Part 7

161. A chaste woman should not allow her navel, thighs, or breasts to be seen by males; nor should she remain without an upper garment (anuttarîyâ), nor should she look at (the antics of) buffoons, nor associate with an immodest woman.

162. A wife while her husband is absent in a foreign country should wear neither ornaments nor fine clothes; she ought not to frequent other people's houses, and should abstain from laughing and talking with other women.

163. Widows should serve the God K.rish.na with minds intent on him as their only husband; they should live under the control of their father, or other male members of the family, and never in independence.

164. They must never at any time touch any men except their nearest relations, and when young they should never without necessity engage in conversation with youthful men.

165. If an infant male-child touch them, no blame attaches to them, any more than from contact with a dumb animal; nor if they are compelled from necessity to talk with or touch an old man.

166. Instruction in any science should not be received by them from any man except from their nearest relations. They should frequently emaciate their bodies by vows and fasts.

167. They should never give away to others the money which is required for their own support. That only must be given away which they have in excess.

168. They should eat only one meal a day, and should sleep on the ground; they should never look at (animals) engaged in sexual acts.

169. They must never wear the dress of a married woman, nor of a female ascetic, nor of a mendicant, nor any unbecoming attire.

170. They should neither associate with nor touch a woman who has been guilty of procuring abortion; nor should they either converse about, or hear stories of the loves of the male sex.

171. Except in times of distress widows who are young should never remain alone in secret places along with men, even with their own relatives, if youthful.

172. They should never join in the frolics practised at the Holî festival, nor should they put on ornaments or finely woven clothes composed of cotton or metal threads.

173. Neither wives nor widows ought ever to bathe without wearing clothes. No woman should ever conceal the first appearance of her monthly periods.

174. A woman at that season should not for an interval of three days touch any human being, clothes, etc.; nor ought she to do so till she has bathed on the fourth day.

175. Those of my followers who have taken the vow of Naish.thika Brahmaçârîs (that is, of perpetual celibacy and chastity) must not knowingly either touch or converse with or look at women.

176. They should never talk or listen to conversations about women, and they should not perform their ablutions or other religious rites at places where women pass backwards and forwards.

177. They should never knowingly touch or look at even the pictures or wooden images of women, unless they be the representations of goddesses.

178. They should neither draw any likeness of a woman, nor touch her clothes. They must never knowingly look even at animals engaged in sexual acts.

179. They should neither touch nor look at a male dressed up as a woman; nor should they sing the praises of the Deity with a view to being heard by women.

180. They should pay no attention to the command of even their spiritual preceptor if likely to lead them to a breach of their vow of chastity. They should continue steadfast, contented, and humble-minded.

181. When a woman insists on forcing herself near them, they should immediately try to keep her off by expostulating with her, and (if she still approaches) by reproaching her.

182. In cases where their own lives, or those of women, are in jeopardy, they may be allowed contact or conversation with women, such contact being necessary for the saving of life.

183. They should not anoint their lips with oil. They should not carry weapons. They should not dress themselves in unbecoming costume. They should subdue the sense of taste.

184. If in the house of any Brâhman the meals are cooked and served up by a woman, they should not go there to ask for food, but should ask for it at some other house.

185. They should constantly repeat the Vedas and Šâstras, and serve their spiritual preceptor. They must shun the society of women, and of men who are fond of women.

186. He who is by birth a Brâhman should on no account drink water from a leathern vessel; nor should he ever eat garlic, onions, etc.

187. Nor must he eat food without having first performed his ablutions, the Sandhyâ service, repetition of the Gâyatri, the worship of Vish.nu, and the Vaišvadeva ceremony. [Footnote: This ceremony, which partly consists in throwing portions of food into the fire, before dinner, as an offering to all the deities, will be fully described in my new work on "Religious Thought and Life in India," to be published by Mr. Murray.]

188. All who are Sâdhus are bound, just like those who have made a vow of perpetual celibacy, to avoid associating with women, or with men who are fond of women, and should subdue their (six) internal enemies (lust, anger, avarice, infatuation, pride, and envy).