War in Ancient India c5.s1.28

c5.s1.28

Marriage formed an important part of the social life of the warrior. From a free state of marriage, as is connoted by the legend in the Mahābhārata of Śvetaketu, introducing regulations for marriage, counterpart of which in Tamil literature is the term makatt-pārkāñji in the Tolkāppiyam, we pass on to a settled social organization. The existing practices and usages were codified. Otherwise it is difficult to explain the eight forms of marriage as being prevalent. These are brāhma, daiva, ārṣa, prājāpatya, āsura, gāndharva, rākṣasa, and paiśāca.25 Of these the paiśāca was condemned as the lowest form of marriage. To a warrior four forms of marriage are recommended—āsura, gāndharva, rākṣasa, and paiśāca.26 The Mahābhārata allows the Kṣatriyas the first six forms of marriage—brāhma, daiva, ārṣa, prājāpatya, āsura, and gāndharva.27 Later on, the epic prescribes the rākṣasa form also to the kings, thus making a distinction between Kṣatriya kings and ordinary warriors. The epic is not in favour of the paiśāca and āsura forms of marriage for any member of any caste. Apparently these practices were becoming obsolete at that time. The Kṣatriya kings were permitted to have the gāndharva form of marriage primarily