▁respond ed ▁to ▁such ▁accus ations ▁by ▁saying ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁" not ▁positive ▁nor ▁sure ▁that ▁ ▁was ▁innoc ent ", ▁and ▁that ▁if , ▁indeed , ▁the ▁elder ▁Smith ▁had ▁been ▁involved , ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁false ▁practice . ▁However , ▁many ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Community ▁of ▁Christ ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁groups ▁that ▁were ▁formerly ▁associated ▁with ▁it ▁are ▁not ▁convinced ▁that ▁Joseph ▁Smith ▁pract iced ▁pl ural ▁marriage ▁and ▁feel ▁that ▁the ▁evidence ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁is ▁fla wed . ▁ ▁H indu ism ▁The ▁R ig ▁V eda ▁mentions ▁that ▁during ▁the ▁V edic ▁period , ▁a ▁man ▁could ▁have ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁wife . ▁The ▁practice ▁is ▁att ested ▁in ▁ep ics ▁like ▁Ram ay ana ▁and ▁Mah ab har ata . ▁The ▁D harm ash astr as ▁permit ▁a ▁man ▁to ▁marry ▁women ▁of ▁lower ▁cast es ▁provided ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁wife ▁was ▁of ▁equal ▁cas te . ▁Despite ▁its ▁existence , ▁it ▁was ▁most ▁usually ▁pract iced ▁by ▁men ▁of ▁higher ▁cast es ▁and ▁higher ▁status . ▁Common ▁people ▁were ▁only ▁allowed ▁a ▁second ▁marriage ▁if ▁the ▁first ▁wife ▁could ▁not ▁bear ▁a ▁son . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁V ish nu ▁Sm rit i , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁w ives ▁is ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁cas te ▁system : ▁ ▁This ▁link age ▁of ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁permitted ▁w ives ▁to ▁the ▁cas te ▁system ▁is ▁also ▁supported ▁by ▁Baud h ay ana ▁D harm as ut ra ▁and ▁Par ask ara ▁G ri hy