________________
V, 152.
PURIFICATION; WOMEN.
195
147. By a girl, by a young woman, or even by an aged one, nothing must be done independently, even in her own house.
148. In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent.
149. She must not seek to separate herself from her father, husband, or sons; by leaving them she would make both (her own and her husband's) families contemptible.
150. She must always be cheerful, clever in (the management of her) household affairs, careful in cleaning her utensils, and economical in expenditure.
151. Him to whom her father may give her, or her brother with the father's permission, she shall obey as long as he lives, and when he is dead, she must not insult (his memory).
152. For the sake of procuring good fortune to (brides), the recitation of benedictory texts (svastyayana), and the sacrifice to the Lord of creatures (Pragâpati) are used at weddings; (but) the betrothal (by the father or guardian) is the cause of (the husband's) dominion (over his wife).
147-149. See below, IX, 2–3; Vi. XXVI, 12–13; Yagi.1,85-86. 150. Vi. XXVI, 4-6; Yâgri. I, 83. 151. Vi. XXVI, 14; Yâgî. I, 63.
152. Svastyayanam,'the recitation of benedictory texts,' i. e. 'of those intended for averting evilomens' (Gov., Kull.); or 'the Punyâhavâkına and the rest' (Nâr.); or 'the recitation of the texts which precede the nuptial burnt-oblation' (Râgh., Nand.). Medh. connects the word with yagnah, and explains it by that whereby welfare is obtained.' Medh. explains the expression the sacrifice to Pragâpati' by stating that some' prescribe at a wedding an oblation with the verse Pragâpate na tvad evânyah (tvadetâny, Rig-veda X, 121, 10), and that the offerings to the other gods are
02
Digitized by Google
