Prabhupada: Here also, in Gujarat, they wear black, black sari.

Hari-sauri: Yes, right. And they wear black, and they don't dress attractively at all, and there's no question of marrying again.

Prabhupada: And Russia also, respectable widows, they used to live in widow's home. They would never marry.

Hari-sauri: And they would wear black too.

Prabhupada: I have seen that house when I was in Moscow. That was one of the... What is called...? They go to see, especially tourists.

Hari-sauri: Red Square?

Prabhupada: Red Square. No, I mean to say what is that called when they go to see specially something? Foreign Mecca(?).

Hari-sauri: Sightseeing.

Prabhupada: That, no. Sightseeing. So anyway, they took us to a house.

Hari-sauri: Oh, you went on a sightseeing tour.

Prabhupada: Ah, yes, that "Here, respectable widows." In Russia, after being widow, they used to live along with other respectable widows. They would never marry. Widow house. Live with queens and other respectable ladies. This was...

Hari-sauri: Now I think about seven or eight marriages out of every ten in Russia end up in divorce.

Prabhupada: Everywhere.

(70105rc.bom Conversation)

Kunti is described herein as sati, or CHASTE, due to her unalloyed devotion to Lord Sri Krsna. Her mind will now be expressed in the following prayers for Lord Krsna. A CHASTE devotee of the Lord does not look to others, namely any other living being or demigod, even for deliverance from danger. That was all along the characteristic of the whole family of the Pandavas. They knew nothing except Krsna, and therefore the Lord was also always ready to help them in all respects and in all circumstances. That is the transcendental nature of the Lord. He reciprocates the dependence of the devotee. One should not, therefore, look for help from imperfect living beings or demigods, but one should look for all help from Lord Krsna, who is competent to save His devotees. Such a CHASTE devotee also never asks the Lord for help, but the Lord, out of His own accord, is always anxious to render it.

SB 1.8.17 P Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved

Gandhari: The ideal CHASTE lady in the history of the world. She was the daughter of Maharaja Subala, the King of Gandhara (now Kandahar in Kabul), and in her maiden state she worshiped Lord Siva. Lord Siva is generally worshiped by Hindu maidens to get a good husband. Gandhari satisfied Lord Siva, and by his benediction to obtain one hundred sons, she was betrothed to Dhrtarastra, despite his being blind forever. When Gandhari came to know that her would-be husband was a blind man, to follow her life companion she decided to become voluntarily blind. So she wrapped up her eyes with many silk linens, and she was married to Dhrtarastra under the guidance of her elder brother Sakuni. She was the most beautiful girl of her time, and she was equally qualified by her womanly qualities, which endeared every member of the Kaurava court. But despite all her good qualities, she had the natural frailties of a woman, and she was envious of Kunti when the latter gave birth to a male child. Both the queens were pregnant, but Kunti first gave birth to a male child. Thus Gandhari became angry and gave a blow to her own abdomen. As a result, she gave birth to a lump of flesh only, but since she was a devotee of Vyasadeva, by the instruction of Vyasadeva the lump was divided into one hundred parts, and each part gradually developed to become a male child. Thus her ambition to become the mother of one hundred sons was fulfilled, and she began to nourish all the children according to her exalted position. When the intrigue of the Battle of Kuruksetra was going on, she was not in favor of fighting with the Pandavas; rather, she blamed Dhrtarastra, her husband, for such a fratricidal war. She desired that the state be divided into two parts, for the sons of Pandu and her own. She was very affected when all her sons died in the Battle of Kuruksetra, and she wanted to curse Bhimasena and Yudhisthira, but she was checked by Vyasadeva. Her mourning over the death of Duryodhana and Duhsasana before Lord Krsna was very pitiful, and Lord Krsna pacified her by transcendental messages. She was equally aggrieved on the death of Karna, and she described to Lord Krsna the lamentation of Karna's wife. She was pacified by Srila Vyasadeva when he showed her dead sons, then promoted to the heavenly kingdoms. She died along with her husband in the jungles of the Himalayas near the mouth of the Ganges; she burned in a forest fire. Maharaja Yudhisthira performed the death ceremony of his uncle and aunt.

