Chapter 56.33 - Description of Vivāha-praśna (Solicitation for marriage)

[Full title: Natural Astrology (33) Vivāha-praśna (Solicitation for marriage)]

Ascertainment of auspicious time:

394b-95a. O great brahmin! Of all the stages of life, that of the householder is the most exalted. There, too, happiness depends on the wife being of good character.

395b-96a. Her acquiring commendable character depends upon the beneficent lagna (at the time of wedlock). Hence I shall set out below the ascertainment of the purity of the lagna, taking into cognizance what has been stated on the subject by Brahmā.

396b-97. On an auspicious day, (the enquirer) taking with him betel leaves, fruits, flowers etc., should approach, with folded hands, a well-qualified astrologer, who is comfortably seated and is having a clear mind (at the moment), and consult him, with attention, as if to a deity. (He should then convey to the astrologer the birth-sign, birth-asterism etc. of the proposed couple.)^[1]

398. If (at the time of the enquiry), the planet in the lagna is cruel and there is Mars in the seventh (house therefrom), the death of the couple should be predicted within eight years.

399. If the Moon occupies the lagna and Mars is in the seventh house, the wise should anticipate the death of the husband within eight years.

400. If there be a malefic planet in the fifth house from the lagna, who is aspected by an enemy planet and is in debilitation, the girl will, without doubt, have her son still-born or will turn unchaste.

401. The Moon, occupying the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th (āya) or 10th (karma) house from the lagna, if aspected by Jupiter, will bring about the union of the (proposed) couple.

402. If the sections in the lagna relating to Libra, Taurus and Cancer are occupied or aspected by Venus or Moon, then the people who solicit for the bride will get her.

403. If the drekkāṇa or navāṃśa is female^[2] and the lagna even and aspected by the Moon or Venus, then also the bride who is solicited for will be obtained.

404. In the same manner, the bride will secure the solicited bridegroom if the lagna or navāṃśaka of the solicitor (i.e., at the time of the enquiry) is male or is aspected by male planets.^[3]

405. If the query is made in the dark fortnight, when the Moon occupies an even sign from the lagna or is aspected by an evil planet or is in the 8th house (randhra), the marriage (solicited) will not take place.

406. If, at the time of enquiry, auspicious indications and omens are seen, they tend to the welfare of the couple, and if these be inauspicious, they tend to undesirable consequences.

Kanyāvaraṇa, solicitation for the bride.

407-409a. On a day which is pure in respect of the five constituents (of the almanac)^[4], endowed with the strength of the Moon and the asterisms, at the rise of the marital asterism, the solicitation for the bride (Kanyā-varaṇa) should be made with the utterance of the praṇava (syllable Om) by the bridegroom, through his elders, at the bride’s house, to which place he should go with flowers, betel leaves, fruits, fragrant unguents and sanctified grain (akṣata) and white garments, (the procession being) accompanied by music, musical instruments and words of benediction, warding off obstacles.

409b. The bride’s father should, then, offer him the bride with pleasure.

410. To the bridegroom endowed with family status, character, youth, handsomeness, wealth and learning, should be offered the bride, beautiful and young.

411-13. The bride should then worship Goddess Śacī, who is the source of all good qualities, the most beautiful in the three worlds, is adorned with divinely fragrant unguents, garlands and garments, is endowed with all auspicious marks, wears all ornaments and illuminates all the directions by means of her superior gemset chains, is attended day and night, by thousands of beauteous maids, and pray to the Goddess thus:

414. “O Goddess Indrāṇi, the dear consort of God Indra! bestow on me, at my marriage, fortune, health and male -offspring.”

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

This half verse which is needed in the context, but which is not to be found in the Venkateswara Press edition of the Purāṇa, has been restored from the corresponding section of the Nāradīya-Saṃhitā, 27.4.

[2]:

The odd numbers are considered males and the even numbers female.

[3]:

Of the seven planets, Sun, Mars and Jupiter are males, Moon and Venus are females, and Mercury and Saturn eunuchs.

[4]:

The ‘five constituents’ (pañca-aṅga) of a ḍay, on the basis of which the nature of the day is determined in Indian astrology, are nakṣatra (asterism), tithi (lunar day in the bright or dark fortnight) vāra (week-day), yoga and karaṇa. Since Indian almanacs mention these five constituents for every day of the year, these almanacs are, by extension, called Pañcāṅgas.