History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c31.19

v2.c31.19

One question¹⁴⁴³ raised by Dr. Banerjee is: what is to be regarded as the *gotra* of a widow when she is to be remarried (is it to be her father's *gotra* or of the first husband's?). There are hardly any indications in the ancient smṛtis or commentaries on this point. Viśvarūpa¹⁴⁴⁴ commenting on Yāj. I. 63 (on the word '*kanyāprada*') observes that according to some the father gives away the bride even if she is not a virgin. So it appears that the father's *gotra* should be looked to in the remarriage of a widow. Vidyasagar, whom Dr. Banerjee follows, held the same opinion.