Brahma Vaivarta Purana Chapter 17:91-100

Brahma Vaivarta Purana

Çri Våndävana-nagara-varnana

Description of Çri Våndävana

Chapter 17: Verse 91-100

ENGLISH TRANSLATION 91.No one is a better friend than her husband. No one is more dear than her husband. No one is more like a god than her husband. No one is more of a teacher and master than her husband. 92.No pious deeds are more important than her husband. Giving charity is not more important than her husband. Her own life breath is not more important than her husband. For a chaste wife nothing is more important than her husband. 93.As the devotees plunge their minds in the thought of Lord Kåñna's lotus feet, as a mother plunges her mind in the thought of her only son, as a rake plunges his mind in the thought of women, . . . 94. . . . as misers plunge their minds in the thought of their long- accumulated wealth, as frightened persons plunge their minds in the thought of their fears, as scholars plunge their minds in the thought of the holy scriptures, . . . 95. . . . as infants plunge their minds in the thought of their mothers, as craftsmen plunge their minds in the thought of the crafts, and as wanton women plunge their minds in the thought of their lovers, so chaste wives plunge their minds in the thought of their beloved husbands. 96.When a woman is separated from her saintly husband, her heart and mind are destroyed by grief. Her life becomes death. For her death is better than life. 97.Eating and drinking, in the course of time a person plunged into grief is pacified. A woman grieving for her husband finds the opposite. As she eats her grief grows. 98.A man's work, shadow, and chaste wife are his constant companions, but of the three, the chaste wife is the best. A man's work and shadow end when he leaves his body, but a chaste wife follows him birth after birth. 99. O Brahmä, O creator of the universe, if you give liberation to him and not to me also, then I will curse you. I will accuse you of killing a woman. 100.Both frightened and surprised to hear Kalävati's words, Brahmä spoke to her auspicious words sweet like nectar.