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DISCOURSE 37
These four kinds of marriage are prohibited by Dharma. But a marriage gets the sanction of Dharma when the bride and the bride-groom love each other; this love should not have been caused by fear or enticement. If a marriage takes place between a girl and a boy who love each other genuinely, it is not considered adharma. In other words, it enjoys the sanction of Dharma.
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We have an interesting story in the Jain Ramayana. Once, a prince by name Shrikanta was travelling through the skies in his magical air-ship. While he was thus travelling in the sky, he happened to fly over a prosperous city. He noticed a beautiful princess in a garden outside the city. The prince brought his plane closer to the ground. The princess saw him and they fell in love with each other at the first sight. "Whoever loves that loves not at first sight ?" At once, the prince decided upon abducting the girl. He landed the plane; dragged the princess into it and then began to fly away. The prince
abducted her no doubt but he did so with her consent. When the father of the princess, King Vidyadhara came to know that his daughter had been abducted by somebody, at once, he set out with his army and went travelling in the sky in a hot pursuit of the abductor. Shrikant straight went to the island of Lanka. Kirtidhavala, the king of Lanka was Srikant's brotherin law. Shrikant went to Kirtidhavala and narrated the entire story to him. Kirtidhavala gave him refuge. He ordered the gates of Lanka to be closed and he also alerted his army to meet the impending invasion.
Kirtidhavala sent a message to King Vidyadhara by a messenger. The messenger went to King Vidyadhara and conveyed to him the message of the king of Lanka: "Oh King! pacify your anger. Your daughter has aceompanied Prince Shrikant in accordance with her own wish. Shrikant has not abducted her using force. You know that at any time a girl belongs to another man (to him who marries her). She is her husband's wealth. You had to celebrate her marriage with some worthy prince and now she has chosen a husband after her own heart and so there is no reason why you should be
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