003 Not to argue about or with women

strIla ed`a vAdulADaku,
bAluratoo celimi ceesi bhaas`himpaku mii,
meelaina gun`amu vid`uvaku,
meelaina pati nimda seeyak(u) ennad`u Sumatii !


strIla eDa vAdulADaku,
bAluratO celimi cEsi bhAshimpakumI,
mElaina guNamu viDuvaku,
mElaina pati nimda sEyaku ennaDu SumatI!

DON'TS

1. Not to argue and demur in respect of women.
2. Friendship with children.
3. Abandoning good characteristics, habits and qualities.
3. Blaming a good husband.

strii =woman; striilu =women; ed`a =to women; baaluru = children;too = with;
celimi = friendship; bhaashimpaku = do not engage in conversation; meelu aina = good; gun`amu = quality; vid`uvaku = do not abandon; pati = husband; nimda = blame, find fault; seeyaku = not do; ennad`u = at any time.

Observations

The advice that we should not argue with women seem very sound. Because it leads to nowhere. Of course, one can always say that the poet had gender-bias. Or probably the poet might have experienced some futility of arguing with women. A more logical sensible ethic seems to be not to argue with anybody.

The advice that we should not befriend children probably applies to adults. Adults and adults can be friends. Children and Children can be friends. But adults and children cannot be friends because of conflicts of interests, lifestyles, mindsets, immediate goals and end-goals.

The advice that we should not abandon or shed good qualities is very sensible. Good character and qualities are like friends in need. We can understand their helpfulness only when a need arises.

The last line of advice to a wife not to find fault with her husband, in modern contexts applies to both spouses. That is a husband also should not find fault with a good wife.

Probable implication: Divorce also may not serve any purpose because there is no guarantee that the new spouse who replaces the old spouse will be better than her. New spouse can be worse than the old worse. Changing cars may be a pastime in West. A car may be a lifetime investment in many countries. Likewise, changing spouses also may be a pastime in the West. In some countries, changing spouses may be very expensive. This does not probably really mean that we should stick on to a bullying or cheating spouse throughout the life. Pros and cons will have to be followed.

Here a verse of

great Sanskrit Poet Bharavi

comes handy.

సహసా విదధీతి నక్రియాం
అవివేకః పరమ ఆపదం పదం
వృణతేహి విమృశ్య కారిణం
గుణ లుబ్ధా స్వయమేవ సంపదః.

English script:

sahasA vidadhIti na kriyAm
avivEka parama Apadam padam
vriNatEhi vimriSya kAriNam
guNa lubdhA svayam Eva sampadaha.

English Gist

We should not do anything in haste. Haste produces irresistable temporary emotions. A man becomes stupid when irate. Prosperity accrues to a person who does things after careful thinking.