Vasudevahindi (cultural history)

by A. P. Jamkhedkar | 1965 | 134,331 words

This essay is an English study of the Vasudevahindi reflecting cultural history and traditions of the life of people in ancient and medieval India during the 6th century. The Vasudevahindi is a romantic and religious tale divided into two parts. The first part is attributed to Sanghadasa (6th century A.D.) and explores the wanderings of Dhammilla a...

14. Celebrations Preliminary to Marriage

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According to the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, after the engagement was over a function celebrating the engagement was held wherein the parents of the bridegroom invited their wellwishers (piyapucchayajana) and honoured them with scents and flowers. The latter, in return, congratulated the parents of the bridegroom, Shortly after this ceremony the marriage took place+. Marriage Rites : Both from the evidence of the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa and the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa it can be said that every class had developed a type of ritual which differed from that of the others. Before 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 121, 121, 126. 3. Ibid., 199-200. 2. Ibid.; 182. 4. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 141.

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115 1 Kinding the fire, Vasudeva asked 1 about the lineage of Gamdhavvadatta, to verify her lineage. A similar question is asked to Vasudeva as to the custom (Kulayava) according to which the fire was to be Kindled. He replies that it should be done according to the practice followed by the khattiyas (khattiyadhamma) 2. As such, while describing the outline of the marriage rites in the Vasudevahimdi representative examples from various classes will be described one after another firstly from the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa In the case of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, however, only one description can be given for want of the detailed data of marriage rites of castes 3 other than the ksatriyas. In the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa the marriage of Vasudeva and Somasiri, who was born in a Brahmana family, has been described as follows:On an auspicious day, both somasfri and Vasudeva were initiated (dikkhiya) for marriage. They were brought to 1. Ibid., 132-33. 2. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, II. 226b. 3. In the description of the marriage of Vasudeva and Mayurasena, daughter of setthi Vesamana of Banaras, only panigahana has been described; Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, 175a.

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186 a pandal erected for marriage (caturamtaya) where they were bathed (majjanavihi) They Vasudeva was given Somasiri's hand1. In the marriage of Vasudeva and Nilajasa, a Vidyadhara princess, first of all the royal pri est (purohiya) declared that the day was auspicious (udiriq punnaho). Then the princess was brought to the inner drawing hall (abbhimtarovatthana) where the king and Vasudeva were seated. The astrologer (samvacchara) told mi the king that the circumstances (ninaittam) were favourable, as also the time was auspicious. At this juncture, married women (avidhavato) sang songs, bards (suyamagaha) recited panegyrics, and hundreds of trumpets were blown. Elders in the community (nikayavuddha) and married women bathed the bride and the bridegroom with hundred jars of fragrant L water. Fire was kindled by the priests (mamtapurogehim) and Vasudeva was given the hand of the princess. After of 3 the circumambulation around the fire and the throwing of handfuls of parched grains (layamjalio), the couple was 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 194.

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187 blessed. The couple wore pieces of flax cloth (khomani), and was led to the hall of entertainment (pechhaghara) where both were helped in toilet (padikamma mmat. Other instances describing marriage rites of princesses are also more or less the same except that they add details like throwing of parched grains on the couple (akkhaya chudha) 2, walking seven steps together (sattapadi) 3 and the bridegroom showing the north-star to bride 4. In the marriage of Vasudeva and Bamdhumati who was Vaissa by birth, Vasudeva dressed in the apparel of a bridegroom (padikammam varajoggam) was seated among married ladies who formed a circle around him (kayamamgalaparikkhevao), a garland interstrewned with new sprouts of durva grass (duvvamkuramisamala), a jewel in the hair and white flax cloth brought from Banaras (Kasiyasiyakhoma) entered the hall along with her maidservants carrying equipment for bath and toilet (nhanapasahanaka vivihabhayana vavada cedi). Sukuma, the 1. Ibid., 179-80. 2. Pauma's marriage; Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,205. 3. Pabhavati's marriage; Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 352. 4. Ibid. And kavila's marriage; Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 200.

