Shloka 32
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
दारेष्वधीनं स्वर्गं च कुलं पंकं यशोऽयशः । पुत्रं दुहितरं मित्रं संसारे कथयंति च
dāreṣvadhīnaṃ svargaṃ ca kulaṃ paṃkaṃ yaśo'yaśaḥ | putraṃ duhitaraṃ mitraṃ saṃsāre kathayaṃti ca
Man sagt, dass in dieser Welt selbst der Himmel vom Weibe abhängt; dass die Familie Schlamm oder Stütze sein kann; und dass Ruhm und Schande, Sohn und Tochter, ja selbst Freundschaft, mit dem häuslichen Leben verknüpft sind.
Uncertain (context not provided; verse presented as a general maxim within a dialogue)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dāreṣvadhīnaṃ = dāreṣu + adhīnam; yaśo'yaśaḥ = yaśaḥ + ayaśaḥ; kathayaṃti (text) normalized to kathayanti (कथयन्ति) as standard present 3pl.
FAQs
It presents a worldly-ethical maxim: household life strongly shapes one’s welfare—reputation, family stability, friendships, and even the experience of “heaven” (happiness and merit) are portrayed as closely tied to domestic harmony and conduct.
The phrasing is proverbial: “heaven” can be read as happiness, well-being, and religious merit in life. The point is that one’s domestic sphere has major consequences for both worldly standing and spiritual outcomes.
Cultivate responsibility and harmony in the household—because family life influences one’s reputation, relationships, and overall well-being, and can become either a support or a source of entanglement.