Vratas depicted in the Gangajala (study)
by Maitreyee Goswami | 2018 | 55,000 words
This page relates 鈥楽ummary of the Vivahyastri-nirupana鈥� of the study dealing with the Vratas (vows) depicted in the Gangajala鈥攁 Smriti-Nibandha, i.e., a text belonging to the Kamarupa School of Dharma-shastra literature which deals with social topics, religious rites and local traditions. The term Vrata refers to ritual vows aimed at spiritual and moral purification. This essay explores its socio-religious implications reflecting medieval Assam.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 2.2 - Summary of the Viv膩hy膩str墨-苍颈谤奴辫补峁嘺
[Full title: The first part of the 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补 (2) Summary of the Viv膩hy膩str墨-苍颈谤奴辫补峁嘺]
顿腻尘辞诲补谤补 惭颈艣谤补 has presented a discussion about the marriageability of woman in the seventh pariccheda of his work 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补 I It will be more suitable to accept it as an independent topic, next to 辫谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补. This is because, firstly, the above sixth 蝉补谤惫补蝉补峁僩谤补丑补辫补谤颈肠肠丑别诲补 virtually is the 辫谤补办墨谤峁嘺辫补谤颈肠肠丑别诲补. So, it should be the concluding pariccheda of the 辫谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补 topic. Secondly the entire topic of 辫谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补 (comprising the first six paricchedas) does not require to cover the contents of the seventh pariccheda in its fold. Ascertainment of marriageability of woman is quite the main topic here which is different from the topic of 辫谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补. So, it may be justified to accept it as an independent topic dealing with determination of marriage etc. Noteworthy to say that, Ram膩n膩th Vidy膩la峁卥膩ra the editor himself has reckoned it as an independent topic, at the preface of the 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补 I Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharya also accepted such observation.[1]
Marriage is one of the ten 蝉补峁僺办腻谤补蝉 of the Hindu culture. A man with the company of his wife enters the second stage of his life through the ceremony called marriage.The marriage hymn of the 峁欢惫别诲补 has established marriage as a sacred and ceremonial institution for the welfare of the society. 笔腻峁噄苍颈 (i.3.56) viewed it by the term 蝉惫补办补谤补峁嘺. By this 蝉惫补办补谤补峁嘺, the groom is recommended to make the bride his own by solemnizing the marriage ceremony. Marriage is thus a symbol, by which the authority of father over his daughter is transferred to the husband of the bride. After the marriage, the bride becomes able to attain different dignifying positions of 箩腻测腻, 产丑腻谤测腻 and 辫补迟苍墨.[2] As such, a meaningful selection of the bride becomes a matter of discourse as commented by Kulluka on 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 (惭补苍耻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻) [3] and 膧艣惫补濒腻测补苍补 in his 骋峁沨测补蝉奴迟谤补.[4]
In order to ascertain the marriageability of women 顿腻尘辞诲补谤补 惭颈艣谤补 took up 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 (惭补苍耻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻) as primary source. He took materials from 痴测腻蝉补, 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补, Yama, and Gautama also besides 惭补蝉迟测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 etc. Referring to Manu, 顿腻尘辞诲补谤补 惭颈艣谤补 says-1) in the purpose of marriage, the bride in particular must not relate to the mother of the groom, by the tie of 蝉补辫颈峁囜笉补 relationship. 2) she should not be from the sagotra of the father of the bridegroom. It implies that, in case of ascertainment of the bride the 惫补谤峁嘺, sagotra, 蝉补辫颈峁囜笉补 and pravara play an important role. Accordingly, both the bride and the bridegroom should be from the equal 惫补谤峁嘺, but they should not be from the same gotra, 蝉补辫颈峁囜笉补 and the same pravara.[5]
In this context the prescription of 骋补耻迟补尘补蝉尘峁泃颈 is, 鈥榓 bride groom should marry a bride belonging to his own caste, who is younger to him. She should not be wedded previously to anybody and both must be from different pravara 蝉鈥�.[6]
The 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and the 础驳苍颈辫耻谤腻峁嘺 (础驳苍颈辫耻谤腻峁嘺) also stated that the bride should be selected from outside the fifth degree of descent on his mother鈥檚 side and outside the seventh degree of descent on his father鈥檚 side.The custom of 蝉补辫颈峁囜笉补t膩 is applicable, excluding the 艣奴诲谤补 caste. There are five types of 蝉补辫颈峁囜笉补ta marriage where these are not maintained.
