Respected friends,
I do not understand the meaning of this posting, when I read the first para,
where obsolete practices are told. Now marriage below 18 years is not valid in
India and punishable and against laws.
Though Mr Rajaram has clearly stated, "to reflect that how the marriage and
women were viewed" the purpose told in detail is not understood.
It is only my opinion. Learnt members can either agree or disagree with my
views.
Gopalakrishnan
On Monday, 6 May, 2024 at 08:39:40 am IST, Rajaram Krishnamurthy
<[email protected]> wrote:
This part while going for Gotra in marriage, to reflect that how the marriage
and women were viewed:
PITU Gotra 5 K Rajaram IRS 6524//5524 scriptures on Gotra
Verse 9.88 [The Marriage of Girls]
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
उत्कृष्टायाभिरूपाय वराय सदृशाय च ।
अप्राप्तामपि तां तस्मै कन्यां दद्याद् यथाविधि ॥ ८८॥
utkṛṣṭāyābhir ūpāya varāya sadṛśāya ca |
aprāptāmapi tāṃ tasmai kanyāṃ dadyād yathāvidhi || 88 ||
One shall give his daughter in the proper form, even thoughshe may not have
attained (the age), to a bridegroom who is of exceptionallydistinguished
appearance, and her equal. —(88)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Utkṛṣṭāyci-abhirupāya.’—The first term qualifies thesecond; and the meaning is
‘who is of exceptionally distinguishedappearance.’—Or, the two terms may be
taken as two distinct qualifications—‘utkṛṣṭāya’meaning ‘one whose caste and
other qualifications are remarkable,’ and‘abhirūpāya’ meaning ‘handsome’;—the
literal signification of the term being‘rūpam ābhimukhyena prāptaḥ,’ ‘who has
acquired a good appearance.’—Or,‘abhirūpāya’ may mean well-disposed; it is in
this sense that a learned manalso is called ‘abhirūpa.’
‘Equal’—in caste andother matters.
‘Bridegroom’—one who marries; the son-in-law.
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 9.88-89)
Gautama (18-21).—‘A girl should be given in marriage beforepuberty.’
Vaśiṣṭha (17.70).—‘Out of fear of the appearance of themenses, let the father
marry his daughter while she still runs about naked. Forif she stays in the
home after the age of puberty, sin falls on the father.’
Baudhāyana (4. 1.11).—‘Let him give his daughter, while shestill goes about
naked, to a man who has not broken the vow of chastity and whopossesses good
qualities, or even to one destitute of good qualities; let himnot keep the
maiden in his house after she has reached the age of puberty.’
Yama (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 754).—‘Family, character,beautiful body, age,
learning, wealth, presence of guardians,—these sevenqualifications should he
sought for before a girl is given away; nothing elseneed he considered.’
Lalla (Do.).—‘Caste, learning, age, character, health,large family, wealth,
Brahmanic character,—these eight should he the qualitiesof the Bridegroom.’
Gautama (Do.).—‘One should give away his daughter to a manwho is endowed with
learning, character, relations and good conduct.’
Śātātapa (Do., p. 755).—‘That bridegroom should he selectedwho is seeking for a
wife and is endowed with good family and character,handsome, learned,
intelligent and young, and free from defects.’
-------------------------------
Verse 9.89
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
काममामरणात् तिष्ठेद् गृहे कन्यार्तुमत्यपि ।
न चैवैनां प्रयच्छेत् तु गुणहीनाय कर्हि चित् ॥ ८९ ॥
kāmamāmaraṇāt tiṣṭhed gṛhe kanyārtumatyapi |
na caivaināṃ prayacchet tu guṇahīnāya karhi cit || 89 ||
Well might the maiden, even though she may have reachedpuberty, remain in the
house till her death; but the father shall never giveher to a man destitute of
good qualities.—(89)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
As a rule, the girl should be given away before puberty;but even after puberty,
the father should not give her away until a qualifiedbridegroom has been found.
‘Qualities’— such as a high degree of learning, bravery,physical beauty, right
age, being averse to doing acts forbidden by custom andscriptures, love for the
bride; and so forth.—(89)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 93), which adds thatwhat is meant is that
‘so long as a man with good qualifications is notavailable she shall not be
given to one devoid of qualifications,’ and not thatthere is nothing wrong,
under the circumstances, to keep the girl unmarriedeven after puberty; as this
latter view is contrary to other texts.