(SB 1.13.3-4 P Dhrtarastra Quits Home)

The gentle and CHASTE Gandhari, who was the daughter of King Subala of Kandahar [or Gandhara], followed her husband, seeing that he was going to the Himalaya Mountains, which are the delight of those who have accepted the staff of the renounced order like fighters who have accepted a good lashing from the enemy.

PURPORT

Saubalini, or Gandhari, daughter of King Subala and wife of King Dhrtarastra, was ideal as a wife devoted to her husband. The Vedic civilization especially prepares CHASTE and devoted wives, of whom Gandhari is one amongst many mentioned in history. Laksmiji Sitadevi was also a daughter of a great king, but she followed her husband, Lord Ramacandra, into the forest. Similarly, as a woman Gandhari could have remained at home or at her father's house, but as a CHASTE and gentle lady she followed her husband without consideration. Instructions for the renounced order of life were imparted to Dhrtarastra by Vidura, and Gandhari was by the side of her husband. But he did not ask her to follow him because he was at that time fully determined, like a great warrior who faces all kinds of dangers in the battlefield. He was no longer attracted to so-called wife or relatives, and he decided to start alone, but as a CHASTE lady Gandhari decided to follow her husband till the last moment. Maharaja Dhrtarastra accepted the order of vanaprastha, and at this stage the wife is allowed to remain as a voluntary servitor, but in the sannyasa stage no wife can stay with her former husband. A sannyasi is considered to be a dead man civilly, and therefore the wife becomes a civil widow without connection with her former husband. Maharaja Dhrtarastra did not deny his faithful wife, and she followed her husband at her own risk.

(SB 1.13.30 Dhrtarastra Quits Home)

Now she, the CHASTE one, being unfortunately forsaken by the Personality of Godhead, laments her future with tears in her eyes, for now she is being ruled and enjoyed by lower-class men who pose as rulers.

PURPORT

The ksatriya, or the man who is qualified to protect the sufferers, is meant to rule the state. Untrained lower-class men, or men without ambition to protect the sufferers, cannot be placed on the seat of an administrator. Unfortunately, in the age of Kali the lower-class men, without training, occupy the post of a ruler by strength of popular votes, and instead of protecting the sufferers, such men create a situation quite intolerable for everyone. Such rulers illegally gratify themselves at the cost of all comforts of the citizens, and thus the CHASTE mother earth cries to see the pitiable condition of her sons, both men and animals. That is the future of the world in the age of Kali,

SB 1.17.27 Punishment and Reward of Kal

A faithful wife cannot live without her lord, the husband, and therefore all widows used to voluntarily embrace the burning fire which consumed the dead husband. This system was very common in India because all the wives were CHASTE and faithful to their husbands. Later on, with the advent of the age of Kali, the wives gradually began to be less adherent to their husbands, and the voluntary embrace of the fire by the widows became a thing of the past. Very recently the system was abolished, since the voluntary system had become a forcible social custom.

When Maharaja Pandu died, both his wives, namely Kunti and Madri, were prepared to embrace the fire, but Madri requested Kunti to live for the sake of the younger children, the five Pandavas. This was agreed upon by Kunti at the added request of Vyasadeva. In spite of her great bereavement, Kunti decided to live, not to enjoy life in the absence of her husband, but only to give protection to the children. This incident is referred to here by Vidura because he knew all the facts about his sister-in-law Kuntidevi. It is understood that Maharaja Pandu was a great warrior and that he alone, with the help of bow and arrow, could conquer the world's four directions. In the absence of such a husband, it was almost impossible for Kunti to live on even as a widow, but she had to do it for the sake of the five children.

