________________
152
The Concept of Pancasila in Indian Thought
possible only through a permanent wife, (2) at that time there was a stress on the preservation of purity of blood which was solely dependent on marriage, (3) it was a time when nomadic life was over and settled home became an imperative which possibly depended on the institution of marriage.
These points thus show the purpose of Rgvedic idea of marriage, the essence of which lay in begetting male children; the wife was expected to bear heroes for the propagation of the race of her husband, this end was not only social but also religious. This is a point which remarkably distinguishes the Vedic conception from the Sramanic conception of marriage. While in the Sramanic conception marriage and begetting children is only subordinate to ethical code, but in the Vedic society it is the supreme ethics of life. It is not a lesser evil to avoid the greater evil but the supreme good.
• The marriage system too was not in the stage of infancy, but was much advanced in the sense that choosing spouses was the responsibility not of the parents but of the boys and girls themselves. The father or the brother of the girl though played the role of a guide, the authority of finally choosing the boy lay in the hands of the girl herself. That means that the girl was not a child but a matured person to be able to think of her own right and wrong. That shows that it was a society in which full freedom was available to boys and girls. However, as seen before, adultery and rape etc. were understood as some of the most serious offences, and cousequently illegitimate births were concealed. Here, therefore, lay the essence of the precept of kāmamithyācāra-virati.
In the period of Brāhmaṇas, the life of gļhastha is given full regard and is understood as of fundamental importance as in the Rgvedic age. At one place Sage Nārada addresses King Hariscandra and tells of the importance of having a son, a wife, and the life of a householder. It is said, "Food is man's life, and clothes afford protection, gold gives him
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
