maciated
into mere skin and bone was quivering with weakness, addressed her and
said, 'O beautiful one, with even animals, with even worms and insects,
wives are fed and protected. It behoveth thee not, therefore, to say so.
The wife treats her lord with kindness and feeds and protects him.
Everything appertaining to religion, pleasure, and wealth, careful
nursing, offspring for perpetuating the race, are all dependent on the
wife. Indeed, the merits of a person himself as also of his deceased
ancestors depend also on her. The wife should know her lord by his acts.
Verily, that man who fails to protect his wife earns great infamy here
and goes into Hell hereafter. Such a man falls down from even a position
of great fame and never succeeds in acquiring regions of happiness
hereafter.' Thus addressed, she answered him, saying, 'O regenerate one,
our religious acts and wealth are united. Do thou take a fourth of this
barley. Indeed, be gratified with me. Truth, pleasure, religious merit,
and Heaven as acquirable, by good qualities, of women, as also all the
objects of their desire, O foremost of regenerate ones, are dependent on
the husband. In the production of offspring the mother contributes her
blood. The father contributes his seed. The husband is the highest deity
of the wife. Through the grace of the husband, women obtain both pleasure
and offspring as the reward. Thou art my Pati (lord) for the protection
thou givest me. Thou art my Bhartri for the means of sustenance thou
givest me. Thou art, again, boon-giver to me in consequence of thy having
presented me a son. Do thou, therefore, (in return for so many favours),
take my share of the barley and give it unto the guest. Overcome by
decrepitude, thou art of advanced years. Afflicted by hunger thou art
exceedingly weakened. Worn out with fasts, thou art very much emaciated.
(If thou couldst part with thy share, why should not I part with mine).'
Thus addressed by her, he took her share of the powdered barley and
addressing his guest said,--'O regenerate one, O best of men, do thou
accept this measure of powdered barley as well.' The Brahmana, having
accepted that quantity, immediately ate it up, but his hunger was not yet
appeased. Beholding him ungratified, the Brahmana in the observance of
the Unccha vow became thoughtful. His son then said unto him, 'O best of
men, taking my share of the barley do thou give it to the guest. I regard
this act of mine as one of grea