Wife-hood in the Vedic Age
As in present, after marriage, the girl became a 'grihini'
(wife) and was considered 'ardhangini' or one half of her husband's being. Both
of them constituted the 'griha' or home, and she was considered its 'samrajni'
(queen or mistress) and had an equal share in the performance of religious
rites.
Prostitution in the Vedic
Prostitutes
were very much a part of the Vedic society. They were allowed to make a living,
but their lives were regulated by a code of conduct. They came to be known as
'devadasis' - the girls who were married to God in a temple and expected to
spend the rest of the life as his maid serving the men in the society.
Divorce, Remarriage & Widowhood
Divorce and remarriage of women were allowed under very special
conditions. If a woman lost her husband, she was not forced to undergo the
merciless practices that cropped up in later years. She was not compelled to
tonsure her head, nor was she forced to wear red sari and commit 'sahagamana'
or dying on the funeral pyre of the dead husband. If they chose to, they could
live a life of a 'sanyasin' or hermit, after the husband passed away.
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