Dharma literature (texts prescribing
rules for correct human behavior and
ideal social life) recognizes eight forms
of marriage: Brahma, Daiva, Arsha,
Prajapatya, Asura, Gandharva,
Rakshasa, and Paishacha. The first four
forms were approved (prashasta). In
each case, the father of the bride was
responsible for arranging the marriage:
in the Brahma form, he gave his daughter as a gift without conditions; in the
Daiva form, she was given as a sacrificial
fee; in the Arsha form, in exchange for a
pair of cattle for sacrifice; and in the
Prajapatya form, with the condition that
the husband and wife perform their
duties together.
The other four forms were considered reprehensible forms of marriage
(aprashasta). Two of these four were
tolerated: the Asura form, in which
the bride was exchanged for money,
and the Gandharva form, in which bride
and groom plighted their troth by
mutual consent—that is, through consensual sexual intercourse. The final
two forms were strictly forbidden:
Rakshasa, in which the bride was
forcibly abducted; and Paishacha, in
which a man took sexual advantage of a
woman who was insentient—the result
of drunkenness, a deep sleep, or drugging. It is interesting to note that all of
these forms were deemed to create a
valid marriage—even the two that were
forbidden. The aim in sanctioning
such forbidden marriages was not to
encourage such actions, but to give
the woman the legal status of a wife.
In contemporary times most of these
forms of marriage are no longer
practiced except for the Brahma
marriage, which carries the highest
status, and the Asura marriage. For
further information see Pandurang
Vaman Kane (trans.), A History of
Dharmasastra, 1968; and Raj Bali
Pandey, Hindu Samskaras, 1969. Despite
their age, they remain the best sources for
traditional Hindu religious rites.