SB 1.7.42 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 42
Suta uvacha Tatha ahritam pasubat pasabaddham Abang mukham karma jugupsitena Nirikshya krishna apakritam guro suta Vama swabhava kripaya nanama cha.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Suta uvacha—Suta Goswami said, Tatha—thus, Ahritam—brought in, Pasubat—like an animal, Pasabaddhah—tied up with ropes, Abung mukham—without any word in the mouth, Karma—activities, Jugupsitena—being heinous, Nirikshya—by seeing, Krishna—Droupadi, Guro—the teacher, Suta—son, Vama—beautiful, Swabhava—nature, Kripaya—out of compassion, Nanama—offered obeisance.
TRANSLATION
Suta Goswami said, "Thus being brought there like an animal tied up with ropes, and silent for the matter of enacting the most inglorious murder, Aswatthama was seen by Droupadi. She is naturally good and well behaved specially on account of female nature and thus she showed due respect to a Brahmin and thus said."
PURPORT
Although Aswatthama was condemned by the Lord Himself and was brought by Arjuna just in the manner of a culprit without any respect for the son of a Brahmin or that of the teacher, but when he was brought before Srimati Droupadi although berieved for the murder of her sons and although the murderer, was present before her, she could not withdraw the due respect generally offered to a Brahmin or to the Son of a Brahmin. This is due to her mild nature as a woman. The woman as a class is good as a boy and, therefore, they have no such discriminatory power like the man. Awatthama proved himself as the unworthy son of Dronacharya or that of a Brahmin and for this reason he was condemned by the greatest authority Lord Sri Krishna and yet a mild woman could not withdraw her natural courtsey for a Brahmin.
Even up to date in a Hindu family the woman shows proper respect to the Brahmin caste, however, fallen and heinous such Brahmabhandhu may be. But the men as a class have begun their protest against a Brahmabandhu who is born in the family of a good Brahmin but by an action he is less than a Sudra.
The specific word used in this sloka is Bama Swabhava mild and gentle by nature. A good man or woman accepts anything very easily but an average man of intelligence does not do so. But anyway we should not give up our reason and discreminatory power for the matter of being gentle. One must have good discreminatory power for judging a thing on its merit. We may not follow the mild nature of a woman and thereby accept one thing which is not genuine. Aswatthama may be respected by a good natured woman but that does not mean that he is as good as a genuine Brahmin.