāmsī | agasti ase purīm kāśī | tyāsī dakṣiṇa diśe pāṭhavāvem ||17||
Brahmā says to Indra: 'We have the means for this — Agastya lives in the city of Kāśī; he should be sent to the southern direction.'
Brahmā's solution is not to fight Vindhya's power directly but to send its own teacher, Agastya, to correct it — the guru's authority resolves what force cannot.
When facing an unruly force, seek out the one person whose authority it will actually respect.
दक्षिण दिशा भुमीसी । अंधार पडिला परियेसी । या कारणें अगस्तीसी । दक्षिण दिशे पाठवावें ॥१८॥
dakṣiṇa diśā bhumīsī | amdhāra paḍilā pariyesī | yā kāraṇem agastīsī | dakṣiṇa diśe pāṭhavāvem ||18||
Darkness had fallen upon the land in the southern direction, know this; for this reason Agastya should be sent to the south.
The verse restates the plan: since the south lies in darkness, Agastya alone can restore it by going there in person.
Go to where the trouble actually is rather than trying to solve it from a distance.
अगस्तीचा शिष्य देखा । विंध्याचल आहे जो कां । गुरु येतां संमुखा । नमितां होई दंडवत ॥१९॥
agastīcā śiṣya dekhā | vimdhyācala āhe jo kām | guru yetām sammukhā | namitām hoī damḍavata ||19||
Know that Vindhya the mountain is Agastya's disciple; when the guru comes before him, he will bow down in full prostration.
Brahmā counts on the bond between teacher and disciple: Vindhya's respect for his guru is stronger than his pride, and he is certain to prostrate before him.
Trust that genuine respect for a mentor can override even deep-seated pride.
सांगेल अगस्ति शिष्यासी । वाढों नको म्हणेल त्यासी । गमन करितां शिखरेसी । भूमीसमान करील ॥२०॥
sāmgela agasti śiṣyāsī | vāḍhom nako mhaṇela tyāsī | gamana karitām śikharesī | bhūmīsamāna karīla ||20||
Agastya will tell his disciple, 'Do not grow any further,' and as he passes over the peak he will bring it level with the ground.
The plan is that Agastya's mere word, backed by his passing over the mountain, will halt and even reverse the swelling — the guru's command carries the power to undo what pride has built.
Trust that a single clear word from someone you respect can stop a harmful pattern in its tracks.
या कारणें तुम्ही आतां । काशीपुरा जावें तत्त्वतां । अगस्तीतें नमतां । दक्षिणेसी पाठवावें ॥२१॥
yā kāraṇem tumhī ātām | kāśīpurā jāvem tattvatām | agastītem namatām | dakṣiṇesī pāṭhavāvem ||21||
'For this reason, go now truly to the city of Kāśī; bowing to Agastya, send him to the south.'
Brahmā instructs Indra directly: approach Agastya with due humility (namana, bowing) rather than command him, since he must be requested, not ordered.
Ask respectfully for help rather than demanding it, especially from someone whose expertise you need.
येणेंपरी इंद्रासी । सांगे ब्रह्मदेव हर्षी । निरोप घेऊन वेगेंसी । निघता झाला अमरनाथ ॥२२॥
yeṇemparī imdrāsī | sāmge brahmadeva harṣī | niropa gheūna vegemsī | nighatā jhālā amaranātha ||22||
In this way Brahmadeva spoke joyfully to Indra; taking his leave, the lord of the immortals [Indra] set out swiftly.
With Brahmā's counsel received, Indra acts promptly — a small but telling detail: right guidance, once given, should be followed without delay.
Once you have good counsel, act on it promptly rather than letting it sit.
देवासहित इंद्र देखा । सवें बृहस्पति ऐका । सकळ ऋषि मिळोनि देखा । आले काशी भुवनासी ॥२३॥
devāsahita imdra dekhā | savem bṛhaspati aikā | sakaḷa ṛṣi miḷoni dekhā | āle kāśī bhuvanāsī ||23||
Indra, together with the gods, and with Bṛhaspati as well, and all the sages gathered, came to the realm of Kāśī.
A grand company — gods, sages, and Bṛhaspati (the gods' own guru) — travels together to Kāśī, underscoring how weighty this matter is.
Bring the right people along when the matter at hand truly needs collective wisdom.
अगस्तीच्या आश्रमासी । पातले समस्त इंद्र ऋषि । देवगुरु महाऋषि । बृहस्पति सवें असे ॥२४॥
agastīcyā āśramāsī | pātale samasta imdra ṛṣi | devaguru mahāṛṣi | bṛhaspati savem ase ||24||
All of them — Indra, the sages, and the great sage Bṛhaspati, guru of the gods — arrived at Agastya's hermitage.
The company reaches its destination, Agastya's āśrama (hermitage), the humble dwelling that nonetheless commands the visit of gods themselves.
Recognize that a person's true stature may draw respect from far greater powers than their outward simplicity suggests.
देखोनिया अगस्ति मुनि । सकळांतें अभिवंदोनि । अर्ध्यपाद्य देउनी । पूजा केली भक्तीनें ॥२५॥
dekhoniyā agasti muni | sakaḷāmtem abhivamdoni | ardhyapādya deunī | pūjā kelī bhaktīnem ||25||
Seeing them, the sage Agastya bowed to them all, offered arghya and pādya [ritual water for hands and feet], and worshipped them with devotion.
Agastya receives his guests with the full ritual hospitality due to honored visitors — pādya (water for washing feet) is the classic Indian gesture of welcome and humility.
Welcome your guests, however exalted you may be, with genuine hospitality and humility.
देव आणि बृहस्पति । अगस्तीची करिती स्तुति । आणिक सवेंचि आणिती । लोपामुद्रा पतिव्रता ॥२६॥
deva āṇi bṛhaspati | agastīcī karitī stuti | āṇika savemci āṇitī | lopāmudrā pativratā ||26||
The gods and Bṛhaspati praised Agastya, and then also brought forward his devoted wife, Lopāmudrā.
The scene turns from Agastya to Lopāmudrā, whose introduction here sets up the teaching that follows — praise of the sage leads naturally to praise of his wife.
Recognize the partner behind a great person's achievements, not only the person themselves.
देवगुरु बृहस्पति । सांगे पतिव्रताख्याति । पूर्वी पतिव्रता बहुती । लोपमुद्रासरी नव्हती ॥२७॥
devaguru bṛhaspati | sāmge pativratākhyāti | pūrvī pativratā bahutī | lopamudrāsarī navhatī ||27||
Bṛhaspati, guru of the gods, spoke of the fame of devoted wives, saying that of the many devoted wives before her, none equaled Lopāmudrā.
Bṛhaspati begins the encomium that will become the frame for the whole chapter's teaching, naming Lopāmudrā the foremost among all celebrated pativratās.
When praising excellence, be specific about what makes this instance stand out among many good examples.
अरुंधती सावित्री सती । अनुसया पतिव्रती । शांडिल्याची पत्नी होती । पतिव्रता विख्यात ॥२८॥
arumdhatī sāvitrī satī | anusayā pativratī | śāmḍilyācī patnī hotī | pativratā vikhyāta ||28||
Arundhatī, the chaste Sāvitrī, the devoted Anasūyā, and the wife of Śāṇḍilya — all were renowned devoted wives.
Bṛhaspati lists the classical exemplars of wifely devotion — Arundhatī, Sāvitrī, Anasūyā — figures still invoked in Hindu weddings as models of steadfastness.
Learn from a range of admirable role models rather than fixing on just one ideal.
लक्ष्मी आणि पार्वती । शांतरूपा स्वयंभुपत्नी । मेनिका अतिविख्याती । हिमवंताची प्राणेश्वरी ॥२९॥
lakṣmī āṇi pārvatī | śāmtarūpā svayambhupatnī | menikā ativikhyātī | himavamtācī prāṇeśvarī ||29||
Lakṣmī and Pārvatī, the serene wife of the Self-born [Brahmā], and the famous Menakā, beloved wife of Himavanta.
The list of celebrated wives extends even to goddesses, showing that this ideal is understood to run through the whole cosmic order, not just human society.
Understand that the values you hold dear can be honored at every level of life, great and small.
सुनीती ध्रुवाची माता । संज्ञादेवी सुर्यकांता । स्वाहादेवी विख्याता । यज्ञपुरुषप्राणेश्वरी ॥३०॥
sunītī dhruvācī mātā | samjñādevī suryakāmtā | svāhādevī vikhyātā | yajñapuruṣaprāṇeśvarī ||30||
Sunītī, mother of Dhruva; Saṃjñā, beloved of the Sun; and the renowned Svāhā, consort of the lord of sacrifice.
More figures are added to the honor-roll of devoted wives and mothers — Sunītī, mother of the steadfast child-devotee Dhruva, fits the chapter's theme of loyalty producing great fruit.
Remember that steadfastness in ordinary family roles can produce extraordinary results.
यांहूनि आणिक ख्याता । लोपामुद्रा पतिव्रता । ऐका समस्त देवगण म्हणतां । बृहस्पति सांगतसे ॥३१॥
yāmhūni āṇika khyātā | lopāmudrā pativratā | aikā samasta devagaṇa mhaṇatām | bṛhaspati sāmgatase ||31||
'More renowned than all of these is the devoted wife Lopāmudrā' — hear this, all you host of gods — thus Bṛhaspati speaks.
Having listed the great exemplars, Bṛhaspati crowns Lopāmudrā above them all, setting the stage for her to become the model whose 'code of conduct' the rest of the chapter will spell out.
Do not be afraid to hold up an even higher standard once you have honored the good ones that came before.
पतिव्रतेचें आचरण । सांगे गुरु विस्तारोन । पुरुष जेवितां प्रसाद जाण । मुख्य भोजन स्त्रियेसी ॥३२॥
pativratecem ācaraṇa | sāmge guru vistārona | puruṣa jevitām prasāda jāṇa | mukhya bhojana striyesī ||32||
The guru describes the conduct of a devoted wife at length: know that when the husband has eaten, his leftover food (prasāda) is the wife's principal meal.
The detailed 'code of conduct' begins with a household custom of its era — sharing the husband's plate as prasāda (a blessed remainder) — reflecting a hierarchy of the medieval household rather than a universal rule.
In a shared meal today, let care and consideration for each other — not rank — decide who is served first.
आणिक सेवा ऐशी करणें । पुरुष देखोनि उभें राहणें । आज्ञेविण बैसों नेणे । अवज्ञा न करणें पतीची ॥३३॥
āṇika sevā aiśī karaṇem | puruṣa dekhoni ubhem rāhaṇem | ājñeviṇa baisom neṇe | avajñā na karaṇem patīcī ||33||
And she should serve in this way too: standing up when she sees her husband, not sitting without his leave, and never disrespecting him.
The text prescribes formal deference typical of a strict traditional household code; the underlying value it points toward is basic courtesy and respect between partners, expressed here in the etiquette of its age.
Show a loved one basic courtesy and attentiveness whenever they walk into the room.
दिवस अखंड सेवा करणे अतिथि येतां पूजा करणें । पतिनिरोपावीण न जाणें । दानधर्म न करावा ॥३४॥
divasa akhamḍa sevā karaṇe atithi yetām pūjā karaṇem | patiniropāvīṇa na jāṇem | dānadharma na karāvā ||34||
She should serve continually through the day, honor any guest who arrives, not go anywhere without her husband's leave, and not give charity [without his consent].
Hospitality to guests (atithi pūjā) is praised as a duty shared by the household, while decisions on going out or giving charity are described as requiring the husband's consent, per the customs of the time.
Welcome guests warmly, and make major household decisions together rather than unilaterally.
पतीची सेवा निरंतरीं । मनीं भाविजे हाचि हरि । शयनकाळी सर्व रात्रीं । सेवा करावी भक्तींसी ॥३५॥
patīcī sevā niramtarīm | manīm bhāvije hāci hari | śayanakāḷī sarva rātrīm | sevā karāvī bhaktīmsī ||35||
She should serve her husband continually, holding in her mind that he himself is Hari [Viṣṇu]; at bedtime, through the whole night, service should be rendered with devotion.
The text uses bhakti (devotional) language for marriage: seeing the husband as a form of the divine is the emotional register the whole chapter borrows to elevate ordinary domestic duty into spiritual practice.
Bring the same wholehearted attention to caring for those closest to you that you would bring to something sacred.
पति निद्रिस्त झाल्यावरी । आपण शयन कीजे नारी । चोळी तानवडे ठेवावीं दुरी । तेणें पुरुषशरीर स्पर्शू नये ॥३६॥
pati nidrista jhālyāvarī | āpaṇa śayana kīje nārī | coḷī tānavaḍe ṭhevāvīm durī | teṇem puruṣaśarīra sparśū naye ||36||
Only after her husband has fallen asleep should the wife lie down; her blouse and arm-bands should be kept aside, so that they do not touch her husband's body.
This verse reflects a very particular medieval taboo about clothing and ritual purity in the marital bed, a custom of its time rather than a universal ethical teaching.
Notice and set aside whatever small habits genuinely disturb your partner's rest or comfort.
स्पर्शे चोळी पुरुषासी । हानि होत आयुष्यासी । घेऊं नये नांव त्यासी । पति-आयुष्य उणें होय ॥३७॥
sparśe coḷī puruṣāsī | hāni hota āyuṣyāsī | gheūm naye nāmva tyāsī | pati-āyuṣya uṇem hoya ||37||
If the blouse touches the husband, it is said to harm his lifespan; nor should she speak his name, for that too is said to shorten the husband's life.
The text records the folk belief, common to its era, that a wife's carelessness or even speaking her husband's name directly could magically shorten his life — an old taboo, not a spiritual principle to carry forward.
Be mindful of small daily habits, but do not let superstition replace genuine care for someone's wellbeing.
जागृत न होतां पति ऐका । पुढें उठीजे सती देखा । करणें सडासंमार्जन निका । करणें निर्मळ मंगलप्रद ॥३८॥
jāgṛta na hotām pati aikā | puḍhem uṭhīje satī dekhā | karaṇem saḍāsammārjana nikā | karaṇem nirmaḷa mamgalaprada ||38||
Before her husband wakes, the devoted wife should rise, sweep and cleanse [the doorway] well, and make everything pure and auspicious.
The morning routine of sweeping and cleansing the threshold (sadā saṃmārjana) was, in traditional households, both a practical chore and a ritual act meant to invite auspiciousness into the home.
Start your day by tidying your space; a clean beginning sets a calmer tone for everyone in the household.
स्नान करूनि त्वरित । पूजूनि घ्यावें पतितीर्थ । चरणी मस्तक ठेवोनि यथार्थ । शिवासमान भावावें ॥३९॥
snāna karūni tvarita | pūjūni ghyāvem patitīrtha | caraṇī mastaka ṭhevoni yathārtha | śivāsamāna bhāvāvem ||39||
After bathing quickly, she should worship and take the water that has touched her husband's feet [as sacred tīrtha], placing her head at his feet, regarding him truly as equal to Śiva.
The practice of drinking pādatīrtha (water offered at the feet of a revered person) is normally reserved for gurus and deities; the text extends it to the husband, treating the marriage bond itself as a path of worship.
Approach the people you love with genuine reverence, not just routine obligation.
असतां ग्रामीं गृहीं पुरुष । सर्व शृंगार करणें हर्ष । ग्रामा गेलिया पुरुष । शृंगार आपण करुं नये ॥४०॥
asatām grāmīm gṛhīm puruṣa | sarva śṛmgāra karaṇem harṣa | grāmā geliyā puruṣa | śṛmgāra āpaṇa karum naye ||40||
While the husband is at home in the town, she should adorn herself joyfully in full; when the husband has gone away to another town, she should not adorn herself.
The custom of dressing up only in the husband's presence reflects a social norm of restrained modesty in his absence — a period-specific etiquette rather than a timeless principle.
Let how you present yourself day to day be an honest expression of your own life, not a performance for someone absent.
पति निष्ठुर बोले जरी । आपण कोप कदा न करी । क्षमा म्हणोनी चरण धरी । राग न धरी मनांत ॥४१॥
pati niṣṭhura bole jarī | āpaṇa kopa kadā na karī | kṣamā mhaṇonī caraṇa dharī | rāga na dharī manāmta ||41||
Even if the husband speaks harshly, she should never grow angry; saying only 'forgive me,' she should hold his feet and bear no anger in her heart.
This verse asks for total patience even under harsh words — an extreme standard reflecting the era's expectation of the wife alone absorbing conflict; its lasting value lies only in the general virtue of not meeting harshness with more harshness.
When someone close to you speaks harshly in a bad moment, resist the urge to answer anger with anger — but also do not accept mistreatment as normal.
पति येतां बाहेरुनी । सामोरी जाय तेक्षणी । सकळ कामें त्यजूनि । संमुख जाय पतिव्रता ॥४२॥
pati yetām bāherunī | sāmorī jāya tekṣaṇī | sakaḷa kāmem tyajūni | sammukha jāya pativratā ||42||
When the husband returns from outside, she should go to meet him at once; leaving all other tasks, the devoted wife goes to greet him.
A simple gesture of welcome — dropping other work to greet a returning family member — carries forward as a picture of attentiveness that still resonates.
Put down what you are doing for a moment to warmly greet someone you love when they come home.
काय निरोप म्हणोनि । पुसावें ऐसें वंदोनि । जें वसे पतीच्या मनीं । त्याचपरी रहाटे ॥४३॥
kāya niropa mhaṇoni | pusāvem aisem vamdoni | jem vase patīcyā manīm | tyācaparī rahāṭe ||43||
Bowing, she should ask, 'What word do you bring?'; and she should conduct herself according to what dwells in her husband's mind.
The instruction to align one's conduct entirely with another's mind reflects the chapter's extreme ideal of self-effacement; taken sensibly, it points to attentiveness to a partner's needs rather than the erasure of one's own judgment.
Listen closely enough to a loved one's concerns that your response actually answers what they need, not just what you assume.
पतिव्रतेचें ऐसें लक्षण । सांगेन ऐका देवगण । बहिर्द्वारी जातां जाण । अनेक दोष परियेसा ॥४४॥
pativratecem aisem lakṣaṇa | sāmgena aikā devagaṇa | bahirdvārī jātām jāṇa | aneka doṣa pariyesā ||44||
'Such is the mark of a devoted wife; hear it, host of gods. Know that in going out of doors there are many faults' [to avoid], hear them.
Bṛhaspati transitions to a new topic — proper behavior when leaving the house — signaling that the code of conduct will now turn to conduct in public.
Be as mindful of your conduct in public as you are at home.
बहिर्द्वारीं जाणें जरी । पाहूं नये नरनारीं । सवेंचि परतावें लवकरी । आपुले गुही असावें ॥४५॥
bahirdvārīm jāṇem jarī | pāhūm naye naranārīm | savemci paratāvem lavakarī | āpule guhī asāvem ||45||
If she must go outside the door, she should not look about at men and women; she should return quickly and stay within her own home.
This reflects a restrictive norm of a woman's very limited public presence in the text's era; whatever value survives is simply about staying focused on one's purpose rather than idle wandering attention.
When you step out to do something specific, stay focused on your errand rather than getting distracted.
जरी पाहे बहिद्वारीं । उलूकयोनी जन्मे नारी । याच प्रकारे निर्धारी । पातिव्रत्य लोपामुद्रेचें ॥४६॥
jarī pāhe bahidvārīm | ulūkayonī janme nārī | yāca prakāre nirdhārī | pātivratya lopāmudrecem ||46||
If she looks about outside the door, it is said she will be born in the womb of an owl in her next life; such, it is declared, was the devoted conduct of Lopāmudrā.
The text uses a folk threat of animal rebirth to enforce the previous rule — a rhetorical device typical of this genre, not a doctrine to be read literally; it underlines how seriously the ideal was taken, using Lopāmudrā as its living proof.
Let care about your own conduct come from a sense of purpose, not fear of arbitrary punishment.
