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{{short description|Hindu's tradition of conception by proxy fathers}} | {{short description|Hindu's tradition of conception by proxy fathers}} | ||
{{Distinguish|Niyog (disambiguation)}} | {{Distinguish|Niyog (disambiguation)}} | ||
'''Niyoga''' ({{lang-sa|नियोग}}) was a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] practice, primarily followed during the ancient period. It permitted either the husband or the wife who had no child by their spouse to procreate a child with another woman or a man.<ref>{{cite book |author=Benjamin Walker |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism |volume=1 |year=2019 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9780429624650 |page=592 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zj3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA592 |quote=The levirate system of the ancient Jews was almost identical with the Hindu custom of niyoga, 'injunction', legalized by Manu }}</ref><ref>{{ | '''Niyoga''' ({{lang-sa|नियोग}}) was a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] practice, primarily followed during the ancient period. It permitted either the husband or the wife who had no child by their spouse to procreate a child with another woman or a man.<ref>{{cite book |author=Benjamin Walker |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism |volume=1 |year=2019 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9780429624650 |page=592 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zj3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA592 |quote=The levirate system of the ancient Jews was almost identical with the Hindu custom of niyoga, 'injunction', legalized by Manu }}</ref>Niyoga forbidden in the Kali age by Brhaspati and other smrti writers.<ref name="KANE">“ Pg.29 : Niyoga forbidden in the Kali age by Brhaspati and other smrti writers. “ {{Cite book|page=29|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.24397|title=History Of Dharmasastra Vol. 2, Part. 1|last=Kane|first=Pandurang Kane|date=1941}}</ref>It has been held that niyoga has nothing to do with polyandry.<ref name="SARKAR">“ Pg. 78 : It has been held that ‘ niyoga ’ has nothing to do with polyandry. “{{Cite book|page=78|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.175584|title=Some Aspects Of The Earliest Social History Of India|last=S.C.Sarkar|date=1928}}</ref>Sir Henry Maine thinks that the Niyoga is of later date than the Levirate, but J. D. Mayne justified in regarding the Levirate as merely an enlarged form of the Niyoga, which came into effect after a man's death.<ref name="STARCKE">“ Pg.144 : Sir Henry Maine thinks that the Niyoga is of later date than the Levirate, but J. D. Mayne justified in regarding the Levirate as merely an enlarged form of the Niyoga, which came into effect after a man's death.”{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/primitivefamily00stargoog|title=The primitive family in its origin and development|last=Starcke|first=Carl Nicolai|page=144|date=1889|publisher=New York, D. Appleton and company|others=University of Michigan}}</ref>The Niyoga system, which enabled a woman to choose and invite a male with the desirable seed, and bear children.<ref name="BHYRAPPA">“ Pg.822 : The Niyoga system, which enabled a woman to choose and invite a male with the desirable seed, and bear children.”{{Cite book|page=822|url=http://archive.org/details/bhyrappaparva|title=Parva by S L Bhyrappa|last=S L Bhyrappa|date=1979}}</ref>We conclude that niyoga is not necessary for anything.<ref name="ENCYCLO">“ Pg 443 : We conclude that niyoga is not necessary for anything. “{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/the-encyclopedia-of-indian-philosophies|page=443|title=The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies}}</ref> | ||
==Literature== | ==Literature== | ||
Revision as of 09:17, 15 December 2023
Niyoga (Sanskrit: नियोग) was a Hindu practice, primarily followed during the ancient period. It permitted either the husband or the wife who had no child by their spouse to procreate a child with another woman or a man.[1]Niyoga forbidden in the Kali age by Brhaspati and other smrti writers.[2]It has been held that niyoga has nothing to do with polyandry.[3]Sir Henry Maine thinks that the Niyoga is of later date than the Levirate, but J. D. Mayne justified in regarding the Levirate as merely an enlarged form of the Niyoga, which came into effect after a man's death.[4]The Niyoga system, which enabled a woman to choose and invite a male with the desirable seed, and bear children.[5]We conclude that niyoga is not necessary for anything.[6]
Literature
Manusmṛti
In the Manusmṛti, niyoga is described in IX.59-63, but the practice is also allowed in IX.64-68. This text (IX.167) describes the child born by niyoga as a kshetraja child of the husband-wife.[7] The practice of niyoga was solely for widows and childless women who chose not to remarry:
"vidhavāyāṁ niyuktastu ghṛtākto vāgyato nisi।
ekaṁ utpādayetputraṁ na dvitīyaṁ kathaṁ cana।।"
(Manusmriti,Chapter 9 Verse 60)[8]
"Meaning: If a widow desires offspring, she may, with the father's consent, engage in niyoga by anointing herself with ghee on her body and should give birth to a son. However, besides one son, she should never produce another."
Therefore, until a critical situation arose, permission for niyoga was not granted. If someone engaged in niyoga against societal norms, they would face social ostracism :
"jyeṣṭho yavīyasō bhāryāṁ yavīyānvāgrajastriyam।
patitau bhavato gatvā niyuktāvapyanāpadi।।"
(Manusmriti,Chapter 9 Verse 58)[9]
"Meaning: Unless there is a crisis, then with the father's consent, if the wives of both older and younger brothers engage in niyoga, they both will share the sin, leading to the degradation of the varna (social order and duties)."
In popular culture
Niyoga is the central issue of Anahat, a Marathi feature film directed by Amol Palekar. It was showcased at the International Film Festival of India 2003.[citation needed]
References
- ↑ Benjamin Walker (2019). Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. Vol. 1. Taylor & Francis. p. 592. ISBN 9780429624650.
The levirate system of the ancient Jews was almost identical with the Hindu custom of niyoga, 'injunction', legalized by Manu
- ↑ “ Pg.29 : Niyoga forbidden in the Kali age by Brhaspati and other smrti writers. “ Kane, Pandurang Kane (1941). History Of Dharmasastra Vol. 2, Part. 1. p. 29.
- ↑ “ Pg. 78 : It has been held that ‘ niyoga ’ has nothing to do with polyandry. “S.C.Sarkar (1928). Some Aspects Of The Earliest Social History Of India. p. 78.
- ↑ “ Pg.144 : Sir Henry Maine thinks that the Niyoga is of later date than the Levirate, but J. D. Mayne justified in regarding the Levirate as merely an enlarged form of the Niyoga, which came into effect after a man's death.”Starcke, Carl Nicolai (1889). The primitive family in its origin and development. University of Michigan. New York, D. Appleton and company. p. 144.
- ↑ “ Pg.822 : The Niyoga system, which enabled a woman to choose and invite a male with the desirable seed, and bear children.”S L Bhyrappa (1979). Parva by S L Bhyrappa. p. 822.
- ↑ “ Pg 443 : We conclude that niyoga is not necessary for anything. “The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies. p. 443.
- ↑ Bühler, George (1886). "Chapter IX". The Laws of Manu. Sacred Books of the East. Vol. 25.
- ↑ "Manu Smriti , 9:60". aryamantavya.in. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ↑ "Manu Smriti , 9:58". aryamantavya.in. Retrieved 2023-12-14.