By Swami Harshananda
Anvādheya literally means ‘given after’.
Stridhana or a woman’s property is an important topic discussed by the writers of the dharmaśāstras. A perusal of Vedic and early dharmaśāstra literature reveals that women had an honored place in the society. References did not want to show that they were given gifts and endowed with property of which they could be independent owners.[1][2]
Among the five or six varieties of stridhana mentioned, anvādheya is one. It is generally defined as what is obtained by a woman after (anu = after) her marriage, from the family of her husband and also from the family of her father’s kinsmen. It included all kinds of movable property.
References[edit]
- ↑ Rgveda 10.85.13 and 38
- ↑ Apastamba Dharmasutras 2.6.14.9
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore