According to Vedic culture, although polygamy is allowed, none of one's wives should be ill-treated. In other words, one may take many wives only if he is able to satisfy all of them equally as an ideal householder; otherwise it is not allowed. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the world teacher; therefore, even though He had no need for a wife, He expanded Himself into as many forms as He had wives, and He lived with them as an ideal householder, observing the regulative principles, rules and commitments in accordance with the Vedic injunctions and the social laws and customs of society. For each of His 16,108 wives, He simultaneously maintained different palaces, different establishments and different atmospheres. Thus the Lord, although one, exhibited Himself as 16,108 ideal householders.
Polygamy
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 4
Regulations are meant for human beings, not for animals. The traffic regulations on the street, telling people to keep to the right or the left, are meant for human beings, not for animals. If an animal violates such a law, he is never punished, but a human being is punished. The Vedas are not meant for the animals, but for the understanding of human society. A person who indiscriminately violates the rules and regulations given by the Vedas is liable to be punished. One should therefore not enjoy his senses according to his lusty desires, but should restrict himself according to the regulative principles given in the Vedas. If a king is allowed to hunt in a forest, it is not for his sense gratification. We cannot simply experiment in the art of killing. If a king, being afraid to meet rogues and thieves, kills poor animals and eats their flesh comfortably at home, he must lose his position. Because in this age kings have such demoniac propensities, monarchy is abolished by the laws of nature in every country.
People have become so degraded in this age that on the one hand they restrict polygamy and on the other hand they hunt for women in so many ways. Many business concerns publicly advertise that topless girls are available in this club or in that shop. Thus women have become instruments of sense enjoyment in modern society. The Vedas enjoin, however, that if a man has the propensity to enjoy more than one wife—as is sometimes the propensity for men in the higher social order, such as the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, and even sometimes the śūdras—he is allowed to marry more than one wife. Marriage means taking complete charge of a woman and living peacefully without debauchery. At the present moment, however, debauchery is unrestricted. Nonetheless, society makes a law that one should not marry more than one wife. This is typical of a demoniac society.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
"If you are miserly and do not give Me the offerings, every one of you will have an old husband with at least four co-wives."
In India in those days and even until fifty years ago, polygamy was freely allowed. Any man, especially of the higher castes—the brāhmaṇas, the vaiśyas and particularly the kṣatriyas—could marry more than one wife. In the Mahābhārata, or the old history of India, we see that kṣatriya kings especially used to marry many wives. According to Vedic civilization there was no restriction against this, and even a man more than fifty years old could marry. But to be married to a man who had many wives was not a very pleasing situation because the husband's love would be divided among his many wives. To punish the girls unwilling to offer Him the naivedya, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu apparently wanted to curse them to be married to men who had at least four wives.
The social structure allowing a man to marry more than one wife can be supported in this way. Generally in every society the female population is greater in number than the male population. Therefore if it is a principle in the society that all girls should be married, unless polygamy is allowed it will not be possible. If all the girls are not married there is a good chance of adultery, and a society in which adultery is allowed cannot be very peaceful or pure. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we have restricted illicit sex. The practical difficulty is to find a husband for each and every girl. We are therefore in favor of polygamy, provided, of course, that the husband is able to maintain more than one wife.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So dealing with woman... Especially instruction are given to men. All literatures, all Vedic literatures, they are especially meant for instruction to the men. Woman is to follow the husband. That's all. The husband will give instruction to the wife. There is no such thing as the girl should go to school to take brahmacārī-āśrama or go to spiritual master to take instruction. That is not Vedic system. Vedic system is a man is fully instructed, and woman, girl, must be married to a man. Even the man may have many wives, polygamy, still, every woman should be married. And she would get instruction from the husband. This is Vedic system. Woman is not allowed to go to school, college, or to the spiritual master. But husband and wife, they can be initiated. That is Vedic system.
I remember, because my second sister was going twelve years, my mother said to my father that "I shall go to the river and commit suicide. The daughter is not married." (laughter) You see. The father was very sorry, "Yes, I am trying. What can I do?" (laughter) And then next generation, when my... I was also married man, you know. I was married when my wife was only eleven years old. And at the age of fourteen years she gave birth to first child. And next generation, when my eldest daughter was married at the age of sixteen years—it is little increased—but I was also very much upset that the daughter is sixteen years old.
