WYAVASTHA.DARPANA 702 39. Of these modes, four, the Bráhma, Doiva, A'rsa, and Prajapatya, are legal for a Brahmann; the marriage styled Gindharma, and the seizure of a maiden in war (i. e. the rākshasha marriage, ) are peculiar to the Kshatriya ; the Asura marriage is permitted for a Voishya and a Shitdra ; the Poish ácha, forbidden to them, should be practised by no person whomsoever." Shálapáni. The first four (are approved in the case) of a priest; the Gándhurea and Rákshasha marriages are permitted for a soldier; the tshura ceremony is pecyliar to moreantile and servile men; the Poiaáá ha marriage is reprobated for all+, Jágnyavallya. 轉 o - - w 392 At present, the Bréhma nuptials only are practised by good men; but even the marriages called Assura, (iândharva, Rákshasha, and the rest, are sometimes practised by otherst. 393 The nuptial rites are necessary to be performed in each and every one of these forms of marriages. Nuptial rites are ordainel in the marriage styled findhurri and the rest; to this eontraet the nuptial fire must be made witness by men of the three classes, Dennia. The nuptial rites are the betrothment, nánds oráddha, performable in the forenoon of the lay of gift, the gift of the bride on that night, and the Kushandiká, to be performed within four days from the day of gift". 爾 • Coieb. Dig. vol. III. p. 605. Seo Macn. H. I,. vol. I. pp. 50, 60.---Str. II. L. yol. I. p. 41. + Yet after the ceremonies have been once gone through, the marriage is by no means revocable. Sir William Macnaghten says: “I am given to understand that marriages by the Poishécha mode are not uncommon; and that young women, who from their wealth or beauty may be desirable objects, „re, not unfrequently, inveiglel by artifice into matriim^my, the forina of whieh onge gone through, tho contract is not disoluble on any plea of fraud, or even of force.”
- Vid. Maen. II. L. vol. I. p. 60.–Str. H. L. vol. I. p. 42.
§ The nuptial rites are necessary even in the marriage named Gándharva. Coleb. Dig, vol. III. p. 663. Tide, *tr. H. L, vol. I, 41. Sir William Macnaghten says: “The Gándharva marriage is the only one of the eight modes for tho legalising of which no forms are necessary; and it seems that nutual cohabitation, as it implies what the law declares to be alone necessary, namely, ‘reciprocal amorous agreement,’ would he sufficient to establish such a mrriage, if corroborated by any word or deed on the part of the man;" and in reference to this ho alludes to a case, saying: “On this principle the law officers of the Sudder Dewanny Adawlut declared legal a marriage contracted in Cuttack, not very long ago, in a case where the parties had cohabited for some time, and the man signified his intention by placing a garland of flowers round the neck of the woman.” It is however to be remaked that in the Gándharma form of marriage the only ceremony that may not be required to be performed is that of the gist, the exchange of the flower garland between the bridegroom and bride being expressive of the gift of the one to the other; but the ceremony of kushandiká should certainly be performed, as otherwise the marriage is not complete though irrevocable. Fide Str. H. L. vol. I, p. 41.
- The details of the marriage ceremonies recapitulated by Mr. Colebrooke in his Essay on the l'eligious Ceremonies of the Hindus, (Asiat. Res. vol. VII. p. 309) are religious rites mixed up with customs: all of the latter are not, however, invariably the same in all the provinces of India.
Vy awaskka ′ Authority VyAvastha.” Authority
