Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6 Chapter 14 Verse 40

Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind | Chapter 14: King Citraketu's Lamentation

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.14.40

dhig aprajāḿ striyaḿ pāpāḿ

patyuś cāgṛha-sammatām

suprajābhiḥ sapatnībhir

dāsīm iva tiraskṛtām

SYNONYMS

dhik — all condemnation; aprajām — without a son; striyam — upon a woman; pāpām — full of sinful activities; patyuḥ — by the husband; ca — also; a-gṛha-sammatām — who is not honored at home; su-prajābhiḥ — who have sons; sapatnībhiḥ — by co-wives; dāsīm — a maidservant; iva — exactly like; tiraskṛtām — dishonored.

TRANSLATION

A wife who has no sons is neglected at home by her husband and dishonored by her co-wives exactly like a maidservant. Certainly such a woman is condemned in every respect because of her sinful life.

PURPORT

As stated by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita:

mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti

bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī

araṇyaḿ tena gantavyaḿ

yathāraṇyaḿ tathā gṛham

"A person who has no mother at home and whose wife does not speak sweetly should go to the forest. For such a person, living at home and living in the forest are equal." Similarly, for a woman who has no son, who is not cared for by her husband and whose co-wives neglect her, treating her like a maidservant, to go to the forest is better than to remain at home.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness