Page:The Land of the Veda.djvu/488

478 daughter in marriage at the proper time;” and again, “To an excellent and handsome youth of the same class let every man give his daughter in marriage, according to law, even though she have not attained her age of eight years.” He carries up the responsibility to an awful height by declaring the neglectful father, whose daughter has not been wed at twelve years old, as incurring a guilt equal to that of the murder of a Brahmin for every additional month she continues single. He reduces, according to her age, the amount of the nuptial present which the father receives, and even deprives herself of the right to carry her ornaments from her home in the same proportion, and thus appeals to the mean motive of personal interest to hurry on her settlement.

The accountability is also pressed to avoid the condemnation of leaving his daughter asancrita, that is, destitute of the marriage sacrament. If he fails in this the law releases his children from all obligation of respect or obedience to him.

In the same chapter he also claims that “the wife of an elder brother is considered as mother-in-law to the younger, and the wife of the younger as daughter-in-law to the elder.” This implies, what is generally a fact, that it is seldom that a young couple in India have the luxury of a separate home. The bride is generally taken to her father-in-law's residence, and receives her apartment within the inclosure surrounding the general home. The outer rooms are occupied by the males of the family, the inner or secluded ones by the women—hence called the Zenana. These inner apartments are never entered by one of the opposite sex, save by the father, her husband's brothers, or by children.

Harem—or as Mr. Lane spells it, Hhareem— signifies sacred, prohibited. The temple at Mecca is called Al-haram, that is, the sacred inviolable temple. The Seraglio of the Turks is a compound word, formed from sura, “house, apartment,” and ahul, “family, domestic;” hence Surahulio, or Seraglio, the “family or female apartment.” Haram sera, and muhal sera, are nearly synonymous words, and are often used to express the inner