Page 36 - HIRS - Eng
P. 36
2 How I AcHIeved ReAl SucceSS
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kaśyapa Muni praises his wife as follows:
As one can cross over the ocean with seagoing vessels,
one can cross the dangerous situation of the material
ocean by living with a wife. O respectful one, a wife is so
helpful that she is called the better half of a man’s body
because of her sharing in all auspicious activities. A man
can move without anxiety entrusting all responsibilities
to his wife. As a fort commander very easily conquers
invading plunderers, by taking shelter of a wife one can
conquer the senses, which are unconquerable in the other
social orders. O queen of the home, we are not able to
act like you, nor could we repay you for what you have
done, even if we worked for our entire life or even after
death. To repay you is not possible, even for those who
are admirers of personal qualities. 1
Śrīla Prabhupāda comments on how men and women
complement each other.
Actually, a woman is supposed to be the energy of the
man. Historically, in the background of every great man
there is either a mother or a wife. One’s household life is
very successful if he has both a good wife and mother. In
such a case, everything about household affairs and all
the paraphernalia in the house becomes very pleasing. 2
In other words, the wife is the inspiration of all good
intelligence. [...] When a person is too anxious about family
affairs, he cannot discharge his family duties nicely. A wife
is therefore supposed to be an inspiration and should keep
the husband’s intelligence in good order so that they can
1. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.14.18–21.
2. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.26.15, purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda.