Page 24 - Powerful Feminine Qualities

the work. They replied that a poor woman planted the flowers. The prostitute asked to bring the woman to meet her.
Silavati was summoned to meet the prostitute. When they met, Silavati explained the desire of her husband, and the
fact that she was very poor and could not afford to pay the prostitute’s wage. The prostitute understood the poor
woman’s predicament, and agreed to entertain her husband. She asked Silavati to come with her husband, and first
enjoy a dinner with her.
The next day Silavati bathed and dressed her husband in his finest clothes and carried him to the mansion. On entering
the dining hall, they were stunned to see a magnificent dinner table with gourmet preparations presented in duplicate
pots. The same foods were served in iron and gold pots. The prostitute served each preparation from the iron and gold
pots to Ugrasravas. After he was served to his full satisfaction, the prostitute looked at him and said, “Did you see any
difference between the food in the iron and gold pots?” Ugrasravas answered, “No.” Then with a grave voice she said,
“Do you think there is any difference between enjoying your wife or myself?” Ugrasravas was shocked by her question
and her serious tone of voice. She was looking deep into his eyes as if speaking to his soul. He remained silent.
The prostitute continued, “You should be ashamed of yourself. You have such a sincere and devoted wife who serves
you with love and complete faithfulness. She is ready to please your every desire. She baths, feeds, dresses, and does
everything to care for you. Her only desire is your happiness and well-being, even at the cost of her dignity and
modesty. You have no consideration for the sacrifices she is making for your well-being.” There was a long silence. The
prostitute continued to stare sternly at Ugrasravas. Silavati bowed her head and waited. Tears of shame flowed down
the checks of Ugrasravas. When Ugrasravas understood the incredible chastity of his wife, he abandoned his sinful
intentions and begged her for forgiveness. Silavati stood up and thanked the prostitute. She carried her husband home
through the darkness of the night.
The path home passed through the town where there was a great sage named Animandukya Muni, who was impaled
on a perpendicular sword. This form of excruciating torture by sitting on a chula (sword) was meted out to him by
mistake because some robbers hid in his ashram and when they were arrested, he was accused of being an
accomplice. Accidentally, Ugrasravas touched Animandukya Muni’s body. Any movement of the body while impaled
causes extreme pain. The Muni learnt about Silavati’s sacrifice for her husband, and was impressed. Nevertheless, he
cursed Ugrasravas to die the next morning with the rising of the sun.
Silavati was grief-stricken by the unexpected curse. Due to her unalloyed faith and chastity towards her husband, she
was endowed with mystical powers. She pronounced a counter-curse that the sun should not rise on the next day. She
said, “If I have always been chaste to my husband and have not deviated in my fidelity toward him even for a second,
let the sun not rise.” When this happened the next day, the demigods approached the Trimurtis (Brahma, Siva and
Vishnu) and implored them to convince Silavati to cancel her curse because of the havoc it was causing in the universe.
The Trimurtis decided to engage Anasuya devi, the wife of the great sage Atri Muni, who equalled Silavati in
faithfulness and chastity, to speak to Silavati. Anasuya persuaded Silavati to withdraw her curse. Immediately her
husband died.
The Trimurtis (Brahma, Siva, and Vishnu) were very pleased by the purity of Silavati, and her determination to remain
faithful to her husband. They gave her the benediction that her husband would be brought back to life, and be cured
of leprosy and his perverted mentality.
This example of Silavati is important for all women. In the final chapter of the Caitanya Caritamrita (Antya chapter 20),
the history of Silavati is mentioned. During the last 12 years of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, He was absorbed in ecstatic
emotions of love of Radharani for Krishna. While contemplating Radharani’s most profound feelings of self-sacrifice
for Her beloved Krishna, the Lord meditated on the following verse, “I do not mind My personal distress. I only wish
for the happiness of Krishna, for his happiness is the goal of My life. However, if He feels great happiness in giving Me
distress, that distress is the best of My happiness.” (CC Antya 20.52) She continues, “Why does a woman continue to
live who knows that Krishna’s heart is unhappy but who still shows her deep anger toward Him? She is interested in
her own happiness. I condemn such a woman to be struck on the head with a thunderbolt, for We simply want the
happiness of Krishna.” (CC Antya 20.55) Srila Prabhupada comments on this verse, “A devotee who is satisfied only

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