Verse 9.74 [Duties of the Husband going Abroad]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

विधाय वृत्तिं भार्यायाः प्रवसेत् कार्यवान्नरः ।
अवृत्तिकर्शिता हि स्त्री प्रदुष्येत् स्थितिमत्यपि ॥ ७४ ॥

vidhāya vṛttiṃ bhāryāyāḥ pravaset kāryavānnaraḥ |
avṛttikarśitā hi strī praduṣyet sthitimatyapi || 74 ||

A man having business may go abroad, after having provided for the maintenance of his wife; for a wife, even though virtuous, may become corrupt, when distressed by want of subsistence.—(74)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

All that is meant by the injunction here put forth is that whenever a man goes abroad, he should do so after having made provision for his wife’s subsistence; the form of the injunction being—‘one going abroad should make provision for the subsistence of his wife’; that is, he should so arrange it that during the time that he is away, she shall be supplied with means of sustaining her body, with food, clothing and other household requisites.

Having provided for all this, he shall^‘go abroad,’ i.e., go away to foreign lands.

‘Having business.’—‘Business’ stands for the man’s purpose, visible (temporal) as well as invisible (spritual); the latter consisting in ‘merit’ and the former in ‘wealth’ and ‘pleasure.’ This same idea is going to be set forth again (in 76)—‘If the man has gone abroad for the purposes of merit, etc.’

This text forbids journeying abroad and leaving the wife behind, in the absence of some such purpose as those herein mentioned.

‘Distressed by want of subsistence.’—This points out a visible harm likely to arise; and is a purely declamatory assertion. ‘Distressed’—troubled—‘by want of subsistence’— by poverty.

‘May become corrupt’—by intercourse with other men.

‘Even though virtuous.’—‘Virtue’ stands for the customs and ways of the family; and she who keeps up these is ‘virtuous.’

It is quite likely that through hunger and other forms of privation, the distressed wife may fall into corruption, and maintain herself by betaking herself to another ‘husband.’ The affix in ‘praduṣyet’ indicates likelihood—(74)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 418), which explains ‘sthitimatī’ as ‘endowed with modesty and other virtues.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.74-75)

Viṣṇu (25.9-10).—‘She shall not decorate herself with ornaments while her husband is absent from home;—nor resort to the bouses of strangers.’

Yājñavalkya (1.84).—‘Amusements, ornamenting the body, visiting social gatherings and festivals, visiting other’s houses—these should be avoided by the woman whose husband has gone abroad.’

Śaṅkha-Likhita (Aparārka,p. 108).—‘Swinging, dancing, amusements, picture-seeing, applying cosmetics, visiting gardens, going out in conveyances, sitting in exposed places, rich food and drink, sporting with balls, perfumes, garlands, ornaments, polishing of teeth, collyrium, and toilet,—all these should be avoided by women whose husbands have gone abroad.’

Bṛhaspati (25.9-10).—‘While her husband is absent, a woman must avoid decorating herself, as well as dancing, singing, public spectacles or festivals and meat or intoxicating drinks.’

Hārīta (Do., p. 440).—‘During the absence of her husband, the woman shall not adorn herself, nor unbind her hair.’