 There are many references of widow marriage in ancient Indian literature. In the Vedic age, widow marriages were not prohibited. According to Narad Purana, there are three types of widow marriages:
(i) For a woman, who has been married, but no cohabitation has taken place with her husband;
(ii) A woman, who after leaving her first husband, returns to him after leaving her second husband.
(iii) A woman, who after the death of her husband, has been given to any sapinda. R`gveda prescribes that the widow should give up thinking of the deceased husband and should accept the offer of the person who wants to marry her.
Vashishtha and Kautilya in Arthashastra have permitted widow marriage. During the Epic period, there was no restriction or check on the marriage of widows. According to Manu Smriti, "those women who do not have sexual intercourse with their first husband can remarry.
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