Durga's Ideal

On 9th of September in 1976, Srila Prabhupada told me another anecdote to further illustrate his point of the wife's acceptance of the leadership of her husband. Prabhupada was chuckling as he narrated the story. "Lord Siva, he could not construct even a house. He was living underneath a tree. And his wife, Durga, srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka, she can create a new world, so powerful; she's living with her husband underneath a tree. Never claims, 'My dear husband, if you cannot, I can make one.'

There is a story about that. That, 'People criticize us. All right, let us have some house.' So Lord Siva, Durga, both of them capable to do anything. So they constructed a very nice gold house. 'Now we shall live.'

So there is new house entering ceremony. So one Gargamuni was invited and many other brahmanas. So they began to eat so much... Then whatever stock they have—finished. After eating, when they wanted, 'Give us daksina.' Because after eating there is...

"So Lord Siva — 'Where shall I get everything? I have finished.' Then they became puzzled what to do." Srila Prabhupada started laughing. "So Lord Siva said, 'All right, as daksina you take this house.'

"Their house entrance ceremony was there. As a result of that ceremony they became again underneath a tree."