al River
Ganga, who worshipped the daughter of the prince of mountains in return,
was selected for answering the question. Verily, she of sweet smiles is
held as swelling with diverse kinds of understanding and well-conversant
with the duties of women. The sacred goddess, capable of dispelling all
fear of sin, possessed of humility in consequence of her intelligence,
well acquainted with all duties, and enriched with an intelligence
exceedingly comprehensive, sweetly smiling, uttered these, words, "O
goddess, thou art always devoted to the due performance of all duties.
Thou hast favoured me highly by thus questioning me! O sinless one, thou
art honoured by the entire universe, yet thou askest me that am but a
river. That person who, though himself competent (to discourse on a
topic) yet asks another, or who pays a graceful tribute to another,
certainly deserves, I think, to be regarded as righteous-souled. Verily,
such a person deserves to be called learned and wise. That person never
falls into disgrace who asks such speakers as are endued with knowledge
and science and as are well-conversant with premises and inferences. A
proud man, even when enriched with intelligence, by speaking in the midst
of an assembly otherwise (that is, by relying upon his own powers alone
and without reference to or consultation with others), finds himself
uttering only words of weak import. Thou art possessed of spiritual
insight, Thou art the foremost of all denizens in Heaven. Thou hast taken
thy rise accompanied by diverse kinds of excellent merit. Thou, O
goddess, art fully competent to discourse on the duties of women!" In this
way, the goddess Uma was worshipped by Ganga and honoured with the
ascription of many high merits. The beautiful goddess, thus praised,
then began to discourse upon all the duties of women in full.

"'"'Uma said, "I shall, according to the ordinance, discourse on the
subject of women's duties as far as they are known to me. Do ye all listen
with concentrated attention! The duties of women arise as created at the
outset by kinsmen in the rites of wedding. Indeed, a woman becomes, in
the presence of the nuptial fire, the associate of her lord in the
performance of all righteous deeds.[581] Possessed of a good disposition,
endued with sweet speech, sweet conduct, and sweet features, and always
looking at the face of her husband and deriving as much joy from it as
she does from looking at the face of her child, tha