(SB 3.1.40 P Questions by Vidura)

Therefore I shall accept this CHASTE girl as my wife, on the condition that after she bears semen from my body, I shall accept the life of devotional service accepted by the most perfect human beings. That process was described by Lord Visnu. It is free from envy.

PURPORT

Kardama Muni expressed his desire for a very beautiful wife to Emperor Svayambhuva and accepted the Emperor's daughter for marriage. Kardama Muni was in the hermitage practicing complete celibacy as a brahmacari, and although he had the desire to marry, he did not want to be a householder for the whole span of his life because he was conversant with the Vedic principles of human life. According to Vedic principles, the first part of life should be utilized in brahmacarya for the development of character and spiritual qualities. In the next part of life, one may accept a wife and beget children, but one should not beget children like cats and dogs.

Kardama Muni desired to beget a child who would be a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should beget a child who can perform the duties of Visnu, otherwise there is no need to produce children. There are two kinds of children born of good fathers: one is educated in Krsna consciousness so that he can be delivered from the clutches of maya in that very life, and the other is a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and teaches the world the ultimate goal of life. As will be described in later chapters, Kardama Muni begot such a child--Kapila, the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead who enunciated the philosophy of Sankhya. Great householders pray to God to send His representative so that there may be an auspicious movement in human society. This is one reason to beget a child. Another reason is that a highly enlightened parent can train a child in Krsna consciousness so that the child will not have to come back again to this miserable world. Parents should see to it that the child born of them does not enter the womb of a mother again. Unless one can train a child for liberation in that life, there is no need to marry or produce children. If human society produces children like cats and dogs for the disturbance of social order, then the world becomes hellish, as it has in this age of Kali. In this age, neither parents nor their children are trained; both are animalistic and simply eat, sleep, mate, defend, and gratify their senses. This disorder in social life cannot bring peace to human society. Kardama Muni explains beforehand that he would not associate with the girl Devahuti for the whole duration of his life. He would simply associate with her until she had a child. In other words, sex life should be utilized only to produce a nice child, not for any other purpose. Human life is especially meant for complete devotion to the service of the Lord. That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya.

(SB 3.22.19 The Marriage of Kardama Muni and Devahuti)

Maitreya continued: After the departure of her parents, the CHASTE woman Devahuti, who could understand the desires of her husband, served him constantly with great love, as Bhavani, the wife of Lord Siva, serves her husband.

The specific example of Bhavani is very significant. Bhavani means the wife of Bhava, or Lord Siva. Bhavani, or Parvati, the daughter of the King of the Himalayas, selected Lord Siva, who appears to be just like a beggar, as her husband. In spite of her being a princess, she undertook all kinds of tribulations to associate with Lord Siva, who did not even have a house, but was sitting underneath the trees and passing his time in meditation. Although Bhavani was the daughter of a very great king, she used to serve Lord Siva just like a poor woman. Similarly, Devahuti was the daughter of an emperor, Svayambhuva Manu, yet she preferred to accept Kardama Muni as her husband. She served him with great love and affection, and she knew how to please him. Therefore, she is designated here as sadhvi, which means "a CHASTE, faithful wife." Her rare example is the ideal of Vedic civilization. Every woman is expected to be as good and CHASTE as Devahuti or Bhavani. Today in Hindu society, unmarried girls are still taught to worship Lord Siva with the idea that they may get husbands like him. Lord Siva is the ideal husband, not in the sense of riches or sense gratification, but because he is the greatest of all devotees. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: Sambhu, or Lord Siva, is the ideal Vaisnava. He constantly meditates upon Lord Rama and chants Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Siva has a Vaisnava sampradaya, which is called the Visnusvami-sampradaya. Unmarried girls worship Lord Siva so that they can expect a husband who is as good a Vaisnava as he. The girls are not taught to select a husband who is very rich or very opulent for material sense gratification; rather, if a girl is fortunate enough to get a husband as good as Lord Siva in devotional service, then her life becomes perfect. The wife is dependent on the husband, and if the husband is a Vaisnava, then naturally she shares the devotional service of the husband because she renders him service. This reciprocation of service and love between husband and wife is the ideal of a householder's life.

