Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 24: Rāma Instructs Kausalyā
Text 2.24.25
व्रतोपवासनिरता या नारी परमोत्तमा।
भर्तारं नानुवर्तेत सा तु पापगतिर्भवेत्॥
vratopavāsa-niratā yā nārī paramottamā
bhartāraṁ nānuvarteta sā tu pāpa-gatir bhavet
vrata-upavāsa-niratā = busily engaged in her vows and fasts; yā = who; nārī = woman; parama-uttamā = most exalted in religiosity; bhartāram = her husband; na = not; anuvarteta = and who does serve; sā = that; tu = but; pāpa-gatiḥ = attain a result similar to the result of sinful activities; bhavet = will.
But that woman, who is most exalted in religiosity, busily engaged in her vows and fasts, and who does not serve her husband, will attain a result similar to the result of sinful activities.1
1 Because she has avoided her specific dharma—the dharma of a wife.
In this and the next verse, Lord Rāma indirectly and directly points out that a wife’s highest dharma is to serve her husband.