लोपामुद्रा पतिव्रता । बाहेर न वचे सर्वथा । प्रात:काळ जो का होता । सडासंमार्जन करीतसे ॥४७॥
lopāmudrā pativratā | bāhera na vace sarvathā | prāta:kāḷa jo kā hotā | saḍāsammārjana karītase ||47||
The devoted Lopāmudrā never went outside at all; when morning came, she would sweep and cleanse the house.
The narrative now shows Lopāmudrā actually living out the code just described, grounding the abstract rules in her concrete daily practice.
Turn stated values into a concrete daily habit rather than leaving them as ideas.
देवउपकरणी उजळोनि । गंधाक्षतांदि करूनि । पुष्पवाती पंचवर्णी । रंगमाळा देवांसी ॥४८॥
devaupakaraṇī ujaḷoni | gamdhākṣatāmdi karūni | puṣpavātī pamcavarṇī | ramgamāḷā devāmsī ||48||
She would polish the vessels of worship, prepare sandal paste and rice grains, [light] flowers and wicks of five colors, and make garlands of colored powder for the gods.
A vivid picture of daily household worship (pūjā) — polishing vessels, preparing offerings — shows devotion expressed through careful, ordinary craft.
Bring care and attention to the small preparations behind any act of devotion or hospitality.
अनुष्ठानाहूनि पति येतां । सकळ आयती करी तत्त्वतां । धरोनि पतीच्या चित्ता । पतीसवें रहाटे ती ॥४९॥
anuṣṭhānāhūni pati yetām | sakaḷa āyatī karī tattvatām | dharoni patīcyā cittā | patīsavem rahāṭe tī ||49||
When her husband returned from his religious observances, she had everything truly ready; keeping his wishes in mind, she conducted herself in step with him.
Lopāmudrā's readiness and attentiveness to her husband's rhythms are held up as the practical expression of devotion, timing her own life to support his.
Anticipate a loved one's needs and have things ready when they return from important work.
पुरुषाचें उच्छिष्ट भोजन । मनोभावें करणें आपण । नसतां पुरुष ग्रामीं जाण । घ्यावा अतिथिधेनुप्रसाद ॥५०॥
puruṣācem ucchiṣṭa bhojana | manobhāvem karaṇem āpaṇa | nasatām puruṣa grāmīm jāṇa | ghyāvā atithidhenuprasāda ||50||
She should eat her husband's leftover food wholeheartedly; and when the husband is away from the town, she should take the blessed food offered to a guest or a cow instead.
The custom of eating after the husband, or from food offered to guests or cattle in his absence, again reflects the household hierarchy of its era, framed here as an act of devotion rather than deprivation.
Practice a small daily discipline of putting shared resources to others' needs before your own.
अतिथीसी घालावे अन्न । अथवा धेनूतें पूजोन । भोजन करावें सगुण । पतिव्रता परियेसा ॥५१॥
atithīsī ghālāve anna | athavā dhenūtem pūjona | bhojana karāvem saguṇa | pativratā pariyesā ||51||
She should feed a guest, or worship a cow, and only then eat her own meal with proper conduct — such is the devoted wife, know this.
Feeding guests and cattle before oneself continues the household's hospitality ethic, a value that still translates well beyond its original context.
Make sure guests and dependents are cared for before you serve yourself.
गृह निर्मळ निरंतर करी । निरोपावेगळा धर्म न करी । व्रतोपवास येणेपरी । निरोपावेगळे न करी जाणा ॥५२॥
gṛha nirmaḷa niramtara karī | niropāvegaḷā dharma na karī | vratopavāsa yeṇeparī | niropāvegaḷe na karī jāṇā ||52||
She keeps the home continually clean, and undertakes no religious observance without her husband's leave; vows and fasts likewise she does not take up without his permission, know this.
Household cleanliness is praised outright, while the requirement of the husband's permission for vows and fasts reflects the era's insistence on joint or husband-led religious decisions in the household.
Keep your living space clean, and make significant personal commitments in consultation with those who share your life.
उत्साह होता नगरात । कधी पाहू न म्हणत । तीर्थयात्राविवाहार्थ । कधीही न वचे परियेसा ॥५३॥
utsāha hotā nagarāta | kadhī pāhū na mhaṇata | tīrthayātrāvivāhārtha | kadhīhī na vace pariyesā ||53||
Even if there is a festival in the town, she never says she wishes to go see it; nor does she ever go, even for a pilgrimage or a wedding, know this.
The extremity of never leaving home even for festivals or pilgrimages marks the text's ideal as unusually strict; it is best read as a period detail illustrating single-minded devotion, not a rule to follow today.
Let your commitments to loved ones sometimes take priority over outings you would otherwise enjoy, without turning that into total isolation.
पुरुष संतोषी असता जरी । दुश्चित नसावी त्याची नारी । पुरुष दुश्चित असता जरी । आपण संतोषी असो नये ॥५४॥
puruṣa samtoṣī asatā jarī | duścita nasāvī tyācī nārī | puruṣa duścita asatā jarī | āpaṇa samtoṣī aso naye ||54||
If the husband is content, his wife should not be troubled in mind; and if the husband is troubled, she should not be the one who is content.
The verse asks for emotional attunement between husband and wife — sharing each other's moods — an ideal of empathy expressed here in one-directional language typical of the text's framing.
Attune your mood with genuine empathy to what a loved one is going through, rather than being cheerful while they suffer.
रजस्वला झालिया देखा । बोलो नये मौन्य निका । नायकावे वेद ऐका । मुख पुरुषा दाखवू नये ॥५५॥
rajasvalā jhāliyā dekhā | bolo naye maunya nikā | nāyakāve veda aikā | mukha puruṣā dākhavū naye ||55||
When she has become rajasvalā [menstruating], know that she should keep good silence, not speak, not listen to the Vedas being recited, and not show her face to her husband.
This reflects the traditional menstrual seclusion practice of pre-modern Hindu households, treating menstruation as a period of ritual withdrawal — a purity custom of its time now widely set aside.
Respect a person's need for rest and privacy during a physically demanding time of the month.
ऐसे चारी दिवसांवरी । आचरावे तिये नारी । सुस्नात होता ते अवसरी । पुरुषमुख अवलोकिजे ॥५६॥
aise cārī divasāmvarī | ācarāve tiye nārī | susnāta hotā te avasarī | puruṣamukha avalokije ||56||
For four days she should observe this practice; only once she has bathed thoroughly should she look upon her husband's face again.
The four-day seclusion period ends with a ritual bath before resuming normal contact — a structured custom marking the end of the observance.
Mark the end of a period of rest or recovery with a clear, deliberate return to normal life.
जरी नसे पुरुष भवनी । त्याचे रूप ध्यावे मनी । सूर्यमंडळ पाहोनि । घरात जावे पतिव्रते ॥५७॥
jarī nase puruṣa bhavanī | tyāce rūpa dhyāve manī | sūryamamḍaḷa pāhoni | gharāta jāve pativrate ||57||
If the husband is not in the house, she should meditate on his form in her mind; having looked at the disc of the sun, the devoted wife should go into the house.
Even in his absence, the wife is asked to keep the husband present in mind through a small daily ritual — meditating on his form after greeting the sun.
Hold a loved one in mind through a small daily ritual, even when they are far away.
पुरुषआयुष्यवर्धनार्थ । हळदीकुंकुम लाविजे ख्यात । सेंदूर काजळ कंठसूत्र । फणी माथा असावी ॥५८॥
puruṣaāyuṣyavardhanārtha | haḷadīkumkuma lāvije khyāta | semdūra kājaḷa kamṭhasūtra | phaṇī māthā asāvī ||58||
For the sake of increasing her husband's lifespan, she should apply haldī-kuṅkum [turmeric and vermilion]; wear sindūr, kohl, the sacred marriage thread, and keep her hair combed.
This catalogs the visible markers of a married Hindu woman — sindūr (vermilion), kuṅkum, maṅgalsūtra (marriage thread) — worn as auspicious signs believed to protect and prolong the husband's life.
Take visible pride in the commitments and relationships that matter most to you.
तांबूल घ्यावे सुवासिनी । असावी तिचे माथा वेणी । करी कंकणे तोडर चरणी । पुरुषासमीप येणेपरी ॥५९॥
tāmbūla ghyāve suvāsinī | asāvī tice māthā veṇī | karī kamkaṇe toḍara caraṇī | puruṣāsamīpa yeṇeparī ||59||
A married woman should chew betel leaf, wear her hair braided, bangles on her arms and anklets on her feet, and thus present herself before her husband.
The description continues, cataloguing the traditional adornments — braid, bangles, anklets — of a suvāsinī (married woman whose husband is living), markers of an auspicious married state in this culture.
Present yourself with care and self-respect for the people you love, not just for the outside world.
न करी इष्टत्व शेजारणीशी । रजकस्त्रीकुंटिणीसी । जैनस्त्रीद्रव्यहीनेसी । इष्टत्व करिता हानि होय ॥६०॥
na karī iṣṭatva śejāraṇīśī | rajakastrīkumṭiṇīsī | jainastrīdravyahīnesī | iṣṭatva karitā hāni hoya ||60||
She should not form close friendships with a neighboring woman, a washerwoman, a procuress, a Jain woman, or a poor woman; forming such friendships causes harm.
This is a period-bound and frankly prejudiced list — reflecting caste and sectarian bias of its time against washerwomen, Jain women, and the poor — and should be read as a historical artifact rather than followed.
Choose your close friendships for their character, not for someone else's prejudice about their background or means.
पुरुषनिंदक स्त्रियेसी । न बोलावे तियेसी । बोलता दोष घडे तिसी । पतिव्रतालक्षण ॥६१॥
puruṣanimdaka striyesī | na bolāve tiyesī | bolatā doṣa ghaḍe tisī | pativratālakṣaṇa ||61||
She should not speak with a woman who slanders men [or her husband]; speaking with her brings fault upon her — such is the mark of a devoted wife.
The one durable point here is against keeping company with habitual gossips and slanderers, since loose talk erodes both reputation and trust.
