Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita

by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words

This page relates ‘5e. Practice of Polygamy and Polyandry’ of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.

5e. Practice of Polygamy and Polyandry

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[Full title: 5. Women in the Atharvavedic Society, (e): Practice of Polygamy and Polyandry]

In the society of the Atharvavedic period, though monogamy was exercised commonly by the people, yet, the prevalence of polygamy and polyandry may also be traced out in some references.

In the previous chapter, in one hymn,^[1] the strong aversion toward one’s cowife has been discussed. Kauśika’s^[2] prescription for the monopolization of the love of the common husband by the co-wives is also noteworthy in this context. From the existence of one’s co-wife, it is clear that polygamy was in practice during that period.

Against to the practice of polygamy, polyandric record is also evident in the Vedic literature. In the Taittirīyasaṃhitā,^[3] the approval of polygamy and the prohibition of polyandry are recorded. The Aitareyabrāhmaṇa^[4] as well as the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa^[5] also furnish such information. Though the practice of polyandry is banned therein, yet, the necessity of banning the practice leads to the presupposition of its existence.

In fact, the practice of polyandry dates back to the days of the Ṛgveda. From the reference of a single common wife of the Aśvins or the Maruts, the prevalence of polyandry during the Ṛgvedic period may be understood.^[6] Interestingly, in the Atharvaveda, a similar reference to the system of having more than one husband at the same time, by a single woman has been alluded to. There, it is marked that if a woman, even after having as many as ten husbands from non-brāhmaṇa category, gets married to the eleventh one, belonging to the brāhmaṇa category, then, only the brāhmaṇa one would be considered as the real husband.^[7] Moreover, the four husbands of a woman, in the form of Soma, Gandharva, Agni and the human one, have already been mentioned earlier, in the previous chapter.

Thus, it is evident from the foregoing discussion that the systems of polygamy and polyandry were, simultaneously, in vogue along with the popular monogamic system.