(SB 3.23.1 Devahuti' s Lamentation)

The wife is expected to be of the same category as the husband. She must be prepared to follow the principles of the husband, and then there will be happy life. If the husband is a devotee and the wife is materialistic, there cannot be any peace in the home. The wife must see the tendencies of the husband and must be prepared to follow him. From Mahabharata we learn that when Gandhari understood that her would-be husband, Dhrtarastra, was blind, she immediately began to practice blindness herself. Thus she covered her eyes and played the part of a blind woman. She decided that since her husband was blind, she must also act like a blind woman, otherwise she would be proud of her eyes, and her husband would be seen as inferior. The word samanuvrata indicates that it is the duty of a wife to adopt the special circumstances in which the husband is situated. Of course, if the husband is as great as Kardama Muni, then a very good result accrues from following him. But even if the husband is not a great devotee like Kardama Muni, it is the wife's duty to adapt herself according to his mentality. That makes married life very happy. It is also mentioned herein that by following the strict vows of a CHASTE woman, Princess Devahuti became very skinny, and therefore her husband became compassionate. He knew that she was the daughter of a great king and yet was serving him just like an ordinary woman. She was reduced in health by such activities, and he became compassionate and addressed her as follows.

(SB 3.23.4-5 P Devahuti' s Lamentation)

It is indicated here that one's body is very dear, yet Devahuti was so faithful to her husband that not only did she serve him with great devotion, service and respect, but she did not even care for her own health. That is called selfless service. It appears that Devahuti had no sense pleasure, even with her husband, otherwise she would not have deteriorated in health. Acting to facilitate Kardama Muni's engagement in spiritual elevation, she continually assisted him, not caring for bodily comfort. It is the duty of a faithful and CHASTE wife to help her husband in every respect, especially when the husband is engaged in Krsna consciousness. In this case, the husband also amply rewarded the wife. This is not to be expected by a woman who is the wife of an ordinary person.

(SB 3.23.6 P Devahuti' s Lamentation)

Sri Devahuti said: My dear husband, O best of brahmanas, I know that you have achieved perfection and are the master of all the infallible mystic powers because you are under the protection of yogamaya, the transcendental nature. But you once made a promise that our bodily union should now fulfill, since children are a great quality for a CHASTE woman who has a glorious husband.

(SB 3.23.10 Devahuti' s Lamentation)

This was known to Devahuti, yet she was anxious to have a son by bodily union with the sage. She reminded her husband of his promise to her parents: "I will remain only until the time of Devahuti's pregnancy." She reminded him that for a CHASTE woman to have a child by a great personality is most glorious. She wanted to be pregnant, and she prayed for that. The word stri means "expansion." By bodily union of the husband and wife their qualities are expanded: children born of good parents are expansions of the parents' personal qualifications. Both Kardama Muni and Devahuti were spiritually enlightened; therefore she desired from the beginning that first she be pregnant and then she be empowered with the achievement of God's grace and love of God. For a woman it is a great ambition to have a son of the same quality as a highly qualified husband. Since she had the opportunity to have Kardama Muni as her husband, she also desired to have a child by bodily union.

(SB 3.23.10 P Devahuti' s Lamentation)

On the request of Lord Brahma I handed over my CHASTE daughter to him, although he is devoid of all cleanliness and his heart is filled with nasty things.

