Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c8.140

c8.140

In all these marriages celebrated without the consent of the parents, Vātsyāyana advises, as we have seen, that particular care should be taken to have some nuptial ceremonies performed in sacred fire, so that they may not run the risk of being cancelled. This is to provide against the contingency of the girl's parents overlooking the secret union and bestowing her upon another man, such as is authorised by Baudhāyana and Vasiṣṭha, both of whom prescribe that if a girl has been abducted by force, but the due nuptial rites have not been performed with the recitation of the sacred texts (mantras), then she may be lawfully given away with the proper rites, to another person, she is as good as a virgin¹. Even when the parents agree, it will be necessary to have the marriage ratified, by a formal performance of the rites. Devala declares that in the forms of marriage beginning with the Gāndharva, that is, in the Gāndharva, Paiśāca and Rākṣasa forms, the rites should again be performed by the three higher castes in the regular method, before the fire as witness². There is a difference of opinion among law-givers as to whether this second performance of the nuptial rites is in order, Manu declaring against it, as in such cases the girls are no longer virgins³.