Shloka 45
Nīti for Calamity, Wealth, Friendship, Charity, and Restraint of Kāma
न दानेन न मानेन नार्जवेन न सवया / न शस्त्रेण न शास्त्रेण सर्वथा विषमा स्त्रियः
na dānena na mānena nārjavena na savayā / na śastreṇa na śāstreṇa sarvathā viṣamā striyaḥ
Bukan dengan sedekah, bukan dengan kemuliaan, bukan dengan kelurusan, dan bukan dengan khidmat; bukan dengan senjata, dan bukan dengan kitab—wanita, dalam segala hal, sukar diselami.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra, per common framing of Garuḍa Purāṇa discourse)
Concept: Human relationships resist simplistic control; neither force nor textual learning guarantees mastery over another’s mind.
Vedantic Theme: Limits of external means (upāya) in governing prakṛti-driven behavior; encourages discernment (viveka) and restraint.
Application: In relationships, avoid coercion and overconfidence; practice empathy, clear boundaries, and humility about what can be known or controlled.
Primary Rasa: hasya
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: nīti/ācāra-style verses interspersed with phala teachings (general)
FAQs
It functions as a terse didactic maxim within the Vishnu–Garuda instruction style, emphasizing the limits of control through wealth, status, force, or even textual authority in interpersonal matters.
It does not directly address the soul’s post-death journey; rather, it offers worldly counsel in the broader puranic teaching framework that complements dharmic living, which Garuḍa Purāṇa links to karmic outcomes.
Treat it as a caution against manipulation and overconfidence in relationships—choose respectful communication, ethical restraint, and self-discipline instead of relying on power, prestige, or selective quotations.