PURPORT

It is the duty of parents to hand over their daughters to suitable persons just befitting their family tradition in cleanliness, gentle behavior, wealth, social position, etc. Daksa was repentant that on the request of Brahma, who was his father, he had handed over his daughter to a person who, according to his calculation, was nasty. He was so angry that he did not acknowledge that the request was from his father. Instead, he referred to Brahma as paramesthi, the supreme teacher in the universe; because of his temperament of gross anger, he was not even prepared to accept Brahma as his father. In other words, he accused even Brahma of being less intelligent because he had advised Daksa to hand over his beautiful daughter to such a nasty fellow. In anger one forgets everything, and thus Daksa, in anger, not only accused the great Lord Siva, but criticized his own father, Lord Brahma, for his not very astute advice that Daksa hand over his daughter to Lord Siva.

(SB 4.2.16 Daksa Curses Lord Siva)

It is useless to condemn a great personality like Lord Siva, and this is being stated by his wife, Sati, to establish the supremacy of her husband. First she said, "You call Lord Siva inauspicious because he associates with demons in crematoriums, covers his body with the ashes of the dead, and garlands himself with the skulls of human beings. You have shown so many defects, but you do not know that his position is always transcendental. Although he appears inauspicious, why do personalities like Brahma respect the dust of his lotus feet and place on their heads with great respect those very garlands which are condemned by you?" Since Sati was a CHASTE woman and the wife of Lord Siva, it was her duty to establish the elevated position of Lord Siva, not only by sentiment but by facts. Lord Siva is not an ordinary living entity. This is the conclusion of Vedic scripture. He is neither on the level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor on the level of the ordinary living entities

(SB 4.4.16 P Sati Quits Her Body)

It was astonishing that Daksa, who was Prajapati, the maintainer of all living entities, was so disrespectful to his own daughter, Sati, who was not only CHASTE but was also a great soul, that she gave up her body because of his neglect.

PURPORT

The word anatmya is significant. Atmya means "the life of the soul," so this word indicates that although Daksa appeared to be living, actually he was a dead body, otherwise how could he neglect Sati, who was his own daughter? It was the duty of Daksa to look after the maintenance and comforts of all living entities because he was situated as Prajapati, the governor of all living entities. Therefore how is it that he neglected his own daughter, who was the most exalted and CHASTE woman, a great soul, and who therefore deserved the most respectful treatment from her father? The death of Sati because of her being neglected by Daksa, her father, was most astonishing to all the great demigods of the universe.

(SB 4.4.29 Sati Quits Her Body)

Because Prthu Maharaja's wife was the Queen and also a daughter of a king, she never experienced walking on the ground, for queens used to never come out of the palace. They certainly never went to the forests and tolerated all the difficulties of living in the wilderness. In Vedic civilization there are hundreds of similar examples of such renunciation on the part of queens and dedication to the husband. The goddess of fortune mother Sita followed her husband, Ramacandra, when He went to the forest. Lord Ramacandra went to the forest in compliance with the order of His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, but mother Sita was not so ordered. Nonetheless, she voluntarily accepted the path of her husband. Similarly, Gandhari, the wife of King Dhrtarastra, also followed her husband into the forest. Being the wives of great personalities like Prthu, Lord Ramacandra and Dhrtarastra, these were ideal CHASTE women. Such queens also instructed the general people by showing them how to become a CHASTE wife and follow the husband in every stage of life. When the husband is king, she sits beside him as the queen, and when he goes to the forest, she also follows, despite having to tolerate all kinds of difficulties in living in the forest. Therefore it is said here (atad-arha) that although she did not want to touch her feet to the ground, she nonetheless accepted all difficulties when she went to the forest with her husband.

(SB 4.23.19 P Maharaja Prthu' s Going Back Home)

Although she was not accustomed to such difficulties, Queen Arci followed her husband in the regulative principles of living in the forest like great sages. She lay down on the ground and ate only fruits, flowers and leaves, and because she was not fit for these activities, she became frail and thin. Yet because of the pleasure she derived in serving her husband, she did not feel any difficulties.

