cosi fan tutte

[Jean Fezas]

At 10:13 21/02/1997 GMT, you wrote:
>Dear Indologists,
>
>MBh III, 69, 6 : 'strIsvabhAvaz calo loke'
>Francois Ist, king of France : 'Souvent femme varie, bien fol est qui s'y
fie'
>
>incredible coincidence, indoeuropean heritage or universal knowledge ?
>
>Dominique


L.M. Fosse wrote :	
>I admire your courage Dominique. I'll risk my neck by saying that I think it
is universal knowledge. 

Manu IX.15
pauMzcalyAc calacittAc ca naisnehyAc ca svabhAvataH/
rakSitA yatnato 'pIha bhartRSv etA vikurvate //

Dear Dominique, Dear Lars Martin,
	Universal ?
	May I suggest that both sentences reflect the point of view of men in
societies which were (are ?) both patrilinear and where (consequently?)
woman were expected to be virtuous (Manu is very explicit on the subject,
see the beginning of book IX, especially IX.7-9). 
	Someone familiar with matrilinear societies (african for instance) could
perhaps tell us if, when name and fortune of his maternal uncle are
inherited by his sister's son, there are popular sayings, current among
women, insisting on the frivolity of men ?

Best regards,
J.F.