THE OTHER FACE OF WOMAN

THE OTHER FACE OF WOMAN (Bhartruhari)

In his Sringara Sataka, Bhartruhari describes first the personal beauty of woman, her various other  attributes, the way in which she attracts men and what physical and mental satisfaction she affords to relieve him of stress and strain! He says that the person who has for his mate an ideal and exceedingly beautiful woman is the most blessed and fortunate man in the world! Such an opportunity can come to very few individuals. It is on

ly his ‘purva punya’ that can give him such a felicitous existence on earth! Bhartruhari doubts if everything about the woman is positive. Is there not anything negative about the woman? The same poet who had extolled her in superlative terms earlier, now picks innumerable faults in her and reveals the other face of the woman, her negative side and how she tempts man and leads him to his doom and destruction! When a person, in a foreign country, thinks of his lady, he becomes lovelorn and languid. He would like to see her immediately and hug her. He is likely to forget everything he is expected to do! Can such a woman be called one’s sweetheart?

The poet points out that the beautiful woman appears to be nectarine as long as you can see her. The moment she fades from your vision she inflicts the agony of terrible unbearable poison! He wonders at the person who has created the machine called ‘woman’! Woman is the origin of all doubts and suspicions! She spoils the mind of man. she's the repository of disobedience. She is adventurous, dishonest, highly distrustful, an obstacle for reaching heaven, the root cause of entry into hell, a bundle of Maya or illusion, outwardly sweet like 'amruta’ but inwardly poisonous and the cause of attachment to all in the world! Who has built this machine called woman asks poet Bhartruhari! How can the moon be the face of the woman? Her eyes are not the lilies! Her body is not made of golden hue! But poets describe her in these terms! Fools lose their heads and fully conscious that after all she is a combination of skin, muscle, and bones, have become her slaves!

“Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold” said Shakespeare! Man is tempted by her physical beauty. Women talk friendly with some; look at some invitingly; but think of someone else in their mind! Hence it is difficult to say who is dear to her! Bhartruhari goes to the extent t of comparing woman to a serpent! While there is an antidote for the bite of the snake, there is no remedy for that of woman! The poet uses many metaphors to describe the effect of woman on man! Manmatha, God of Love is the angler. Samsara is the sea. Man is the fish in that sea! Woman is the angling rod he has set for man! Rosy lips of woman is the bait! The fish that eats the bait is drawn up and tormented in the fire of love! Bhartruhari warns the mind which he calls a traveller. He should not venture to walk through the forest, which is the woman’s body, inaccessible with hills and where the thief, the God of Love is hiding! He shall surely steal your chastity!

The five senses of man  pretend to do good to man! The woman’s song is the sweetest for the ear! Her movement is a feast for the eye! The tongue aspires for a liplock! The nose relishes her smell while the body yearns badly for her touch! These five senses create an illusion, hide the true nature  of woman and cheat mankind! Bhartruhari condemns  prostitutes who sell their bodies for money. They offer themselves to the blind, the old, the anonymous villager, one born of bad family, and even a leper! They destroy the intellect of the human being! How can an intellectual desire such women? Summing up Bhartruhari declares that outwardly they are sweet but full of venom inside! Man has to  to be very careful and cautious in approaching women! They are fit enough to be avoided rather than desired!

Woman is termed as the embodiment of Shakti! This energy is good as well as bad! It is creative and destructive. Nuclear energy can produce electricity or annihilate the entire world! She is also called as Maya or illusion that represents the real as unreal and the unreal as the real! That is why energy or Shakti is depicted as Goddess Sri Rajarajeswari! We are alarmed at some of the incidents in which a few women are involved in modern times! What Bhartruhari has said is not entirely false even in modern society! Women are involved in cheating, forgery,enticement of  men and other evil ways. They are more independent, assertive and occupy highly responsible positions! It is true that nobody can probe the mind of woman. “Strinancha chittam purushasya bhagyam”--the mind of woman and the fortune of man can never be foreseen! Have we not seen the renowned sage Viswamitra fall a prey to the wiles of the  beautiful damsel Menaka?  Didn't Ravana, a great devotee of Lord Siva come to nothing because of his lust for women, especially Sita? Indra king of heaven fell for the beauty of Ahalya, wife of sage Gautama! Woman thus becomes the greatest and effective tempter of man on earth!!