The wife started walking towards her house along with Devaśharman. She was very pleased, and as she walked, her thoughts turned to her lover Devadutta…
It is rightly said…
दुर्दिवसे घन-तिमिरे दुःसञ्चारासु नगर-वीथीषु ।
पत्युर् विदेश-गमने परम-सुखं जघन-चपलायाः ॥ १८४ ॥
durdivase ghana-timire duḥsañcārāsu nagara-vīthīṣu |
patyur videśa-gamane parama-sukhaṃ jaghana-capalāyāḥ || 184 ||
On dark, cloudy days, when the roads are deserted, and when the spouse is away, lustful people feel very happy.
पर्यङ्केष्व् आस्तरणं पतिम् अनुकूलं मनोहरं शयनम् ।
तृणम् इव लघु मन्यन्ते कामिन्यश् चौर्य-रत-लुब्धाः ॥ १८५ ॥
paryaṅkeṣv āstaraṇaṃ patim anukūlaṃ manoharaṃ śayanam |
tṛṇam iva laghu manyante kāminyaś caurya-rata-lubdhāḥ || 185 ||
Comforts at home, and an understanding spouse, are both treated with disdain, by the one who cheats and has affairs.
केलिं प्रदहति लज्जा शृङ्गारो ऽस्थीनि चाटवः कटवः ।
वन्ध-त्रयाः परितोषो न किंचिद् इष्टं भवेत् पत्यौ ॥ १८६ ॥
keliṃ pradahati lajjā śṛṅgāro ‘sthīni cāṭavaḥ kaṭavaḥ |
vandha-trayāḥ paritoṣo na kiṃcid iṣṭaṃ bhavet patyau || 186 ||
Nothing a spouse does pleases the ones who cheat – intense love, romance, even pleasant talk – all go unnoticed.
कुल-पतनं जन-गर्हां बन्धनम् अपि जीवितव्य-सन्देहम् ।
अङ्गीकरोति कुलटा सततं पर-पुरुष-संसक्ता ॥ १८७ ॥
kula-patanaṃ jana-garhāṃ bandhanam api jīvitavya-sandeham |
aṅgīkaroti kulaṭā satataṃ para-puruṣa-saṃsaktā || 187 ||
Bad name for the family; ridicule from people; even a prison sentence, or their lives in danger; a person who cheats on their spouse accept all this without hesitation.
When they reached home, the weaver’s wife offered a broken cot, without a mattress, to Devaśharman, and said “Oh holy one! I am going to meet a friend of mine who has come here from the neighbouring village; I will be back soon. Please feel free to rest till then!”
She then took a while to dress up well, and then started to leave when she saw her husband walking towards the house. He was drunk; his hair dishevelled, and he held a pot of liquor in his hand. Seeing him coming, the wife quickly rushed back inside, removed her ornaments, wiped off her makeup and sat down in a corner, as if she had never intended to leave.
But the weaver had already seen her trying to leave all decked up, and then rushing back indoors. He had long suspected her fidelity, but had kept it to himself. However, now he had proof of her intentions, and his drunkenness further aggravated his mood. He entered the house angrily, shouting at his wife – “You cheat! Where were you off to, so late at night?”
“I didn’t go anywhere, you drunkard!” she retorted. ” Why are you speaking this way? It is rightly said…”
वैकल्यं धरणी-पातम् अयथोचित-जल्पनम् ।
संनिपातस्य चिह्नानि मद्यं सर्वाणि दर्शयेत् ॥ १८८ ॥
vaikalyaṃ dharaṇī-pātam ayathocita-jalpanam |
saṃnipātasya cihnāni madyaṃ sarvāṇi darśayet || 188 ||
Extreme anxiety, dizziness, and blabbering nonsense, these symptoms usually occur at death, but liquor also brings them about in a person.
कर-स्पन्दो ऽम्बर-त्यागस् तेजो-हानिः सरागता ।
वारुणी-सङ्गजावस्था भानुनाप्य् अनुभूयते ॥ १८९ ॥
kara-spando ‘mbara-tyāgas tejo-hāniḥ sarāgatā |
vāruṇī-saṅgajāvasthā bhānunāpy anubhūyate || 189 ||
Just as the mighty sun, as it cross the sky to the west, starts leaving the sky, and it’s rays become hazy, and it acquires a reddish hue, so does a man who has liquor – his clothes start to fall away, his hands tremble and his face becomes flushed.
The weaver got even more angry when she retorted, and shouted back ” You wretched woman! I had heard of your illicit affairs; I now saw proof of it as well. I know how to punish you”. He took a rod in his had, beat his wife, then tied her to a post, and then fell fast asleep.
About an hour later, her friend, the barber’s wife, came to meet her. Seeing the unconscious weaver sprawled on the floor, she told the weaver’s wife – ” My friend, Devadatta is waiting for you. Go to him quickly.”
The wife said – “Look at my condition. How can I go there? Go tell Devadutta that I cannot meet him today.”
Hearing this, the barber’s wife said – “My dear friend, don’t speak this way. This is not how an immoral woman should behave. It is said…”
विषम-स्थ-स्वादु-फल-ग्रहण-व्यवसाय-निश्चयो येषाम् ।
उष्ट्राणाम् इव तेषां मन्येऽहं शंसितं जन्म ॥ १९० ॥
viṣama-stha-svādu-phala-grahaṇa-vyavasāya-niścayo yeṣām |
uṣṭrāṇām iva teṣāṃ manye’haṃ śaṃsitaṃ janma || 190 ||
Their birth is praiseworthy, who tend to pluck a tasty fruit from a difficult place, much like the camel in a desert.
सन्दिग्धे पर-लोके जनापवादे च जगति बहु-चित्रे ।
स्वाधीने पर-रमणे धन्यास् तारुण्य-फल-भाजः ॥ १९१ ॥
sandigdhe para-loke janāpavāde ca jagati bahu-citre |
svādhīne para-ramaṇe dhanyās tāruṇya-phala-bhājaḥ || 191 ||
What happens after death is a matter of doubt. What we all do in this world is anyways subject to ridicule. So, people should enjoy the world when they are young.
यदि भवति देव-योगात् पुमान् विरूपो ऽपि बन्धको रहसि ।
न तु कृच्छ्राद् अपि भद्रं निज-कान्तं सा भजत्य् एव ॥ १९२ ॥
yadi bhavati deva-yogāt pumān virūpo ‘pi bandhako rahasi |
na tu kṛcchrād api bhadraṃ nija-kāntaṃ sā bhajaty eva || 192 ||
An unfaithful person enjoys the company of even an ugly person met by chance, but doesn’t enjoy the company of a spouse that has been attained after much difficulty.
The weaver’s wife said -” If this is the case, then tell me how I can go to meet him? I am tied up and my wicked husband his here right next to me”.
The barber’s wife replied – “My dear, this fool is drunk. He will only wake up in the morning. I will free you now; tie me in your place, and then go to meet Devadutta. I will be here till you are back.”
The weaver’s wife gladly agreed, and her friend untied her. After tying the barber’s wife in her place, the weaver’s wife went to meet Devadutta.
Everything went as planned…but suddenly, after a few minutes, the weaver woke up…
to be continued…
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