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DISCOURSE 36
If her misconduct comes to light; if people come to know of it, nobody will marry her. A great disaster will occur if a girl becomes pregnant before marriage.
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From the Audience :
Now-a-days, girls do not have this fear. The government itself has made available contraceptives or birth-control devices. If a girl uses them, she will not become pregnant.
Maharajashri: We have not yet taken up the present-day situation for discussion. We are now talking about our ancient traditions. We are now thinking of the question why the ancient sages and munis prescribed twelve years as the proper age for the marriage of girls. It has been considered absolutely necessary that girls should be totally celibate and chaste before marriage. Do you not accept the view that your daughters should be chaste before marriage? But have you thought about these points? If a girl should remain chaste before her marriage, she must possess great will-power. She needs a noble atmosphere. She must eat such food as does not provoke her passions. She must wear proper dress and ornaments. Have you thought about these things?
It is not easy to control a provoked passion and to refrain from sexual acitivity. All men and women cannot exercise such a control over their passions. Moreover, the sexual impulse is very strong in human beings. It is stronger in human beings than in animals. It is stronger in human beings than in heavenly beings. In this condition, human beings have to maintain celibacy and chastity at least for a few years. This is absolutely necessary. The great sages and munis who possessed a supernal vision felt that it was easy for a girl to maintain her chastity upto the age of twelve. In a girl, at the age of twelve, all the five senses become fully developed and matured. Even mental development of a certain extent takes place. If such a girl marries a boy of sixteen years, she will be able to carry out her duties as a wife with nobility and stability. Her sexual passion becomes pacified and she can save herself from going astray and losing her character. If a woman maintains chastity before marriage and if after marriage, she remains devoted and dedi
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