on Rama and Sita

[Guest guest]

Re: the debate on Rama's apparent "mistreatment" of Sita,

could it be possible that this had something to do with

the kind of marriage they had?

 

There are eight kind of marriages prescribed in the Sastras

namely: 1) brahma, 2) prajaapatya, 3) aarsha, 4) daiva,

5) gaandharva, 6) asura, 7) raakshasa and 8) paisaasa.

 

Of the above, Rama's marriage with Sita comes under 'asura'.

 

[brahma = giving a 12 year old girl to a 48 year old

brahmachari (brahmana)

prajaapatya = giving a woman when the man has asked for her

aarsha = placing a woman between a golden cow and golden bull

and giving her away to a brahmana as datta (along

with the golden cattle)

daiva = giving a woman to a brahmana who perform vedic

rituals. (I am not sure of 3 & 4 as I have

forgotten the precise definitions)

 

gaandharva = a man and woman falling in love with each other

with the consummation taking place in a clandestine

manner without the knowledge of the parents.

 

asura = winning the bride in a competition - as Rama did by

breaking the bow, Arjuna won Draupadi and in the Tamil

legends, Krishna took on the 7 bulls to marry nappinnai.

 

raakshasa = a man taking a woman against her wishes (rape)

 

paisaasa = a man taking advantage of a woman not in her senses

(either she is drunk or is mentally retarded etc.)

]

 

Perhaps there are also Dharma Sastra rules for the conduct in

each of these marriages? I have no knowledge of any Dharma

Sastras. I am merely asking the scholars here whether this had

anything to do with Rama's treatment of Sita.

 

Thanks.

--badri

 

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S.Badrinarayanan

Graduate Student

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Cornell University

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