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188 priest officiating on behalf of the setthi, asked Vasudeva to permit him to kindle fire. Vasudeva and Bamdhumati were asked to ascend the savvatthasiddha stone. Bamdhumati herself did not ascend; she was placed near Vasudeva by a strong person. Then setthi Kamadeva gave his daughter's hand to Vasudeva. The priest sprinkled ยท sacred water (siddhatthodaya), Over the heads of the couple, after which they were bathed with three types of kalasas Dressed in royal manner (seyapiyagamimmayakalasehim). (vayalamkiyam), they proceeded to the altar (veya). The priest poured ghee in the fire. Vasudeva along with his wife, went round the fire and threw handfuls of parched grains. The priest blessed them for an eternal union (ajaram samgatam bhavatu). The couple took meals in the dining hall (bhoyanagiha). All the day the couple was entertained with songs ensuring hapiness (mamgalehim uvagijiamano). to the bride 1. bridel. In the evening, Vasudeva showed the north-star In all these ceremonies the marriage was generally consummated the same night, though it might not have been a convention. 1 Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 280.

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189 Some other customs connected with the marital ceremony may also be referred to in this connection. A person could marry at a time many brides. Jambusami went to the houses of his brides and married them1. Another instance is of a rich merchant who was being bathed with 2 eight maidens at a time, as a part of the marriage rites 2. Another custom of playing dice during the 'auspicious days' (kallanadivasa) has also been referred to in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa Kuberadatta, a trader's son, after his marriage, played with the bride and her companions3. The outline of the marriage rites coincides in general with that given in the Grhyasutras +. However, in this case, the priest condact d the whole ceremony on behalf of the householder and also performed the kindling of fire and poured ghee into it as an oblation 5. The other 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 7. 2. Ibid., 70. 3. ibid.,; 11. 4. For a full description of the marriage ceremony as given in the Grhya sutras; see AGS, I.7.1-21. There the general procedure followed is given as follows: pouring ghee in the fire, panigrahana, agniparinayana along with asmarohana and lajanjaliksepa, kesanocama, saptapadi, jalasincana, dhruvasaparsidarsana. t 5. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,280.

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190 rites such as pouring parched grains (layamjali) were performed by the bridegroom under directions from the priest 1. As a part of the celebrations of marriage, the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa also tells us that Brahmins, prominent citizens (nagara) and dignitories (isara) were invited honoured and served with meals2. Some time's they were presented with ornaments and garments, in case it was a royal marriage3. The invitees participating in the marriage threw fried grains (akkhayas) on the couple 4. From the various descriptions of the marriage rites a general outline can be prepared of the procedure of the celebrations of marriage in times contemporany to the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa Before they were married both the bride and the groom were draped in marriage dress, which generally consisted of two pieces of flax cloth (khoma) 5. Servants also pared their nails. Nails of the groom were pared by a barber, who elsewhere is also said to as ist in 1. Maya vi sapattiena kao jalanadevo payakkhinam, chudhao layamjalio; Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 280. 2. Ibid. 7. 4. Ibid., 3. Ibid., 100. 5. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa,II.115b. 6. Ibid., II.136.

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191 draping the groom1. A kamkana was tied on the wrist of the 2 groom after which he was led by the married ladies to the alter (vedi ) 3 situated in a pandal (caturamtaya). The ladies sang auspicious songs 4. The groom was seated on a stool (kamcanapitha) 5. Then the uvajihava, ayariya or purohita, however officiated as the priest, kindled the sacred fire and offered handfuls of parched grains four times 7. bride was brought out before offerings were made' or even afterwards2. Then the father of the bride, or any one who represented him, gave the hand of the bride in the groom's 10 g The hand (paniggahana) when auspicious songs were sung and music played 11. Then the bride, and also probably the groom broke their fast 12. During the first night, outside the room 1. Ibid.; II. 33b. 3. Ibid.; II.95a, 115b. 5. Ibid.; II.136. 2. Ibid., I. 44a. 4. Ibid.; 6. Ibid., II.95a, 226b. 7. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, II. 61a, 226b. In addition to parched grains, sticks of sacred wood samiidha Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, II.95a, and parched grains mixed with honey mahulaya, Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa II.136b were also offered to the fire. 8. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, Il.136b. . Ibid., II.95a,226b. 10.rbid., II.61a,95a, 136b, 226b. 11. Ibid.; II.226b. 136b,226b. 12.Ibid.

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192 of the couple, ladies sang amourous songs to the tune of lyres (vina and vallaki) 1. Some observations as regards the performance of the marriage rites may be made. From the description given in the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, it appears that the priest not only performed the fire sacrifice, but other rites which were to be performed by the groom, such as offering handfuls of parched grains (layamjalikkheva). So also if the procedure as given in the Grhyasutras is taken to be the standard one, so many deviations in the order of rites can be found both in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa and the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa

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