SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM - Prabhupada

94 Srnnad-Bhigavabun [Canto 7, Ch. 2allowed to die with her husband. This system of saha-rniirar_ta continuedin India even until the time of British rule, but later it was discouraged,since the attitude of wives gradually changed with the advancement ofKali-yuga. Thus the system of saha-rniirar.w has practically beenabolished. Nevertheless, within the past fifty years I have seen the wifeof a medical practitioner voluntarily accept death immediately when herhusband died. Both the husband and wife were taken in procession in themourning cart. Such intense love of a chaste wife for her husband is aspecial case.TEXT 35rrci f?ieqffi .. f • 131PI;tf M6:i(¥4" 4W04ctt, IIevarit vilapatinii;rit vaiparigrhya mrtarit patimanicchatiniirit nirhiiramarko 'starit sannyavartataevam-thus; vilapatiniim-of the lamenting queens; vai-indeed;parigrhya-taking on their laps; mrtam-the dead; patim-husband;anicchatiniim-not desiring; nirhiiram-the carrying out of the bodyfor the funeral ceremony; arkalJ-the sun; astam-the setting position;sannyavartata-passed away.TRANSLATIONThe time was appropriate for the body to be burned, but thequeens, not allowing it to be taken away, continued lamenting forthe dead body, which they kept on their laps. In the meantime, thesun completed its movements for setting in the west.PURPORTAccording to the Vedic system, if a person dies during the daytime it iscustomary for his funeral ceremony to be performed before the sun sets,regardless of whether he is burned or buried, and if he dies at night thefuneral must be completed before the next sunrise. Apparently the