PURPORT

The words bhartur vrata-dharma-nisthaya indicate that a woman's duty, or religious principle, is to serve her husband in all conditions. In Vedic civilization a man is taught from the beginning of his life to become a brahmacari, then an ideal grhastha, then vanaprastha, then sannyasi, and the wife is taught just to follow the husband strictly in all conditions of life. After the period of brahmacarya, a man accepts a householder's life, and the woman is also taught by her parents to be a CHASTE wife. Thus when a girl and boy are united, both are trained for a life dedicated to a higher purpose. The boy is trained to execute his duty in accordance with the higher purpose of life, and the girl is trained to follow him. The CHASTE wife's duty is to keep her husband pleased in householder life in all respects, and when the husband retires from family life, she is to go to the forest and adopt the life of vanaprastha, or vana-vasi. At that time the wife is to follow her husband and take care of him, just as she took care of him in householder life. But when the husband takes the renounced order of life, namely sannyasa, the wife is to return home and become a saintly woman, setting an example for her children and daughters-in-law and showing them how to live a life of austerity.

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, His wife, Visnupriyadevi, although only sixteen years old, also took the vow of austerity due to her husband's leaving home. She chanted her beads, and after finishing one round, she collected one grain of rice. In this way, as many rounds as she chanted, she would receive the same number of rice grains and then cook them and so take prasada. This is called austerity. Even today in India, widows or women whose husbands have taken sannyasa follow the principles of austerity, even though they live with their children. Prthu Maharaja's wife, Arci, was steadily determined to execute the duty of a wife, and while her husband was in the forest, she followed him in eating only fruits and leaves and lying down on the ground. Since a woman's body is considerably more delicate than a man's, Queen Arci became very frail and thin, parikarsita. When one engages in austerities, his body generally becomes lean and thin. Becoming fat is not a very good qualification in spiritual life because a person who is engaged in spiritual life must reduce the comforts of the body--namely eating, sleeping and mating--to a minimum. Although Queen Arci became very thin from living in the forest according to regulative principles, she was not unhappy, for she was enjoying the honor of serving her great husband.

(SB 4.23.20 P Maharaja Prthu' s Going Back Home)

After this, the Queen executed the necessary funerary functions and offered oblations of water. After bathing in the river, she offered obeisances to various demigods situated in the sky in the different planetary systems. She then circumambulated the fire and, while thinking of the lotus feet of her husband, entered its flames.

PURPORT

The entrance of a CHASTE wife into the flames of the pyre of her dead husband is known as saha-gamana, which means "dying with the husband." This system of saha-gamana had been practiced in Vedic civilization from time immemorial. Even after the British period in India this practice was rigidly observed, but soon it degraded to the point that even when the wife was not strong enough to enter the fire of her dead husband, the relatives would force her to enter. Thus this practice had to be stopped, but even today there are still some solitary cases where a wife we personally knew of a CHASTE wife who died in this way.

The wives of the demigods continued: Just see how this CHASTE lady, Arci, by dint of her inconceivable pious activities, is still following her husband upward, as far as we can see.

(SB 4.23.26 Maharaja Prthu' s Going Back Home)

Herein we see that King Puranjana was searching after his good wife, who always helped him out of the dangerous situations that always occur in material existence. As already explained, a real wife

is dharma-patni. That is, a woman accepted in marriage by ritualistic ceremony is called dharma-patni, which signifies that she is accepted in terms of religious principles. Children born of dharma-patni, or a

Woman married according to religious principles, inherit the property of the father, but children born of a woman who is not properly married do not inherit the father's property. The word dharma-patni

Also refers to a CHASTE wife. A CHASTE wife is one who never had any connection with men before her marriage. Once a woman is given the freedom to mingle with all kinds of men in her youth, it is very

Difficult for her to keep CHASTE. She generally cannot remain CHASTE.When butter is brought into the proximity of fire, it melts. The woman is like fire, and man is like the butter. But if one gets a CHASTE

Wife, accepted through a religious marriage ritual, she can be of great help when one is threatened by the many dangerous situations of life. Actually such a wife can become the source of all good intelligence. With such a good wife, the family's engagement in the devotional service of the Lord actually makes a home a grhastha-asrama, or household dedicated to spiritual cultivation.

