Madhuvidya

SR No.: 006525
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 762
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Philosophy
File Size: 17 MB

Page 508

Dharmaśāstra vigorously wrote in favour of the custom and prescribed it to women of all classes without distinction.
Even then the recommendation of these writers in favour of sati never became an obligatory rule in India and the custom was adopted only as an option. When Lord Bentinck prohibited the inhuman custom it was feared that there will be widespread opposition. In fact nothing of the sort happened. Writing about this Dr. Kane observes : "The very fact that there was no disturbance of peace or ebullition of popular feeling or even great protest from the vast Hindu population (except a petition to the Privy Council) against Bentinck's sweeping measure indicates two things : viz. That the burning of widows was a rare occurrence and that people were not very keen on observing the practice nor had they any very deep rooted conviction about its absolute religious necessity.”(History of Dharmaśāstra, II. 1. p. 636).
NOTES:
1. History of Dharamaśāstra, Vol. II, pt. 1, p. 624 (1941). 2. Cf. svargaloke mahiyate said by Angiras. 3. Apparently different from the author of the work now available as Angirahsmrti. 4. This is also the view of Paithinasi, Virāj, and Vyāghrapád, cf. Aparärka p. 112. 5. Kāmaṁ tu kşapayed dehaṁ puspamūlaphalaiḥ śubhaiḥ na tu nāmāpi grhniyat
patyau prete parasya tu // 6. Especially when we are told that it took the sages seventeen days to reach
Hastinapura (1.117.27) 7. 'Bhārati' (Bulletin of the College of Indology,Banaras Hindu Unviersity, Varanasi)
17 (1987-88) pp. 1-6. 8. Prof. Dange has to rely on the commentator. 9. Actually what I have said in my Marathi article is as follows:
"हे दोन तपशील महाभारताची कथा सांगणाऱ्याने कधी सांगितलेच नव्हते की, ते तपशील सांगणारे श्लोक
OHTOEHT JETTA 154 SI, FUTUONUT IT."7917", urtart, 98cc, q. x) 10. They can be easily found in A. S. Altekar's The Position of Women in Hindu
Civilization, 1956, pp. 129-32, and in P. V.Kane's History of Dharmaśāstra, II, 2. pp. 628-30.
Madhu Vidyā/483