Text 40
dhig aprajāṁ striyaṁ pāpāṁ
patyuś cāgṛha-sammatām
suprajābhiḥ sapatnībhir
dāsīm iva tiraskṛtām
dhik — all condemnation; aprajām — without a son; striyam — upon a woman; pāpām — full of sinful activities; patyuḥ — by the husband; ca — also; a-gṛha-sammatām — who is not honored at home; su-prajābhiḥ — who have sons; sapatnībhiḥ — by co-wives; dāsīm — a maidservant; iva — exactly like; tiraskṛtām — dishonored.
A wife who has no sons is neglected at home by her husband and dishonored by her co-wives exactly like a maidservant. Certainly such a woman is condemned in every respect because of her sinful life.
As stated by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita:
mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti
bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī
araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ
yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham
“A person who has no mother at home and whose wife does not speak sweetly should go to the forest. For such a person, living at home and living in the forest are equal.” Similarly, for a woman who has no son, who is not cared for by her husband and whose co-wives neglect her, treating her like a maidservant, to go to the forest is better than to remain at home.