History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c34.192.2

v2.c34.192.2

1-2) says that either the husband or the wife must always be near the gṛhya fire.¹⁶³³ Laghu-Āśvalāyana (I. 69) says that one who has kindled the gṛhya fire should not leave the boundary of his village without his wife, as the texts lay down that homa is to be performed in the place where the wife stays. A brāhmaṇa¹⁶³⁴ may go abroad on business, leaving his fire in charge of his wife and after appointing a priest; but he should not stay away long without cause. A priest should not offer homa on behalf of a householder, when both the spouses are absent, because such homa by him in the absence of both is useless.¹⁶³⁵ If an householder has several wives of the same caste or wives of different castes, the texts lay down who is to be associated with him in religious rites. These rules have already been set out above (pp. 559-60). 'When a householder's wife dies he should not give up his Vedic fires, but that (i. e. the Agnihotra) should be performed till one's life by means of an *upādhi* (i. e. by marrying another savarṇa wife or by associating with himself an asavarṇa wife)' says Gobhila smṛti¹⁶³⁶ III. 9. Gobhila then refers to the story of Rāma, who performed sacrifices with a golden image of his discarded wife Sītā kept by his side.