7. Customs (3): Vivāha Saṃskāra

[Full title: 7. Sacraments (religious practices) (3): Vivāha Saṃskāra]

Bāṇabhaṭṭa has informed us about the society in which he lived. In social life, people have to perform some rituals like vivāha (marriage) etc. irrespective of caste or creed. In Indian culture, marriage may be treated as a religious practice, which has a great contribution to human society to make a bond among the people. In a marriage party all people co-operate joyfully and cheerfully irrespective of their social, political or economic status. Such pictures have been seen in the Harṣacarita when princess Rājyaśrī (the daughter of king Prabhākaravardhana the ruler of Thāneśvara) married king Grahavarman who was from Moukharis the ancient kṣatriya family. Vivāha saṃskāra heralds man’s entrance in the gārhasthyāśrama.

The Manusaṃhita^[1] points out eight forms of marriage in particular. These are brāhma, daiva, ārṣa, prājāpatya, āsura, gāndhava, rākṣasa and paiśāca. The form of brāhma marriage is seen in princess Rājyaśrī’s marriage where all rituals and customs were followed by the royal family prior to the performing of the marriage. In the brāhma^[2] form of marriage, the groom is invited by the bride’s father to receive the bride with ornaments and he received him respectfully without taking anything in return. The Harṣacarita informs that mediators were sent before the marriage for the purpose of match making.^[3] Then, the groom with his friends and family members,^[4] with decoration^[5] came to his bride’s home. It describes that marriage ceremony was held in front of the flames of fire on the floor of a hall^[6] and in front of the invited guests.^[7] The bridegroom then moved around that auspicious fire.^[8] In these context, again, the author mentions about lājahoma.^[9]

Medhātithi remarks about lājahoma—

lājahomamabhinirvartya triḥ pradakṣiṇamagnimāvartya sapta padāni strī prakramyate.^[10]

The famous poet Kālidāsa also speaks about lājahoma in his Mahākavya Kumārasambhavam.^[11]

In this context, it should be mentioned that king Prabhākaravardhana, father of Rājyaśrī, had given many things such like precious jewels, elephant, horses etc. to Maukhari king Grahavarman as gifts (i.e. yautaka).^[12] P. V. Kane comments about yautaka—

“yautaka is a kind of strīdhan. yautaka means the gifts that are given to women at the time of marriage when she is seated with her husband.”^[13]

According to the Chātratoṣiṇī commentary—

vivāhādikāle patyā sahaikāsane prāptaṃ yutayoryautakamiti.^[14]

But, now-a-days, the word yautaka indicates the dowry. But Bāṇa did not use the said term in such a sense.

Again Bāṇa describes that in the marriage time of Rājyaśrī all the people had been given responsibilities of various duties. Various customs and rituals had been performed in the presence of the citizen and they felt very happy with those events. They were performed with the help and cooperation of the citizens or the preparation of marriage in a royal family, all the people were decked by the betel fragrant powders and flowers that had been brought with an unrestrained hand.^[15] Leather workers^[16] had been summoned to make drums. Some people, and also some tributary kings^[17] were very personally engaged themselves in physical labour. The wives^[18] of chieftains were in the palace from an early time engaged in various occupations.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Manusaṃhitā,III.21

[2]:

Ibid.,III.27

[3]:

śobhane ca divase grahavarmaṇā kanyāṃ prāthayituṃ preṣitasya purvāgatasyeiva pradhānadūṭapuruṣasya kare sarvarājakulasamakṣaṃ duhitṛdānajalamapātayat, Harṣacarita,IV.p.68

[4]:

…puro dhāvamānaiḥ pādātairutkarṇakaṭakahayapratiheṣitadīyamānasvāgatairiva vājināṃ vṛndaiśca…..kariṇāṃ …diśamārūḍaḥ…prakaṭitavivāhavihagavirutaistālāvacaracāraṇaiḥ... kriyamāṇakolāhalo…pratyāsannalagno grahavarmā, Ibid., IV.p.71

[5]:

…mallikāmuṇḍamālāmadhyādhyāsitakusumaśekhareṇa śirasā …, Ibid.

[6]:

…dhūmāyamānāgnisandhukṣaṇākṣaṇikopadraṣṭṛdvijām śamīpalāśamiśralājahāsinīṃ vedīm…samutsasarpa ca vellitārunaśikhāpallavasya śikhinaḥ….samīpam, Ibid.,IV.p.72

[7]:

nimantitāgatai…āhūtairbhūbhṛdbhiḥ parivṛtām, Ibid.

[8]:

hute ca hutabhuji dakṣiṇāvartapravṛtābhivadhū….saha pradakṣiṇaṃ babhrām, Ibid.

[9]:

[a] lājahāsinīṃ vedīm…, Ibid. [b] pātyamāne ca lājānjalau…..ivādṛśyata, Ibid.

[10]:

On Manu,VIII.227

[11]:

Kumārasambhavam,VII.80

[12]:

nirūpyamāṇayautakayogyamātaṅgaturaṅgataraṅgitāṅganam, Ibid.,IV.p.69

[13]:

Ibid.,p.424

[14]:

Ibid.,p.272

[15]:

jātamudi kṛtḥāthe ….vivāhadivaseṣūddāmadīyamāna tāmbūlapaṭa- vāsakusumaprasādhitasarvalokam, Harṣacarita,IV.p.68

[16]:

labdhamadhumadapracaṇḍacarmakāra…, Ibid.

[17]:

kṣitipālaiśca svayamāvaddhakakṣaiḥ svāmyarpitakarma-śobhāsampādanākulaiḥ…sīmantinībhirvyāptam, Ibid.,IV.p.69

[18]:

āsūryodayātcca praviṣṭhābhiḥ satībhiḥ subhagābhiḥ …., Ibid.