Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 245

205
CHAPTER
VI
—
Marriage amongst Brahmins and other Hindus.— Celibacy. Those who
may remain unmarried.— Polygamy tolerated only amongst the
Upper Classes.— The two Sexes nearly equal in numbers.— Indis-
solubility of the Marriage Tie.— How Marriages are arranged.—
Preparatory Ceremonies. Solemn Ceremonies for the first and
Marriage amongst Sudras. Marriage amongst
following Days.
Kshatriyas.— Duties after Marriage.
—
—
—
To a Hindu marriage is the most important and most
it is a subject of endless
engrossing event of his life
conversation and of the most prolonged preparations. An
unmarried man is looked upon as having no social status
;
He is
as being an almost useless member of society.
not consulted on any important subject, and no work of
any consequence may be given to him. A Hindu who
becomes a widower finds himself in almost the same position
and
and speedily remarries.
Though marriage is considered the natural state for the
generality of men, those who from pious motives remain
unmarried are looked up to and treated with the utmost
But it is only those persons who have renounced
respect.
the world, and have chosen to lead a life of contemplation,
who can take vows of celibacy. In any other case marriage
is the rule, and every one is under the obligation of dis-
as a bachelor,
charging the great debt to his ancestors, namely, that of
begetting a son \ No doubt it will be asked whether the
Hindu devotees who take vows of celibacy do really remain
I should say without
as chaste as they are supposed to be.
Many have concubines under various pre-
hesitation, No.
texts, and many give themselves up in secret to vices
which would disgust the most shameless libertine. Amongst
this latter class are the greater number of the gurus and
sannyasis, who wander about the country and live on the
Others shut themselves up in
credulity of the public.
seclusion and lead idle and easy-going lives, their sole
occupation being to receive the abundant offerings flowing
in from the ignorant and foolish who believe in the false
The Sanskrit word for son, putra, means literally, one who saves
'
1
from put or
hell
'
— the hell into which parents without sons
fall.
Ed.