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DISCOURSE 34
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Their relationship should be such that they co-operate with each other and inspire each other in their spiritual activities carried out for the attainment of salvation.
Five qualities must be common to the bride and the bridegroom. Before arranging their marriage, you should see whether, they have this equality of possessing these five parities.
1. Parity in respect of their family and cultural level. 2. Parity in purity. 3. Parity in respect of wealth and magnificence. 4. Parity in respect of dress. 5. Parity in respect of language.
EQUALITY IN RESPECT OF FAMILY AND CULTURAL LEVEL
The first quality that should be common to the bride and the bride-groom is equality in respect of family and cultural level. They should belong to the same cultural level and their family traditions must be identical. Just as a well-born bridegroom must marry a well-born bride, a well-born bride should choose a well-born bride-groom. Now, in our country there are many family traditions. In olden days, there were such tradi. tions as Ugrakula, Rajanyakula, Kshatriyakula and Bhogakula. Similarly, there were also dynasties like the Suryavamsha (the solar dynasty) and Chandravamsha (the lunar dynasty). Probably you do not know to what lineage you belong. In the states like Rajastan, Madhya Pradesh etc, there are such lineages as the Oswals, the Poravals, the Shrimals etc. Some say : “We belong to the Oswal line”. Some say: "We belong to the Porval line" and some say: "We belong to the Shrimal line". Some lineages were considered to be inferior. In those days, the ideas of superiority and inferiority with respect to families and lineages prevailed and an individual's stature was measured in terms of the family or lineage to which he or she belonged. In that situation, it was proper to take into consideration, the equality of family traditions and lineages in arranging marriages. Even today in those places where an individual's stature and level are deter
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