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The Puranas on Sacramental, Ethical and Philosophical Planes
240
Vivaha (marriage) 70
It is significant that Jinasena, like the orthodox Brahmanical epic-puranic poets and Smrti-writers, regards marriage as an important Samskära He has reckoned this sacrament in the lists of both the original and the conversional sacraments Thus, he seems to be pioneer among the Jaina authors to have realized the importance of marriage in the social and religious life of man.
The procedure of the nuptial rite shows general agreement with the formalities to be undergone according to the Brahmanical sources The marital rite should be performed in front of the three sacred fires after their due worship ?1 The great ceremony of hand-taking (Panigrahana) of the bride and the bridegroom should be performed before the image of the Siddhas in a sanctuary Having circumambulated the three, two or one of the consecrated fires at the altar, the husband and wife should live together in strict observance of the vow of celebacy for a week After the period, the couple may cohabit only with a view to getting an offspring 78
Regarding the question of the number of wives to be had by the members of the different classes and with regard to the view concerning the Anuloma intercaste marriage, Jinasena obviously follows Manu Like the latter he allows a Brāhmana to keep, at a time, four wives, one from his own class and one each from the remaining three classes. A Kşatriya may have three wives, one from his own class and one each from the two lower classes Similarly, a Varsya may get two wives, one from his own class and the other from the Sadra class. A Śūdra is, however, to have only one wife from his own class alone Thus, in an expression similar to that of Manu, he enjoins, "a Śūdra should marry a Sūdra woman and not another, a Varsya (Nargama) should marry her (Sūdra woman) and one of his own class, a Ksatriya (should marry) a woman of his own class and those two and a twice born man ic a Brahmana (should inarry) one of his own class and in some cases also 70 38 127-134 71 कृताग्नित्रयसम्पूजा कुर्युस्तत्साक्षितां क्रियाम् । 72 Ibsd , 38 129-131, 134 Cf HS pp 218-19, 2608
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