Verse 3.35

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

अद्भिरेव द्विजाग्र्याणां कन्यादानं विशिष्यते ।
इतरेषां तु वर्णानामितरेतरकाम्यया ॥ ३५ ॥

adbhireva dvijāgryāṇāṃ kanyādānaṃ viśiṣyate |
itareṣāṃ tu varṇānāmitaretarakāmyayā || 35 ||

‘For the chief of twice-born men the giving away of one’s daughter with water alone is commended; but for the other castes it is with mutual desire.’—(35)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘For the chief of twice-born men;’—i.e., for Brāhmaṇas.

‘Giving away of the daughter—when one is giving away his daughter, the giving away ‘with water,’ ‘is commended.’ That is, when one is giving his daughter to a Brāhmaṇa, he should give her ‘with water’ only.

“How can water be the instrument (means) of giving?”

What is meant is that without water, there can be no ‘giving;’ since we have the law—‘alms and gifts should be given with water, after the uttering of the syllable namaḥ, and so also in all religious acts.’

Or, by the restriction expressed by the phrase, ‘with water alone,’ the text means to exclude the ‘Ārṣa,’ the ‘Āsura’ and the ‘Prājāpatya;’ as in these latter, water is not the only instrument used; other instruments also being used; such as ‘a cow and a bull,’ as also the compact (that ‘you should perform your duty together’).

What is really meant (by the girl being given ‘with water alone’) is as follows:—Just as when a cow, or gold or such other things are given, the giver does not impose any conditions,—such as ‘this cow should be thus tended by you, she should be fed upon such and such grass,’ and so forth,—in the same manner should the girl also be given; and the father shall not, through his great love for his daughter, impose upon his son-in-law any conditions; nor should he receive from him any presents.

As for the Kṣatriya and other castes, there should be ‘giving’ of the girl, when there is mutual desire on the part of the bride and the bridegroom; and not otherwise, as it is done in the ‘Brāhma’ form of marriage.

Others explain this as follows—what is meant by ‘mutual desire’ is that the father may either receive presents or give her ‘with water’ only.

According to this explanation, it becomes indicated that the ‘Brahma’ form of marriage pertains to all castes.—(35).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 138), where it is explained as meaning that in the case of Brāhmaṇas, that marriage is considered most commendable in which water is the only substance used as the instrument; while in that of the Kṣatriya and others, it may bo accomplished, even without the pouring of water, simply by mutual consent, the father of the bride agreeing to give, and the bridegroom to receive, the girl. This does not mean, however, that in the latter case water should never be used.