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SOCIAL LIFE
marriage. Many slave-boys and a slave-girl entered the svayamvara-hall and the slave-girl used to choose a boy of her own choice. It is clear that svayamvara as a mode of marriage amongst the higher castes was not popular during these centuries. 2
Apart from these, certain traditional examples of abduction and elopement as in the cases of Suvarnagulika's abduction by king Pajjoya and Ajja Kālaga's nun-sister's by king Gaddabhilla have been mentioned which may be taken to correspond the Raksasa form of marriage as practised by the kings and princes, i. e. the Kṣatriya class. These references, however, belong to the earlier centuries and do not reflect the life of the age.
Other Types of Marriage--Besides these traditional forms of marriage, examples of certain untraditional or unorthodox marriages have also been cited in the text. Marriage with one's own mother or daughter has always been condemned and restricted, but the sister-marriage, according to the Jaina mythology, was quite prevalent during the time of Rṣabhadeva who married his own sister. It has been stated in the NC. that the sexual relations with a sister could be tolerated during the mihuna-kala. The author here seems to refer to those days of promiscuity or the age of yugala-dharma when men and women were born in couples as husband and wife."
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1. वग्धारणसाला तोसलिविसए गाममज्झे साला कीरइ । तत्थ अगणिकुंडं णिच्चमेव अच्छति. सयंवरणिमित्तं । तत्थ य बहवे चेडा एक्का य सयंवरा चेडी पविसिज्जति, जो से चेड़ीए -NC. 4, p. 62.; Brh. Vr. 4, p. 963.
2. According to Saletore, no concrete example is so far forthcoming to prove that it (svayamvara) was actually adopted in practice by (Gupta kings) between the 4th and 7th centuries.--Life in the Gupta Age, p. 201.
3. NC. 3, p. 145.
4. NC. 3, p. 59.
5. माता अप्पणी अगम्मा – NC. 4, p. 16.
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6. LAI., p. 160.
7. मिहुणकाले भगिणी गम्मा । सेसकाले भगिणी - NC. 4, p. 17.
8. Jain, K. P., 'Marriage in Jaina Literature', IHQ., Vol. IV, p. 146.
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