क्रुद्धं तं तु पिता दृष्ट्वा श्वेतकेतुम् उवाच ह ॥
मा तात कोपं कार्षीस् त्वम् एष धर्मः सनातनः ॥
अनावृता हि सर्वेषां वर्णानाम् अङ्गना भुवि ॥
यथा गावः स्थितास् तात स्वे स्वे वर्णे तथा प्रजाः ॥
ऋषिपुत्रो ऽथ तं धर्मं श्वेतकेतुर् न चक्षमे ॥
चकार चैव मर्यादाम् इमां स्त्रीपुंसयोर् भुवि ॥
मानुषेषु महाभागे न त्व् एवान्येषु जन्तुषु ॥
तदा प्रभृति मर्यादा स्थितेयम् इति नः श्रुतम् ॥
kruddhaṃ taṃ tu pitā dṛṣṭvā śvetaketum uvāca ha ||
mā tāta kopaṃ kārṣīs tvam eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
anāvṛtā hi sarveṣāṃ varṇānām aṅganā bhuvi ||
yathā gāvaḥ sthitās tāta sve sve varṇe tathā prajāḥ ||
ṛṣiputro 'tha taṃ dharmaṃ śvetaketur na cakṣame ||
cakāra caiva maryādām imāṃ strīpuṃsayor bhuvi ||
mānuṣeṣu mahābhāge na tv evānyeṣu jantuṣu ||
tadā prabhṛti maryādā sthiteyam iti naḥ śrutam ||
«Seeing Shvetaketu enraged, the father said to him: "Do not be angry, my son; this is the eternal dharma; for on earth women of all classes are unbound; as cows are free, my son, so too are people — each within their own class." But the sage's son Shvetaketu did not tolerate that dharma and established this limit for women and men on earth — among humans, O blessed one, but not among other creatures; and from that time this limit has stood, as we have heard».
1bc181aa090a · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:41:49 PM UTC
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Here Shvetaketu establishes the law of conjugal fidelity specifically for human beings. The distinction is telling: the limit is set "among humans, but not among other creatures" — for the human being, endowed with reason and dharma, is called to something higher than the animal, which knows neither marriage nor sin. Here is the elevation of man above the animal condition: the likening of people to "cows" (free of bonds) is rejected, and in its place the dharma of fidelity is established, setting the human being apart. It is telling that the son proved more far-sighted than the father: a young conscience established what would become a law sanctified for all ages. Thus the scripture shows the birth of the institution of conjugal fidelity as a step in humanity's ascent from the natural to the moral; and it is this maryada, not the ancient freedom, that is honored in the present age.