Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s21.329

v1.c3.s21.329

Sati.—On the death of her husband, in some cases the widow burned herself or was burned by his relations.¹⁴² This is clearly implied in the reference to this ancient custom in the Atharvaveda.¹⁴³ On the other hand, the Rigveda does not contemplate the custom anywhere, but on the contrary considers the widow as married apparently to the brother of the dead man.¹⁴⁴ The custom of Suttee would therefore appear during the Vedic age to have been in abeyance, at least as a general rule. At all times the practice seems to have been mainly usual among families of the warrior class, to judge from the other Indo-Germanic parallels.¹⁴⁵ In other classes the survival of wives was more necessary, and the remarriage of widows, whether prohibited or allowed in the texts, is proof that there were widows who could be remarried.¹⁴⁶