FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.14.37

स्त्रियो ह्यकरुणा: क्रूरा दुर्मर्षा: प्रियसाहसा: । घ्नन्त्यल्पार्थेऽपि विश्रब्धं पतिं भ्रातरमप्युत ॥ ३७ ॥
striyo hy akaruṇāḥ krūrā
[striyo hy akarunaah krooraa]
durmarṣāḥ priya-sāhasāḥ
[durmarshaah priya-saahasaah]
ghnanty alpārthe ’pi viśrabdhaṁ
[ghnanty alpaarthe ’pi vishrabdham]
patiṁ bhrātaram apy uta
[patim bhraataram apy uta]
Word-for-word
striyaḥ — women hi — indeed akaruṇāḥ — merciless krūrāḥ — cunning durmarṣāḥ — intolerant priya-sāhasāḥ — for their own pleasure they can do anything ghnanti — they kill alpa-arthe — for a slight reason api — indeed viśrabdham — faithful patim — husband bhrātaram — brother api — also uta — it is said.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
striyo hy akaruṇāḥ krūrā
striyaḥ
women
hi
indeed
akaruṇāḥ
merciless
krūrāḥ
cunning
durmarṣāḥ priya-sāhasāḥ
durmarṣāḥ
intolerant
priya-sāhasāḥ
for their own pleasure they can do anything
ghnanty alpārthe ’pi viśrabdhaṁ
ghnanti
they kill
alpa-arthe
for a slight reason
patiṁ bhrātaram apy uta
api
indeed
viśrabdham
faithful
patim
husband
bhrātaram
brother
api
also
uta
it is said.
Women as a class are merciless and cunning. They cannot tolerate even a slight offense. For their own pleasure they can do anything irreligious, and therefore they do not fear killing even a faithful husband or brother.
Purport

King Purūravā was greatly attached to Urvaśī. Yet despite his faithfulness to her, she had left him. Now, considering that the King was wasting his rarely achieved human form of life, Urvaśī frankly explained the nature of a woman. Because of her nature, a woman can respond to even a slight offense from her husband by not only leaving him but even killing him if required. To say nothing of her husband, she can even kill her brother. That is a woman’s nature. Therefore, in the material world, unless women are trained to be chaste and faithful to their husbands, there cannot be peace or prosperity in society.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Women as a class are merciless, cruel, intolerant, and will do anything for their pleasure. For the slightest reason they will kill a faithful husband or brother. Hear about the nature of women in whom you put your faith and waste your rare human life. She expresses this in two verses. Durmarṣāḥ means women cannot tolerate offense. Priya-sāhasāḥ means they are bold enough to commit sin to get pleasure.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Urvaśī describes women as merciless and cunning, capable of irreligious behavior for their own pleasure. Whatever the era's tone, the underlying caution is against assuming romantic loyalty will be stronger than self-interest.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I assuming loyalty will override a partner's self-interest, against evidence?
  • What structures, not just sentiment, are sustaining my closest bonds?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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