History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c29.5

v2.c29.5

The word vidhavā occurs several times in the Ṛgveda (e. g. IV. 18. 12, X. 18. 7, X. 40. 2 and 8); but these passages contain very little that is indicative of their condition in society except Ṛg. X. 40. 2 (vide under *niyoga*). Ṛg. I. 87. 3¹³⁶² says 'in the rapid movements of the Maruts the earth trembles like a woman deprived of her husband.' That shows that widows trembled either from sorrow or from fear of molestation and ill-treatment.