Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c11.s9.4

c11.s9.4

Around 1850, the Brahmana Sabha of Bengal referred the issue of widow marriage to Pt. Rajaram Shastri of Kāśī. He issued a detailed document in refutation to widow marriage. The statements of some other *paṇḍits* were also included in this document and it was circulated along with these statements all around the country and was received with protests from several corners. The document was also published in book form entitled *Vidhavodvāhaśaṅkāsamādhiḥ* (Resolving Doubts on Widow Marriage). Rajaram Shastri obtained the consent of fifty-two well-known *paṇḍits* of Kāśī on his document. Baldev Upadhyaya (1994: 178) has produced the list of these *paṇḍits*. A point by point rejoinder against this document was issued from Mumbai. Upon this, Paṇḍit Bal Shastri of legendary fame, reissued the document of his *guru* Paṇḍit Rajaram Shastri with his detailed Sanskrit commentary incorporating his replies to the counter-arguments presented by the reformists (Baldev Upadhyaya 1994: 147-48). It was in this series of debates that Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagara wrote a treatise in Sanskrit in support of widow remarriage. Rākhaldas Nyāyaratna (1829–1914) also wrote a treatise against widow remarriage (Baldev Upadhyaya 1994: 331). There were similar treatises for and against sea voyage. In his *Pratyantaprasthānamīmāṁsā*, Pt. Madhusudhan Ojha discussed the validity of sea voyage for trips to other countries.