(SB 4.26.16 P King Puranjana Goes to the Forest to Hunt, and His Queen Becomes Angry)

When a person is devoid of devotional service, or visnu-bhakti, he takes to many sinful activities. King Puranjana left home, neglected his own wife and engaged himself in killing animals. This is the

Position of all materialistic men. They do not care for a married CHASTE wife. They take the wife only as an instrument for sense enjoyment, not as a means for devotional service. To have unrestricted sex life, the karmis work very hard. They have concluded that the best course is to have sex with any woman and simply pay the price for her, as though she were a mercantile commodity. Thus they engage their energy in working very hard for such material acquisitions. Such materialistic people have lost their good intelligence. They must search out their intelligence within the heart. A person who does not have a CHASTE wife accepted by religious principles always has a bewildered intelligence.

The wife of King Puranjana was lying on the ground because she was neglected by her husband. Actually the woman must always be protected by her husband. We always speak of the goddess of fortune as being

placed on the chest of Narayana. In other words, the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she becomes beloved and well protected.

Just as one saves his money and places it under his own personal protection, one should similarly protect his wife by his own personal supervision. Just as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved CHASTE wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore called ardhangani, or half of the body. One cannot remain with only one leg, one hand or only one side of the body. He must have two sides. Similarly, according to nature's way, husband and wife should live together. In the lower species of life, among birds and animals, it is seen that by nature's arrangement the husband and wife live together. It is similarly ideal in human life for the husband and wife to live together. The home should be a place for devotional service, and the wife should be CHASTE and accepted by a ritualistic ceremony. In this way one can become happy at home.

(SB 4.26.17 P King Puranjana Goes to the Forest to Hunt, and His Queen Becomes Angry)

Narottama dasa Thakura herein says that he repents for having spoiledhis human life and knowingly drunk poison. By not being Krsna conscious, one willingly drinks the poison of material life. The purport is that one certainly becomes addicted to sinful activities when he becomes devoid of his good CHASTE wife, or when he has lost his good sense and does not take to Krsna consciousness.

(SB 4.26.18 P King Puranjana Goes to the Forest to Hunt, and His Queen Becomes Angry)

All these thoughts of one's wife indicate that the King was overly engrossed with the thoughts of woman. Generally a CHASTE woman becomes a very obedient wife. This causes a husband to become attached to his

Wife, and consequently he thinks of his wife very much at the time of death. This is a very dangerous situation, as is evident from the life of King Puranjana. If one thinks of his wife instead of Krsna at the time of death, he will certainly not return home, back to Godhead, but will be forced to accept the body of a woman and thus begin another chapter of material existence.

(SB 4.28.18 P Puranjana Becomes a Woman in the Next Life)

The acaryas specifically mention that in this verse the words matuh anugrahat ("by the mercy of their mother") refer to the breast milk of their mother. In India it is a common belief that if a baby is fed his mother's milk for at least six months, his body will be very strong. Besides that, it is mentioned herein that all the sons of Agnidhra were endowed with the nature of their mother. Bhagavad-gita (1.40) also declares, strisu dustasu varsneya jayate varna-sankarah: when women are polluted, varna-sankara, unqualified children, are generated, and when the varna-sankara population increases, the entire world becomes hellish. Therefore, according to Manu-samhita, a woman needs a great deal of protection in order to remain pure and CHASTE so that her children can be fully engaged for the benefit of human society.

