o ladies laughed merrily
and seated themselves at their ease. And, O king, those ladies, who
always spake sweetly to each other, having met after a long time, began
to talk upon various delightful topics arising out of the stories of the
Kurus and the Yadus. And the slender-waisted Satyabhama, the favourite
wife of Krishna and the daughter of Satrajit, then asked Draupadi in
private, saying, 'By what behaviour is it, O daughter of Drupada, that
thou art able to rule the sons of Pandu--those heroes endued with
strength and beauty and like unto the _Lokapalas_ themselves? Beautiful
lady, how is it that they are so obedient to thee and are never angry
with thee? Without doubt the sons of Pandu, O thou of lovely features,
are ever submissive to thee and watchful to do thy bidding! Tell me, O
lady, the reason of this. Is it practice of vows, or asceticism, or
incantation or drug at the time of the bath (in season) or the efficacy
of science, or the influence of youthful appearance, or the recitation
of particular formulae, or _Homa_, or collyrium and other medicaments?
Tell me now, O princess of Panchala, of that blessed and auspicious
thing by which, O Krishna, Krishna may ever be obedient to me.'

"When the celebrated Satyabhama, having said this, ceased, the chaste
and blessed daughter of Drupada answered her, saying, 'Thou askedest me,
O Satyabhama, of the practices of women that are wicked. How can I
answer thee, O lady, about the cause that is pursued by wicked females?
It doth not become thee, lady, to pursue the questions, or doubt me,
after this, for thou art endued with intelligence and art the favourite
wife of Krishna. When the husband learns that his wife is addicted to
incantations and drugs, from that hour he beginneth to dread her like a
serpent ensconced in his sleeping chamber. And can a man that is
troubled with fear have peace, and how can one that hath no peace have
happiness? A husband can never be made obedient by his wife's
incantations. We hear of painful diseases being transmitted by enemies.
Indeed, they that desire to slay others, send poison in the shape of
customary gifts, so that the man that taketh the powders so sent, by
tongue or skin, is, without doubt, speedily deprived of life. Women have
sometimes caused dropsy and leprosy, decrepitude and impotence and
idiocy and blindness and deafness in men. These wicked women, ever
treading in the path of sin, do sometimes (by these means) injure thei