The institutes of Vishnu (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1880)

I IO

VISH2VU.

XXV, i.

XXV.
1. Now the duties of a woman (are as follows):
2. To live in harmony with her husband;
3. To show reverence (by embracing their feet
and such-like attentions) to her mother-in-law,
father-in-law, to Gurus (such as elders), to divinities,
and to guests;
4. To keep household articles (such as the win-
nowing basket and the rest) in good array;
5. To maintain saving habits;
6. To be careful with her (pestle and mortar and
other) domestic utensils;
7. Not to practise incantations with roots (or
other kinds of witchcraft);
8. To observe auspicious customs;
9. Not to decorate herself with ornaments (or
to partake of amusements) while her husband is
absent from home ;
10. Not to resort to the houses of strangers
(during the absence of her husband);

custom of Svayawzvara or ‘ self-choice,’ judging from the epics,
was confined to females of the kingly caste, and in reality was no
doubt of very rare occurrence.
XXV. 1-13. Colebrooke, Dig. IV, 2, XCII. — 2. M.V, 154;
Y. I, 77. — 3. Y. I, 83. — 4-6. M.V, 150 ; Y. I, 83. — 9, 10.
M. IX, 75; Y. I, 84. — 12, 13. M.V, 148; IX, 3; Y. I, 85; Gaut.
XVIII, 1. —14. M.V, 158; Colebrooke, Dig. IV, 3, CXXXIII.—-
15. M.V, 155. — 17. M.V, 160. 15 is also found in the Mar-
kaw<7eya-pura«a XVI, 61, and, in a modified form, in other works.
See Bbhtlingk, Ind. Spriiche, 3686, 3679. 16 is also found, in a
modified form, in Vrzddha^awakhya’s Proverbs XVII, 9; and 17
in Xarhgadhara’s Paddhati, Sada^ara, 10. See Bbhtlingk, Ind.
Spriiche, 3900, 4948.
10. ‘Strangers’ means any other persons than her parents-in-law,
her brother, maternal uncle, and other near relatives. (Nand.)