Leverite; Vyasa; The Mahabharata

[Steve Brown]

leverite (european term) is niyoga (indian sanskrit term); the practice of a
man who is not married to a particular woman having sex with her so she can
have children.  happens in instances of impotent or infertile husband, sick
or dying husband, when needed to provide an heir to the throne (or an heir
in general)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stephen J Brown
University of Rochester



----- Original Message -----
From: "Palash Mazumdar" <palashm at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2000 6:43 PM
Subject: Re: Leverite; Vyasa; The Mahabharata


> what on earth is 'leverite'?!!
>
>
>
>
> >From: Steve Brown <sb009h at MAIL.ROCHESTER.EDU>
> >Reply-To: Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
> >To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
> >Subject: Leverite; Vyasa; The Mahabharata
> >Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 17:26:03 -0400
> >
> >friends;
> >
> >As an aspiring undergraduate indologist; i read your discussions daily
with
> >interest (albeit often a bit confusedly when you speak about languages).
> >Now, i must ask for your learned advice and assistance.  I have been
> >Studying Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa's character in the Mahabharata for some
> >time now, and as the time of my paper draws imminently near, i have taken
a
> >bit of a new direction.  I am now curious about Vyasa's enaction of
> >leverite to maintain the Kuru line.  so i am undertaking a short-term (to
> >be continued over the summer after completion of the paper as well) quick
> >and dirty examination of the law of leverite. currently my only source is
> >Doniger's translation of The Laws of Manu, which i have failed to find
> >anything discussing leverite in.  so, what can you all tell me about
> >leverite, any english sources i can look to, i have access to the History
> >of the Dharmasastra, however, i do not really have time to scour that
> >several thousand page text this week, does anyone have an idea where this
> >law may be discussed in either of these volumes?  Beyond that, what can
> >anyone tell me about how this law works, who it is intended to be enacted
> >by, the dharmic consequences of enacting it?
> >
> >thanks much
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >Stephen J Brown
> >University of Rochester
> >
> >" The Spirit of God, I realized, is exaustless Bliss; His body is
countless
> >tissues of light..."
> >
> >-Paramahansa Yogananda
> >
> >Lord Buddha was once asked why a man should love all persons equally.
> >"Because," the great teacher replied, "in the very numerous and varied
> >lifespans of
> >each man, every other being has at one time or another been dear to him."
> >
>
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