had asked prince Satyavat the following question,
"If the giver of a dowry unto the kinsmen of a maiden happens to die
before marriage, can another person take the hand of that maiden in
marriage? We have doubts on this matter. Do thou remove these doubts of
ours, for thou art endued with great wisdom and art honoured by the wise.
Be thou the organ of vision unto ourselves that are desirous of learning
the truth." Prince Satyavat answered saying, "The kinsmen of the maiden
should bestow her upon him whom they consider eligible. There need be no
scruples in this. The righteous act in this way without taking note of
the giver of the dower even if he be alive; while, as regards the giver
that is dead, there is not the slightest doubt. Some say that the virgin
wife or widow,--one, that is, whose marriage has not been consummated
with her husband by actual sexual congress in consequence of his absence
or death,--may be allowed to unite herself with her husband's younger
brother or such other relation. The husband dying before such
consummation, the virgin-widow may either surrender herself to her
husband's younger brother or betake herself to the practice of penances.
In the opinion of some, the younger brother of the husband or such other
relation may thus use the unused wife or widow, though others maintain
that such practice, notwithstanding its prevalence, springs from desire
instead of being a scriptural ordinance. They that say so are clearly of
opinion that the father of a maiden has the right to bestow her upon any
eligible person, disregarding the dowry previously given by another and
accepted by himself. If after the hand of a maiden has been promised all
the initial rites before marriage be performed, the maiden may still be
bestowed upon a person other than the one unto whom she had been
promised. Only the giver incurs the sin of falsehood: so far, however, as
the status of wife is concerned, no injury can occur thereto. The Mantras
in respect of marriage accomplish their object of bringing about the
indissoluble union of marriage at the seventh step. The maiden becomes
the wife of him unto whom the gift is actually made with water.[286] The
gift of maidens should be made in the following way. The wise know it for
certain. A superior Brahmana should wed a maiden that is not unwilling,
that belongs to a family equal to his own in purity or status, and that
is given away by her brother. Such a girl should be wed in t