The Better Half

Helen Andelin, author of Fascinating Womanhood wrote, "A man wants a woman of fine character, one he can place on a pedestal and hold in high regard. He expects her to be good, even better than himself. He hopes she will be: kinder, more patient, forgiving, unselfish, and hold more valiantly to principle. If he is thoughtless, critical or weak, he can overlook these human frailties in himself. But he expects a woman...to be above such things.

“At times a man will shake a woman’s pedestal by suggesting she do something wrong. He may do this deliberately to see if she is as worthy as she appears. In other words, he tests her. What a disappointment if she lowers her standards and falls at his level, and what joy if she remains unshaken. Remaining on the pedestal is proof she belongs there.”

This may be supported by Srimad Bhagavatam which says that a woman is "the power of inspiration for the man. As such the women are more powerful than the man" -SB1.9.27p

In Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta 3.7.143p also, Krishna, the Supreme Purusa, views His beloved gopis to be greater than Himself:   "The gopis surrendered to Krishna with absolute dedication...; Krishna however, is not nearly as surrendered to them. Krishna may have a high reputation as the most exalted of saintly persons, but in His own opinion...the gopis are much more virtuous. In them is not a trace of cruelty or ingratitude."

There are similar references stating that- of the two, male and female- when joined in holy matrimony, the wife is the better half of the couple which is considered to become like one body.

"We always speak of the goddess of fortune as being placed on the chest of Näräyana. In other words, the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she becomes beloved and well protected. Just as one saves his money and places it under his own personal protection, one should similarly protect his wife by his own personal supervision. Just as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved chaste wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore called ardhängani, or half of the body. One cannot remain with only one leg, one hand or only one side of the body. He must have two sides. Similarly, according to nature's way, husband and wife should live together."-SB 4.26.17p

Here are some more examples describing the "better half" in the marriage relationship:

THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD INTELLIGENCE
SB 4.26.16 and purport states that by having a good wife, a man becomes sobered and thoughtful: "If one gets a chaste wife, accepted through a religious marriage ritual, she can be of great help when one is threatened by the many dangerous situations of life. Actually such a wife can become the source of all good intelligence. With such a good wife, the family's engagement in the devotional service of the Lord actually makes a home a grhastha-asrama, or household dedicated to spiritual cultivation."

THE PROTECTOR OF THE  FORTRESS
SB 3.14.20 says the unity of man and woman is compared to a fortress which is guarded by the chaste wife: "As a fort commander very easily conquers invading plunderers, by taking shelter of a wife one can conquer the senses, which are unconquerable in the other social orders."
PURPORT
"Of the four orders of human society—the student, or brahmacäri order, the householder, or grhastha order, the retired, or vänaprastha order, and the renounced, or sannyäsi order—the householder is on the safe side. The bodily senses are considered plunderers of the fort of the body. The wife is supposed to be the commander of the fort, and therefore whenever there is an attack on the body by the senses, it is the wife who protects the body from being smashed. The sex demand is inevitable for everyone, but one who has a fixed wife is saved from the onslaught of the sense enemies." SB 3.14.20p

THE FAIR SEX
Srimad Bhagavatam 6.18.30 states that the lovely woman inspires the man to procreate and to work hard to support such procreation. "In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahmä, the father of the living entities of the universe, saw that all the living entities were unattached. To increase population, he then created woman from the better half of man's body, for woman's behavior carries away a man's mind." In other words, she is needed to keep the material world going.

FOR CROSSING THE OCEAN OF SAMSARA
SB 3.14.18 states: "As one can cross over the ocean with seagoing vessels, one can cross the dangerous situation of the material ocean by living with a wife.'

THE SOURCE OF LIBERATION
SB 3.14.17 purport describes that "For a conditioned soul, the wife is considered to be the source of liberation because she offers her service to the husband for his ultimate liberation. Conditional material existence is based on sense gratification, and if someone has the good fortune to get a good wife, he is helped by the wife in all respects. If one is disturbed in his conditional life, he becomes more and more entangled in material contamination. A faithful wife is supposed to cooperate with her husband in fulfilling all material desires so that he can then become comfortable and execute spiritual activities for the perfection of life. If, however, the husband is progressive in spiritual advancement, the wife undoubtedly shares in his activities, and thus both the wife and the husband profit in spiritual perfection... A faithful wife and spiritually trained brahmacäri

SHE'S AS GOOD AS FREEDOM
Prabhupada wrote in a letter to a disciple ( LA, 11/8/68): "You prefer to be free, but a devoted wife is as good as freedom. " This is supported further in SB 3.14.19 purport:

"O respectful one, a wife is so helpful that she is called the better half of a man’s body because of her sharing in all auspicious activities. A man can move without anxiety entrusting all responsibilities to his wife."

And during a philosophy discussion: "In the Vedic conception the wife is considered as dharma-patni, religious wife...(She) helps the husband in the matter of his religious life. That is found in, still in Hindu family: the man is worshiping the Deity and the woman is helping about the paraphernalia Deity worship, helping the husband so that he can immediately come into the Deity room and begin worshiping comfortably. So woman should always be engaged to assist the man in every respect in his religious life, in his social life, in his family life. That is real benefit of conjugal life."

Krishna also instructed: "My dear wives of the brahmanas...You can now return to your homes. Engage yourselves in sacrificial activities and be engaged in the service of your husbands and household affairs so that your husbands will be pleased with you, and the sacrifice which they have begun will be properly executed. After all, your husbands are householders, and without your help how can they execute their prescribed duties?" -KB23

REVERED EVEN TODAY

So we can see how a wife may provide many necessary duties that support a man. And by cooperating together they can do wonderful things. A diamond is not as elegant as when enhanced by a golden necklace. The sunset is not as dazzling without a beautiful horizon. Ultimately, each complements the other. And the fortunate women who understand this are revered and glorified down to the present day.

It must have been cold there in my shadow

To never have sunlight on your face.

You were content to let me shine.

You always walked a step behind.

I was the one with all the glory.

You were the one with all the strain.

A beautiful face without a name.

A beautiful smile to ease my pain.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?

And everything that I'd like to be?

I can fly higher than an eagle

'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings. 

-Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley

MUST GRADUALLY TO BE GIVEN UP
For a man to gradually give up such a lady in the course of human duty undoubtedly gains Lord Krishna's attention: " Even one's wife at home, with whom one is most intimately attached, should be offered for the reception of guests and people in general...

"The idea of giving even one's wife to the service of the public is that one's intimate relationship with his wife, or one's excessive attachment for his wife, by which one thinks his wife to be his better half or to be identical with himself, must gradually be given up...the idea of ownership, even of one's family, must be abandoned. The dream of material life is the cause of bondage in the cycle of birth and death, and therefore one should give up this dream..if one can give up his attachment to such a wife, he conquers the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never conquered by anyone.." -Srimad Bhagavatam 7.14.11-12 and purports