Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh (early history)
by Prakash Narayan | 2011 | 63,517 words
This study deals with the history of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Northern India) taking into account the history and philosophy of Buddhism. Since the sixth century B.C. many developments took place in these regions, in terms of society, economic life, religion and arts and crafts....
Other Relatives
The mother’s sister (matuccha)[1], mother’s sister’s son (matuccha putta)[2], a father’s sister’s son (pituccha putta)[3], father’s brother (pita peyya)[4], and father’s mother (ayyaka)[5] are among other relatives mentioned in the text.
As we have seen, the Buddha is brought up by his mother’s sister, who is also his mother’s co-wife.[6] A sexual relationship with the mother’s sister is sinful as that with a mother, and is, therefore, incestuous.[7] Sudinna’s parents attempt to dissuade him by pointing to his father’s wealth which he will inherit.[8] Raja Pasenadi on the death of his father’s mother says, that he would have given an elephant or a priceless horse or extates inorder to save her life.[9] The following case will make some of the points of this marriage clear.[10]
The monk udayi sees an unmarried youth (kumarakam va apajapatim) and an unmarried girl (kumarika va aptikaṃ). He praises the girl in the presence of the youth’s parents. Udayi says, “The girl is of such and such a family (amukassa kulassa). She is beautiful (abhirrupa), charming (dassaniya), lovely (pasadika); learned (pandita), accomplished (vyutta) wise (medhavini), clever (dakkha), and industrious (analasa). She is suitable for the youth. “The youth’s parents reply, “They (the girl’s family) do not know us who and what we are. If you will induce them to give her we may convey the girl to the youth.”[11]
Them the monk Udayi praises the boy in the presence of the girl’s parents. He uses the same words of praise and advises that the girl is suitable for the youth. The girl’s parents say to Udayi, “They do not know us, who and what we are, nor do they know how much is the girl’s property. If you will beg (yacapeyya), we may give the girl to the youth.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Samyutta Nikaya.II.281.
[3]:
Ibid., II.281.
[4]:
Anguttara Nikaya.III.347.
[6]:
Anguttara Nikaya.IV.276.
[8]:
Vinaya.III.16.
[10]:
Vinaya.III.135.
[11]:
Ibid., amhe na janati ke va ime kassavati kismim viya kumarikaya vatthum.