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The religious and moral fields also accept the importance of the institution of marriage. From the moral viewpoint, marriage checks disorder and anarchy. If unrestrained sex is allowed morality will suffer and man will be plagued with diseases like aids. Contagious epidemics like venereal diseases will spread resulting in an ailing humanity. That is why marriage is essential.
Religious viewpoint, specially Jain, considers complete abstinence or celibacy as the best. But it is impossible for every man and woman to observe celibacy. To suppress the urge of sex is beyond the capacity of every individual.
Considering this, the sagacious acharyas accepted the importance of marriage as the means to discipline the sexual urge. It shifts the flow of sexual desire and indulgence from many to one woman, whom one marries. There also, it is advised to discipline once indulgence.
The Vedic tradition is also of the same view.
Even in their married life man and woman both should follow the norms of celibacy as far as possible. They should not be drawn into lascivious ways of over indulgence in sex and should avoid over infatuation with each other.
Marriage: A Union of Two Hearts
It is a general belief that marriage is a union of two hearts. This belief is due to the western influence. Even in ancient India there was a tradition of Gandharva Vivah. Such marriages were like modern love marriages where man and woman married without any participation from the families.
Marriage is also a union of two families. Through marriage two families are joined into one. Such marriages are ceremoniously organized with great pomp and show. Grand marriage,rocessions are taken out, the bride-groom goes to the bride's place and they are tied into the knot of marriage.
The families of the boy and the girl give Pritidan and Daat to the wedded couple. The wealth given by the girls family to the boys family is called Daat. The wealth given to the bride by the couple is called Pritidan.
In Antakriddasha Sutra there are details about such marriages. A boy gets Daat (dowry or the wealth given by the bride's father) from the families of all the girls he marries. The boy's father also gives a lot of wealth to his daughter-in-law.
Some examples-In the first chapter of the first section of Antakriddasha Sutra is the mention of the marriage of Gautam Kumar with eight princesses. The list of Daat and Pritidan these brides got is as follows
The Pritidan given to the eight brides-eighty million silver coins, eighty million gold coins, eight best quality crowns, eight best quality earrings, eight necklaces, eight bracelets and numerous other ornaments and dresses besides other things.
Antakriddasha Mahima
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