wealth, careful nursing, offspring for perpetuating the race, are all dependent on the wife.  Indeed, the merits of a person himself as also of his deceased ancestors depend also on her.  The wife should know her lord by his acts.  Verily, that man who fails to protect his wife earns great infamy here and goes into Hell hereafter.  Such a man falls down from even a position of great fame and never succeeds in acquiring regions of happiness hereafter.’  Thus addressed, she answered him, saying, ’O regenerate one, our religious acts and wealth are united.  Do thou take a fourth of this barley.  Indeed, be gratified with me.  Truth, pleasure, religious merit, and Heaven as acquirable, by good qualities, of women, as also all the objects of their desire, O foremost of regenerate ones, are dependent on the husband.  In the production of offspring the mother contributes her blood.  The father contributes his seed.  The husband is the highest deity of the wife.  Through the grace of the husband, women obtain both pleasure and offspring as the reward.  Thou art my Pati (lord) for the protection thou givest me.  Thou art my Bhartri for the means of sustenance thou givest me.  Thou art, again, boon-giver to me in consequence of thy having presented me a son.  Do thou, therefore, (in return for so many favours), take my share of the barley and give it unto the guest.  Overcome by decrepitude, thou art of advanced years.  Afflicted by hunger thou art exceedingly weakened.  Worn out with fasts, thou art very much emaciated.  (If thou couldst part with thy share, why should not I part with mine)’ Thus addressed by her, he took her share of the powdered barley and addressing his guest said,—­’O regenerate one, O best of men, do thou accept this measure of powdered barley as well.’  The Brahmana, having accepted that quantity, immediately ate it up, but his hunger was not yet appeased.  Beholding him ungratified, the Brahmana in the observance of the Unccha vow became thoughtful.  His son then said unto him, ’O best of men, taking my share of the barely do thou give it to the guest.  I regard this act of mine as one of great merit.  Therefore, do it.  Thou shouldst be always maintained by me with great care.  Maintenance of the father is a duty which the good always covet.  The maintenance of the father in his old age is the duty ordained for the son.  Even this is the eternal sruti (audition) current in the three worlds, O learned Rishi.  By barely living thou art capable of practising penances.  The life-breath is the great deity that resides in the bodies of all embodied creatures.’[217]

“The father, at this, said, ’If thou attainest to the age of even a thousand years, thou wilt still seem to me to be only a little child.  Having begotten a son, the sire achieves success through him.  O puissant one, I know that the hunger of children is very strong.  I am old.  I shall somehow succeed in holding my life-breaths.  Do thou, O son, become strong (by eating the food that has fallen to thy share).  Old and decrepit as I am, O son, hunger scarcely afflicts me.  I have, again, for many years, practised penances.  I have no fear of death.’