------------------------------------------
Verse 9.90
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
त्रीणि वर्षाण्युदीक्षेत कुमार्यर्तुमती सती ।
ऊर्ध्वं तु कालादेतस्माद् विन्देत सदृशं पतिम् ॥ ९० ॥
trīṇi varṣāṇyudīkṣeta kumāryartumatī satī |
ūrdhvaṃ tu kālādetasmād vindeta sadṛśaṃ patim || 90 ||
Having reached puberty, the maiden may wait for threeyears; after that time,
she shall procure a suitable husband.—(90)
-----------------------------------
Verse 9.91
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
अदीयमाना भर्तारमधिगच्छेद् यदि स्वयम् ।
नैनः किं चिदवाप्नोति न च यं साऽधिगच्छति ॥ ९१ ॥
adīyamānā bhartāramadhigacched yadi svayam |
nainaḥ kiṃ cidavāpnoti na ca yaṃ sā'dhigacchati || 91 ||
When a maiden, when not given away, herself procures ahusband, she incurs no
sort of sin; nor does the man whom she weds. — (91) [ KRSo run away and Love
marriages are pardoned? ]
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
After three years, if not given away, if the girl chooses ahusband,—then, no
sort of guilt accrues either to the girl or to the man.
That the girl incurs no sin having been already mentionedin the foregoing
verse, the present verse is added for the purpose of declaringthat there is
none on the part of the bridegroom either.
Puberty has been declared to be reached by girls when theyare twelve years
old.—(91)
---------------------------------------------
Verse 9.92
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
अलङ्कारं नाददीत पित्र्यं कन्या स्वयंवरा ।
मातृकं भ्रातृदत्तं वा स्तेना स्याद् यदि तं हरेत् ॥९२ ॥
alaṅkāraṃ nādadīta pitryaṃ kanyā svayaṃvarā |
mātṛkaṃ bhrātṛdattaṃ vā stenā syād yadi taṃ haret || 92 ||
When the girl chooses her own husband, she should not takeaway any ornaments
given to her either by her father, or mother or brother; ifshe did take them,
she would be a thief.—(92)
-------------Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Ornaments that may have been given to her on previousoccasions by her brother
or other relations, who would be ignorant of herdesire to choose her own
husband,—all such ornaments she should hand back tothem. She is not to give up
what has been given to her after she has actuallydone the act
----------------------------
Verse 9.93
Section IX - TheMarriage of Girls
पित्रे न दद्यात्शुल्कं तु कन्यां ऋतुमतीं हरन् ।
स च स्वाम्यादतिक्रामेद् ऋतूनां प्रतिरोधनात् ॥ ९३ ॥
pitre na dadyātśulkaṃ tu kanyāṃ ṛtumatīṃ haran |
sa ca svāmyādatikrāmed ṛtūnāṃ pratirodhanāt || 93 ||
When a man takes away a maiden who has reached puberty, heshall pay no nuptial
fee to the father, —who would fall off from his ownershipby reason of thwarting
her menses. —(93) [KR so dowry was not there; who invented it?]
------------------------------------
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
This prohibits the payment of nuptial fees in the case ofthe girl who has
reached puberty, and who is intended to be given away for afee; and the reason
for this is that—‘he would fall off from his ownership.’ Itis only during
childhood that the girl is to live under the tutilage of herfather; so that
when she is taken away by a man after she has reached a higherage,—the father’s
ownership over her has ceased.
-----------------------------------
Verse 9.94
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
त्रिंशद्वर्षो वहेत् कन्यां हृद्यां द्वादशवार्षिकीम्।
त्र्यष्टवर्षोऽष्टवर्षां वा धर्मे सीदति सत्वरः ॥ ९४॥
triṃśadvarṣo vahet kanyāṃ hṛdyāṃ dvādaśavārṣikīm |
tryaṣṭavarṣo'ṣṭavarṣāṃ vā dharme sīdati satvaraḥ || 94 ||
A man thirty years old shall marry a charming maiden twelveyears old; or one
twenty four years old, a damsel eight years old; in the eventof his duties
suffering, he may do it sooner.—(94)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
What the injunction means is that the maiden married shouldbe so much younger
than the man;—and not that marriage must be done only at.the age stated. Nor is
any stress meant to be laid upon the exact number ofyears mentioned; all that
is meant is that one should many a girl very muchyounger than himself.
Comparative notes by various authors
Mahābhārata (13.41.14).—‘One who is thirty or twenty-oneyears old shall take a
wife sixteen years old, but before she has attainedpuberty.’
Viṣṇupurāṇa (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 766).—‘A man shallselect a wife whose
age is one-third of his own.’
Yama (Do.)—(Same as Manu.)
Āpastamba (Do., p. 767).—‘A man thirty-years old shall takea wife ten years
old, before she has attained puberty; and one twenty-one yearsold, a girl seven
years old.’
