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Sukanya Das, Lovely Professional University Unit 17: Divorce, Widowhood and Re-marriage

Unit 17: Divorce, Widowhood and Re-marriage Notes

CONTENTS
Objective

Introduction
17.1 Problem of Divorce
17.2 Restriction on Widow Re-marriage
17.3 Summary

17.4 Keywords
17.5 Review Questions
17.6 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, students will be able to:
• Aware to the problems of divorce.
• Know Hindu Remarriage.
• Know Hindu marriage Act, 1856.

Introduction

All the evidences indicate that widow remarriage was prevelent in ancient times too. The word
‘Dewar’ too, is said to mean second ‘Var’ i.e. husband. Gradually widow re-marriage was re-
stricted. ‘Niyog’ was said to flout the ancient rules and the widow who remarried was consid-
ered low. Vatsyayan mentioned ‘Punarbh’ as an enjoyable woman. Yagyavalkya commands
widows to survive on fruits, flowers and roots and lead a pure life. 600 years after Christ, histo-
rians considered widows as object of condemnation. According to Aetkar, after the 11 century,
th
even the child-widow remarriages were banned. But all this was limited to the upper class of
the Hindus. Among the 80% of the Hindus who come from lower classes, widow remarriages
have been prevalent.

17.1 Problem of Divorce

Here, one of the partners evaluate the other and rejects him/her. The other partner feels humili-
ated and suppressed, his/her self-esteem is hurt. It is also a legal, social and a family problem.
Hindus expect the woman to be ‘Pativrata’ and ‘Sati’. So, there is no question of the woman de-
serting her husband. To do so, is considered unacceptable-both socially and religiously, though
there were cases of separation (divorce) during the Vedic period too.
Manu, Narad, Vrihaspati, Parasher too allowed widow remarriage in some circumstances.
Manu has favoured second marriage in cases, where a woman is infertile, her children are dead,
has daughters only or is quarrelsome. Kautilya too, has favoured second marriage for the hus-
band, in such circumstances.

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