Given to strong drink and meat, one tries in vain
To curb their appetite or lust restrain,
Like to some fabled monster of the deep,
Into their maw a man's whole wealth they sweep.

Lust's five-fold realm they own as their domain,
Their swelling pride uncurbed none may restrain:
As rivers all to ocean find their way,
So careless souls to women fall a prey.

The man in whom these women take delight,
Moved by their greed or carnal appetite,
Yea such an one inflamed by strong desire,
They clean consume as fuel in the fire.

If one they know is rich, on him they fall
And off they carry him, his wealth and all,
Round him thus fired with lust their arms they fling,
As creepers to some forest sal tree cling.

Like vimba fruit red-lipped , so bright and gay,
'Gainst man they many a stratagem essay,
With laughter now assailing, now with smiles,
Like Samvara , that lord of many wiles.

Women with gold and jewels rich bedecked,
By husband's kin received with due respect,
[453] Though strictly guarded 'gainst their lords will sin,
Like her the demon's maw conveyed within .

A man may very famous be and wise,
Revered and honoured in all people's eyes,
Yet fall'n 'neath woman's sway no more will shine
Than moon eclipsed by Rahu's power malign.

The vengeance wreaked by angry foe on foe,
Or such as tyrants to their victims show,
Yea a worse fate than this o'ershadows all
That through their lust 'neath woman's sway shall fall.

Threatened with person scratched or hair pulled out,
Scourged, cudgelled, buffeted or kicked about,
Yet woman to some low-born lover hies
Delighting in him as in carrion flies.

Shun women in highways and lordly hall,
In royal city or in township small,
A man of insight, would he happy be,
Avoids the snare thus laid by Namuci .

He who relaxes good ascetic rule,
To practise what is mean and base, poor fool,
Will barter heaven for hell, like unto them
Who change a flawless for a blemished gem.

Despised is he in this world and the next
And, willingly by evil women vext,
Goes stumbling recklessly, fall upon fall,
As vicious ass runs wild with car and all.

Now in silk-cotton grove of iron spears ,
Now in Patapana he disappears,
Now lodged in some brute form is seen to flit
In ghostly realms that he may never quit.

In Nandana love's heavenly sport and play,
On earth the monarch's universal sway,
Is lost through woman, and through her alas!
All careless souls to state of suffering pass.