Steer clear of company that habitually runs down others; it tends to wear off on you.
सासू श्वशुर नणंद वहिनी । दीरभावाते त्यजुनी । राहता वेगळेपणी । श्वानजन्म पावती ॥६२॥
sāsū śvaśura naṇamda vahinī | dīrabhāvāte tyajunī | rāhatā vegaḷepaṇī | śvānajanma pāvatī ||62||
Those who abandon mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother's wife, and brothers-in-law to live apart are said to be reborn as dogs.
This is another folk-threat verse enforcing the joint-family ideal common to the era; its real substance is a preference for extended-family solidarity over isolating oneself from in-laws.
Make an effort to stay warmly connected with your extended family rather than isolating yourself out of convenience.
अंग धुवो नये नग्नपणे । उखळमुसळावरी न बैसणे । पाई विवरल्यावीण जाणे । फिरू नये पतिव्रते ॥६३॥
amga dhuvo naye nagnapaṇe | ukhaḷamusaḷāvarī na baisaṇe | pāī vivaralyāvīṇa jāṇe | phirū naye pativrate ||63||
She should not bathe unclothed [in the open], should not sit upon the grinding mortar and pestle, and the devoted wife should not walk about without knowing where her feet fall.
Mixed here are practical cautions — mindful walking, avoiding accidents — with modesty customs specific to the household objects and etiquette of the period.
Walk through your own home and workspace mindfully enough to avoid careless accidents.
जाते उंबर्यावरी देखा । बैसो नये वडिलांसमुखा । पतिव्रतालक्षण ऐका । येणेपरी असावे ॥६४॥
jāte umbaryāvarī dekhā | baiso naye vaḍilāmsamukhā | pativratālakṣaṇa aikā | yeṇeparī asāve ||64||
Know that she should not sit on the threshold [of the grinding stone], nor sit facing her elders; hear the mark of a devoted wife — thus should she conduct herself.
Small rules of household etiquette around elders continue the theme of visible deference within the family structure of the era.
Show ordinary courtesy to elders in small daily gestures, like where and how you sit with them.
पतीसवे विवाद । करिता पावे महाखेद । पतिअंतःकरणी उद्वेग । आपण कदा करू नये ॥६५॥
patīsave vivāda | karitā pāve mahākheda | patiamtaḥkaraṇī udvega | āpaṇa kadā karū naye ||65||
Arguing with her husband brings great sorrow; she should never cause distress in her husband's heart.
A general caution against needless quarreling — arguing for its own sake brings grief to both parties, a fair point regardless of gender or era.
Avoid picking fights with people you love simply to win a point; ask whether the argument is worth the pain it causes.
जरी असे अभाग्य पुरुष । नपुसक जरी असे देख । असे व्याधिष्ठ अविवेक । तरी देवासमान मानावा ॥६६॥
jarī ase abhāgya puruṣa | napusaka jarī ase dekha | ase vyādhiṣṭha aviveka | tarī devāsamāna mānāvā ||66||
Even if the husband is unfortunate, even if he is impotent, even if he is diseased or lacking discernment, he should still be regarded as equal to a god.
This is one of the chapter's most extreme demands — unconditional reverence for the husband regardless of his condition or conduct — and reflects a patriarchal ideal specific to its time rather than sound guidance for a healthy relationship today.
Extend basic human dignity and compassion to a struggling loved one, while never mistaking endurance of harm for virtue.
तैसा पुरुष असेल जरी । तोचि मानावा हरि । त्याचे बोलणे रहाटे तरी । परमेश्वरा प्रिय होय ॥६७॥
taisā puruṣa asela jarī | toci mānāvā hari | tyāce bolaṇe rahāṭe tarī | parameśvarā priya hoya ||67||
Even such a husband should be regarded as Hari [Viṣṇu] himself; conducting oneself by his word, it is said, is pleasing to God.
The verse continues the previous extreme claim, equating obedience to any husband with pleasing God — a period ideal that should not be read as an endorsement of unconditional obedience in any relationship.
Seek to please the divine, or your own conscience, through genuine kindness rather than blind obedience to any single person.
पतीचे मनी जी आवडी । तैसीच ल्यावी लेणी लुगडी । पति दुश्चित्त असता घडी । आपण श्रृंगार करू नये ॥६८॥
patīce manī jī āvaḍī | taisīca lyāvī leṇī lugaḍī | pati duścitta asatā ghaḍī | āpaṇa śrṛmgāra karū naye ||68||
She should wear jewelry and clothing according to her husband's liking; and when the husband is troubled in mind, she should not adorn herself.
The instruction repeats an earlier theme of matching outward appearance to a partner's mood, here specifically about dress and ornament.
Read the emotional temperature of a shared moment before deciding whether it's the time to celebrate or to simply be present.
सोपस्कार पाहिजे जरी । न सांगावे आपण नारी । असता कन्या पुत्र जरी । तयामुखी सांगावे ॥६९॥
sopaskāra pāhije jarī | na sāmgāve āpaṇa nārī | asatā kanyā putra jarī | tayāmukhī sāmgāve ||69||
If she needs some household item, she should not ask for it herself; if she has a daughter or son, she should have the request made through the child.
This reflects a norm against a wife directly voicing her own household needs to her husband, preferring an indirect route through a child — a custom of restrained self-expression particular to the text's world.
State your needs plainly and directly to those closest to you rather than routing them indirectly.
जरी नसेल जवळी कोण । वस्तूची दाखवावी खूण । अमुक पाहिजे म्हणोन । निर्धार करोनि न सांगिजे ॥७०॥
jarī nasela javaḷī koṇa | vastūcī dākhavāvī khūṇa | amuka pāhije mhaṇona | nirdhāra karoni na sāmgije ||70||
If no one else is at hand, she should [only] indicate the object by a sign; she should not state outright and firmly, 'I need such-and-such.'
The instruction to avoid stating needs firmly even directly continues the previous verse's ideal of indirect, self-effacing communication.
Balance tact with honesty; it's fine to soften how you ask for something, but don't be afraid to be clearly understood.
जितुके मिळाले पतीसी । संतुष्ट असावे मानसी । समर्थ पाहोनि कांक्षेसी । पतिनिंदा करू नये ॥७१॥
jituke miḷāle patīsī | samtuṣṭa asāve mānasī | samartha pāhoni kāmkṣesī | patinimdā karū naye ||71||
She should remain content in mind with whatever her husband earns; seeing wealthier households and desiring [their wealth], she should not speak ill of her husband.
This is a clear, universally applicable teaching about contentment — accepting one's circumstances rather than resenting a partner by comparison to others' wealth.
Resist comparing your household's means to a wealthier neighbor's, and speak of your own partner with respect rather than complaint.
तीर्थयात्रे जाती लोक । म्हणूनि न गावे कौतुक । पुरुषाचे पादोदक । तेचि तीर्थ मानावे ॥७२॥
tīrthayātre jātī loka | mhaṇūni na gāve kautuka | puruṣāce pādodaka | teci tīrtha mānāve ||72||
She should not long for a pilgrimage just because other people go on one; the water that has touched her husband's feet should itself be considered her sacred pilgrimage.
The verse reframes an ordinary domestic act — touching the husband's feet — as spiritually equal to a pilgrimage, elevating home devotion above the outward show of travel to holy sites.
Find the sacred close at hand in daily devotion rather than always chasing it somewhere far away.
भागीरथीसमान देख । पतिचरणतीर्थ अधिक । पतिसेवा करणे मुख । त्रयमूर्ति संतुष्टती ॥७३॥
bhāgīrathīsamāna dekha | paticaraṇatīrtha adhika | patisevā karaṇe mukha | trayamūrti samtuṣṭatī ||73||
Know that the water from her husband's feet is equal to, even greater than, the Gaṅgā [Bhāgīrathī]; serving her husband is the very essence, and it satisfies the Trinity [Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva].
The claim is deliberately hyperbolic — placing ordinary household service above even the holiest river — using classical devotional exaggeration to elevate the value of quiet daily service.
Recognize that quiet, faithful daily service to those you love can matter as much as any grand gesture.
व्रत करणे असेल मनी । ते पुरुषा करावे पुसोनि । आत्मबुद्धी करिता कोणी । पति-आयुष्य उणे होय ॥७४॥
vrata karaṇe asela manī | te puruṣā karāve pusoni | ātmabuddhī karitā koṇī | pati-āyuṣya uṇe hoya ||74||
If she wishes to undertake a vow, she should ask her husband first; if anyone does it on her own judgment, it is said, her husband's lifespan is shortened.
The verse again ties independent decision-making by the wife to harm befalling the husband — a control mechanism specific to the text's patriarchal logic.
Consult your partner before taking on a major personal commitment that will affect your shared life together.
आणिक जाय नरकाप्रती । पति घेवोनि सांगाती । ऐसे बोलती वेदश्रुति । बृहस्पति सांगतसे ॥७५॥
āṇika jāya narakāpratī | pati ghevoni sāmgātī | aise bolatī vedaśruti | bṛhaspati sāmgatase ||75||
Moreover, [such a wife] goes to hell, taking her husband along with her; so declare the Vedic scriptures — thus Bṛhaspati says.
The threat escalates to the afterlife, invoking scriptural authority (Veda-śruti) to back the claim — a rhetorical strategy of the genre rather than a claim to be taken as literal doctrine.
Weigh the consequences of your choices for the people who share your life, without needing fear of hell to motivate basic consideration.
पतीस क्रोधे उत्तर देती । श्वानयोनी जन्म पावती । जंबुक होवोनि भुंकती । ग्रामासन्निध येऊन ॥७६॥
patīsa krodhe uttara detī | śvānayonī janma pāvatī | jambuka hovoni bhumkatī | grāmāsannidha yeūna ||76||
Those who answer their husband angrily are reborn in the womb of a dog; becoming jackals, they come near the village and bark.
Another folk-threat verse against sharp retorts in marriage; the underlying value — restraining anger in speech toward those you love — is sound even without the literal threat.
Pause before answering a loved one's harsh word with an equally sharp reply; let the moment cool first.
