Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.319

v1.c5.319

As we have now seen, it does indeed happen that a mythical king may marry a Brahman maiden, even if it is not without preliminary scruples because of his own unworthiness. But the Indian dislike which runs so strongly against dragging down the woman by marriage into a lower caśte has here borne down almost everything before it,¹ and the Kshattriya wants a Kshattriya maiden, as Dushyanta shows. Cp. also xii, 320.59. It is true that in xii, 123.21 marriage into a holy family is prescribed as an atonement (cp. xii, 134.2) for the king who has done wrong. But whether by the mahākula a Brahmanic one is meant cannot be said for certain, but seems here to be necessary. On the other hand, in consonance with the orthodox teaching, Brahmans very often unite in the Epic with daughters of Kshattriyas. But here also, as elsewhere in the Mahābh., we meet with the traces of a more primitive view, and one less flattering to the pride of the priest, among the ruling caste. To the king Duryodhana, just mentioned, Agni comes first in the figure of a Brahman, and seeks the Kshattriya child in marriage. But, “Poor he is and not of my caste,” so said the king, and would not give his daughter to the Brahman. In xiii, 4 we find a variant of the tale of the thousand wonderful horses. There we learn that why Gādhi had withdrawn into the forest was because he wished to win offspring by penance. There a daughter was born to him, the incomparably lovely Satyavatī; she was desired by the Brahman Ṛcīka of the greatly famous family of the Bhrigus. But Gādhi, crusher of foes, did not give her to the high-souled Ṛcīka; for he thought within himself: “He is poor.” When the wooer came back again after his rejection, the best among kings spoke to him: “Give me the purchase price, then thou wilt obtain (vatsyasi²) my daughter.” Ṛcīka spoke: “What shall I give thee as price for thy daughter, O prince of kings? Speak without hesitation. Let no reluctance be there.” Then Gādhi demanded the thousand horses, gleaming like the moonbeam, swift as the