Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c8.202

c8.202

§ 34. Forms of transactions. In many cases not only the contents of agreements were enough for their validity but also certain particular forms of concluding agreements had to be observed. Ceremonious and symbolical actions and certa verba (word of assurance) are generally connected with most of the legal transactions, particularly if in any way they have a religious character. About the ceremonies at the marriage and the adoption see §§ 16, 21. Such ceremonies (saṃskāras) take place in all important epochs of life and are exhaustively described in the Gṛhyasūtras. Gifts of every kind are ratified by an offering of water. For this reason an offering of water is made also when handing over the bride to the bridegroom and surrendering the rights over a piece of land (§ 27). Numerous and detailed data about the ceremony of the consecration of temples, tanks, wells, serais and other pious bequests useful to the public are contained in the Purāṇas ².