Verse 5.165

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

एवं वृत्तां सवर्णां स्त्रीं द्विजातिः पूर्वमारिणीम् ।
दाहयेदग्निहोत्रेण यज्ञपात्रैश्च धर्मवित् ॥ १६५ ॥

evaṃ vṛttāṃ savarṇāṃ strīṃ dvijātiḥ pūrvamāriṇīm |
dāhayedagnihotreṇa yajñapātraiśca dharmavit || 165 ||

The twice-born man, knowing the law, should cremate the wife of his own caste,—who behaves herself in the said manner, and dies before him,—with the sacred fire and along with the sacrificial implements.—(165).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse reiterates what is already implied by the law.

In us much as she is a ‘good’ wife, it is only right that she should be cremated with the sacred Agnihotra fire; specially in view of the assertion—‘on the death of the wife the Fires are not maintained’—(165).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 5.165-166)

Yājñavalkya (1.189).—‘The husband, having cremated his wife with his consecrated fire, shall take to another wife without delay.’

Viṣṇu (Aparārka, p. 114).—‘Even on the death of his wife, he shall not abandon his śrauta fire; the fire has to be maintained throughout life, even with a substitute.’

Satyāṣāḍha (Do.).—‘There can be no substitute for the husband, the wife, the son, the time, the place, the duty, the act itself, or the word.’

Bahvṛca-Brāhmaṇa (Do, p. 115).—‘Therefore, he should kindle the fire without a wife.’