Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 117: Anasūyā Instructs Sītā About Strī-dharma
Text 2.117.26
प्राप्नुवन्त्ययशश्चैव धर्मभ्रंशं च मैथिलि।
अकार्यवशमापन्नाः स्त्रियो याः खलु तद्विधाः॥
prāpnuvanty ayaśaś caiva dharma-bhraṁśaṁ ca maithili
akārya-vaśam āpannāḥ striyo yāḥ khalu tad-vidhāḥ
prāpnuvanti = attain; ayaśaḥ ca eva = infamy; dharma-bhraṁśam = destroy their pious credits; ca = and; maithili = Maithilī; akārya-vaśam = under the influence of forbidden activities; āpannāḥ = come; striyaḥ = women; yāḥ khalu tat-vidhāḥ = such.
“Maithilī, such women come under the influence of forbidden activities, attain infamy and destroy their pious credits.
NOTE. But when we escape “the three gates of hell”—lust, anger and greed—we can tangibly benefit ourselves by obeying the Vedic scriptures. Lord Kṛṣṇa notes this in Bhagavad-gītā 16.22:
etair vimuktaḥ kaunteya tamo-dvārais tribhir naraḥ
ācaraty ātmanaḥ śreyas tato yāti parāṁ gatim
“The man who has escaped these three gates of hell, O son of Kuntī, performs acts conducive to self-realization and thus gradually attains the supreme destination.”