Shloka 29
Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes
जात्यन्धबधिरे मूके न दोषः परिवेदने / नष्टे मृते प्रव्रजिते क्लीबे वा पतिते पतौ
jātyandhabadhire mūke na doṣaḥ parivedane / naṣṭe mṛte pravrajite klībe vā patite patau
Jika suami itu buta sejak lahir, pekak atau bisu, maka tiada kesalahan bagi isteri untuk mencari suami lain. Demikian juga jika suami hilang, mati, meninggalkan dunia sebagai pertapa (pravrajita), mati pucuk, atau jatuh ke dalam dosa besar, maka isteri tidak dicela apabila berkahwin semula.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: No fault attaches to a wife’s remarriage when the husband is congenitally incapacitated (blind/deaf/mute) or is lost, dead, renounced, impotent, or fallen.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as contextual (āpaddharma): rules adapt to preserve social welfare and reduce adharma born of abandonment.
Application: Apply compassionate, context-sensitive norms in family law/ethics; prioritize protection and livelihood when marital support is impossible.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107 (āpaddharma and prāyaścitta adjacency)
FAQs
This verse outlines specific dharmic exceptions where a woman is not blamed for seeking a new marital shelter—especially when the husband cannot fulfill marital duties due to disappearance, death, renunciation, impotence, severe disability, or grave moral fall.
Indirectly: it frames dharma in household life, emphasizing that social and ethical order must be maintained even amid loss or incapacity—supporting righteous living that, in Garuda Purana’s broader teaching, influences karmic outcomes after death.
Use it as a principle of compassionate, duty-based ethics: when a relationship cannot sustain its core responsibilities due to irreversible conditions, dharma prioritizes protection, stability, and social legitimacy over blame.