Gandhi Before Gandhi

Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Priti Shah
Publisher: Jain Academy Educational Research Center Promotion Trust Mumbai

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GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI
abode of righteous action."
the spirit, of proper instruction and goodness, of wise and pure speech, unite us together."
These words and all others are repeated by the parents who give away their loved daughter to the husband. The hymn continues, -"Go to your husband's house and be its mistress, be the mistress of all, and exercise your authority over all in that house, let children be born unto thee and blessings, attend thee, perform the duties of thy household with care, unite thy person with the person of this, thy husband, and exercise thy authority in this thy house until old age."
Addressing the married couple, the priest and parents continue, -"Oh, bridegroom and bride, do remain here together, do not be separated, enjoy all proper food, be content to remain in your own home, and find and enjoy happiness in the company of your children and your grandchildren."
The bride and bridegroom offer this prayer: - "May the Lord of Creation bestow on us children and may Ayu (the law of life-preservation) keeps us united till old age." To the bride, is then said, "Oh bride, enter with auspicious signs the home of thy husband, let thy eye be free from anger, minister to the happiness of thy husband, and be kind to all living beings, cultivate a cheerful mind and may thy beauty be bright; be the mother of heroic sons," and be devoted to the gods. May thou have influence, over thy father-in-law, and over thy mother-in-law and be as a queen over thy sister-in-law and thy brother-in-law." And lastly, the bridegroom and the bride say to each other-in the full realization of the new relations in which they stand, henceforth to proceed with one heart, and one mind, -"may all the gods unite our hearts, may the god of maternity and
This, my American brothers and sisters, in brief, is the marriage ceremony of the Hindus. It is longer and more tedious perhaps than your short one, and as it would seem, not over-binding ceremony which I have witnessed since coming to your country and also on this platform. In your ceremony words pass between bride and bridegroom, some of which, as you have seen are conspicuous for their absence in "Heathen's" ceremony which I
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