Essay name: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
Author: A. D. Pusalker
This book studies Bhasa, the author of thirteen plays ascribed found in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. These works largely adhere to the rules of traditional Indian theatrics known as Natya-Shastra.
Page 395 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
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375
named Kautukam膩l膩 was put round her neck by the
bride on this day, and, among other things, a particular
herb credited with bringing in permanent prosperity and
warding off calamities was generally entwined in the
garland. There was also another herb to be employed
in the garland reputed to ruin the co-wives. The palms
of the bride were dyed red for marriage, as also were her
parted hair. The female relatives of the bride went to
receive the bridegroom who came in a specially fashioned
car.鲁 Young women, who were not widows, escorted the
bridegroom to the sacred fire for the marriage ceremony.*
2 There does not appear any reference to the
influence of horoscopes and other astrological fads of which
much was made in later times in settling a marriage.
The priests only looked for an auspicious constellation on
the day of marriage. The marriage ceremony was
performed in right royal fashion with all the pomp and
glory of decorations, ornaments, festivities and feasts."
Gandharva. G膩ndharva, as already stated, is love
marriage with consent. It has been described as
'concubinage' by the Allahabad High Court, but the
form was none the less valid and prevailed among the
K峁triyas. The religious ceremonies performed
subsequently, it is submittted, gave it a sanctity and
sanction. The term now denotes remarriage among lower
classes. In Bh膩sa's time religious rites were thought
necessary to perfect the Gandharva (and R膩k峁sa, if we
include Vasavadatta's marriage in this category) marriage.
Thus, though Avim膩raka and Kurangi were already
united by the Gandharva form, their marriage was
celebrated in the presence of fire. The king of Avanti
also performed the marriage ceremony of his daughter
after her elopement, portraits being used in place of the
bride and bridegroom, both being physically unavailable."
This implies that ceremonies essential to the validity of
a marriage, such as the invocation before the sacred fire
and the saptapadi, were almost invariably performed in
each and every marriage. The marriage of Dasaratha
1 Svapna, pp. 53-57. 2 Svapna, p. 40-.; Of. Woolner
and Sarup, 13 Trivandrum Plays, I p. 47p 2. 3 Uru, St. 9.fa
'啶え啷嵿ぇ啷佮え啶距ぐ啷嵿く啶� 啷� [bandhun膩rya岣� | ] 4 Svapna, p. 57. 啶呧さ啶苦さ啶距す啶� [补惫颈惫腻丑颈 ] 5 Sapna, pp. 59-60. 6 Bhaoni. vs.
Maharajsing. 3 All. 738. 7 Avi, p. 103.
8 Pratj帽膩 p. 72; Svapna, p. 133.
