In the grhasta asrama, or married life in Krishna consciousness, according to traditional Vedic culture the wife is supposed to be subordinate to, and dependent on her husband. The husband is called swami or master. In modern society, however, many women have successful careers in earning a livelihood and are not financially dependent on their husband. And we can see that many wives don't want to accept this subordinate position. But Srila Prabhupada has said that for a harmonious marriage relationship, the wife should follow her Krishna conscious husband. But that comes to an important point that I would like to make here. A Krishna conscious husband should never mistreat, disrespect, or insult his wife. He is the leader but he has to command respect by giving respect and by maintaining a decent level of spiritual practice and Krishna consciousness. And consequently, a Krishna conscious wife should not disrespect or insult her husband. From the beginning of their relationship, both parties should be very careful not to start the vicious cycle of insults which can damage their relationship.