(SB 5.2.21 P The Activities of Maharaja Agnidhra)

This verse indicates how degraded one becomes simply by indulging in illicit sex with a prostitute. Illicit sex is not possible with a CHASTE or aristocratic woman, but only with unCHASTE sudras. The more society allows prostitution and illicit sex, the more impetus it gives to cheaters, thieves, plunderers, drunkards and gamblers. Therefore we first advise all the disciples in our Krsna consciousness movement to avoid illicit sex, which is the beginning of all abominable life and which is followed by meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, one after another. Of course, restraint is very difficult, but it is quite possible if one fully surrenders to Krsna, since all these abominable habits gradually become distasteful for a Krsna conscious person. If illicit sex is allowed to increase in a society, however, the entire society will be condemned, for it will be full of rogues, thieves, cheaters and so forth.

(SB 6.1.22 P The History of the Life of Ajamila)

After the incidents concerning the loss of his many sons, Daksa repented his misunderstanding with Narada Muni. Lord Brahma then saw Daksa and instructed him to beget children again. This time Daksa was very cautious to beget female children instead of male children so that Narada Muni would not disturb them by urging them to accept the renounced order. Females are not meant for the renounced order of life; they should be faithful to their good husbands, for if a husband is competent for liberation, his wife will also achieve liberation with him. As stated in the sastra, the results of a husband's pious activities are shared by his wife. Therefore a woman's duty is to be very CHASTE and faithful to her husband. Then without separate endeavor she will share in all the profit the husband earns.

(SB 6.6.1 P The Progeny of the Daughters of Daksa)

A pure devotee always yearns to associate personally with the Lord and render service unto Him. The examples given in this regard are most appropriate. A small baby bird is practically never satisfied except when the mother bird comes to feed it, a small calf is not satisfied unless allowed to suck the milk from the mother's udder, and a CHASTE, devoted wife whose husband is away from home is never satisfied until she has the association of her beloved husband.

(SB 6.11.26 P The Transcendental Qualities of Vrtrasura)

If either a pregnant woman or her husband regularly discharges this devotional service, both of them will receive the result. After continuing this process for one full year, the CHASTE wife should fast on the purnima, the full-moon day, of Karttika. On the following day, the husband should worship the Lord as before and then observe a festival by cooking nice food and distributing prasada to the brahmanas. Then, with the permission of the brahmanas, the husband and wife should take prasada. This chapter ends by glorifying the results of the pumsavana function.

(SB 6.19 Summary Performing the Pumsavana Ritualistic Ceremony)

The relationship between husband and wife is firmly established when the wife is faithful and the husband sincere. Then even if the wife, being weaker, is unable to execute devotional service with her husband, if she is CHASTE and sincere she shares half of her husband's activities.

(SB 6.19.18 P Performing the Pumsavana Ritualistic Ceremony)

The CHASTE wife must perform such devotional service continuously for one year. After one year passes, she should fast on the full-moon day in the month of Karttika [October-November]

(SB 6.19.21 Performing the Pumsavana Ritualistic Ceremony)

This system of saha-marana continued in India even until the time of British rule, but later it was discouraged, since the attitude of wives gradually changed with the advancement of Kali-yuga. Thus the system of saha-marana has practically been abolished. Nevertheless, within the past fifty years I have seen the wife of a medical practitioner voluntarily accept death immediately when her husband died. Both the husband and wife were taken in procession in the mourning cart. Such intense love of a CHASTE wife for her husband is a special case.

(SB 7.2.34 P Hiranyakasipu, King of the Demons)

Narada Muni said: O Indra, King of the demigods, this woman is certainly sinless. You should not drag her off in this merciless way. O greatly fortunate one, this CHASTE woman is the wife of another. You must immediately release her.

(SB 7.7.8 What Prahlada Learned in the Womb)

Narada Muni also described that the symptom of a brahmana is controlled senses, the symptoms of a ksatriya are power and fame, the symptom of a vaisya is service to the brahmanas and ksatriyas, and the symptom of a sudra is service to the three higher classes. The qualification for a woman is to be a very faithful and CHASTE wife.

(SB 7.11 Summary The Perfect Society: Four Social Classes)

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