History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c43.77.3

v3.c43.77.3

792) thereon from Bṛhaspati several verses that add 'the king should bestow on the brāhmaṇas who are learned and kindle the sacred fires (agnihotrins) houses and lands under his own edicts from which no taxes in the present or future would be levied. The brāhmaṇas so settled should perform for the citizens their religious rites whether daily or to be performed on occasions or *kāmya* or for averting evil omens or for the sake of prosperity and should give decisions in the cases of doubts. They should make rules and conventions for the whole village or for corporations and guilds and for religious purposes. Those rules must be observed and when there is trouble caused by rogues and thieves all must join to put it down and that object must not be left to one person.'²⁰²⁰ These prescriptions indicate what benefit was expected of the marriages and settlement of learned brāhmaṇas. Kauṭ. II. 1 also prescribes that lands free from taxes and fines should be settled upon *purohitas, śrotriyas* &c. There is nothing peculiar to India or to the caste system in this. Among the numerous charitable purposes mentioned in the preamble to the Statute of Elizabeth (43 Eliz. chap. 4) which (preamble) is even now applicable in England 'the marriage of poor maids' is one.