Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c8.93

c8.93

He next proceeds to give an account of the way in which the girl's parents and relatives are to receive the suitors. He thus goes on: "When men fair to look on, courteous in speech, and accompanied by their connexions, come to propose marriage, the parent of the girl should receive them hospitably, and on same pretext or other show the girl in all her ornaments. They should come to no decision as to giving the girl before they have consulted the oracles. The wooer's party will be asked to bathe and take their meal and so forth. They should say, 'All that will come later.' They should not that day accept such attentions"². The *varaṇa* is to fructify, says Vātsyāyana, in one of the four approved forms of marriage, *viz*, *Brāhma*, *Prājāpatya*, *Ārṣa* or *Daiva*, or according to the forms in vogue in one's own country³.