Chanakya Neeti. Chapter 1, Verse 17: On Discernment and Company
Chapter 1 · Verse 17
On Discernment and Company
स्त्रीणां द्विगुण आहारो लज्जा चापि चतुर्गुणा । साहसं षड्गुणं चैव कामश्चाष्टगुणः स्मृतः ॥
strīṇāṃ dviguṇa āhāro lajjā cāpi caturguṇā | sāhasaṃ ṣaḍguṇaṃ caiva kāmaścāṣṭaguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
❖ ❖ ❖
“Women have twice the appetite, four times the shyness, six times the boldness, and eight times the lust of men. So it is said.”
In Modern Life
Set the historical framing aside. What's worth noting is the claim that women are recognized as significantly more courageous than men. In a 4th century BCE text, that is striking. Modern read: courage and capacity are not gendered, and the texts that came before us already saw it.
