Shloka 24
स्त्रीभिर्भर्तुर्वचः कार्यमेष धर्मः परः स्त्रियाः / षोडशर्तुनिशाः स्त्रीणां तासु युग्मासु संविशेत्
strībhirbharturvacaḥ kāryameṣa dharmaḥ paraḥ striyāḥ / ṣoḍaśartuniśāḥ strīṇāṃ tāsu yugmāsu saṃviśet
For women, carrying out the husband’s word is to be done—this is declared the highest duty of women. A woman has sixteen nights of fertility; on those even nights one should unite (with her).
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Strī-dharma framed as obedience to husband; conception/union regulated by the sixteen fertile nights, favoring even nights.
Vedantic Theme: Governance of kāma by dharma to sustain social and progeny order (praja, ṛta).
Application: Approach intimacy with mutual responsibility and timing awareness; interpret ‘duty’ through ethical partnership and consent within one’s cultural-legal framework.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.95 (sexual ethics, rtu, progeny-related injunctions)
FAQs
This verse highlights ritu-kala as a dharmic framework for conjugal life, emphasizing that union is traditionally recommended during the designated fertile nights, particularly the even-numbered nights.
Indirectly: by regulating household conduct through dharma, the text frames ethical living and disciplined desires as supports for good karma, which in turn influences one’s post-death trajectory described elsewhere in the Garuda Purana.
Treat marital life as a responsibility guided by mutual duty and self-restraint; if planning family life, align intimacy with health, consent, and stability while understanding the verse as a traditional dharma guideline.