| JATILA IN MAHABHARAT Mahabharat Adi Parv (Vaivahik Parv) Chapter 198:2
"Yudhishthir then spoke, saying, 'My tongue never uttereth an untruth and my heart never inclineth to what is sinful. When my heart approveth of it, it can never be sinful. I have heard in the Puran that a lady of name Jatila, the foremost of all virtuous women belonging to the race of Gotama (Gautam) had married seven Rishis. So also an ascetic's daughter, born of a tree, had in former times united herself in marriage with ten brothers all bearing the same name of Prachetas and who were all of souls exalted by asceticism. O foremost of all that are acquainted with the rules of morality, it is said that obedience to superior is ever meritorious. Amongst all superiors, it is well-known that the mother is the foremost. Even she hath commanded us to enjoy Draupadi as we do anything obtained as alms. It is for this, O best of Brahmanas, that I regard the (proposed) act as virtuous.' "Kunti then said, 'The act is even so as the virtuous Yudhishthir hath said. I greatly fear, O Brahman, lest my speech should become untrue. How shall I be saved from untruth?' "When they had all finished speaking, Vyasa said, 'O amiable one, how shall thou be saved from the consequence of untruth? Even this is eternal virtue! I will not, O king of the Panchals, discourse on this before you all. But thou alone shalt listen to me when I disclose how this practice hath been established and why it is to be regarded as old and eternal. There is no doubt that what Yudhishthir hath said is quite conformable to virtue.' "Vaisampayan continued, 'Then the illustrious Vyas—the master Dwaipayan—rose, and taking hold of Drupad's hand led him to a private apartment. The Pandavas and Kunti and Dhrishtadyumn of Prishat's race sat there, waiting for the return of Vyas and Drupad. Meanwhile, Dwaipayan began his discourse with illustrious monarch for explaining how the practice of polyandry could not be regarded as sinful.'"
[Note : The instances that Yudhishtir mentions, those of Jatila and Varksi are indeed very ancient; and not much is known about these women. They are very rare incidents. In Aitareya Brahmana, a post Vedic text, attached to Rig Ved, there is a distinct prohibition against a wife having more than one husband at a time (AB: 2.23).]
Source :
https://en.krishnakosh.org/krishna/ |