History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c26.450

v2.c26.450

*Ārdrākṣatāropaṇa*: (mutual showering of wet unbroken rice grains by the bride and bride-groom). In a vessel of some metal like silver a little milk is poured and clarified butter is sprinkled over it and unbroken wet rice grains are poured therein. The bridegroom applies milk and ghee to the joined hands of the bride twice and thrice places rice grains in the joined hands of the bride so that her *añjali* becomes filled up and twice sprinkles ghee over her joined hands. Some other person does the same to the joined hands of the bride-groom and the bride's father places a golden piece on the joined hands of both. Then the bride-groom places his joined hands on those of the bride whose father then repeats a mantra and raises her up; she then pours the rice over the head of the bridegroom who follows her in the same way. This is done thrice by each and then lastly by the bride (i. e. seven times in all). Then the priest sprinkles on their heads water with an udumbara twig together with *dūrvā* grass after reciting verses '*Āpo hi ṣṭhā* &c. (Ṛg. X. 9. 1-3)'. Then the couple make a *tilaka* mark on each other's forehead, garland each other and tie a thread with a turmeric piece on each other's hand (which is variously called '*kaṅkaṇa-bandhana*' or '*kautuka-bandhana*'). Vide Saṁ. Pr. pp. 828-829, S. R. M. p. 556. Kālidāsa in Raghuvaṁśa VII describes ārdrākṣatā-ropaṇa as the last of the rites of marriage and in VIII. 1 speaks of the kautuka.