These come into force in the case of鈥�
a) a bride, who is within the upward or downward seventh degrees beginning from the father of the bridegroom,[7]
b) a bride, when she is within the seventh degree of the lineage of the kinsmen of the father called 辫颈迟峁沚腻苍诲丑补惫腻岣�,[8]
c) a bride, who is within the five degrees beginning from the lineage of the kinsmen of the mother of the bridegroom i.e., 尘补迟峁沚腻苍诲丑补惫腻,[9]
d) a bride, who is within the five degrees of the lineage of the kinsmen of the maternal grandfather both upwards and downwards,[10]
e) a bride, who is within the seven degrees of the lineage of the kinsmen both upwards and downwards of the maternal uncle, son of his mother鈥檚 sister and son of his paternal uncle. They are-sagotra and 蝉补尘腻苍补驳辞迟谤补. No marriage is suggested to be performed among the sagotras. For example-a bridegroom belonging to 叠丑腻谤补诲惫腻箩补 gotra can not marry a bride belonging to the same gotra. Marriage is restricted to perform when both the parties are from the 蝉补尘腻苍补辫谤补惫补谤补. When a sage of a gotra becomes the founder of a gotra, then the forefathers of the gotra, sage will be called pravara. So pravara always remains associated with the gotras. When gotras of the bride and the bridegroom differ from each other, but the pravara remains the same, the marriage will not occur. Sometimes it is seen that, two gotras come under the sphere of one pravara. In that case also marriage is prevented. In a pravara, where there is inclusion of three gotra sages it is termed as trar峁ya pravara. In case of five, it is pa帽c膩r峁ya pravara. Here also, if both the parties belong to different gotras, still by virtue of same pravara, such marriage will be treated disqualified. The 蝉尘峁泃颈蝉 have discussed eight forms of marriage. As Manu stated: these are 叠谤腻丑尘补, Daiva, 膧峁涐梗补, 笔谤腻箩腻辫补迟测补, 膧峁谤补, Gandharva, 搁腻办峁蝉补 and 笔补颈艣腻肠补.[11]
Every form of the marriage has its independent character. Out of them, as stated in the 狈腻谤补诲补蝉尘峁泃颈, the first four 惫颈惫腻丑补蝉 are lawful. The sixth, i.e., 驳腻苍诲丑补谤惫补 is termed sadharma and is neither lawful nor unlawful. The 叠峁沨补诲辫补谤腻艣补谤补蝉尘峁泃颈 accepted the same view as that of 狈腻谤补诲补蝉尘峁泃, but the last two become subjected to blame.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
De S.K., Ghosal, U.N., Pusalkar, A.D. & Hazara, R.C., (ed.) Cultural Heritage of India, Vol. II, p.
[3]:
a) asam膩naj膩t墨y膩su g峁沨yam膩n膩su hastagraha峁嘺laksa峁嘺岣�/
sa峁僺k膩ro g峁沨y膩di艣膩stre峁噀 vidhiyate//
Kull奴ka on 惭补苍耻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, iii.43
[4]:
kulamgre par墨k峁ta 尘腻丑补迟补岣� pituta ca iti// 膧艣惫补濒腻测补苍补g峁沨yas奴tra, i.5
[5]:
asapi峁囜笉膩 ca y膩 m膩turasagotr膩 ca y膩 pitu岣�/
s膩 pr艣ast膩 dvij膩tin膩峁� d膩rakarma峁噄 maithune// 惭补苍耻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, iii.5
[6]:
驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补岣� 蝉补诲峁浥沬峁� 产丑腻谤测腻峁� vindet膩nyap奴rv膩峁� yav墨yas墨m/ Sixteen Minor Smrtis, p.257
[7]:
蝉补辫颈峁囜笉补t膩 tu puru峁 saptame vinivarttate/
sam膩nodaka bh膩vastu janman膩mnoravedane// 惭补苍耻蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, V. 60
[8]:
piturmatu岣� svasu岣� putr膩岣� pitu岣� pitu岣� svasu岣� 蝉耻迟腻岣�/
piturm膩tula putr膩岣� ca vij帽ey膩岣� pi峁璻v膩ndhava岣�// 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补 I, p.276
[9]:
尘腻迟耻岣� pitu岣� svasu岣utr膩 m膩tur尘腻迟耻岣� svasu岣� 蝉耻迟腻岣�/
maturm膩tula putr膩艣ca viy帽ey膩 m膩t峁泇膩ndhav膩岣�//
Ibid., p.276