13.114
durva, dhanya, gorocana, haridra, kunkuma, candana, mangala-dravya patra bhariya
vastra-gupta dola cadi’ sange lana dasi cedi, vastralankara petari bhariya
SYNONYMS
durva—fresh grass; dhanya—rice paddy; gorocana—a yellow patch for the head of a cow; haridra—turmeric; kunkuma—a kind of scent produced in Kashmir; candana—sandalwood; mangala-dravya—auspicious things; patra bhariya—filling up a dish; vastra-gupta—covered by cloth; dola—palanquin; cadi’-riding; sange—along with; lana—taking; dasi—maidservant; cedi—female attendants; vastra-alankara—ornaments and clothes; petari—basket; bhariya—filled up.
Riding in a palanquin covered with cloth and accompanied by maidservants, Sita Thakurani came to the house of Jagannatha Misra, bringing with her many auspicious articles such as fresh grass, paddy, gorocana, turmeric, kunkuma and sandalwood.
All these presentations filled a large basket.
PURPORT
The words vastra-gupta dola are very significant in this verse.
Even fifty or sixty years ago in Calcutta, all respectable ladies would go to a neighboring place riding on a palanquin carried by four men.
The palanquin was covered with soft cotton, and in that way there was no chance to see a respectable lady traveling in public.
Ladies, especially those coming from respectable families, could not be seen by ordinary men.
This system is still current in remote places.
The Sanskrit word asurya-pasya indicates that a respectable lady could not be seen even by the sun.
In the oriental culture this system was very much prevalent and was strictly observed by respectable ladies, both Hindu and Muslim.
We have actual experience in our childhood that our mother would not go next door to her house to observe an invitation by walking; she would go in either a carriage or a palanquin carried by four men.
This custom was also strictly followed five hundred years ago, and the wife of Advaita Acarya, being a very respectable lady, observed the customary rules current in that social environment.