Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s10.t9: Son-in-Law Living in the House
Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s10.t9
- Language
- English
Son-in-Law Living in the House
c12.s10.t9.1
There were other marriages in which the parents of the girl preferred keeping their son-in-law in their own house, instead of sending their daughter to her mother-in-law’s house. Thus the father of Sukumāliyā married his daughter to Sāgara on the condition that he was to stay in his house.⁵³ We are told that in Pārasa a horse-breeder employed a servant to look after his horses for which he gave him two horses a year as his wages. The master gave him an option to select two horses from his team. The servant, in consultation of the master’s daughter, with whom he was in love, selected two best horses whereupon the master was pleased to marry his daughter to him and keep him as a house son-in-law (ghara-jāmāuya).⁵⁴ This custom is still prevalent in Bengal and United Provinces in India and is known as “gharjamāi”. The son-in-law lived with his wife’s parents under the following circumstances : (i) when the girl’s father was well-to-do and had no son, (ii) when the girl’s family was very poor and wanted the help of a strong man, and (iii) when the son-in-law was a poor man and could not pay a dowry.⁵⁵
c12.s10.t9.2
⁵³ Nāyā., 16, P. 169
c12.s10.t9.3
⁵⁴ Bṛh. Bhā. 3.3959 f; however cf. Kundakakucchi Sindhava Jātaka (No. 254), II p. 287 f.
c12.s10.t9.4
⁵⁵ See Census India, 1931, Vol. I, Pt. I, pp. 250 f.
Cites (3)
- Jātaka — Pāli
- Nāyādhammakahāo — Sudharman, Ardhamāgadhī Prakrit
- Bṛhatkalpalaghubhāṣya — Saṅghadāsagaṇi Kṣamāśramaṇa, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit