The Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates ‘Widow Remarriage’ of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.
Widow Remarriage
As there was no hard and fast rule regarding the immolation of widows, some widows have seen to retain their lives after their husband’s death. We find a few examples of widow remarriage in some books including the Rāmāyaṇa and the Purāṇas. In the Rāmāyaṇa, after the death of Bāli, Tārā, Bāli’s wife lived with Sugrīva.[1] In the Bhāgavatapurāṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa remarried all the sixteen thousand wives of king Naraka after the death of king Naraka.[2]
The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa depicts a society which was against the widow re-marriage. This Purāṇa has not supported this marriage system clearly. According to this Purāṇa, a girl can marry only once.[3] It is mentioned that if a father gives his daughter twice in marriage, he is verily born as a worm.[4] Again, men who marry virgin widows are considered to be a sinner.[5] Moreover, a son of a remarried widow is not allowed to do the śrāddha dinner[6] and the sons and daughters of such a woman, in spite of their good activities, bear no fruits for themselves.[7]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Rāmāyaṇa, 4.24.44
[2]:
Bhāgavatapurāṇa, 10.59.33-36
[3]:
punardatāt tu kanyayāḥ kṛmirevopajayate / Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 15.13 a; cf. Naradasmriti, 12.28
[4]:
Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, 15.13
[5]:
Ibid., 14.82
[6]:
Ibid., 28.27; Manusmṛ, 3.155
[7]:
Ibid., 47.50