History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c26.379

v2.c26.379

The *svayaṁvara* very often spoken of in the dharmaśāstras was practically the gāndharva as stated by the commentary Vīramitrodaya.¹²¹⁹ It had several varieties. The simplest form of svayaṁvara occurs when, as described by Vas. Dh. S. 17. 67-68, Manu IX. 90, Baud. Dh. S. IV. 1. 13, a girl, who attains puberty and whose father does not find a proper husband for three years, herself seeks her husband (or after three months from puberty according to Gaut. 18. 20, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 25. 40-41). Yāj. I. 64 also recommends svayaṁvara to every girl when there is no parent or other guardian who can find out a worthy husband for her. When a girl chose her own husband as above she had to return all ornaments given to her by her parents or brother and the husband who married her had to pay no *śulka* (dowry) to the father as the latter lost his power over her by not giving her away in time (vide Gaut. 18. 20 and Manu IX. 92). This simple svayaṁvara was applicable to girls of all castes. Sāvitrī indulged in this kind of svayaṁvara, when she went about in a chariot to find out a suitable husband for herself. But the svayaṁvaras described in the two great epics are often most elaborate and spectacular affairs and were confined to royal families. The Ādiparva says that kṣatriyas commend svayaṁvara and resort to it, but they prefer a girl who is carried off after subduing her relatives. Bhīṣma carried off the three daughters of the king of Kāśī and got two of them (Ambikā and Ambālikā) married to his ward Vicitravīrya.¹²²⁰ The svayaṁvara of Sītā or Draupadī did not depend upon the will of the bride, but the bride was to be given in marriage to whomsoever showed a certain skill as a warrior. In the case of Damayantī it was a real choice of her husband by her (Vanaparva 54 ff.) though she chose Nala in a vast and splendid assembly of royal suitors. Kālidāsa also gives us a fine description of the svayaṁvara of Indumatī in the Raghuvaṁśa. Bilhaṇa in his Vikramāṅka-devacarita (canto IX) gives a description of the historic svayaṁvara of Candralekhā (or Candaladevī) daughter of the Śilāhāra prince of Karahāṭa (modern Karad), when she chose Āhavamalla or Vikramāṅka, the Cālukya king of Kalyāṇa (latter half of 11th century). Such a svayaṁvara, it appears, was thought to be unsuitable to brāhmaṇas according to the Ādiparva.¹²²¹ In the Kādambarī (Pūrvabhāga, penultimate para) Pattralekhā says that svayaṁvara is ordained in the Dharmaśāstras.¹²²²