The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 2 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Religion
The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 2 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Iran -- Religion; Religions
The _Brahmachárí_ is of two kinds: one as already described, whom the
Brahmans call Brahmachari, until the period of his becoming a
householder and taking a wife; the second is he who in the course of
this life never enters into the married state, pays no attention to
worldly cares, and continues the devoted servant of his instructor, on
whose death he pays the same attention to his survivors. If the
disciple should happen to die in his master’s house or that of his
successor, it is accounted far more meritorious than in any other
place; and if his decease should not occur, he is carefully to worship
the fire which is made for the purpose of the Hom, or “burnt-offering,”
and diminishing every day the quantity of his food.
Having thus given some statements concerning the Brahmachárí, it now
becomes proper to mention the various modes of contracting marriage
among the Hindus: thus it is related in the first part of the
_Mahábhárat_, that a woman who has lost her husband may lawfully take
another; for when Parasu-Rama had exterminated the Chattris, their
wives held intercourse with the Brahmans and bare them children. It is
also permitted to a wife deprived of her husband, to attach herself to
another; thus _Yojanagandhá_[100] was first the wife of _Paraśara_, by
whom she had a son, the celebrated sage _Vyása_,[101] and she
afterwards became the wife of a king named _Santana_.[102] In the same
work it is also recorded, that a woman may, by her husband’s consent,
maintain intercourse with another; thus, on the arrival of Raja Bali,
a Brahman named _Tamma_, sent him his wife and obtained a son. In like
manner, Raja _Pándu_, who abstained from all intercourse with woman,
permitted his wife _Kuntí_[103] to keep company with others, and she,
by force of his prayers, mixing with angels, had sons. In like manner
it is permitted that the son be separated from the father, but remain
with the mother, and that, on the decease of a brother, another
brother by a different father but the same mother, may marry the widow
of the deceased: thus _Vyása_, the son of _Yojangandha_ by
_Párasaru_,[104] visited the wives of _Vichitra-Virya_, who was born
of the same mother, Yojangandha, by king Santanu, and there was born
to him _Dhritaráshtra_, Raja _Pándu_, and _Vidúra_. It is also allowed
that several individuals of the same race and religion may among them
espouse one wife: thus _Draupadí_, daughter of _Drúpada_, Rája of
_Pánchála_,[105] was married to the five Pandava princes; and
_Ahalyá_,[106] the daughter of _Gautama_, to seven persons; and the
daughter of another holy person, was married to ten husbands. The
Yezdanians ascribe the seclusion of women, and their not choosing
husbands for themselves, to litigation, corruption, and the family
perplexities. It is recorded also in the Mahábhárat, that in ancient
times there was no such practice as the appropriation of husband and
wife; every woman being allowed to cohabit with whomsoever she thought
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