5k. Remarriage of a Woman

[Full title: 5. Women in the Atharvavedic Society, (k): Remarriage of a Woman]

As a general rule, no one should marry a woman, who is already married, and such a stringent rule never permits the remarriage of a woman. But, the Atharvaveda records some instances of remarriage of a woman. In one context of the Atharvaveda, the remarriage of a woman has been referred to, where it is stated that after having one former husband, if a woman gets another one, then, both of her husbands shall not be separated, if they give a goat with five rice-dishes.^[1] But, this reference has been understood as the instance of widow-remarriage by Altekar.^[2] He, perhaps, takes the former husband in the sense of the deceased one. Besides, he lays emphasis on the prayer recorded in the immediate following mantra to felicitate her union with the second husband in heaven. But, Altekar’s interpretation has no such firm support to interpret the woman as a widow. It is quite probable for a woman to remarry after having her first husband alive.