as ut ra . ▁ ▁The ▁Ap ast amba ▁D harm as ut ra ▁and ▁Man us m rit i ▁allow ▁a ▁second ▁wife ▁if ▁the ▁first ▁one ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁dis charge ▁her ▁religious ▁duties ▁or ▁is ▁unable ▁to ▁bear ▁a ▁son . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁Bra h mana , ▁only ▁one ▁wife ▁could ▁rank ▁as ▁the ▁chief ▁cons ort ▁who ▁performed ▁the ▁religious ▁r ites ▁( d har ma - pat ni ) ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁husband . ▁The ▁chief ▁cons ort ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁an ▁equal ▁cas te . ▁If ▁a ▁man ▁married ▁several ▁women ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁cas te , ▁then ▁el dest ▁wife ▁is ▁the ▁chief ▁cons ort . ▁H indu ▁k ings ▁commonly ▁had ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁wife ▁and ▁are ▁regularly ▁attributed ▁four ▁w ives ▁by ▁the ▁script ures . ▁They ▁were : ▁Mah isi ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁chief ▁cons ort , ▁Par iv r kt i ▁who ▁had ▁no ▁son , ▁Va iv ata ▁who ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁favorite ▁wife ▁and ▁the ▁Pal ag ali ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁court ▁officials . ▁ ▁Trad itional ▁H indu ▁law ▁allowed ▁pol yg amy ▁if ▁the ▁first ▁wife ▁could ▁not ▁bear ▁a ▁son . ▁ ▁The ▁H indu ▁Mar riage ▁Act ▁was ▁en act ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁by ▁the ▁Indian ▁Parliament ▁and ▁made ▁pol yg amy ▁illegal ▁for ▁everyone ▁in ▁India ▁except ▁for ▁Muslim s . ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁pol yg amy ▁was