Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 28
Varṇāśrama-Dharma and the Thirty Qualities of a Human Being
सन्तुष्टालोलुपा दक्षा धर्मज्ञा प्रियसत्यवाक् । अप्रमत्ता शुचि: स्निग्धा पतिं त्वपतितं भजेत् ॥ २८ ॥
santuṣṭālolupā dakṣā dharma-jñā priya-satya-vāk apramattā śuciḥ snigdhā patiṁ tv apatitaṁ bhajet
สตรีผู้มีศีลควรไม่โลภ แต่พอใจในทุกสภาวะ ชำนาญงานเรือน รู้หลักธรรม พูดไพเราะและจริง ระมัดระวังและบริสุทธิ์เสมอ แล้วรับใช้สามีผู้ไม่เสื่อมด้วยความรักใคร่
According to the injunction of Yājñavalkya, an authority on religious principles, āśuddheḥ sampratikṣyo hi mahāpātaka-dūṣitaḥ. One is considered contaminated by the reactions of great sinful activities when one has not been purified according to the methods of the daśa-vidhā-saṁskāra. In Bhagavad-gītā, however, the Lord says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ: “Those miscreants who do not surrender unto Me are the lowest of mankind.” The word narādhama means “nondevotee.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, yei bhaje sei baḍa, abhakta — hīna, chāra. Anyone who is a devotee is sinless. One who is not a devotee, however, is the most fallen and condemned. It is recommended, therefore, that a chaste wife not associate with a fallen husband. A fallen husband is one who is addicted to the four principles of sinful activity — namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Specifically, if one is not a soul surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is understood to be contaminated. Thus a chaste woman is advised not to agree to serve such a husband. It is not that a chaste woman should be like a slave while her husband is narādhama, the lowest of men. Although the duties of a woman are different from those of a man, a chaste woman is not meant to serve a fallen husband. If her husband is fallen, it is recommended that she give up his association. Giving up the association of her husband does not mean, however, that a woman should marry again and thus indulge in prostitution. If a chaste woman unfortunately marries a husband who is fallen, she should live separately from him. Similarly, a husband can separate himself from a woman who is not chaste according to the description of the śāstra. The conclusion is that a husband should be a pure Vaiṣṇava and that a woman should be a chaste wife with all the symptoms described in this regard. Then both of them will be happy and make spiritual progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
FAQs
This verse describes a wife as content, non-greedy, competent, knowledgeable of dharma, truthful yet pleasant in speech, vigilant, clean, affectionate, and devoted in serving her husband who remains on the path of proper conduct.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this instruction to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while explaining varṇāśrama-dharma and the principles of an orderly, dharmic society.
Practice contentment, avoid possessiveness, communicate truth kindly, maintain cleanliness and responsibility, and cultivate affectionate service—while also upholding dharma and not enabling unethical behavior.