Hindu Scriptures Permitting Polygamy

Hindu scriptures permitting Polygamy

Renowned Hindu scholar Vijnanesvara writes,

“According to the order of the classes, for the Brahmana three, for the Ksatriya two wives, and for the Vaisya one wife are ordained. A Sudra can have only one wife born in the same class.” Vijnanesvara in his commentary Mitakshara on Yajnavalkya Smriti verse 57

Swami Vivekananda finds no problem with Polygamy,

“For women, they hold chastity as the most important virtue, no doubt. One man marrying more than one wife is not so injurious to society as a woman having more than one husband at the same time, for the latter leads to the gradual decay of the race.” The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 5/Writings: Prose and Poems/The East and The West/France-Paris
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_5/Writings:_Prose_and_Poems/The_East_and_The_West/France-Paris

Swami Prabhupada the founder of ISKCON on Polygamy,

“…According to our Vedic process, polygamy is allowed. For example, Krsna married 16,000 wives, Arjuna married 3 or 4 wives, Krsna’s father Vasudeva, married 16 or 18 wives, like that. So according to the Vedic system polygamy is not prohibited…”By Swami Prabhupada, Letter to Karandhara written from Bombay
http://vanisource.org/wiki/730109_-_Letter_to_Karandhara_written_from_Bombay

“People have become so degraded in this age that on the one hand they restrict polygamy and on the other hand they hunt for women in so many ways. Many business concerns publicly advertise that topless girls are available in this club or in that shop. Thus women have become instruments of sense enjoyment in modern society. The Vedas enjoin, however, that if a man has the propensity to enjoy more than one wife—as is sometimes the propensity for men in the higher social order, such as the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, and even sometimes the śūdras—he is allowed to marry more than one wife. Marriage means taking complete charge of a woman and living peacefully without debauchery. At the present moment, however, debauchery is unrestricted. Nonetheless, society makes a law that one should not marry more than one wife. This is typical of a demoniac society.” Swami Prabhupada on Srimad Bhagavatam 4.26.6
http://vanisource.org/wiki/SB_4.26.6

He also writes,

“A man is allowed to keep more than one wife because he cannot enjoy sex when the wife is pregnant. If he wants to enjoy sex at such a time, he may go to another wife who is not pregnant. These are laws mentioned in the Manu-samhita and other scriptures.” Swami Prabhupada on Srimad Bhagavatam 4.27.5
http://vanisource.org/wiki/SB_4.27.5

Vedas the oldest scriptures of Hinduism neither permits nor prohibits Polygamy. But traces of polygamy can be found in Vedas which implies that it was practiced in the Vedic period, I am using Shri Ram Sharma’s Hindi translation.

Rig Veda 10.43.1. IN perfect unison all yearning hymns of mine that find the light of heaven have sung forth Indra’s praise. As wives embrace their lord, the comely bridegroom, so they compass Maghavan about that he may help.

Rig Veda 4.58.8 “As youthful ladies of love and virtue, inspired with passion and smiling in bliss, proceed to meet agni, enlightened husband, so do streams of ghrta move and flow into the vedi to meet the lighted fire, and the rising fire, loving and gracious, cherishes to receive the flow of the holy yajaka’s offer.” Tr. Tulsi Ram

Another clear English translation

Rig Veda 4.58.8 “The streams of Ghi incline to Agni as devoted wives, auspicious and smiling, to a husband: they feed (the flame) like fuel, and Jatavedas, propitiated, accepts them.” Tr. H.H. Wilson

Krishna Yajur Veda 6.5.1.4 …therefore as one goes many follow; therefore one becomes superior among many; therefore one wins many wives…

A verse in Rig Veda clearly shows that an old Rishi Chyavana was married to many girls after he was rejuvenated,

Rig Veda 1.116.10 Ye from the old Cyavana, O Nasatyas, stripped, as ’twere mail, the skin upon his body, Lengthened his life when all had left him helpless, Dasras! and made him lord of youthful maidens.

