Lord Krishna with his wives Rukmini and Sthyabhama

Compiled by London swaminathan

Post No.2220

Date: 6   October 2015

Time uploaded in London: 19-48

Thanks for the pictures.

Don’t use pictures. Don’t reblog for at least a week.

Following conversation between Draupadi and Krishna’s wife Sathyabhama is found in Vanaparva (3-38) of Mahabharata:

Amazing details of house keeping, human psychology, and ancient ways of showing respect – all covered by Vyasa in this chapter.

Satyabhama’s Question:

How do you conduct yourself, Draupadi, when you attend on the Pandavas? Why are they ever angry at you? Hey! Beauty! Tell me. Have you done any penance (tapas)? Do you use any special ablution, spells or herbs? A powerful knowledge of roots (drugs)? Some prayer or Fire oblation (Yaga) or Drug? Tell me the glorious secret of your sexual power, Krshnaa!

(Krishna with a short vowel sound is Lord Krishna; Krishnaa with a long vowel is Draupadi)

When Sathyabhama stopped speaking, Draupadi replied:

“You, beloved queen of Krishna! Such questions and uncertainties do not become you. When a husband finds out that his woman uses spells and drugs on him, he gets as frightened of her as of a snake that has got into the house. What peace that a frightened man have, and what happiness without peace? No husband has ever been made uxorious with a (magic) spell! It is murderous men who under the name of herbs use poison or the dreadful diseases that have been sent by his ill wishes. The powders a man takes on the tongue or skin will kill him shortly, no doubt of that.

“ I serve the Pandavas and their wives always religiously without selfishness, likes and dislikes. In return for their affection I place my soul in theirs, obey them without self- seeking and guard the hearts of my husband without fear or wrong word, wrong stand, wrong glance, wrong seat, wrong walk or misinterpretation of a gesture; that is the way I serve the Parthas, men like sun, fire and moon, great warriors who kill with a glace, awesomely sharp and mighty. No other men could please me, be a God or man or a Gandharva, youth rich or handsome.

“I do not eat or lie down until my husband has eaten or lain down or bathed, ever, even when there are servants.

“When my husband comes home from the field, the wood or the village, I get up to meet him and make him feel welcome with a seat and drink of water.

“My store rooms are scrubbed, my food is good. I serve the meal in time, I am at it, the rice is well stored, and the house is spotless.

“I talk directly, and do not seek bad women for company, and I am always agreeable, never lazy.

Draupadi

DON’T LAUGH TOO MUCH

“I avoid laugh, when there is no joke, only briefly tarry at a door, am not long in privy or the gardens. I avoid laughing too much or carping too much and give no cause for anger.

“I am always truly devoted to serving my husbands, and never in any way do I wish them ill.

“When my husband sleeps out on some family business, I go without flowers and make-up, and follow a vow.

“What my husband does not drink, what my husband does not chew, what my husband does not eat, I avoid it all.

“Well trained according to the prescriptions, well-adorned and most eager, beautiful woman, I am bent on what is good for my husband.

“The laws that forever operate on households, I have heard them all from my mother-in-law: the begging, the thrown-offering, the Sraddha, the milk dish at new and full moon (Amavasya and Purnima), and whatever other matters the mindful mind, I know them.

“My law rests on my husband, as, I think, it eternally does with women. He is the God, he is path, nothing else; what woman could displease him?

“I don’t out sleep my men, nor out eat or out-talk them, and never complain about my mother-in-law, however aggravated I am.

“And by this constant attention, my lovely, by this daily-up-and –about, and by obedience to my elders I got upper hand of my husbands.

“There is no day that I do not wait on the Lady Kunti, mother of heroes, speaker of truth, all by myself, bathing her, dressing her, feeding her. Would I ever contradict her, in matters of cloths, jewelry, or food? No, I never complain about our Prtha (Kunti), who equals earth herself”.

Having heard this account, informed by Law, from Krshnaa (Draupadi), Sathya paid honour to the Pancali woman of the law like habits; “I am with you, Pancali Yajnaseni (Draupadi), forgive me: for it is not the way with woman friends to speak freely in jest?”

DRAUPADI SAID:

Let me talk of the way, unopprobious way,

For a woman to hold the heart of her husband:

You walk that way, friend, the proper way,

And you will cut your man from his mistresses.

There is no such deity, Sathya, here

In all worlds with all their divinities

Like a husband: you are rich in every wish

If you please him right; if he is angry you are dead.

You get children and all kinds of comforts,

A place to sleep and to sit and marvellous sights,

And clothes, and flowers and certainly perfumes

And the world of heaven and steady repute.

No bliss is found easily on earth,

A good woman finds happiness through hardship;

So worship Krishna with happy heart

With love and always the acts of affection.

When from tasty dishes and beautiful garlands,

From domestic adeptness and various perfumes

He reasons that he must be dear to you,

He himself will embrace you with all his love.

When you hear the sound of your man at the door

Rise up and stand in the middle of the house:

When you he has entered make haste with a seat

And receive him with water to wash his feet.

And send your serving women away,

Get up and do all the chores yourself:

Then Krishna will surely know your heart;

She loves me completely, Sathya, he will think.

KEEP THE SECRETS!!

Whatever your lord may say in your presence,

Even though no secret, keep it a secret.

A co-wife of yours will surely report you

To Vasudeva and he will turn away.

Invite for a meal, by hook or by crook,

Your husband’s favourites, faithfuls, and friends,

And cut forever his foes and opponents,

His ill-wishers, blackguards, and the insolent rude.

If you find your man drunk or distracted,

Control your temper and hold your tongue;

Though Pradyumna and Samba are your sons,

Don’t ever attend to them secretly.

Ravivarma’s painting of Disrobing of Draupadi

MAKE FRIENDSHIP WITH HIGHBORN LADIES!!

Strike up a friendship with highborn ladies

And women of virtue and without vice:

The bellicose, bibulous, gluttonous ones.

The bad, thievish, fickle you must avoid.

THIS IS THE GLORIOUS SECRET OF SEX

THAT LEADS TO HEAVEN AND UPROOTS THE FOES;

WORSHIP YOUR HUSBAND WHILE WEARING YOUR COSTLY

FLOWERS AND JEWELS AND MAKE-UP SCENTS.

This advice of Draupadi to Sathyabhama is found in Vanaparva of Mahabharata. Translated from Sanskrit into English is done by A.B.van Buitenen

–subham-