सुनु मुनि कह पुरान श्रुति सन्ता । मोह विपिन कहँ नारि बसन्ता ॥
जप तप नेम जलाश्रय भारी । होइ ग्रीषम सोखइ सब नारी ॥
sunu muni kaha purāna śruti santā | moha vipina kaham̐ nāri basantā ||
japa tapa nema jalāśraya bhārī | hoi grīṣama sokhai saba nārī ||
Aranya Kanda
Chapter 44: Woman as Maya in the forest of delusion
5 verses · 44 of 46
What happens in this chapter
Woman as Maya in the forest of delusion
Rama goes on and the text states its view plainly through a figure of the seasons. To the forest of delusion woman is spring. She is summer drying up the great lakes of japa, tapas and niyama. She is the rain that delights the frogs of lust, anger, pride and envy, and the autumn that pleases the lilies of evil desire. She is the frost that withers the lotuses of dharma, and the cold season in which the weed of possessiveness sprouts. The skilled say she is a fish-hook to the fish of wit, strength, conduct and truth. The young woman, Rama tells Narada, is the root of faults, a giver of pain and a mine of every sorrow; knowing this, muni, I held you back from marriage.
काम क्रोध मद मत्सर भेका । इन्हहिँ हरषप्रद बरषा एका ॥
दुर्वासना कुमुद समुदाई । तिन्ह कहँ सरद सदा सुखदाई ॥
kāma krodha mada matsara bhekā | inhahim̐ haraṣaprada baraṣā ekā ||
durvāsanā kumuda samudāī | tinha kaham̐ sarada sadā sukhadāī ||
धर्म सकल सरसीरुह बृन्दा । होइ हिम तिन्हहिँ देति सुख-मन्दा ॥
पुनि ममता जवास बहुताई । पलुहइ नारि सिसिर-रितु पाई ॥
dharma sakala sarasīruha bṛndā | hoi hima tinhahim̐ deti sukha-mandā ||
puni mamatā javāsa bahutāī | paluhai nāri sisira-ritu pāī ||
पाप उलूक निकर सुखकारी । नारि निबिड़ रजनी अँधिआरी ॥
बुधि बल सील सत्य सब मीना । बनसी सम त्रिय कहहिं प्रबीना ॥
pāpa ulūka nikara sukhakārī | nāri nibir̤a rajanī am̐dhiārī ||
budhi bala sīla satya saba mīnā | banasī sama triya kahahiṃ prabīnā ||
अवगुन मूल सूलप्रद, प्रमदा सब दुख खानि ।
ताते कीन्ह निवारन, मुनि मैं यह जियँ जानि ॥
avaguna mūla sūlaprada, pramadā saba dukha khāni |
tāte kīnha nivārana, muni maiṃ yaha jiyam̐ jāni ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0