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husbands. But the wife should never do the least injury to her lord.
Hear now, O illustrious lady, of the behaviour I adopt towards the
high-souled sons of Pandu. Keeping aside vanity, and controlling desire
and wrath, I always serve with devotion the sons of Pandu with their
wives. Restraining jealousy, with deep devotion of heart, without a
sense of degradation at the services I perform, I wait upon my husbands.
Ever fearing to utter what is evil or false, or to look or sit or walk
with impropriety, or cast glances indicative of the feelings of the
heart, do I serve the sons of Pritha--those mighty warriors blazing like
the sun or fire, and handsome as the moon, those endued with fierce
energy and prowess, and capable of slaying their foes by a glance of the
eye. Celestial, or man, or Gandharva, young or decked with ornaments,
wealthy or comely of person, none else my heart liketh. I never bathe or
eat or sleep till he that is my husband hath bathed or eaten or
slept,--till, in fact, our attendants have bathed, eaten, or slept.
Whether returning from the field, the forest, or the town, hastily
rising up I always salute my husband with water and a seat. I always
keep the house and all household articles and the food that is to be
taken well-ordered and clean. Carefully do I keep the rice, and serve
the food at the proper time. I never indulge in angry and fretful
speech, and never imitate women that are wicked. Keeping idleness at
distance I always do what is agreeable. I never laugh except at a jest,
and never stay for any length of time at the house-gate. I never stay
long in places for answering calls of nature, nor in pleasure-gardens
attached to the house. I always refrain from laughing loudly and
indulging in high passion, and from everything that may give offence.
Indeed, O Satyabhama, I always am engaged in waiting upon my lords. A
separation from my lords is never agreeable to me. When my husband
leaveth home for the sake of any relative, then renouncing flowers and
fragrant paste of every kind, I begin to undergo penances. Whatever my
husband drinketh not, whatever my husband eateth not, whatever my
husband enjoyeth not, I ever renounce. O beautiful lady, decked in
ornaments and ever controlled by the instruction imparted to me, I
always devotedly seek the good of my lord. Those duties that my
mother-in-law had told me of in respect of relatives, as also the duties
of alms-giving, of offering worship to the