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Jaina Community - A Social Suvery
(i. e., a girl from the same Gotra ) was not allowed, shows that marriage between cross-cousins was prescribed but marriage between parallel cousins was forbidden. In actual practice this rule is controlled by local usage at the present time. That is why it has been laid down that marriage with maternal uncle's daughter is governed by the customs of the place and the time.98 Accordingly. the cross-cousin marriage is neither allowed nor practised by Jainas in the Northern India but in the Deccan and Karnāțaka the crosscousin marriage is not only allowed but preferred also. Moreover, among the Jainas in the Karnāțaka the maternal uncle-niece marriage is practised, i. e., the daughter is given to her maternal uncle. This is a unique feature of the marriage system of Karnāta only and it is obtainable in almost all the castes of Karnataka including the Jainas, the Brahmins and the Lingāyatas.99 Irrespective of these rules there are some examples, no doubt, of marriages between very near relatives but they are very few and far between. Devaki was married to her father's cousin-brother, Vasudeva. King Agrasena's grand-sons and grand-daughters married among themselves and their progeny is known as Agravālas.100 According to Jaina mythology, sister marriage was prevalent at the time of Usabha (i. e., Rshabha, the first Jaina Tirthankara), who married his own sister. There is another case of sister marriage when king Pupphaketu allowed his son to marry his own sister. 101 Further, it is interpreted that Lord Rshabha married his two daughters, Brāhmi and Sundarī, to his two sons, Bāhubali and Bharata, respectively.102
8. MARRIAGE PRELIMINARIES AND CEREMONIES
The institution of marriage, like any other social institution, develops out of restrictions imposed upon the conduct of people. These limitations restrict the freedom of people but they are necessary for the proper growth of societal life. Up till now we have examined the inhibitions concerning the who' of marriage, i. e., regulations determining who may or may not marry whom, It comprises the rules of endogamy and exogamy. Now we have to see the ‘how' of marriage which covers all the proceedings which initiate the status and culminate in the wedding and attendant ceremonies. Since the institution of marriage regulates the sexual behaviour and determines the questions of descent, inheritance