Above is Shri Ram Sharma’s Hindi translation and following translation is by Pandit Ram Govind Trivedi

Chyavana being rejuvenated is also mentioned in Nirukta 4.19, Mahabharata Adi Parva 1.177 and Pancavimsa Brahmana 14.6.10 but it doesn’t state anything about his marriages. Maidens here may refer to several maidens or just two maidens. As Hindu texts only mentions his two wives. Scriptures doesn’t give much detail about Chyavana’s wives and stresses more on Sukanya the daughter of King Saryati. Sukanya became the wife of Chyavana as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam 9.3, other texts talks about another wife named Arushi the daughter of Manu who bore him a son named Aurva and this is mentioned in Mahabharata Adi Parva 1.66.47.

Other Hindu scriptures are clear on Polygamy. They permit polygamy without a doubt.

Manu Smriti 3.12-13 For the first marriage of twice-born men (wives) of equal caste are recommended; but for those who through desire proceed (to marry again) the following females, (chosen) according to the (direct) order (of the castes), are most approved. It is declared that a Sudra woman alone (can be) the wife of a Sudra, she and one of his own caste (the wives) of a Vaisya, those two and one of his own caste (the wives) of a Kshatriya, those three and one of his own caste (the wives) of a Brahmana.

Agni Purana 285.63-67 “…A husband of many wives, should lick with his tongue, every day, a syrup composed of Triphala, Pippali, honey, clarified butter, and pulverised Amalaki treated with the expressed juice of the same fruit, and then drink water…” Tr. M.N. Dutt

Manu Smriti 9.85. If twice-born men wed women of their own and of other (lower castes), the seniority, honour, and habitation of those (wives) must be (settled) according to the order of the castes (varna).

Mahabharata Adi Parva 1.160.36 There is no sin in this. For a man polygamy is an act of merit, but for a woman it is very sinful to betake herself to a second husband after the first.

Mahabharata 14.80 Oh, let Vijaya, let him that is called Gudakesa, let this hero with reddish eyes, come back O life. O blessed lady, polygamy is not fault with men. Women only incur fault by taking more than one husband.

Mahabharata Adi Parva 1.197 ‘Drupada answered, ‘O scion of Kuru’s race, it hath been directed that one man may have many wives. But it hath never been heard that one woman may have many husbands!

Hindu scriptures also gives instructions on which wife should do religious duties with the husband if he has several wives.

Vishnu Smriti 26.1-4 If a man has several wives of his own caste, he shall perform his religious duties together with the eldest (or first married) wife. (If he has several) wives of diverse castes (he shall perform them) even with the youngest wife if she is of the same caste as himself. On failure of a wife of his own caste (he shall perform them) with one belonging to the caste next below to his own; so also in cases of distress (i.e, when the wife who is equal in caste to him happens to be absent, or when she has met with a calamity); But no twice born man ever with a S’udra wife.

FOUR WIVES:

The only confusion regarding Polygamy in Hindu scriptures is that some Hindu scriptures permits a Brahmin to marry four women and some permit only three. Following verses permits four wives for a Brahmin, three (as well as numerous) to a Kshatriya, two to a Vaishya and only one to a Shudra,

Mahabharata 13.47 It has been laid down, O grandsire, that a Brahmana can take four wives, viz., one that belongs to his own order, one that is a Kshatriya, one that is a Vaisya, and one that is a Sudra, if the Brahmana wishes to indulge in the desire of sexual intercourse.

Mahabharata 13.48 The Brahmana may take four wives, one from each of the four orders. In two of them (viz.,the wife taken from his own order and that taken from the one next below), he takes birth himself (the children begotten upon them being regarded as invested with the same status as his own)…
A Kshatriya may take three wives…
The Vaisya may take two spouses…The Sudra can take only one wife, viz., she that is taken from his own order. The son begotten by him upon her becomes a Sudra….

Agni Purana 153.1 ”Pushkara said:- A Brahman may take four wives, a Kshatriya three, a Vaishya two, while a member of the Shudra caste is not allowed to have more than a single wife.” Tr. M.N. Dutt

Manu Smriti 9.149. If there be four wives of a Brahmana in the direct order of the castes, the rule for the division (of the estate) among the sons born of them is as follows:

Vishnu Smriti 24.1-5 Now a Brahmana may take four wives in the direct order of the (four) castes; A Kshatriya, three; A Vaisya, two; A Sudra, only one.

