The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c10.s1.16

c10.s1.16

If the reformers of the period 400 B. C. to 200 A.D. failed to stamp out the custom, they succeeded at least in restricting its scope. Formerly three sons were allowed; now some thinkers (referred to by *Manu*, IX, 61) allowed two, while the majority was in favour of one only. A woman, who had children, was prohibited from having recourse to Niyoga (*B. D. S.*, II, 1, 20). At least one year must elapse after the husband's death before Niyoga could be permitted. If a widow was unwilling, she was not to be compelled to submit to Niyoga. This provision seems to have been laid down to prevent an unscrupulous brother-in-law from forcing himself on an unwilling sister-in-law. Financial considerations were not to be a motive for Niyoga¹. It would appear that sometimes a person would be anxious to raise a son upon a widow in order to get a share in her family's property. No doubt the new child was to be the heir, but it was expected that it would naturally be under the influence of its real father. At present we very often find a person getting an effective control over the property of another family by giving his son in adoption to it. The same very often happened in the case of Niyoga. So the Dharma-sūtra writers warn that economic motives should be excluded from Niyoga. Niyoga was to be regarded as a matter of duty, and not as an occasion for license. The parties were not to meet after the conception had taken place. On earlier occasions too desire for a son and not any craving for carnal pleasures was to be the governing factor (*Nārada*, XII, 80-88).