1.21 MARRIAGES IN INDIA
HINDU MARRIAGE
Hindus consider marriage as a sacred union between a man and a woman for
spiritual, social and physical purposes. Marriage is considered as a sacrament
among Hindus. It is believed that the purpose of marriage is to enable a man to
become a householder and procreate sons for performance of sacrifices which leads
to salvation.
There were certain ideals and norms to be followed with regard to marriage among
the Hindus. Some of the most important ideals of Hindu marriage may be mentioned
as below.
1. Hindu marriage is a sacrament and it is neither a social contract nor a legal bond.
It is essentially a religious bond based on Dharma and for the fulfillment of Dharma.
2. The concept of chastity is most important with regard to marriage of a boy or a girl.
Premarital and extramarital sex relations are prohibited according to Hindu view.
3. The bond of marriage among the Hindus is not only for this life but for many more
lives to come. The bond of marriage is indissoluble and hence, divorce is not
commonly allowed to either a male or a female.
4. The ideal of Hindu marriage usually has been monogamy although there are few
exceptions in case of some kings or rulers.
5. A man is complete only when he is married and therefore, both the husband and
the wife are complementary to each other for the fulfillment of Dharma.
6. There is no provision for widow remarriage because the concept of virginity is
most important to the Hindus.
7. The bond of matrimony among the Hindus is regarded as sacred. The reason for
this is that it is not only for Artha and Kama that man marries but it is mainly for the
pursuance of religious obligations that a man establishes a household.
Hindu marriage can be of the following kinds:
Brahma Vivah: It is the purest form of hindu marriage. The father offers his daughter
to a man of good character and learning. The daughter who is decked with
ornaments and richly dressed is given as a kind of gift to a man of good character
and high learning.
, Daivya Vivah: In the Daiva form of marriage, the father gives away his daughter as a
dakshina to a young priest who officiates the yajna which is arranged by him. This
form of marriage is called daiva because the girl is gifted to a priest as sacrifice to a
daiva or god. These girls are maidens who are offered as dakshina. They are called
“vadhus”.
Arsha Vivah: The father gives his daughter in marriage to the bridegroom after
receiving a cow and a bull or two pairs of these from the bridegroom in accordance
with the requirements of dharma. But this form of marriage should not be confused
with the form of the bride-price or with that of the dowry. The gift of cow and bull is to
be made as a token of gratitude to the man who offers his daughter to the groom to
enable him to fulfil his grihasthashrama obligations. In course of time, with the
decline of rituals, this form of marriage became out of date.
Prajapatya Vivaha: In this type of marriage, the bride's father goes in search for the
groom. After marriage, emphasis is laid on continuing the family lineage by begetting
sons and daughters. The girl is given as a gift with a clear understanding that the
couple will fulfil the religious and civic duties together. Most of the arranged
marriages that we witness today belong to this category.
Asura Vivaha: In this type of marriage, lack of consent from either sides is replaced
by compensation with money or in the form of dowry or gift. This type of marriage is
like a business transaction. Mostly, the groom is not suitable for the girl and might
offer a huge sum of money as compensation.
Gandharva Vivaha: A love marriage, in which the bride and groom get married based
on mutual consent without any other considerations. Here, the girl selects her
husband by herself. This is considered inferior than the above forms of marriages.
Rakshasa Vivaha: Here, the bridegroom does not take the consent of the girl but
simply forces her to marry him. It is to be noted that rakshasa form of marriage
disappeared in course of time. But in its place the practice of girls eloping with
heroes with whom they fall in love started taking place. Groom has the bride's
consent but not the consent of the girl's family. To marry a woman by abduction or by
eloping, against the wishes of the parent is Rakshasa vivaha. The groom may also
win over the bride's family in a battleground.
Paisachika Vivah: Here, the man seduces by force a girl who is sleeping or
intoxicated or disordered in intellect. This form of marriage, however, has
disappeared altogether in India.
Of these eight forms of marriages, Brahma vivaha is considered to be the best form
of marriage where a girl is given to a boy of merit in the same caste or in a caste of
equal status. Both bride and bridegroom in this marriage are supposed to be
mutually agreeable for the marriage.
