Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/683

 VI. ] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 643 said to them that though she could excuse the thief and the intruder, it was not possible to break her promise; unless and until he could defeat her in scholarship there was absolutely no hope for him. Sundara readily accepted the challenge and there followed a discussion in Kavya, Nyaya, Dharmagastra, Philosophy and all other subjects of human knowledge. At every turn Vidya was brought to bay by the intellectual acumen and profound scholarship of the prince and when so vanquished, she had a smile for him, which, coupled with the glances that they stole at each others face, invested her defeat on the field The defeat with a sense of conquest over the heart of her and mar- s ভি riage in antagonist and lover. Vidya now acknowledged secret. that she was defeated and that she saw no ob- jection to her being united to him in marriage, true to her promise. Among the various systems of marriage of the Hindus there is the Gandharva vibaha or marriage in secret which makes the vows sacred and legal by mutual election of the bridegroom and the bride. No priest or third party is required to minister to the ceremony,—the only condition required to bring this marriage to/a_ con- summation is to exchange garlands of flowers worn by each other. Vidya in great delight took off the floral garland from her neck and offered it to Sundara and Sundara did the same to her. So the marriage was completed. The poets say that Kamdeva or the God otf love, unseen by others, discharged the priestly function in this ceremony. The marriage parties consisted of six seasons headed by the spring and tinkling sounds of the ornaments,—the xapura, the bracelets, the kankana