But now things have changed. Nobody cares whether the daughter is married or not. But that is not good. Another difficulty is that everywhere, all over the world, the female population is greater than, on the average, than male population. So if each and every woman has to be married, then there is no sufficient number of male population. Therefore, according to Vedic rituals, those who are higher caste, just like the kṣatriyas or the brāhmaṇas, especially, others also, polygamy is allowed. Polygamy is allowed.
Brahmacārī is meant for the boys, not for the girls. Girls, they are to be married. A brahmacārī may remain unmarried for life, but according to Vedic civilization, a girl must be married. As soon as... Before the age of attaining puberty, it is the duty of the father, or if she has no father, it is the duty of the elder brother to get her married somehow or other. (laughter) Give her in responsibility to another young man. This is the duty. Yes. This is the duty. So therefore... Female population is always bigger than the male population. Then you can ask, "Where so many husbands?" Therefore polygamy was allowed. And the kings, the kṣatriyas who had money and who had very nice strength also, they used to marry more than one wife. You'll find all the kṣatriyas... Even Kṛṣṇa, the best kṣatriya, He married 16,108 wives. Wholesale. (laughter) Yes. So Kṛṣṇa, as kṣatriya, proved how much strong He was, how much able He was, that He married sixteen thousand wives, and for each wife, separate establishment, separate servants, separate house, separate palace. Everything separate. Not that "I marry only. Therefore I have no responsibility." Not like that. That is Kṛṣṇa, ideal.
Prabhupāda: That is kṣatriya spirit. Sporting. So for kṣatriya, this animal killing, this, which is abominable, but they require.
Devotee: Intoxication too?
Prabhupāda: Intoxication also. Just like Balarāma, He was drinking madhu. Yes. You have not seen it? He was also enjoying in the company of women. Because He is kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas are allowed polygamy, drinking, intoxication, because they are king. They must have facility. At the same time they are ruling over the country. They take consulting great sages, saintly persons. And if he is not in order, these saintly persons would dethrone him. Pṛthu Mahārāja's father was killed, Veṇa. He was not according to the system. He was killed.
Pradyumna: I don't understand how sometimes we..., how the intoxication of some type of wine would go along with the ruling of a country.
Prabhupāda: Well, for rulers is a pleasure. They must have some pleasure. Just like ordinary men, they drink with woman, dancing, it is a recreation. So this is material recreation, to be little intoxicated and several nice young girls around. That gives him some encouragement. You see? They have to take so much risk, so much responsibility. For recreation they require it. They should be given little facility.
Formerly, when a prince was married, along with the princess, a few dozens of maidservants would go with the king. So to become king, always it is to be understood he has to maintain more than one wife. That is king. Even in Muhammadan kingdom, Nawab was Ridali Shah (?). After the Mogul period... In Lucknow, if you go... So he had 164 wives, begam(?) And all of them had children. And when Britishers occupied, the Britishers had to give them pension according to the share. So amongst the Muhammadans also, polygamy was allowed. And Hindus, especially the higher class, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriya, polygamy is allowed. Now they have made laws. But that is quite natural. If every woman has to be married, then polygamy must be there. Otherwise how every woman is going to get a husband? Because male population is always shorter than the female population.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: This is religious principle. In the animal kingdom there is no marriage, but in the human society—may be Christian, may be Hindu, may be Muslim—there is marriage system. That is religious system.
Guest (2): Is polygamy illicit?
Prabhupāda: No.
Guest (2): Not illicit. But it is...
Prabhupāda: Polygamy means if it is married. Just like in the Vedic society they used to marry many wives. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa had sixteen thousand wives. And He maintained them sixteen thousand palaces. And He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand Kṛṣṇas. So that is a different thing; He is God. But if you can maintain each and every wife, you can marry more than one wife. But if you are unable to maintain, that is illicit. All the kṣatriya kings, they used to marry more than one wife. Still in India, the kṣatriyas, kings, they have more than one wife. But they maintain very nicely.
Woman reporter: You have different schools for men and women, is that correct?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Man is regulated to become a first-class man, and woman is regulated to become very chaste and faithful wife.
Woman reporter: There is one more question.
Prabhupāda: Then the life will be very successful. And marriage, compulsory. Marriage, compulsory.
Woman reporter: Everyone should marry?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Every woman, at least, should be married. Therefore, according to Vedic conception, polygamy is allowed.
Woman reporter: Is allowed?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because every woman must be married. But every man may not be married. Therefore man has to accept more than one wife.
| Page Title: | Polygamy |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 06 of Nov, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=1, CC=2, OB=1, Lec=6, Con=3, Let=5 |
| No. of Quotes: | 18 |