FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.14.40

धिगप्रजां स्त्रियं पापां पत्युश्चागृहसम्मताम् । सुप्रजाभि: सपत्नीभिर्दासीमिव तिरस्कृताम् ॥ ४० ॥
dhig aprajāṁ striyaṁ pāpāṁ
[dhig aprajaam striyam paapaam]
patyuś cāgṛha-sammatām
[patyush chaagriha-sammataam]
suprajābhiḥ sapatnībhir
[suprajaabhih sapatneebhir]
dāsīm iva tiraskṛtām
[daaseem iva tiraskritaam]
Word-for-word
dhik — all condemnation aprajām — without a son striyam — upon a woman pāpām — full of sinful activities patyuḥ — by the husband ca — also a-gṛha-sammatām — who is not honored at home su-prajābhiḥ — who have sons sapatnībhiḥ — by co-wives dāsīm — a maidservant iva — exactly like tiraskṛtām — dishonored.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dhig aprajāṁ striyaṁ pāpāṁ
dhik
all condemnation
aprajām
without a son
striyam
upon a woman
pāpām
full of sinful activities
patyuś cāgṛha-sammatām
patyuḥ
by the husband
ca
also
a-gṛha-sammatām
who is not honored at home
suprajābhiḥ sapatnībhir
su-prajābhiḥ
who have sons
sapatnībhiḥ
by co-wives
dāsīm iva tiraskṛtām
dāsīm
a maidservant
iva
exactly like
tiraskṛtām
dishonored.
A wife who has no sons is neglected at home by her husband and dishonored by her co-wives exactly like a maidservant. Certainly such a woman is condemned in every respect because of her sinful life.
Purport

As stated by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita:

mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham

“A person who has no mother at home and whose wife does not speak sweetly should go to the forest. For such a person, living at home and living in the forest are equal.” Similarly, for a woman who has no son, who is not cared for by her husband and whose co-wives neglect her, treating her like a maidservant, to go to the forest is better than to remain at home.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
A wife who has no sons is considered by her husband to be fit for sending off to the forest and is criticized like a maidservant by her co-wives who have children. Certainly such a woman is condemned as sinful. The sonless wife is seen by the husband as worthy of sending to live in the forest.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
A sonless wife is neglected, dishonored as a maidservant — surely such a woman is condemned for her sinful past lives. Social pain is internalized as cosmic verdict.
Reflection Questions
  • Which social pain am I taking as cosmic verdict on myself?
  • What in me has accepted others' verdicts as God's?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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