Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/303

 We now come to that part of his life, where he had to bring all his talents, energies, perseverance, and activity into action to fight manfully and heroically with his own countrymen in a field of social reform, which caused so great an agitation throughout the length and breadth of the land, as not to be met with in the recent history of the country, and which made his name known to every native of the soil. The rules of the Hindu Society of modern times do not permit remarriage of the widows of their religious faith. The orthodox Hindu community follow the tenets of their Sastras as rigorously and faithfully, as they adhere closely to the customs of their country. In former days, Hindu widows, in general, followed their deceased husbands by concremating themselves in their funeral pyres, thus showing to the world the glory of Indian Satis (literally, 'Chaste women'), and those who lacked so much fortitude and courage, led, all the rest of their days, a rigidly ascetic life. But since the abolition of the practice of Sati by Lord William Bentinck in 1829, the Hindu widows have had no other alternative left, than to pass a purely ascetic life. Vidyasagar's naturally gentle and compassionate heart was moved at the sight of the tender-aged, young widows suffering rigorous hardships, and he was firmly resolved to devote his life