906
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 23]
like a blind woman, otherwise she would be proud of her eyes, and her husband would be seen as inferior. The word  samanuvrata  indicates that it is the duty of a wife to adopt the special circumstances in which the husband is situated. Of course, if the husband is as great as Kardama Muni, then a very good result accrues from following him. But even if the husband is not a great devotee like Kardama Muni, it is the wife's duty to adapt herself according to his mentality. That makes married life very happy. It is also mentioned herein that by following the strict vows of a chaste woman, Princess Devahūti became very skinny, and therefore her husband became compassionate. He knew that she was the daughter of a great king and yet was serving him just like an ordinary woman. She was reduced in health by such activities, and he became compassionate and addressed her as follows.
TEXT 6
कर्दम उवाच
तुष्टोऽहमद्य तव मानवि मानदायाः
शुश्रूषया परमया परया च भक्त्या।
यो देहिनामयमतीव सुहृत्स देहो
नावेक्षितः समुचितः क्षपितुं मदर्थे ॥ ६ ॥
kardama uvāca
tuṣṭo 'ham adya tava mānavi mānadāyāḥ
śuśrūṣayā paramayā parayā ca bhaktyā
yo dehinām ayam atīva suhṛt sa deho
nāvekṣitaḥ samucitaḥ kṣapitum mad-arthe
kardamaḥ uvāca —the great sage Kardama said;  tuṣṭaḥ —pleased;  aham —lam;  adya —today;  tava —with you;  mānavi —O daughter of Manu;  mānadāyāḥ —who are respectful;  śuśrūṣayā —by the service;  paramayā —most excellent;  parayā —highest;  ca —and;  bhaktyā —by the devotion;  yaḥ —that which;  dehinām —to the embodied;  ayam —this;  atīva —extremely;  suhṛt —dear;  saḥ —that;  dehaḥ —body;  na —not;  avekṣitaḥ —taken care of;  samucitaḥ —properly;  kṣapitum —to expend;  mat-arthe —on my account.
TRANSLATION
Kardama Muni said:  O respectful daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu, today I am very much pleased with you for your great devotion and most excellent