नित्य नेम करणे नारी । पुरुष-उच्छिष्ट भोजन करी । पाद प्रक्षालोनि तीर्थधारी । घेवोनि तीर्थ जेवावे ॥७७॥
nitya nema karaṇe nārī | puruṣa-ucchiṣṭa bhojana karī | pāda prakṣāloni tīrthadhārī | ghevoni tīrtha jevāve ||77||
As a daily rule, the wife should eat her husband's leftover food; washing his feet, she should take that water as sacred and then eat.
The text repeats the earlier household custom as a formal daily discipline (nitya nema), emphasizing its status as a fixed ritual rather than an occasional gesture.
Turn a value you hold into a small, repeated daily practice rather than an occasional good intention.
पति प्रत्यक्ष शंकर । काम्य होती मनोहर । पावे ती वैकुंठपुर । पतिसहित स्वर्गभुवना ॥७८॥
pati pratyakṣa śamkara | kāmya hotī manohara | pāve tī vaikumṭhapura | patisahita svargabhuvanā ||78||
The husband is Śaṅkara [Śiva] himself in visible form; her wishes become fulfilled and lovely, and she attains Vaikuṇṭha, the heavenly realm, together with her husband.
The reward for this devotion, the text says, is fulfillment in this life and heaven together with the husband in the next — devotion is framed as ultimately mutual, not one-sided sacrifice.
Trust that consistent, loving service to those close to you brings its own quiet fulfillment over time.
जावो नये वनभोजनासी । अथवा शेजारीगृहासी । इष्टसोयरे म्हणोनि हर्षी । प्रतिदिनी न जावे ॥७९॥
jāvo naye vanabhojanāsī | athavā śejārīgṛhāsī | iṣṭasoyare mhaṇoni harṣī | pratidinī na jāve ||79||
She should not go to picnics in the forest, or to a neighbor's house; even for dear friends and relatives, she should not go there every single day.
The instruction against frequent visiting reflects the era's expectation of a wife's presence centered on the home; its remaining sensible core is against neglecting one's own household by being out constantly.
Balance time spent socializing with friends against the time your own household and closest relationships actually need.
आपुला पुरुष दुर्बल किती । समर्थाची न करावी स्तुति । पति असता अनाचाररीती । आपण निंदा करू नये ॥८०॥
āpulā puruṣa durbala kitī | samarthācī na karāvī stuti | pati asatā anācārarītī | āpaṇa nimdā karū naye ||80||
However weak her own husband may be, she should not praise a wealthier man instead; and even if her husband behaves improperly, she should not speak ill of him [to others].
The verse asks for loyalty regardless of a husband's flaws or means — an extreme standard in its second half (never criticizing misconduct), which should be understood historically rather than as advice to tolerate mistreatment silently today.
Avoid comparing your partner unfavorably to others in front of people, while still being honest, privately and directly, about real problems that need addressing.
कैसा तरी आपुला पति । आपण करावी त्याची स्तुति । तोचि म्हणावा लक्ष्मीपति । एकभावे करोनिया ॥८१॥
kaisā tarī āpulā pati | āpaṇa karāvī tyācī stuti | toci mhaṇāvā lakṣmīpati | ekabhāve karoniyā ||81||
Whatever her husband may be like, she should speak well of him; with a single-hearted devotion, she should call him none other than the Lord of Lakṣmī [Viṣṇu].
This continues the ideal of unwavering public loyalty and praise for one's husband, again phrased in devotional terms that equate the marriage bond with worship.
Speak generously of your partner in public, saving disagreements for a private, honest conversation instead.
सासूश्वशुर पुरुषांपुढे । नेटे बोलो नये गाढे । हासो नये त्यांपुढे । पति-आयुष्य उणे होय ॥८२॥
sāsūśvaśura puruṣāmpuḍhe | neṭe bolo naye gāḍhe | hāso naye tyāmpuḍhe | pati-āyuṣya uṇe hoya ||82||
In front of mother-in-law, father-in-law, and other men, she should not speak forcefully or loudly, nor laugh openly before them — this is said to shorten her husband's life.
Another folk-threat verse enforces restrained, modest behavior before elders and in-laws, a norm of propriety belonging to the household hierarchy of its time.
Read the room around elders and family gatherings, and adjust your tone with simple courtesy.
सासूश्वशुर त्यजून आपण । वेगळे असू म्हणे कवण । ऋक्षयोनी जन्मोन । अरण्यात हिंडेल ॥८३॥
sāsūśvaśura tyajūna āpaṇa | vegaḷe asū mhaṇe kavaṇa | ṛkṣayonī janmona | araṇyāta himḍela ||83||
Whoever says, 'Let us abandon mother-in-law and father-in-law and live apart,' will be born in the womb of a bear and wander in the forest.
This repeats the earlier threat against separating from in-laws with an even starker image, reinforcing the joint-family ideal central to the household code of this era.
Think twice before cutting ties with extended family over convenience alone; work at the relationship first.
पुरुष कोपे मारी जरी । मनी म्हणे हा मरो नारी । जन्म पावेल योनी व्याघ्री । महाघोर अरण्यात ॥८४॥
puruṣa kope mārī jarī | manī mhaṇe hā maro nārī | janma pāvela yonī vyāghrī | mahāghora araṇyāta ||84||
If the husband strikes her in anger and she thinks in her heart, 'Let this man die,' she will be born as a tigress in a terrible forest.
This is one of the chapter's most troubling verses, threatening even a private, understandable reaction to violence — it reflects an era that offered women no legitimate recourse against an abusive husband; it should be read as history to understand, not as counsel to accept mistreatment.
Never accept violence as something to be silently endured; seek safety and support rather than suppressing a justified reaction.
पर पुरुषाते नयनी पाहे । उपजता वरडोळी होय । पुरुषा वंचूनि विशेष खाय । ग्रामसूकर होय ती ॥८५॥
para puruṣāte nayanī pāhe | upajatā varaḍoḷī hoya | puruṣā vamcūni viśeṣa khāya | grāmasūkara hoya tī ||85||
A woman who looks with desire at another man is born cross-eyed; one who deceives her husband to eat special food for herself is born a village pig.
These folk-threat verses target infidelity and petty domestic deceit, using exaggerated animal-rebirth imagery typical of the genre to enforce fidelity and honesty in the household.
Practice honesty and fidelity in your closest relationship as an everyday discipline, not because of superstition but because trust matters.
तोही जन्मी सोडोनि । उपजे वाघुळाचे योनी । आपुली विष्ठा आपण भक्षुनी । वृक्षावरी लोंबतसे ॥८६॥
tohī janmī soḍoni | upaje vāghuḷāce yonī | āpulī viṣṭhā āpaṇa bhakṣunī | vṛkṣāvarī lombatase ||86||
Leaving that birth too, she is born in the womb of a bat, eating her own waste and hanging upside-down on a tree.
The grotesque imagery continues the previous verse's theme, again a rhetorical exaggeration meant to underline the seriousness with which the text treats domestic deceit.
Let the discomfort of a vivid warning remind you to be honest in small things, even when tempted to cut a private corner.
पतिसंमुख निष्ठुर वचनी । उत्तर देती कोपोनि । उपजे मुकी होऊनि । सप्तजन्म दरिद्री ॥८७॥
patisammukha niṣṭhura vacanī | uttara detī koponi | upaje mukī hoūni | saptajanma daridrī ||87||
Those who answer their husband harshly and in anger to his face are born mute, and remain poor for seven lifetimes.
Yet another folk-threat verse against sharp, angry speech in marriage, escalating the penalty across many lifetimes to stress how seriously careless speech is regarded.
Choose your words carefully in a moment of anger with someone close to you; harsh speech leaves a lasting mark.
पुरुष दुजी पत्नी करी । तिसी आपण वैर धरी । सप्त जन्मांवरी । दुर्भाग्यता होय अवधारा ॥८८॥
puruṣa dujī patnī karī | tisī āpaṇa vaira dharī | sapta janmāmvarī | durbhāgyatā hoya avadhārā ||88||
If the husband takes a second wife and she holds enmity toward her, misfortune, it is said, follows her for seven lifetimes.
This verse addresses the reality of polygamous households in its time, demanding the first wife accept a co-wife without rancor — a difficult standard rooted in a social arrangement quite different from most marriages today.
Where jealousy or resentment threatens a relationship, look for ways to address it honestly rather than letting bitterness take root.
पुरुषावरी दुसरिया । दृष्टि ज्या करिती आवडिया । पतिता घरी जन्म पावोनिया । दुःखे सदा दारिद्र्य भोगिती ॥८९॥
puruṣāvarī dusariyā | dṛṣṭi jyā karitī āvaḍiyā | patitā gharī janma pāvoniyā | duḥkhe sadā dāridrya bhogitī ||89||
Women who cast desirous glances at another man are born into a fallen household, and suffer sorrow and poverty always.
The warning against infidelity is repeated once more, this time framed as birth into hardship rather than an animal rebirth — the recurring emphasis across many verses shows how central fidelity was to this code.
Guard the trust at the heart of your closest relationship as something worth real, ongoing effort.
पुरुष येता बाहेरुनी । संमुख जावे भामिनी । उदके पाद प्रक्षालुनी । विंझणा वारिजे श्रमहार ॥९०॥
puruṣa yetā bāherunī | sammukha jāve bhāminī | udake pāda prakṣālunī | vimjhaṇā vārije śramahāra ||90||
When the husband comes in from outside, the woman should go meet him, wash his feet with water, and fan him to relieve his tiredness.
The narrative returns to gentler, practical care — washing tired feet, offering a cooling fan — small acts of hospitality after a day's labor.
Offer simple, practical comfort to someone who comes home tired from a hard day.
पादसंवाहन भक्तीसी । मृदु वाक्य बोलिजे पतीसी । पुरुष होता संतोषी । त्रिमूर्ति संतोषती ॥९१॥
pādasamvāhana bhaktīsī | mṛdu vākya bolije patīsī | puruṣa hotā samtoṣī | trimūrti samtoṣatī ||91||
With devotion she should massage his feet, and speak gentle words to her husband; when the husband is content, the Trinity itself is pleased.