Baudhyana Dharma Shastra, Prasna I, Adhyaya 8, Kandika 16, verses 1-5 There are four castes (varna, viz.) Brâhmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sûdras. (Males) belonging to them (may take) wives according to the order of the castes, (viz.) a Brâhmana four, A Kshatriya three, A Vaisya two, A Sudra one.

THREE WIVES:

Paraskara Grihya Sutra I Kanda, 4 Kandika, 8-11 Three (wives are allowed) to a Brahmana, in accordance with the order of the castes, Two to a Raganya, One to a Vaisya, One Sudra wife besides to all, according to some (teachers), without using Mantras (at the ceremonies of wedding, &c.).

Yajnavalkya Smriti verse 57 Three, according to the order of the caste, so also two, and one for a Brahmana, a Ksatriya and a Vaisya respectively (may be the wives). To a person born as a Sudra, a girl of her own caste is his wife.

See commentary by Vijnanesvara on this verse for explanation which I have mentioned in this article.

Sankha Samhita 4.7 “Brahmana can marry three wives, a Kshatriya can take a couple of wives, while a Vais’ya or S’udra can marry a single wife. A Brahmana can marry a Brahmana, Kshartriya, or a Vais’ya girl.” Tr. M.N. Dutt

Vasistha Samhita 1.24. Three wives (are permitted) to a Brâhmana according to the order of the castes, two to a Kshatriya, one to a Vaisya and to a Sûdra.

Mahabharata 13.44 A Brahmana can take three wives. A Kshatriya can take two wives. As regards the Vaisya, he should take a wife from only his own order.

Mahabharata 13.44.11-12 A Brahmana can take three wives. A Kshatriya can take two wives. As regards the Vaisya, he should take a wife from only his own order. The children born of these wives should all be regarded as equal. Of the three wives of a Brahmana, she taken from his own order should be regarded as the foremost. Similarly, of the two wives permitted to the Kshatriya, she taken from his own order should be regarded as superior. Some say that persons belonging to the three higher orders may take, only for purposes of enjoyment (and not for those of virtue), wives from the lowest or the Sudra order. Others, however, forbid the practice.

Some allows a Brahmin to have four wives while others allow three. As I said in my article Caste System in Hinduism, There is unanimity among scholars that a Brahmin should first marry a woman from his own caste and then of succeeding castes. This applies for Kshatriya and Vaisya also. They can marry several women from their own castes also but laws concerning marriage with other castes is mentioned in those verses. As for those who allow a Brahmin to marry only three, they say it on the following basis,

Yajnavalkya Smriti verse 56 Though it has been said that a twice born may take a wife from a Sudra family, yet that is not my opinion, because out of her, he is born himself.

Similar thing is also said in Manu Smriti 3.14. A man belonging to low caste cannot marry girl belonging to preceding caste. But a Brahmin can marry a girl of any caste. Following two verses will clear the confusion,

Narada Smriti 12.4-6 When a Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya, or Sudra takes a wife, it is best for him to take her out of his own caste; and so is a member of her own caste (the most eligible) husband for a woman (of any caste). A Brahman may marry three wives of different caste, in the direct order of the castes; and so may a Sudra woman take a husband of any of the three castes above her own. For a Kshatriya, two wives differing (from him) in caste are permitted; for a Vaisya, a single wife differing (from him) in caste…

Munis to King

Markandeya Purana 113.31-34 “O king, A brahman who marries wives among all the castes, provided that he marries first a brahman woman, incurs no injury in his brahman-hood. Likewise a kshatriya who marries first a kshatriya’s daughter, incurs no harm if he marries wives from lower castes; and therefore, O king, these other wives fall not from their own righteousness. Thus a vaisya, who marries first a vaisya woman and afterwards a girl born from a sudra family, is not excluded from the vaisya family. The law is thus declared in order…”

Refference :

https://truthabouthinduism.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/polygamy-in-hindu-dharma/