HINDU MARRIAGE
Hindus consider marriage as a sacred union between a man and a woman for
spiritual, social and physical purposes. Marriage is considered as a sacrament
among Hindus. It is believed that the purpose of marriage is to enable a man to
become a householder and procreate sons for performance of sacrifices which leads
to salvation.
There were certain ideals and norms to be followed with regard to marriage among
the Hindus. Some of the most important ideals of Hindu marriage may be mentioned
as below.
1. Hindu marriage is a sacrament and it is neither a social contract nor a legal bond.
It is essentially a religious bond based on Dharma and for the fulfillment of Dharma.
2. The concept of chastity is most important with regard to marriage of a boy or a girl.
Premarital and extramarital sex relations are prohibited according to Hindu view.
3. The bond of marriage among the Hindus is not only for this life but for many more
lives to come. The bond of marriage is indissoluble and hence, divorce is not
commonly allowed to either a male or a female.
4. The ideal of Hindu marriage usually has been monogamy although there are few
exceptions in case of some kings or rulers.
5. A man is complete only when he is married and therefore, both the husband and
the wife are complementary to each other for the fulfillment of Dharma.
6. There is no provision for widow remarriage because the concept of virginity is
most important to the Hindus.
7. The bond of matrimony among the Hindus is regarded as sacred. The reason for
this is that it is not only for Artha and Kama that man marries but it is mainly for the
pursuance of religious obligations that a man establishes a household.
Hindu marriage can be of the following kinds:
Brahma Vivah: It is the purest form of hindu marriage. The father offers his daughter
to a man of good character and learning. The daughter who is decked with
ornaments and richly dressed is given as a kind of gift to a man of good character
and high learning.
, Daivya Vivah: In the Daiva form of marriage, the father gives away his daughter as a
dakshina to a young priest who officiates the yajna which is arranged by him. This
form of marriage is called daiva because the girl is gifted to a priest as sacrifice to a
daiva or god. These girls are maidens who are offered as dakshina. They are called
“vadhus”.
Arsha Vivah: The father gives his daughter in marriage to the bridegroom after
receiving a cow and a bull or two pairs of these from the bridegroom in accordance
with the requirements of dharma. But this form of marriage should not be confused
with the form of the bride-price or with that of the dowry. The gift of cow and bull is to
be made as a token of gratitude to the man who offers his daughter to the groom to
enable him to fulfil his grihasthashrama obligations. In course of time, with the
decline of rituals, this form of marriage became out of date.
Prajapatya Vivaha: In this type of marriage, the bride's father goes in search for the
groom. After marriage, emphasis is laid on continuing the family lineage by begetting
sons and daughters. The girl is given as a gift with a clear understanding that the
couple will fulfil the religious and civic duties together. Most of the arranged
marriages that we witness today belong to this category.
Asura Vivaha: In this type of marriage, lack of consent from either sides is replaced
by compensation with money or in the form of dowry or gift. This type of marriage is
like a business transaction. Mostly, the groom is not suitable for the girl and might
offer a huge sum of money as compensation.
Gandharva Vivaha: A love marriage, in which the bride and groom get married based
on mutual consent without any other considerations. Here, the girl selects her
husband by herself. This is considered inferior than the above forms of marriages.
Rakshasa Vivaha: Here, the bridegroom does not take the consent of the girl but
simply forces her to marry him. It is to be noted that rakshasa form of marriage
disappeared in course of time. But in its place the practice of girls eloping with
heroes with whom they fall in love started taking place. Groom has the bride's
consent but not the consent of the girl's family. To marry a woman by abduction or by
eloping, against the wishes of the parent is Rakshasa vivaha. The groom may also
win over the bride's family in a battleground.
Paisachika Vivah: Here, the man seduces by force a girl who is sleeping or
intoxicated or disordered in intellect. This form of marriage, however, has
disappeared altogether in India.
Of these eight forms of marriages, Brahma vivaha is considered to be the best form
of marriage where a girl is given to a boy of merit in the same caste or in a caste of
equal status. Both bride and bridegroom in this marriage are supposed to be
mutually agreeable for the marriage.