Gentle speech and caring touch are again framed as pleasing to the divine — turning small daily kindness into a spiritual offering.
Choose gentle words for those you live with; kindness at home is its own form of devotion.
काय देती माता पिता । नेदी इष्टवर्ग बंधु भ्राता । इहपराची जोडी देता । पुरुष नारीचा देव जाण ॥९२॥
kāya detī mātā pitā | nedī iṣṭavarga bamdhu bhrātā | ihaparācī joḍī detā | puruṣa nārīcā deva jāṇa ||92||
What can mother or father give, or friends and brothers give, that compares to what a husband gives — union in this world and the next? Know that the husband is a woman's god.
The verse reasons that a spouse offers something even blood family cannot — companionship spanning this life and beyond — the logic behind why marriage is treated with such reverence here.
Value the unique, irreplaceable companionship a life partner offers, distinct from what family or friends provide.
गुरु देव तीर्थे समस्ती । सर्व जाणावा आपुला पति । ऐसा निश्चय ज्यांच्या चित्ती । पतिव्रता त्याचि जाणा ॥९३॥
guru deva tīrthe samastī | sarva jāṇāvā āpulā pati | aisā niścaya jyāmcyā cittī | pativratā tyāci jāṇā ||93||
Guru, god, and all places of pilgrimage — know that all these are her husband; whoever holds this conviction firmly in her heart, know her to be a truly devoted wife.
This verse states the chapter's central metaphor outright: the husband stands in for guru, deity, and pilgrimage all at once — the totalizing devotional frame that organizes the whole teaching.
Find the sacred in your closest daily relationships, not only in temples or shrines set apart from ordinary life.
जीव असता शरीरासी । पवित्र होय समस्तांसी । जीव जाता क्षणे कैसी । कदा प्रेता नातळती ॥९४॥
jīva asatā śarīrāsī | pavitra hoya samastāmsī | jīva jātā kṣaṇe kaisī | kadā pretā nātaḷatī ||94||
As long as life remains in the body, it is held pure by all; the moment life departs, no one at all wishes to touch the corpse.
A somber observation about the body: life itself is what makes it worthy of reverence, and its absence at death instantly changes how it is regarded — setting up the analogy to come.
Reflect on what makes a life meaningful while you are living it, rather than waiting until it is too late.
तैसा पति प्राण आपला । पति नसता अशुचि तिला । या कारणे पतिच सकळा । प्राण आपुला जाणावा ॥९५॥
taisā pati prāṇa āpalā | pati nasatā aśuci tilā | yā kāraṇe patica sakaḷā | prāṇa āpulā jāṇāvā ||95||
In the same way, the husband is her own life-breath; without him she is considered impure — for this reason, the husband alone should be known as her very life.
The analogy from the previous verse is applied directly to marriage, casting the husband as the wife's prāṇa (life-breath) — the emotional logic behind the intensity of devotion demanded through the chapter.
Recognize how deeply intertwined your wellbeing can become with a life partner's, and treat that bond with the seriousness it deserves.
पति नसता स्त्रियेसी । सर्व अमंगळ परियेसी । विधवा म्हणजे प्रेतासरसी । अपत्य नसता अधिक जाण ॥९६॥
pati nasatā striyesī | sarva amamgaḷa pariyesī | vidhavā mhaṇaje pretāsarasī | apatya nasatā adhika jāṇa ||96||
Without a husband, all is inauspicious for a woman, know this; a widow is spoken of as like a corpse, and more so if she is without children.
This states the harsh social status assigned to widows in traditional Hindu society, equating widowhood itself with inauspiciousness — a deeply painful historical attitude that caused real suffering and is rightly rejected today.
Reject any social attitude, ancient or modern, that treats a person's worth as diminished by loss or circumstance beyond their control.
ग्रामास जाता परियेसी । विधवा भेटता संमुखेसी । मरण सांगे सत्य त्यासी । पुत्रासी अशुभ नव्हे जाणा ॥९७॥
grāmāsa jātā pariyesī | vidhavā bheṭatā sammukhesī | maraṇa sāmge satya tyāsī | putrāsī aśubha navhe jāṇā ||97||
Know that if, on going to the village, one meets a widow face to face, she truthfully foretells death; yet know that this is not inauspicious for her own son.
The text lists widows among the inauspicious omens of the period's folk belief — while carving out an exception for a widow's own son, showing even the belief's own internal contradiction.
Question inherited superstitions that single out any group of people as bad luck, and treat everyone you meet with equal respect.
माता विधवा असे जरी । पुत्रासी मंगळ शकुन करी । पुत्राविण विधवा नारी । नमन तिसी करू नये ॥९८॥
mātā vidhavā ase jarī | putrāsī mamgaḷa śakuna karī | putrāviṇa vidhavā nārī | namana tisī karū naye ||98||
Even if the mother is a widow, she brings an auspicious sign for her son; but a widow without a son — one should not offer her reverence.
The exception for a widowed mother's own son continues, alongside a harsher rule against honoring a childless widow — a stark example of how the text's social prejudice compounds against women without children.
Extend basic respect to every person regardless of whether they have children or any other social marker.
तिच्या आशीर्वादे आपण । मंगळ न होय सत्य जाण । तिचा हो का शाप मरण । तिसी कोणी बोलू नये ॥९९॥
ticyā āśīrvāde āpaṇa | mamgaḷa na hoya satya jāṇa | ticā ho kā śāpa maraṇa | tisī koṇī bolū naye ||99||
Her blessing, know truly, brings no auspiciousness; yet if her curse brings even death, no one should ever speak ill of her.
Even while denying a childless widow's blessing any power, the text insists no one should mistreat or curse her in return — an odd but real note of restraint within an otherwise harsh social rule.
Whatever prejudice surrounds someone, never let it excuse cruelty toward them; hold your own conduct to a higher standard.
या कारणे पतिव्रता । बरवे पुरुषासवे जाता । सर्व वैभव देहासहिता । केवी जाई परियेसा ॥१००॥
yā kāraṇe pativratā | barave puruṣāsave jātā | sarva vaibhava dehāsahitā | kevī jāī pariyesā ||100||
For this reason, it is well for the devoted wife to go together with her husband; how could all this glory go with the body alone? Hear this.
The text now turns to its most difficult topic — a wife accompanying her husband in death — opening the sahagamana (self-immolation, later called satī) section that follows.
Approach the historical record honestly, learning from its full complexity rather than looking away from its hardest chapters.
चंद्रासवे चांदणी जैसी । मेघासवे वीज कैसी । मावळता सवेचि जातसे । पतीसवे तैसे जावे ॥१॥
camdrāsave cāmdaṇī jaisī | meghāsave vīja kaisī | māvaḷatā saveci jātase | patīsave taise jāve ||1||
As moonlight goes with the moon, as lightning goes with the cloud, vanishing together with it — so, it says, she should go together with her husband.
The imagery of moonlight and lightning frames the coming teaching on sahagamana as an image of total union — two things that exist only together, one never outliving the other.
Read poetic images of union for what they express about devotion, without taking every image as literal instruction.
सहगमन करणे मुख्य जाण । थोर धर्मश्रुतीचे वचन । पूर्वज बेचाळीस उद्धरण । पतिव्रताधर्माने ॥२॥
sahagamana karaṇe mukhya jāṇa | thora dharmaśrutīce vacana | pūrvaja becāḷīsa uddharaṇa | pativratādharmāne ||2||
Know that sahagamana [dying with the husband] is held to be the chief duty, a great pronouncement of the sacred law texts, said to redeem forty-two generations of ancestors through the devoted wife's practice.
The text names satī explicitly as its highest ideal, a historical practice of self-immolation that was later banned by law in 1829 precisely because of the immense suffering and coercion it caused; this passage documents the religious rhetoric once used to sanctify it, not a teaching to follow.
Honor the memory of those who suffered under a harmful custom by supporting practices today that protect life and dignity rather than sacrifice them.
पुरुष प्रेत झालियावरी । सहगमना जाता ते नारी । एकेक पाउली निर्धारी । अश्वमेघसहत्रपुण्य ॥३॥
puruṣa preta jhāliyāvarī | sahagamanā jātā te nārī | ekeka pāulī nirdhārī | aśvameghasahatrapuṇya ||3||
After the husband has died, as the woman walks to the pyre, it is said each single step earns the merit of a thousand horse-sacrifices.
The verse piles up extravagant merit-claims for each step toward self-immolation — a rhetorical intensification characteristic of texts that once glorified this now-outlawed practice.
Recognize inflated, extreme claims for what they are, and measure any teaching's true worth by whether it protects or destroys human life.
पापी पुरुष असेल जाण । त्यासी आले जरी मरण । यमदूत नेती बांधून । नरकाप्रती परियेसा ॥४॥
pāpī puruṣa asela jāṇa | tyāsī āle jarī maraṇa | yamadūta netī bāmdhūna | narakāpratī pariyesā ||4||
Know that if a sinful man dies, the messengers of Yama [death] bind him and carry him off to hell, hear this.
The text sets up a contrast: even a sinful husband's fate can, it claims, be changed by his wife's act of sahagamana in the following verses — the logic used to press the practice as an act of rescue.
Take responsibility for your own conduct rather than depending on someone else to redeem you after death.
पतिव्रता त्याची नारी । जरी सहगमन करी । जैसी सर्पासी नेती घारी । तैसी पतीते स्वर्गा नेई ॥५॥
pativratā tyācī nārī | jarī sahagamana karī | jaisī sarpāsī netī ghārī | taisī patīte svargā neī ||5||
If his devoted wife performs sahagamana, then as a kite carries off a snake, so she is said to carry her husband up to heaven.
The image of the kite lifting the snake dramatizes the claimed power of the wife's sacrifice to redeem even a sinful husband — the rhetorical high point of the text's case for the practice.
Recognize how a striking image can be used to justify almost anything, and weigh such claims against their real human cost.
