Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.237

v1.c5.237

The Svayamvara, which has been spoken of in the tales we have just given, is one of the splendours of the Indian Epic, not only of older times, but also of later times, and is often found in the prose tales. It is perhaps generally known from the song of Nala and Damayantī. It was assuredly never a universal custom, but was confined to daughters of Kshattriyas, especially royal princesses. Therefore, at least in the view of the warrior nobility, only this nobility had the right to such wooing.³