Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates 鈥楳arriage (b): Polygamy鈥� of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.
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Marriage (b): Polygamy
When a man marries more than one wife then it is called Polygamy. In the earlier period of time, polygamy system was very noticeable. In the 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, we find that sage 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补 married two wives named 惭补颈迟谤别测墨 and 碍腻迟测腻测补苍墨[1] . The 础颈迟补谤别测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 also describes that the king 贬补谤颈艣肠补苍诲谤补 had one hundred wives.[2] 厂尘峁泃颈 texts permit the 碍峁迟谤颈测补蝉 and the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉 to accept wives from other castes.[3] The 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺[4] and the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补[5] explain the distribution of the daughters of 顿补办峁.
In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 we get various instances of the acquisition of wives. Such as-king 顿补办峁 had twenty-four daughters. Dharma married thirteen out of the twenty four.[6] 厂惫腻谤辞肠颈峁, Manu鈥檚 father, had three wives.[7] 惭补谤墨肠颈鈥檚 son 碍腻艣测补辫补 had also married thirteen wives,[8] king Khanitra had three wives.[9] It is also noted that king 础惫颈办峁迟补[10] and Marutta[11] had many wives.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办辞辫补苍颈峁诲, 4.5.1
[2]:
础颈迟补谤别测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 7.33.1
[3]:
驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补sm峁泃i, 1.57; 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补蝉尘峁泃颈, 2.11-12
[4]:
叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 6.6.1-2
[5]:
惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, 艢膩ntiparva,200.20-24
[6]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 47.19-21
[7]:
Ibid., 60.61; 61.19
[8]:
Ibid., 101.3-4
[9]:
Ibid., 115.20
[10]:
Ibid., 119.16
[11]:
Ibid., 128.44-47