Shloka 38
Nīti for Calamity, Wealth, Friendship, Charity, and Restraint of Kāma
नद्यश्च नार्यश्च समस्वभावाः स्वतन्त्रभावे गमनादिकेच / तोयैश्च दोषैश्च निपातयन्ति नद्यो हि कूलानि कुला नि नार्यः
nadyaśca nāryaśca samasvabhāvāḥ svatantrabhāve gamanādikeca / toyaiśca doṣaiśca nipātayanti nadyo hi kūlāni kulā ni nāryaḥ
Rivers and women are said to be of similar nature: when acting independently in their going and other movements, they cause downfall—rivers by their waters and faults (floods), and women by bringing down families and lineages.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Unregulated autonomy and unchecked movement can cause harm; the verse frames social order as requiring boundaries (kūla) and restraint.
Vedantic Theme: Metaphor of ‘banks’ as niyama; when rajas overflows, it erodes stability; need for dharma as containment of impulses.
Application: Create ethical ‘banks’: vows, accountability, clear roles, and mutual respect; treat powerful forces (nature and desire) with foresight and safeguards.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: natural feature
Related Themes: Garuda Purana nīti material on kula-dharma, strī-saṅga, and causes of family decline (general thematic parallels)
FAQs
It functions as a dharma-oriented warning: uncontrolled, independent motion without restraint is portrayed as socially destructive, using rivers (erosion/flooding) as an analogy for human conduct.
In the Preta Kanda’s moral framework, ethical discipline is repeatedly linked to one’s fate after death; such admonitions support the text’s larger aim of steering behavior to avoid sin and suffering.
Read it as a call for self-restraint and responsibility in relationships and social life—act with accountability so that one’s choices do not harm households, communities, or dependents.