OF A FAITHFUL HINDU WIDOW. £ig 



<( Such a wife> adoring her husband, in celestial 

 " felicity with him, greatest, most admired (/?), 

 " with him shall enjoy the delights of heaven while 

 <c fourteen Indras reign. 



" Though her husband had killed a Brahmana, 

 cl (i) broken the ties of gratitude, or murdered his 

 <c friend, she expiates the crime." Angiras. 



The Mantras are adopted on the authority of the 

 Br ah me Purana. 



" While the pile is preparing, tell the faithful 

 " wife of the greatest duty of woman, she is loyal and 

 xc pure who burns herself with her husband's corpse. 

 " Hearing this, fortified (in her resolution) and full 

 " of affection, she completes the Pitri'mheda Taga 

 is (k) and ascends to Szvarga." 



Brahme Purana. 



It is held to be the duty of a widow to burn herself 

 with her husband's corpse ; but she has the alterna- 

 tive, 



M On the death of her husband, to live as 

 " Brahmachar), or commit herself to the flames." 



Vishnu. 



The austerity intended consists in chastity, and in 

 acts of piety and mortification. 



(b) The word in the text is expounded " lauded by the choirs 

 of heaven, Gandbarvas" &c. 



(/) The commentators are at the pains of shewipg that this ex- 

 piation must refer to a crime committed in a former existence ; for 

 funeral rites are refused to the murderer of a Brabmana. 



{k) Acfof burning herself with her husband* 



" The 