सहगमन केलियावरी । पाहूनि यमदूत पळती दूरी । पतीसी सोडोनि सत्वरी । जाती यमदूत आपले पुरासी ॥६॥
sahagamana keliyāvarī | pāhūni yamadūta paḷatī dūrī | patīsī soḍoni satvarī | jātī yamadūta āpale purāsī ||6||
After the sahagamana is performed, seeing it, the messengers of Yama flee far away, releasing the husband at once and returning swiftly to their own city.
The narrative continues its exaggerated claims about the ritual's power, describing even death's messengers retreating in fear.
Be wary of any claim that a single dramatic act can erase all consequence; real change tends to come through sustained effort, not one grand gesture.
पतिव्रताशिरोमणी । बैसविती विमानी । पावविती स्वर्गभुवनी । देवांगना ओवाळिती ॥७॥
pativratāśiromaṇī | baisavitī vimānī | pāvavitī svargabhuvanī | devāmganā ovāḷitī ||7||
The crown-jewel among devoted wives is seated in a heavenly chariot, brought to the heavenly realm, and the celestial women wave lamps of welcome before her.
The imagined reward continues, describing a triumphant celestial welcome — again, part of the rhetorical structure built to sanctify the practice being described, not a claim to be taken literally.
Do not let an image of glorious reward be the reason you accept a course of action that harms you.
यमदूत त्वरे पळती । काळाची न चाले ख्याती । पतिव्रता देखताचि चित्ती । भय वाटे म्हणताती ॥८॥
yamadūta tvare paḷatī | kāḷācī na cāle khyātī | pativratā dekhatāci cittī | bhaya vāṭe mhaṇatātī ||8||
The messengers of Yama flee swiftly; even death's own authority does not prevail; it is said that at the very sight of the devoted wife they feel fear in their hearts.
The rhetoric continues to escalate, claiming the woman's power now exceeds even death's authority — a mark of how far this genre pushes its praise.
Treat any claim of power greater than death itself as poetic exaggeration, not literal fact to act upon.
सूर्य भितो देखून तियेसी । तपतो तेजे मंदेसी । अग्नि भिउनी शांतीसी । उष्ण तिसी होऊ न शके ॥९॥
sūrya bhito dekhūna tiyesī | tapato teje mamdesī | agni bhiunī śāmtīsī | uṣṇa tisī hoū na śake ||9||
The sun, seeing her, grows afraid and shines with dimmed radiance; fire too grows afraid and turns cool, and cannot become hot to her.
The cosmic elements themselves are said to be awed into gentleness by her — including, notably, fire becoming unable to burn her, a detail meant to soften the horror of the act being described.
Be alert when a text softens or beautifies something genuinely painful; clear-eyed compassion serves the truth better than comforting imagery.
नक्षत्रे भिती पाहता तियेसी । आपुले स्थान घेईल ऐसी । जाय स्वर्गभुवनासी । पतीसहित परियेसा ॥११०॥
nakṣatre bhitī pāhatā tiyesī | āpule sthāna gheīla aisī | jāya svargabhuvanāsī | patīsahita pariyesā ||110||
The stars, seeing her, fear she will take their place; she goes to the heavenly realm together with her husband, know this.
The cosmic hyperbole reaches its peak with even the stars afraid of being displaced, closing the description of her ascent to heaven with her husband.
Let extravagant praise in an old text be understood as its era's way of expressing awe, not as literal cosmology.
येणेपरी स्वर्गभुवनी । जाय नारी संतोषोनि । आपुले पतीस घेऊनि । राहे स्वर्गी निरंतर ॥११॥
yeṇeparī svargabhuvanī | jāya nārī samtoṣoni | āpule patīsa gheūni | rāhe svargī niramtara ||11||
In this way the woman goes joyfully to the heavenly realm; taking her husband with her, she dwells there in heaven forever.
The narrative summarizes the promised reward: eternal heavenly dwelling together, the culmination of the sahagamana teaching's rhetorical arc.
Judge any promise of eternal reward by whether the path to it respects and preserves life.
तीन कोटि रोम तिसी । स्वदेह देता अग्नीसी । त्याची फळे असती कैशी । एकचित्ते ऐकावे ॥१२॥
tīna koṭi roma tisī | svadeha detā agnīsī | tyācī phaḷe asatī kaiśī | ekacitte aikāve ||12||
She has thirty million hair-follicles on her body; when she gives her own body to the fire, what the fruits of that are — listen with a single mind.
The text moves into an even more granular accounting of merit, counting each hair-follicle of the body offered to the flames — a striking, uncomfortable literalness about the act it is glorifying.
Notice when a text counts up rewards in exacting numeric detail; that precision is often a rhetorical device, not a fact to be taken at face value.
एकेक रोम रोमासी । स्वर्गी राहे शतकोटि वर्षी । पुरुषासवे स्वानंदेसी । पतिव्रता राहे तेथे ॥१३॥
ekeka roma romāsī | svargī rāhe śatakoṭi varṣī | puruṣāsave svānamdesī | pativratā rāhe tethe ||13||
For each single hair-follicle, she is said to dwell in heaven for a hundred million years; the devoted wife remains there together with her husband, in mutual bliss.
The merit calculation continues to staggering length, reinforcing the promised eternal companionship as the reward for the act just described.
Seek lasting companionship and joy through the ordinary years you are actually given, rather than through any single irreversible act.
ऐसे पुण्य सहगमनासी । कन्या व्हावी ऐशी वंशी । बेचाळीस कुळे कैसी । घेऊन जाय स्वर्गाते ॥१४॥
aise puṇya sahagamanāsī | kanyā vhāvī aiśī vamśī | becāḷīsa kuḷe kaisī | gheūna jāya svargāte ||14||
Such is the merit of sahagamana; may a daughter like this be born in one's lineage — she is said to carry forty-two generations of the family to heaven with her.
The text extends the imagined reward beyond the woman herself to her entire extended family across generations — the social pressure this created historically, encouraging families to expect or even demand the act, is part of why the practice caused such widespread harm.
Refuse to place the weight of an entire family's honor on any one person's suffering or self-sacrifice.
धन्य तिची मातापिता । एकवीस कुळे उद्धरिता । धन्य पुरुषवंश ख्याता । बेचाळीस उद्धरिले ॥१५॥
dhanya ticī mātāpitā | ekavīsa kuḷe uddharitā | dhanya puruṣavamśa khyātā | becāḷīsa uddharile ||15||
Blessed are her mother and father, who have redeemed twenty-one generations [of her own line]; blessed is the husband's renowned lineage, its forty-two generations redeemed.
The verse divides the forty-two generations between both families, completing the picture of communal 'merit' the practice was said to confer — the very framing that made the custom so difficult to resist within families.
Be wary of any tradition that turns a single person's suffering into a source of pride for an entire extended family.
ऐसे पुण्य सहगमनासी । पतिव्रतेच्या संगतीसी । आणिक सांगेन विस्तारेसी । देवगुरु म्हणतसे ॥१६॥
aise puṇya sahagamanāsī | pativratecyā samgatīsī | āṇika sāmgena vistāresī | devaguru mhaṇatase ||16||
Such is the merit of sahagamana, in the company of the devoted wife; I will tell you more at length — thus says the guru of the gods.
Bṛhaspati signals a transition, about to contrast this glorified fate with what is said to happen to an unfaithful wife instead.
Stay attentive as a discussion moves from one difficult topic to a contrasting one; don't let the first half color your judgment of the second.
असेल नारी दुराचारी । अथवा व्याभिचारकर्म करी । त्याचे फळ अतिघोरी । एकचित्ते परियेसा ॥१७॥
asela nārī durācārī | athavā vyābhicārakarma karī | tyāce phaḷa atighorī | ekacitte pariyesā ||17||
If a woman is of bad conduct, or commits an act of infidelity, its fruit is most terrible — hear this with a single mind.
The text turns to its counterpart claim: dire consequences for infidelity, mirroring the extreme praise just given for fidelity unto death — the same rhetorical extremity applied in the opposite direction.
Hold yourself to honest fidelity in your commitments because trust matters, not out of fear of dramatic threats.
उभय कुळे बेचाळिस । जरी असतील स्वर्गास । त्यासी घेउनि नरकास । प्रेमे जाय परियेसा ॥१८॥
ubhaya kuḷe becāḷisa | jarī asatīla svargāsa | tyāsī gheuni narakāsa | preme jāya pariyesā ||18||
Even if both lineages, all forty-two generations, were in heaven, [her act] takes them along down to hell, willingly, know this.
The mirrored threat to the earlier promise: infidelity is said to drag even ancestors already in heaven down to hell — the same collective-consequence logic used in reverse.
Recognize that a threat sized to match an earlier extravagant promise is a rhetorical pattern, not literal cosmic law.
अंगावरी रोम किती । तितुकी कोटि वर्षे ख्याती । नरकामध्ये पंचे निरुती । तिचे फळ ऐसे असे ॥१९॥
amgāvarī roma kitī | titukī koṭi varṣe khyātī | narakāmadhye pamce nirutī | tice phaḷa aise ase ||19||
As many hair-follicles as are on her body, for that many tens of millions of years, it is declared, she is thoroughly cooked in hell — such, it says, is her fruit.
The grim mirror-image of the earlier hair-follicle merit calculation completes the contrast between the two fates the text constructs.
Choose honesty in your closest relationships for its own sake, not from fear of an imagined punishment sized to match a reward.
भूमिदेवी ऐसे म्हणे । पतिव्रतेच्या पवित्र चरणे । आपणावरी चालता क्षणे । पुनीत मी म्हणतसे ॥१२०॥
bhūmidevī aise mhaṇe | pativratecyā pavitra caraṇe | āpaṇāvarī cālatā kṣaṇe | punīta mī mhaṇatase ||120||
The Earth-goddess herself says: 'The moment the devoted wife's sacred feet walk upon me, I become purified,' she says.
The tone shifts back to gentler praise, with the earth itself personified as honored by the presence of a devoted wife — returning to the theme of reverence rather than threat.
Recognize the quiet dignity of someone who lives their commitments faithfully, wherever they walk.
