Devanagari
स वै देवर्षिवर्यस्तां मानवीं समनुव्रताम् ।
दैवाद्गरीयस: पत्युराशासानां महाशिष: ॥ ४ ॥
कालेन भूयसा क्षामां कर्शितां व्रतचर्यया ।
प्रेमगद्गदया वाचा पीडित: कृपयाब्रवीत् ॥ ५ ॥
Verse text
sa vai devarṣi-varyas tāṁ
mānavīṁ samanuvratām
daivād garīyasaḥ patyur
āśāsānāṁ mahāśiṣaḥ
kālena bhūyasā kṣāmāṁ
karśitāṁ vrata-caryayā
prema-gadgadayā vācā
pīḍitaḥ kṛpayābravīt
Synonyms
saḥ
—
he (Kardama)
;
vai
—
certainly
;
deva
—
ṛṣi — of the celestial sages
;
varyaḥ
—
the foremost
;
tām
—
her
;
mānavīm
—
the daughter of Manu
;
samanuvratām
—
fully devoted
;
daivāt
—
than providence
;
garīyasaḥ
—
who was greater
;
patyuḥ
—
from her husband
;
āśāsānām
—
expecting
;
mahā
—
āśiṣaḥ — great blessings
;
kālena bhūyasā
—
for a long time
;
kṣāmām
—
weak
;
karśitām
—
emaciated
;
vrata
—
caryayā — by religious observances
;
prema
—
with love
;
gadgadayā
—
stammering
;
vācā
—
with a voice
;
pīḍitaḥ
—
overcome
;
kṛpayā
—
with compassion
;
abravīt
—
he said .
Translation
The daughter of Manu, who was fully devoted to her husband, looked upon him as greater even than providence. Thus she expected great blessings from him. Having served him for a long time, she grew weak and emaciated due to her religious observances. Seeing her condition, Kardama, the foremost of celestial sages, was overcome with compassion and spoke to her in a voice choked with great love.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Kardama, the best of sages, overcome with compassion, pained on seeing the condition of his wife who had become thin and weak over a long time from following vows and who desired a son from her husband who could change destiny, spoke to her in a choked voice.
Kardama was stronger than destiny (daivat garīyasaḥ). He could change destiny. There is another meaning. She had given up all desire, but after some time, by the impetus of the Lord (daivāt) she desired some objects of pleasure. Pained on seeing her thin body, with compassion he spoke to her.
Purport
The wife is expected to be of the same category as the husband. She must be prepared to follow the principles of the husband, and then there will be happy life. If the husband is a devotee and the wife is materialistic, there cannot be any peace in the home. The wife must see the tendencies of the husband and must be prepared to follow him. From
Mahābhārata
we learn that when Gāndhārī understood that her would-be husband, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, was blind, she immediately began to practice blindness herself. Thus she covered her eyes and played the part of a blind woman. She decided that since her husband was blind, she must also act like a blind woman, otherwise she would be proud of her eyes, and her husband would be seen as inferior. The word
samanuvrata
indicates that it is the duty of a wife to adopt the special circumstances in which the husband is situated. Of course, if the husband is as great as Kardama Muni, then a very good result accrues from following him. But even if the husband is not a great devotee like Kardama Muni, it is the wife’s duty to adapt herself according to his mentality. That makes married life very happy. It is also mentioned herein that by following the strict vows of a chaste woman, Princess Devahūti became very skinny, and therefore her husband became compassionate. He knew that she was the daughter of a great king and yet was serving him just like an ordinary woman. She was reduced in health by such activities, and he became compassionate and addressed her as follows.