[450] Thus did Ananda, the vulture king, keeping to facts within his own knowledge, tell of the bad qualities of women, and then held his peace. Narada, too, after hearing what he had to say, keeping to what

he himself knew, spoke of their bad qualities. In illustrating this the Master said: "Then verily Narada, hearing the beginning, middle and end of what Ananda, the vulture king, had to say, at this point repeated these stanzas:

Four things can never sated be--list well to these my words--
Ocean, kings, brahmins, womenkind, these four, O king of birds.

All streams in earth that find their home will not the ocean fill,
Though all may with its waters mix, something is lacking still.

A brahmin cons his Vedas and his legendary lore,
Yet still he sacred knowledge lacks and craves for more and more.

A king by conquest holds the world, its mountains, seas and all,
The endless treasures it contains his very own may call,
Yet sighs for worlds beyond the sea, for this he counts too small.

One woman may have husbands eight, compliant to her will,
All heroes bold, well competent love's duties to fulfil,
Yet on a ninth her love she sets, for something lacks she still.

Women like flames devour their prey,
Women like floods sweep all away,
Women are pests, like thorns are they,
Women for gold oft go astray.

That man with net might catch the breeze,
Or single-handed bale out seas,
Clap with one hand, who once should dare
His thoughts let range on woman fair.

With women, clever jades, Truth aye is found a rarity,
Their ways as much perplex as those of fishes in the sea .

[451] Soft-speaking, ill to satisfy, as rivers hard to fill,
Down--down they sink: who women know should flee far from them still .

Seducing traitresses, they tempt the holiest to his fall,
Down--down they sink: who women know should flee afar from all.

And whomsoever they may serve for gold or for desire,
They burn him up as fuel burns cast in a blazing fire."

When Narada had thus set forth the vices of women, the Great Being once more by special instances illustrated their bad qualities.

[452] To show this the Master said, "So verily the bird Kunala, after learning the beginning, middle and conclusion of what Narada had to say, repeated at this time these stanzas:

E'en a wise man may dare to exchange a word
With goblin foe armed with sharp whetted sword,
Fierce snake he may assail, but ne'er too bold
Alone with woman should he converse hold.

Man's reason is o'ercome by woman's charms,
Speech, smiles, with dance and song, their only arms:
Unstable souls they harass, as erewhile
Fell demons merchants slew in goblin isle.