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BURNING OF HINDU WIDOWS.
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she is inclined to immolate herself, and the eighth verse is addressed to her, as the author of the Sahamarańavidhi explains, only to test her resolution, and to induce her to retire, if she be not sufficiently firm in her purpose. The necessity of giving her this option and trying her fortitude beforehand, appears the more strong, when we find it declared that the Satí who becomes Chitábhrashta, who retires from the funeral pile after the conclusion of the rites, commits a highly sinful act, although it admits of expiation by the performance of the Prájápatya.
Our personal observation of the actual practice when it prevailed in British India confirms this view; from the moment a Satí expressed her desire to follow her lord, up to the time she ascended the funeral pile, every persuasive language was used to induce her to continue in the family, and to discharge her proper duties there, and it was not until she was found inflexible that she was allowed to sacrifice herself; this was perfectly in keeping with the Udírsliwa, &c., Mantra.
Thus the Sth verse of the Rigveda, above alluded to, appears to be, in fact, a Salamarana Mantra,
"Yasmád anusarana nischayam ákarshis tasmád ágachchha," he takes the same view; he does not consider the burning as delayed, as may be supposed from a technical interpretation of the word - anusarana", because, as you say, subsequent burning is inconsistent with the presence of the corpse. ___1 चिताभ्रष्टा तु या नारी मोहाद्विचलिता भवेत् । प्राजापत्येन शुद्ध्येत्तु तस्मादिपापकर्मणः ॥
