History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c26.397

v2.c26.397

In connection with the rites of marriage it is necessary to observe that the greatest divergence prevailed from very ancient times. Āśv. gṛ. (I. 7. 1–2) says 'various indeed are the observances of (different) countries and villages; one should follow those in marriages; what, however, is common (to all or most) that we shall declare'. Similarly Āp. gṛ. (2. 15) declares 'people should understand from women (and others) what procedure is (to be observed according to custom)' and the commentator Sudarśanācārya notes that certain rites like the worship of planets, aṅkurāropaṇa and the tying of pratisara (the marriage string or ribbon round the wrist) are usual and are performed with Vedic mantras, while others like Nāgabali, Yakṣabali and the worship of Indrāṇī are performed without Vedic mantras. The Kāṭhakagṛhya 25. 7 allows usages of countries and families to be observed in marriage and the commentators mention several such usages. As the gṛhya-sūtra of Āśvalāyana contains perhaps the shortest account of marriage rites and as that sūtra is probably the most ancient among the gṛhya sūtras I shall set out below the entire ceremony of marriage from that sūtra Then a few important details from other gṛhya sūtras will be added and it will be pointed out how in modern times a marriage is celebrated, particularly among higher classes. It must be remembered that there is not only great divergence as to the number of separate ceremonies that constitute the saṁskāra of marriage, but the sequence of even the most important ceremonies is different in the several sūtras and the mantras also are different (though some like Ṛg. X. 185. 36 are common to all). It is remarkable that out of the 47 verses of Ṛg. X. 85, the Āp. Mantrapāṭha employs as many as 29 (most of which are quoted in connection with marriage). The main outlines of the marriage saṁskāra show a remarkable continuity for several thousand years from the times of the Ṛgveda down to modern times.