सूर्य चंद्र ऐसे म्हणती । आपली किरणे ज्योती । जरी पतिव्रतेवरी पडती । तरी आपण पावन होऊ ॥२१॥
sūrya camdra aise mhaṇatī | āpalī kiraṇe jyotī | jarī pativratevarī paḍatī | tarī āpaṇa pāvana hoū ||21||
The sun and moon say: 'If our light and rays fall upon the devoted wife, then we ourselves become purified.'
Even the great celestial lights are said to be blessed by shining on her, continuing the imagery of universal reverence for steadfast devotion.
Let your own integrity be the kind that quietly elevates whatever it touches, rather than needing outward praise to matter.
वायु आणि वरुण । पतिव्रतेचिया स्पर्शाकारणे । पावन होऊ म्हणोन । स्पर्शे पुनीत होती ते ॥२२॥
vāyu āṇi varuṇa | pativrateciyā sparśākāraṇe | pāvana hoū mhaṇona | sparśe punīta hotī te ||22||
Wind and Varuṇa [god of waters] too say they wish to become purified by her touch, and are purified by that touch.
The list of elements purified by contact with her continues, rounding out the picture of a person whose steady virtue is felt to bless everything around her.
Aim to be the kind of steady, trustworthy presence that makes everyone around you a little better for having known you.
घरोघरी स्त्रिया असती । काय करावी लावण्यसंपत्ति । जिचेनि वंश उद्धरती । तैसी स्त्री असावी की ॥२३॥
gharogharī striyā asatī | kāya karāvī lāvaṇyasampatti | jiceni vamśa uddharatī | taisī strī asāvī kī ||23||
There are women in every household; what use is beauty or wealth? Rather one should have a woman by whom the family lineage is uplifted.
The teaching pivots to a broader point about what really matters in a wife — not outward beauty or wealth, but the strength of character that uplifts a whole family.
Value character and steadfastness in the people closest to you over outward appearance or wealth.
ज्याचे घरी पतिव्रता । दैवे आगळा तो तत्त्वता । करावे सुकृत जन्मशता । तरीच लाभे तैशी सती ॥२४॥
jyāce gharī pativratā | daive āgaḷā to tattvatā | karāve sukṛta janmaśatā | tarīca lābhe taiśī satī ||24||
He in whose home there is a devoted wife is truly blessed by fortune; only after good deeds across a hundred lifetimes does one gain such a wife.
The teaching now speaks to the husband's side, saying that a wife of true character is a rare fortune earned by accumulated merit — praising her worth to the household.
Recognize a devoted, steady partner as a rare gift, and treat that gift with equal devotion in return.
चतुर्विध पुरुषार्थ देखा । स्त्रियेच्या संगती लाघे लोका । पतिव्रता सती अधिका । पुण्यानुसार लाभे जना ॥२५॥
caturvidha puruṣārtha dekhā | striyecyā samgatī lāghe lokā | pativratā satī adhikā | puṇyānusāra lābhe janā ||25||
Know that the four aims of human life [dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa] are attained by people through the company of a good wife; a devoted, virtuous wife is gained according to one's merit.
The text credits the wife's presence with enabling the puruṣārtha (the four classical goals of human life), giving her a central, even indispensable, role in a fulfilled life.
Acknowledge how much of a fulfilling life depends on the quality of your closest partnership.
ज्याचे घरी नाही सती । पुण्ये त्यासी काही न घडती । यज्ञादि कर्मे ख्याति । सती असता होती जाण ॥२६॥
jyāce gharī nāhī satī | puṇye tyāsī kāhī na ghaḍatī | yajñādi karme khyāti | satī asatā hotī jāṇa ||26||
He in whose home there is no virtuous wife gains no merit at all; know that renowned rites like the sacred fire-sacrifice can only be properly performed when a good wife is present.
In traditional Hindu ritual, many rites require husband and wife together (sapatnīka); this verse reflects that real requirement, elevating the wife's ritual role as indispensable rather than merely domestic.
Recognize when a shared undertaking genuinely requires both partners' presence, and don't try to shortcut it alone.
सती नसे ज्याचे घरी । त्यासी अरण्य नाही दूरी । वृथा जन्मोनि संसारी । कर्मबाह्य तोचि जाणा ॥२७॥
satī nase jyāce gharī | tyāsī araṇya nāhī dūrī | vṛthā janmoni samsārī | karmabāhya toci jāṇā ||27||
He who has no good wife at home is not far from living in the wilderness; know that he is born into worldly life in vain, excluded from proper ritual duty.
The verse continues to stress how central a wife's presence is considered to a man's ability to live a complete, ritually grounded life.
Value your closest partnership as central to living a full and grounded life, not a mere convenience.
ऐसी सती मिळे ज्यासी । समस्त पुण्य होय त्यासी । पुत्रसंतान परलोकासी । साधन होय सतीचेनि ॥२८॥
aisī satī miḷe jyāsī | samasta puṇya hoya tyāsī | putrasamtāna paralokāsī | sādhana hoya satīceni ||28||
He who obtains such a good wife gains all manner of merit; through her, children are born, and she becomes the means to attain the other world too.
The passage closes its praise of the good wife by naming her role in both this life (children) and the next (spiritual merit) — the fullest statement of her indispensable place.
Honor a life partner's role in building both your family and your deeper sense of purpose.
स्त्रियेवीण असेल नर । तयासी न साधे कर्माचार । कर्महीन देव पितर । कर्मार्ह नव्हे कदा ॥२९॥
striyevīṇa asela nara | tayāsī na sādhe karmācāra | karmahīna deva pitara | karmārha navhe kadā ||29||
A man without a wife cannot properly perform his ritual duties; lacking due rites, the gods and ancestors [he owes offerings to] never receive what is fitting.
This reiterates the ritual necessity of a wife for the traditional Hindu householder's duties toward gods and ancestors, an idea rooted in classical dharma texts.
Recognize how deeply your closest partnerships can be woven into your sense of duty and connection to those who came before you.
पुण्य जोदे गंगास्नानी । त्याहूनि पतिव्रतादर्शनी । महापापी होय पावन । सप्त जन्म पुनीत ॥१३०॥
puṇya jode gamgāsnānī | tyāhūni pativratādarśanī | mahāpāpī hoya pāvana | sapta janma punīta ||130||
The merit gained by bathing in the Gaṅgā is exceeded by merely beholding a devoted wife; even a great sinner is purified, made pure for seven lifetimes.
The section closes with one final hyperbolic claim — that merely seeing a virtuous wife outweighs even the holiest ritual bath — closing the extended praise of Lopāmudrā's ideal.
Let the presence of someone of genuine, steady character in your life be a quiet source of inspiration.
पतिव्रतेचा आचार । सांगे पतिव्रतेसी योगेश्वर । म्हणे सरस्वतीगंगाधर । सांगे बृहस्पति देवगुरु ॥३१॥
pativratecā ācāra | sāmge pativratesī yogeśvara | mhaṇe sarasvatīgamgādhara | sāmge bṛhaspati devaguru ||31||
Thus Yogeśvara told the devoted wife the conduct of a devoted wife; so says Sarasvatī Gaṅgādhar — [within this,] Bṛhaspati, guru of the gods, was the one narrating.
The narrative frame closes, reminding the listener that this was Bṛhaspati's speech within Yogeśvara's teaching to Lopāmudrā, itself narrated by the poet Sarasvatī Gaṅgādhar.
Keep track of whose voice is speaking within a layered story, so you understand a teaching in its proper context.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकासी । गुरुचरित्र पुण्यराशी । ऐकता पावती सद्गतीसी । म्हणे सरस्वतीगंगाधर ॥३२॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsī | gurucaritra puṇyarāśī | aikatā pāvatī sadgatīsī | mhaṇe sarasvatīgamgādhara ||32||
Siddha says to Nāmadhārak: 'The Gurucaritra is a treasury of merit; hearing it, one attains a good end' — so says Sarasvatī Gaṅgādhar.
The chapter returns to its outer frame, Siddha addressing Nāmadhārak, with the traditional closing claim of merit for listening to the Gurucaritra itself.
Return, after a difficult teaching, to the larger purpose that frames why you engaged with it at all.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृत । पतिव्रतानिरूपण विख्यात । ऐकता होय पुनीत । जे जे चिंतिले पाविजे ॥३३॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛta | pativratānirūpaṇa vikhyāta | aikatā hoya punīta | je je cimtile pāvije ||33||
Thus [ends] the renowned exposition on the devoted wife within the nectar of the Śrī Gurucaritra; hearing it, one becomes pure, and whatever one contemplates is attained.
A formal closing formula (iti...) marks the end of this chapter's teaching, promising fruit to the sincere listener in the traditional style of the text.
Close out a difficult or demanding chapter of learning with a clear sense of completion before moving on.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रपरमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्धनामधारकसंवादे पतिव्रताख्यानं नाम एकत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥३१॥
iti śrīgurucaritraparamakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddhanāmadhārakasamvāde pativratākhyānam nāma ekatrimśo'dhyāyaḥ ||31||
Thus, in the wish-fulfilling tree of the supreme tale of the Śrī Gurucaritra, in the narrative of Śrī Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī, in the dialogue of Siddha and Nāmadhārak, ends the chapter named 'The Account of the Devoted Wife,' the thirty-first chapter.
The formal Sanskrit colophon names the chapter precisely — Pativratākhyānam (the Account of the Devoted Wife) — and marks its place as the thirty-first chapter of the whole work.
Note the formal ending of a text as a moment to reflect on what it taught before moving to the next chapter.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पितमस्तु ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpitamastu ||
May this be offered to Śrī Guru Dattātreya.
A closing dedication offers the whole chapter's merit to Dattātreya, the guru-deity at the heart of the Gurucaritra.
Dedicate the fruit of your effort to something greater than yourself.
(ओवीसंख्या १३३)
(ovīsamkhyā 133)
(Number of ovīs: 133)
A scribal note recording the traditional count of ovī-verses in this chapter, a common convention for verifying the completeness of a manuscript copy.
Keep careful records to check your own work for completeness, as scribes once did for sacred texts.