Shloka 39
The Liberation of the Lizard
Godhā-vimukti
यान्यापि युवतिर्भूप भर्तुर्वश्यं समाचरेत् । वृथाधर्मा दुराचारा दह्यते ताम्रभ्राष्ट्रके ॥ ३९ ॥
yānyāpi yuvatirbhūpa bharturvaśyaṃ samācaret | vṛthādharmā durācārā dahyate tāmrabhrāṣṭrake || 39 ||
O king, whatever young woman acts so as to bring her husband under her control—pursuing futile and unrighteous practices and behaving immorally—she is burned in a copper pan in Tāmrabhrāṣṭra.
Narada (teaching a king in a dharma/nīti admonition sequence)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It warns that misusing “religious” means for selfish domination and living in durācāra is adharma that leads to severe karmic consequence (naraka), emphasizing inner purity over manipulative practice.
By implication, it contrasts true dharma (aligned with humility and purity) with counterfeit practice; bhakti is not compatible with coercion, deceit, or immoral conduct, and must be grounded in sattva and right behavior.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is dharma-nīti—do not employ ritualistic or pseudo-religious acts for unethical ends.