Page 89 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Unit 12: Marriage: Concept, Forms and Significance

children of the later types of marriages are wicked, atheist and slanderous in nature. Here it is Notes
must be discussed that Hindu scriptures were very conscious about the maintaining the social
status and respect of a woman, therefore they had acknowledged to Paishacha and Rakshasa
like marriages. The main eight forms of Hindu marriages are as under:-
1. Brahma Marriage: This is the best kind of marriage of all kinds. Defining “Brahma Vivah”
Manu had written, “The modest groom with knowledge of Vedas should be called by the
father of the bride himself, fascinate him with clothes and ornaments and thereafter donat-
ing his daughter in religious manner and by performing Pooja, is called Brahma Marriage”.
In Dharmasutra, describing Brahmavivah Gautam has written, “Donation of daughter
dressed with beautiful clothes and ornaments to a learned person of Vedas, with good
character, of a good family and modest groom is Brahma Marriage”. Yagyavalkya writes,
“Brahma Marriage is that marriage in which groom is called and fascinated according to the
capability and daughter is donated. Son born of such marriage is a person who divines his
twenty one generations”.
2. Daiva Marriage: Gautam and Yagyavalkya had described the character of this marriage
in this way-In Vedas, to donate daughter dressed with clothes and ornaments at the time
of Dakshina to the priest who accomplish Yajna is in fact Daiva Marriage. Manu wrote,
“When a daughter dressed with clothes and ornaments is donated to a priest involved in
virtue is called Daiva Marriage. In ancient period, there were more importance of Yajnas
and rituals. The priest or sage who helps in executing such holy rituals, the host marries
his daughter with him. Manu says that the child born of such marriage salvages seven gen-
erations of before and after. Some scriptures had criticized this marriage because there is
vast difference of age between the groom and bride. Such marriage is not found in modern
period. Altekar writes, “Daiva marriage got extinct with the extinction of Vedic Yajnas”.
3. Arsha Marriage: In this marriage, the groom interested in marriage first gifts a cow and an
ox or its two pairs to the father of the bride before getting married. Gautam had written in
Dharmasutra, “In Arsha Marriage the groom gifts a cow and an ox to bride’s father”. Yag-
yavalkya writes that when donation of daughter (Kanyadaan) is acomplished after taking
two cows is called Arsha Marriage. Manu writes, “A couple of cows and an ox given for
religious act for the bride to accomplish the marriage ritually is called Arsha Marriage. The
word “Arsha” relates to the word sage. When any sage gifts a cow and an ox to the father
of a daughter then it is understood that he has determined to do marriage now. Many pre-
ceptors had considered the gift of cow and ox is the price of bride, but it is not fair, gift of a
cow and an ox represents the importance of animal wealth in a country like India. Ox is a
symbol of religion and cow the earth which are donated to witness the marriage. The pair
given to father of the bride is return to the groom afterwards. It is clear by all these facts that
in Arsha Marriage, there is no place for bride price. This type of marriage is not popular in
modern period.
4. Prajapatya Marriage: Prajapatya marriage is also like Brahma Marriage. In this the father of
bride says giving order, “You both live together throughout the whole life practicing religion”.
Yagyavalkya says that the child born from such marriage divines the generations of his dynasty.
Vashishtha and Apastamba had nowhere described Prajapatya Marriage. The view of
Dr. Altekar is that this kind of marriage has given a separate entity to complete the eight kinds
of marriages.
5. Asur Marriage: Manu writes, “To obtain a bride on own wish by giving money to bride
and her family members according to the capability is called Asur Marriage”. The view
of Yagyavalkya and Gautam is to obtain a bride by giving more money is called Asur
Marriage. All marriages held on price of bride come under Asur Marriage. To give a price
of bride is an act of respecting the bride and it is the compensation to the family of the bride
for their separation from her. The custom of bride price is popular in lower castes, in higher
caste it is looked with hatred. Scriptures has denied saying ‘wife’ to a woman obtained by

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