Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 39

MBh 9 39.1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच इमे वै मानवा लोके स्त्रीषु सज्जन्त्यभीक्ष्णशः। मोहेन परमाविष्टा देवसृष्टेन पार्थिव॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ime vai mānavā loke strīṣu sajjantyabhīkṣṇaśaḥ| mohena paramāviṣṭā devasṛṣṭena pārthiva||

Yudhishthira said Overcome by the illusion of the divine Being, all men, O king in this world, are seen to attach themselves to women.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.2

स्त्रियश्च पुरुषेष्वेव प्रत्यक्षं लोकसाक्षिकम्। अत्र मे संशयस्तीवो हृदि सम्परिवर्तते।॥

striyaśca puruṣeṣveva pratyakṣaṃ lokasākṣikam| atra me saṃśayastīvo hṛdi samparivartate|||

Likewise, women, too, are seen to attach themselves to men. All this is seen taking place everywhere in the world. I have a doubt on this subject.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.3

कथमासां नराः सङ्गं कुर्वते कुरुनन्दन। स्त्रियो वा केषु रज्यन्ते विरज्यन्ते च ताः पुनः॥

kathamāsāṃ narāḥ saṅgaṃ kurvate kurunandana| striyo vā keṣu rajyante virajyante ca tāḥ punaḥ||

Why, O delighter of the Kurus, do men still attach themselves to women? Who, again, are those men with whom are women highly pleased, and who are they with whom they are displeased.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.4

इति ताः पुरुषव्याघ्र कथं शक्यास्तु रक्षितुम्। प्रमदाः पुरुषेणेह तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि॥

iti tāḥ puruṣavyāghra kathaṃ śakyāstu rakṣitum| pramadāḥ puruṣeṇeha tanme vyākhyātumarhasi||

You should, O chief of men, explain to me how men are capable of protecting women?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.5

एता हि रममाणास्तु वञ्चयन्तीह मानवान्। न चासां मुच्यते कश्चित् पुरुषो हस्तमागतः॥

etā hi ramamāṇāstu vañcayantīha mānavān| na cāsāṃ mucyate kaścit puruṣo hastamāgataḥ||

While men take pleasure in women and sport with them, women, it seems, are engaged in imposing upon men. Then, again, if a man once falls into their hands, it is difficult for him to escape from them. Like kine ever liking pastures new, women like new men one after another.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.6

गावो नवतृणानीव गृह्णन्त्येता नवं नवम्। शम्बरस्य च या माया माया या नमुचेरपि॥

gāvo navatṛṇānīva gṛhṇantyetā navaṃ navam| śambarasya ca yā māyā māyā yā namucerapi||

The women have in them the sum total of that illusion which the Asura Shambara possessed, that illusion which the Asura Namuchi possessed, that illusion which Bali or Kumbhinasi had.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.7

बलेः कुम्भीनसेश्चैव सर्वास्ता योषितो विदुः। हसन्तं प्रहसन्त्येता रुदन्तं प्ररुदन्ति च॥

baleḥ kumbhīnaseścaiva sarvāstā yoṣito viduḥ| hasantaṃ prahasantyetā rudantaṃ prarudanti ca||

If man laughs, women laugh. If man weeps, they weep. If the opportunity requires, they receive the man who is disagreeable to them with sweet words.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.8

अप्रियं प्रियवाक्यैश्च गृह्णते कालयोगतः। उशना वेद यच्छास्त्रं यच्च वेद बृहस्पतिः॥

apriyaṃ priyavākyaiśca gṛhṇate kālayogataḥ| uśanā veda yacchāstraṃ yacca veda bṛhaspatiḥ||

That science of policy which the preceptor of the Asuras knew, that science of policy which the preceptor of the celestials, viz., Brihaspati, knew, is not deeper or more subtile than what woman's intelligence. Indeed, how can women, therefore, be restrained by men?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.9

स्त्रीबुद्ध्या न विशिष्येत नास्तु रक्ष्याः कथं नरैः। अनृतं सत्यमित्याहुः सत्यं चापि तथानृतम्॥

strībuddhyā na viśiṣyeta nāstu rakṣyāḥ kathaṃ naraiḥ| anṛtaṃ satyamityāhuḥ satyaṃ cāpi tathānṛtam||

They make a lie appear as truth, and a truth, appear as a lie. They who can do this I ask, O hero how can they be governed by persons of the opposite sex?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.10

इति यास्ताः कथं वीर संरक्ष्याः पुरुषैरिह। स्त्रीणां बुद्ध्यर्थनिष्कर्षादर्थशास्त्राणि शत्रुहन्॥

iti yāstāḥ kathaṃ vīra saṃrakṣyāḥ puruṣairiha| strīṇāṃ buddhyarthaniṣkarṣādarthaśāstrāṇi śatruhan||

It appears to me that Brihaspati and othur great thinkers, O destroyer of enemies evolved the science of policy from observation of the understanding of women.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.11

बृहस्पतिप्रभृतिभिर्मन्ये सद्भिः कृतानि वै। सम्पूज्यमानाः पुरुषैर्विकुर्वन्ति मनो नृप॥

bṛhaspatiprabhṛtibhirmanye sadbhiḥ kṛtāni vai| sampūjyamānāḥ puruṣairvikurvanti mano nṛpa||

Whether treated by men, with respect or with hatred, women are seen to turn the heads and agitate the hearts of men.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.12

अपास्ताश्च तथा राजन् विकुर्वन्ति मनः स्त्रियः। इमाः प्रजा महाबाहो धार्मिक्य इति नः श्रुतम्॥

apāstāśca tathā rājan vikurvanti manaḥ striyaḥ| imāḥ prajā mahābāho dhārmikya iti naḥ śrutam||

Living creatures, O you of mighty arms are virtuous. Even this is what we have heard. Treated with love and respect or otherwise women are seen to deserve censure for their conduct towards men.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.13

सत्कृतासत्कृताश्चापि विकुर्वन्ति मनः सदा। कस्ताः शक्तो रक्षितुं स्यादिति मे संशयो महान्।।१३

satkṛtāsatkṛtāścāpi vikurvanti manaḥ sadā| kastāḥ śakto rakṣituṃ syāditi me saṃśayo mahān||13

This great doubt fills my mind, viz., when their conduct is such, what man is there that can restrain them within the limits of virtue? Do you explain this to me, O highly blessed scion of Kuru's race.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 9 39.14

तथा ब्रूहि महाभाग कुरूणां वंशवर्धन। यदि शक्या कुरुश्रेष्ठ रक्षा तासां कदाचन। कर्तुं वा कृतपूर्वं वा तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि॥

tathā brūhi mahābhāga kurūṇāṃ vaṃśavardhana| yadi śakyā kuruśreṣṭha rakṣā tāsāṃ kadācana| kartuṃ vā kṛtapūrvaṃ vā tanme vyākhyātumarhasi||

You should tell me, O chief of Kuru's race, whether women are truly capable of being governed within the limits prescribed by the scriptures or whether any one before our time did really succeeded in so controlling them.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)