Page:Madras journal of literature and science 3rd series 1, July 1864.djvu/151

Rh ly desirable, as they throw much light on the representation of the dramas".

T a monthly meeting of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, held In its library rooms on Thursday the 9th June 1863, Dr. Bühler read a paper on the early marriages of the Hindus, in which he attempted to prove that the laws enjoining the early marriages of girls are opposed to the practice of the Vedic age and therefore not binding, even for an orthodox Hindu. He first traced the gradual development of these laws in the Smritiçâstras. He pointed out that one class of these works to which the Sâmvarta, Ângirasa, Parâçara and other dharmaçâstras belong, limit the time for marriage much more, and are much severer in threatening punishments for offenders against their laws than Manu, Gautama and Baudhâyana. For whilst, according to the former, girls must be married before ten, or lose their caste, the latter authors, though they recommend early marriages, allow the father to keep his daughter at home up to the age of thirteen. After that time daughters are allowed to choose their husbands for themselves. The a priori supposition that these laxer rules are the more ancient, receives full confirmation from the Smârta, especially the Grihyasûtras from some of which it appears that marriages with women as well under as of more than full age were permitted by law.

But whilst the Smârta Ćástras and Sûtras permit the contraction of marriages with females under age, the Rigveda seems to be opposed to this custom. Amongst the Riks which are recited at the marriage-ceremony, there are some (R. V. X. 85, 38-41) which express the belief that the bride belongs to the three gods, Soma (the moon), Gandharva and Agni, before she passes into the possession of mortal