"Yudhishthira said, 'O best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear thee
discourse on the disposition of women. W omen are said to be the root of
all evil. They are all regarded as exceedingly frail.'
"Bhishma said, 'In this connection is cited the old history of the
discourse between the celestial Rishi Narada and the (celestial)
courtezan Panchachuda. Once in ancient times, the celestial Rishi Narada,
having roamed over all the world, met the Apsara Panchachuda of faultless
beauty, having her abode in the region of Brahman. Beholding the Apsara
every limb of whose body was endued with great beauty, the ascetic
addressed her, saying, 'O thou of slender waist, I have a doubt in my
mind. Do thou explain it.'
"Bhishma continued, 'Thus addressed by the Rishi, the Apsara said unto
him, 'If the subject is one which is known to me and if thou thinkest me
competent to speak on it, I shall certainly say what is in my mind.'
"Narada said, 'O amiable one, I shall not certainly appoint thee to any
task that is beyond thy competence. O thou of beautiful face, I wish to
hear from thee of the disposition of women.'
"Bhishma continued, 'Hearing these words of the celestial Rishi, that
foremost of Apsaras replied unto him, saying, 'I am unable, being myself
a woman, to speak ill of women. Thou knowest what women are and with what
nature they are endued. It behoveth thee not, O celestial Rishi, to set
me to such a task.' Unto her the celestial Rishi said, 'It is very true,
O thou of slender waist! One incurs fault by speaking what is untrue. In
saying, however, what is true, there can be no fault.' Thus addressed by
him, the Apsara Panchachuda of sweet smiles consented to answer Narada's
question. She then addressed herself to mention what the true and eternal
faults of women are!'
"Panchachuda said, 'Even if high-born and endued with beauty and
possessed of protectors, women wish to transgress the restraints assigned
to them. This fault truly stains them, O Narada! There is nothing else
that is more sinful than women. Verily, women, are the root of all
faults. That is, certainly known to thee, O Narada! Women, even when
possessed of husbands having fame and wealth, of handsome features and
completely obedient to them, are prepared to disregard them if they get
the opportunity. This, O puissant one, is a sinful disposition with us
women that, casting off modesty, we cultivate the companionship of men of
sinful habits and intentions. Women betray a liking for those men who
court them, who approach their presence, and who respectfully serve them
to even a slight extent. Through want of solicitation by persons of the
other sex, or fear of relatives, women, who are naturally impatient of
all restraints, do not transgress those that have been ordained for them,
and remain by the side of their husbands. There is none whom they are
incapable of admitting to their favours. They never take into
consideration the age of the person they are prepared to favour. Ugly or
handsome, if only the person happens to belong to the opposite sex, women
are ready to enjoy his companionship. That women remain faithful to their
lords is due not to their fear of sin, nor to compassion, nor to wealth,
nor to the affection that springs up in their hearts for kinsmen and
children. Women living in the bosom of respectable families envy the
condition of those members of their sex that are young and well-adorned
with jewels and gems and that lead a free life. Even those women that are
loved by their husbands and treated with great respect, are seen to
bestow their favours upon men that are hump-backed, that are blind, that
are idiots, or that are dwarfs. Women may be seen to like the
companionship of even those men that are destitute of the power of
locomotion or those men that are endued with great ugliness of features.
O great Rishi, there is no man in this world whom women may regard as
unfit for companionship. Through inability to obtain persons of the
opposite sex, or fear of relatives, or fear of death and imprisonment,
women remain, of themselves, within the restraints prescribed for them.
They are exceedingly restless, for they always hanker after new
companions. In consequence of their nature being unintelligible, they are
incapable of being kept in obedience by affectionate treatment. Their
disposition is such that they are incapable of being restrained when bent
upon transgression. Verily, women are like the words uttered by the
wise. Fire is never satiated with fuel. Ocean can never be filled
with the waters that rivers bring unto him. The Destroyer is never
satiated with slaying even all living creatures. Similarly, women are
never satiated with men. This, O celestial Rishi. is another mystery
connected with women. As soon as they see a man of handsome and charming
features, unfailing signs of desire appear on their persons. They never
show sufficient regard for even such husbands as accomplish all their
wishes, as always do what is agreeable to them and as protect them from
want and danger. Women never regard so highly even articles of enjoyment
in abundance or ornaments or other possessions of an agreeable kind as
they do the companionship of persons of the opposite sex. The destroyer,
the deity of wind, death, the nether legions, the equine mouth that roves
through the ocean, vomiting ceaseless flames of fire, the sharpness of
the razor, virulent poison, the snake, and Fire—all these exist in a
state of union in women. That eternal Brahman whence the five great
elements have sprung into existence, whence the Creator Brahma hath
ordained the universe, and whence, indeed, men have sprung, verily from
the same eternal source have women sprung into existence. At that time,
again, O Narada, when women were created, these faults that I have
enumerated were planted in them!'"
