> then you have scary things like this:
>
> 371. If a wife, proud of the greatness of her relatives or (her own)
> excellence, violates the duty which she owes to her lord, the king shall
> cause her to be devoured by dogs in a place frequented by many.
>
> Eeeesh! For every verse that says great things about women, there are
> others that women strongly oppose. Srila Prabhupada definitely considered
> it in a very high regard, and refers to it often.

No, no, it's not against women. This part was descibing punishments
for sexual abuses and so on. Next verse is:

372. Let him cause the male offender to be burnt on a red-hot
iron bed; they shall put logs under it, (until) the sinner is burned
(to death).

So for men there even more heavy punishments. I think the words
"the duty which she owes to her lord" refers to chastity of a wife.