Niyoga
Topic: Society in Early India: Kinship, Varna-Jati, Women · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Niyoga was an old custom accepted in some early Dharma texts. If a man died without a son, his widow could have a son by his brother or another close relative. The child counted as the son of the dead husband. This kept the family line and property within the patrilineal line, from father to son. Later lawgivers disapproved of the custom and condemned it.
Example
In the Mahabharata, King Vichitravirya dies without children. The sage Vyasa then fathers Dhritarashtra and Pandu by his widows. These two sons carry on the Kuru lineage.
Don't confuse with
- Polyandry: a woman having several husbands at the same time, as Draupadi did. In niyoga, a widow has a child by a relative so that her dead husband's line continues.