Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c9.s4.13

c9.s4.13

Manu appears to be rather insensitive in allowing liberty to women. If a woman leaves the house of her husband in a rage, she should be tied with ropes and put in the house, otherwise the husband should leave her to her father’s house.³⁷ He levies a fine of six golden coins upon a lady going to night shows in *prekṣās* or *samājas*.³⁸ On the other hand, he is strictly against marrying a virgin to a man not fit for her. “It is better that a girl lives unwedded till her death, than be married to a man not suitable for her”, he says. He also allows a young girl to seek a suitable match herself if the parents are unable to marry her.³⁹ On one hand, he deprives a married lady and a daughter from inheriting the property of her husband or father, on the other he directs the brothers of a lady to provide a share of the property inherited by them to their sister; if they do not do so they are condemned.⁴⁰ But *Viṣṇusmṛti* declares in most unequivocal terms that the property of a man having died without any son will be inherited by his wife, and if he is not survived by his wife, then the property will go to his daughters.⁴¹ Nandapaṇḍita in his commentary on *Viṣṇusmṛti* on this passage quotes Bṛhaspati’s instructions to the king to punish the kin who makes an attempt to grab the property thus inherited by a widow.⁴² Yājñavalkya directs that the father-in-law should provide equal part of his property for the wives of his sons if they have not inherited *strīdhana* (the money given to the bride by the parents). Even if they have been given *strīdhana*, they are to be provided with one half of the part given to the sons.⁴³ A widow will inherit the property equal to the share for her sons.⁴⁴