There is an episode in the महाभारत‌ when शकुंतला goes to दुश्यंत along with their son, भरत. However, दुश्यंत refuses to recognize शकुंतला and acknowledge their गंधर्व विवाह‌ undertaken a few years back. What follows is a long dialogue between each other. An extract is this dialogue is how शकुंतला admonishes दुश्यंत of his refusal to accept her as his wife – in the process, she conveys the importance of a wife in a marriage as per सनातन धर्म. Ideas given here may interest seekers – hence reproduced here for awareness.

सा‌ भार्या या गृहे दक्षा सा भार्या या प्रजावती। सा‌ भार्या या पतिप्राणा सा‌ भार्या या पतिव्रता।।

A true wife is one who is skilled at home affairs, who has given birth to children, whose heart is dear to her husband and who is faithful to her husband.

अर्धं भार्या मनुष्यस्य भार्या श्रेष्ठतम: सखा। भार्या मूलं त्रिवर्गस्य भार्या मूलं तरिष्यस्य।।

A man’s half is his wife, a wife is her husband’s best friend, wife is the source of धर्म, ‌अर्थ & काम and wife is also the source of मोक्ष

भार्यावन्त: क्रियावन्त: सभार्या गृहमेदिन:। भार्यावन्त: प्रमोदन्ते भार्यावन्त: श्रियान्विता।।

Only those who have a wife can perform कर्म (धर्मकार्य as per शास्त्र), only those who have a wife can lead a domestic life, only those who have a wife can be happy and only those having a wife can gain fortune.

सखाय: प्रविवित्तेषु भवन्त्येता: प्रियंवदा। पितरो धर्मकार्येषु भवन्त्यार्तस्य मातर:।।

A sweet-speeched wife is her husband’s friend on the occassion of joy, father on the occasion of धर्मकार्य and mother in the hours of illness and sadness

कान्तारेष्वपि‌ विश्रामो जनस्याध्वनिकस्य वै। य: सादर: स विश्वास्य: तस्माद् दारा: परागति:।।

Even when inside a deep forest, a wife is a source of refreshment and solace to the husband. He who has a wife is trusted by all. The wife is thus the means for a man to attain the highest goal (viz मोक्ष)

संसानन्तमपि प्रेतं‌ विषमेष्वेकपातिनम्। भार्यैवान्वेति भर्तारं सततं‌ या पतिव्रता।।

When the husband goes to the land of यम, leaving this world, it is the devoted wife only who accompanies him there

प्रथमं संस्थिता‌ भार्या पतिं प्रेत्य प्रतीक्षते। पूर्वं मृतं च भर्तारं पश्चात् साध्व्यनुगच्छति।।

The wife gone before (dying before her husband) wait for her husband and if the husband goes before, the devoted wife follows him

एतस्माद् कारणाद् राजन् पाणिग्रहणमिष्यते। यदाप्नोति पतिर्भार्यामिहलोके परत्र च।।

O King!!! For all these reasons, marriage exists in the world. The husband enjoys the company of his wife, both here in this world and hereafter. 

दह्यमाना मनोदु:खैर्व्याधिभिश्चातुरा नरा:। ह्लादन्ते स्वेषु दारेषु घर्माता: सलिलेष्विव।।

Men, burnt out my mental grief or afflicted by disease feel as much relieved in the presence of their wives as a perspiring man does in a cool bath.

सुसंरब्धोSपि रामाणां न कुर्यादप्रियं नर:। रतिं प्रीतिं च धर्मं च तास्वायत्तमवेक्ष्य हि।।

No man, even in anger, should do anything that is disagreable to his wife; for happiness, joy and धर्म and everything else depends on the wife.

आत्मनो जन्मन: क्षेत्रं पुण्यं रामा: सनातनम्। ऋषीनामपि का‌ शक्ति: स्रष्टुं रामामृते प्रजाम्।।

Wife is the sacred location (field) in which the husband is born again. Even ऋषि cannot create life without women.

Source:

Translation of Mahabharata by MN Dutt