Āśvalāyana (Do.).—‘A maiden seven years old is calledŚaiśavī; a man eighteen
years of age shall marry her; a maiden eight years oldis called Gaurī,
conducive to richness of sons and grandsons; and she shall bemarried by a man
twenty-five years old; a girl nine years old is called Rohiṇīconducive to
richness of wealth; a wise man shall wed her for theaccomplishment of all his
desires; a girl over ten years age, until she has hercourses, is called
Gāndhārī; and she shall be married by a man desirous of livinglong.’[KR
Killing the freedom of women?]
-----------------------------
Verse 9.95
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
देवदत्तां पतिर्भार्यां विन्दते नेच्छयाऽत्मनः ।
तां साध्वीं बिभृयान्नित्यं देवानां प्रियमाचरन् ॥ ९५॥
devadattāṃ patirbhāryāṃ vindate necchayā'tmanaḥ |
tāṃ sādhvīṃ bibhṛyānnityaṃ devānāṃ priyamācaran || 95 ||
The husband obtains his wife as a present from the gods,and not by his own
wish; hence he should always support the faithful wife,thereby doing what is
agreeable to the gods.—(95)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
What the verse means is that ‘the faithful wife should notbe abandoned, even
though she suffer from the defects of being disagreeable orof harsh speech and
so forth’; and the rest of it is merely commendatory.
As for the rule that ‘he shall keep her confined in oneroom,’ which has been
laid down in regard to the unfaithful wife,—this appliesto a case where there
has been a single act of transgression on her part; ifthe act is repeated,
divorce must follow. Otherwise, there would be no point inthe assertion that
‘he shall always support the faithful wife.’
As regards the declaration—‘when a woman has trans gressed,she shall have all
her rights withdrawn, he dressed in dirty clothes and begiven mere subsistence,
being allowed to live in a degraded condition, lyingupon the ground’
(Yājñavalkya, 170),—this refers to a case where the husband iswilling and able
to keep her; if however he is unwilling, then there must bedivorce.
It is going to be laid down later on that food and clothingshould be provided
for oven such wives as have become outcasts, and so forth;but that has to be
taken only as prohibiting banishment which would be involvedin the starting of
a life of living on alms, which forms part of the expiatoryrite consequent upon
such heinous sins as the murdering of a Brāhmaṇa and thelike. This we shall
explain later on. In any case, it is not incumbent upon thehusband to support a
wife who has turned unfaithful. Nor does the present textprescribe ‘casting
off’ which might be interpreted as ‘avoiding intercoursewith her.’
That the wife is a ‘present from the gods’ is implied bysuch Vedic texts and
declamatory passages as—‘Soma gave her to Gandharva etc.,’(Ṛgveda, 10.85.41).
Or, she may be called ‘a present from the gods’ in thesense that during the
marriage-rite itself, the girl becomes the wife of thegods.
‘What is agreeable to the gods.’—When one divorces hiswife, who is a necessary
factor in the offering of libations to the Viśvedevas,he is not in a position
to do ‘what is agreeable to the gods.’ Hence, eventhough she be hostile, she
has to be supported. But in the event of herbecoming an outcast, and hence
losing her rights, the husband may ‘supersede’her.—(95)
Comparative notes by various authors
Mahābhārata (13.44.27).—‘That man obtains his wife as agift from the gods is
the teaching of the Law; he (who does not treat her well)falsifies the word of
man and god.’[KR Given by god is perfect Manaivi amaivadellam iraivan kotutha
varam]
-------------------------------
Verse 9.96
Section IX - The Marriage of Girls
प्रजनार्थं स्त्रियः सृष्टाः सन्तानार्थं च मानवः ।
तस्मात् साधारणो धर्मः श्रुतौ पत्न्या सहोदितः ॥ ९६ ॥
prajanārthaṃ striyaḥ sṛṣṭāḥ santānārthaṃ ca mānavaḥ |
tasmāt sādhāraṇo dharmaḥ śrutau patnyā sahoditaḥ || 96 ||
Women were created for the purpose of child-bearing, andmen for the furfose of
procreation. hence it is that Religious Rites have beenordained in the Veda as
common between the man and his wife.—(96)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Child-bearing’—Conception.
‘Procreation’—Impregnating.
‘Hence’—i.e., because of the act of child-begetting beingdependent upon
both,—the man’s Religious Rites have been ordained in the Veda,as being in
common with his wife.
Consequently, since alone by himself he could not beentitled to the performance
of any rites, he shall not abandon his wife, eventhough she be hostile.—(96).
Comparative notes by various authors
(See texts under 85.)
Nārada (12-19).—‘Women have been created for the sake ofpropagation.’[KR Which
woman willagree>]
Part 5 Pitu Gotra 6524//5524 K Rajaram IRS
---------------------------------------------------------------
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