Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c11.5

c11.5

³ Women too could take a similar course of study with the accompaniment of the same ceremonies in the opinion of Hārīta: द्विविधा स्त्रियो, ब्रह्मवादिन्यस्तथोद्वध्वश्च । तत्र ब्रह्मवादिनीनामुपनयनमग्नीन्धनं वेदाध्ययनं स्वगृहे च भिक्षाचर्येति । सद्योवधूनां चोपस्थिते विवाहे कथञ्चिदुप नयनमात्रं कृत्वा विवाहः कार्यः । See quotation in Smṛticandrikā, Saṃskārakāṇḍaḥ, p. 34. (I am indebted to my honoured teacher Prof. H. C. Chakladar for this reference). That this law was not a mere theory is proved by Bhavabhūti’s unique character Ātreyī in the Uttararāmacarita. It will be remembered that Hār. is the oldest Smṛti (p. 18). *Tr.*