Shloka 9
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
हरिरुवाच । संति कृत्याः स्त्रियः काश्चित्पुंसः सर्वस्वदस्य च । तत्राप्यरक्षणीयां च मनसापि न धारयेत्
hariruvāca | saṃti kṛtyāḥ striyaḥ kāścitpuṃsaḥ sarvasvadasya ca | tatrāpyarakṣaṇīyāṃ ca manasāpi na dhārayet
Hari sprach: „Es gibt gewisse Frauen, die wie kṛtyās sind—unheilvolle, zerstörerische Wesen—und es gibt Männer, die einem Menschen sein ganzes Vermögen rauben. Selbst unter ihnen soll man—nicht einmal im Geist—an den denken, der nicht zu behüten ist, dessen Umgang nicht sicher ist.“
Hari (Vishnu)
Concept: Saṅga-viveka: avoid mentally entertaining association with those who are incorrigibly harmful; inner consent is the seed of outer downfall.
Application: Treat the mind as a sacred threshold: do not rehearse relationships, plans, or fantasies involving exploitative people; set boundaries, reduce exposure, and redirect attention to japa/śāstra.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Viṣṇu, serene yet firm, instructs a listener in a quiet hermitage courtyard. In the background, shadowy allegorical figures—‘kṛtyā’-like malefic forces and a thief—fade into mist, while a luminous lotus and conch symbolize the protected mind.","primary_figures":["Hari (Viṣṇu)","a listening brāhmaṇa/sage (generic)","allegorical kṛtyā-like female figure (shadow form)","allegorical wealth-thief (shadow form)"],"setting":"forest āśrama with a small altar, tulasi planter near the doorway, and a boundary line drawn in white powder to signify protection","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sapphire blue","gold leaf","smoky indigo","lotus pink","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Viṣṇu seated on a lotus pedestal, right hand in teaching gesture, conch and discus subtly visible; gold leaf halo and ornate jewelry; behind him, faint shadow-figures of a kṛtyā and a thief dissolving into dark clouds; rich crimson and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments, South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a calm Viṣṇu in blue robes teaching a sage under a flowering tree; delicate misty silhouettes of danger at the edge of the frame; fine linework, lyrical naturalism, soft greens and cool blues, distant hills and a small shrine lamp.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Viṣṇu with large expressive eyes and radiant yellow-red aura, teaching posture; stylized dark forms of malefic beings at the periphery; natural pigment palette with strong reds, yellows, greens; temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus motif with Viṣṇu as protector of the mind; intricate floral borders and tulasi leaves; symbolic shadow-figures kept outside a circular mandala boundary; deep blues and gold, ornate patterns, devotional atmosphere."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","conch shell (distant)","night insects","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हरिरुवाच → हरिः उवाच (विसर्ग-लोप); काश्चित्पुंसः → काश्चित् पुंसः; तत्राप्यरक्षणीयां → तत्र अपि अरक्षणीयाम् (इ+अ); मनसापि → मनसा अपि
FAQs
No. This verse is ethical instruction (dharma-nīti), warning against association—especially mental attachment—with harmful or incorrigible persons.
It emphasizes mental discipline: a devotee should protect the mind from fixation on destructive influences, supporting steadiness in devotion (bhakti) and right conduct.
Avoid not only harmful people but even the mental habit of entertaining or clinging to those who are unsafe or incorrigible; inner association shapes outer conduct.