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IV, 4, 43.
WOMEN.
295
things. Through her fear of censure in this world the opportunity seemed to her not fit, and through her fear of the sufferings of purgatory in the next world. And because she knew how bitter is the fruit of wrong-doing, and because she did not wish to lose her loved one, and because of the high esteem in which she held her husband, and because she honoured goodness, and despised ignobleness of life, and because she did not want to break with her customary mode of life—for all these reasons the opportunity seemed to her not fit.
And, further, she refused to do wrong because, on consideration, she was not sure of keeping the thing secret from the world. [207] For even could she have kept it secret from men, yet she could not have concealed it from spirits —even could she have kept it secret from spirits, yet she could not have concealed it from those recluses who have the power of knowing the thoughts of others—even could she have kept it secret from them, yet she could not have concealed it from those of the gods who can read the hearts of men even could she have kept it secret from the gods, yet she could not have escaped, herself, from the knowledge of her sin-even could she have remained ignorant of it herself, yet she could not have kept it secret from the law of the result which follows on) unrighteousness? Such were the
Fairies, nayad, dryads, &c. &c.—not gods. * Adhammena raho na labheyya. I am in great doubt as to the real meaning of these words, which Hînafi-kumburê (p. 286) renders merely adharmayen ra hasak no laban nê. They look very much like a kind of personification of Karma. The phrase is really very parallel to the saying in Numbers xxxii. 23, Be sure your sin will find you out'-namely, in its results—and is as true ethically as it is difficult grammatically.
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