Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita

by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words

This page relates ‘5j. Position of Widow’ 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.

[Full title: 5. Women in the Atharvavedic Society, (j): Position of Widow]

The treatment of a society towards the widows is one of the most important topics in the study of womanhood. There are various confusions regarding their position in the Vedic society, specially regarding the burning of the widows along with their dead husbands.

Lord William Bentick, as discussed by Altekar,[1] has argued the prevalence of the custom of widow-burning during the Vedic period with reference to a Vedic verse, quoted in the Nārāyaṇīya Taittirīyopaniṣad. But, as the verse has no other authentic source, hence, his remark cannot be taken as an evident.

However, in the Atharvaveda, some formalities, reminiscent of the archaic custom of widow burning are found to be preserved. It has a reference to the widow, lying by the side of her husband’s corpse on the funeral pyre. The widow, ascending the funeral pyre, has been wished to lead a prosperous life, enjoying the bliss of progeny and riches, obtaining the same husband on her next birth.[2] According to Sāyaṇācārya,[3] the widow lies beside the dead one in order to die after her husband following the archaic tradition, or following the instructions as laid down in the scriptures like Purāṇa, Smṛti, etc. It was believed that the self-immolation of a widow resulted to the obtainment of the same husband in the next birth.[4] But, the widow was never forced to do so. Instead, if she wanted to return to the present world and to live her life ahead, then, she was welcomed.[5] She was asked to get up and descend from the funeral pyre and to come back to the living world.[6]

It is, therefore, clear that the custom of widow immolation was in existence from the time, prior to the Atharvaveda. But, in the Atharvavedic period, it was committed voluntarily and not forcefully, as the society cordially expected her return to the living world.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vide, Ibid., p.117

[2]:

iyaṃ nārī patilokaṃ vṛṇānā ni padyata upa tvā martya pretam / dharmaṃ purāṇamanupālayantī tasyai prajāṃ draviṇaṃ ceha dhehi // Atharvaveda, 18.3.1

[3]:

anumaraṇārthaṃ prāpnotītyarthaḥ / kasmāddhetorityāha / purāṇam purātanamanādiśiṣṭācārasiddhaṃ smṛtipurāṇādiprasiddhaṃ vā / dharmam sukṛtamanupālayantī / ānupūrvyeṇa saṃpradāyāvicchedena paripālanam anupālanam / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[4]:

anumaraṇaprabhāvājjanmāntarepi sa eva tasyāḥ patirbhavatītyarthaḥ / Ibid.

[5]:

upanipadyamānā sā yadi ihaloke punarjīvitum icchet tadā ‘udīrṣva’ ityanayā dvitīyayarcā pretena saha saṃviṣṭāṃ tām abhimantrya utthāpayet / Sāyaṇa in his Introduction to the commentary, Ibid., 18.3.2

[6]:

udīrṣva nāryabhi jīvalokaṃ gatāsumetamupa śeṣa ehi / hastagrābhasya dadhiṣostavedaṃ patyurjanitvamabhi saṃ vabhūtha // Atharvaveda, 18.3.2

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