The practice of Marriage

 The practice of Marriage

 

Long story short now Pandu kills a sage and his wife when they are in private and gets cursed that if Pandu touches his wife’s he will die
Pandu gets married to Kunti and Madri but he can’t get a child because of the curse

One day he calls Kunti and says go meet another man and get a child to which she says she is not willing to do so because she is married to him

Pandu explains different ways to get a son
1st - the son begotten by one's own self upon his wedded wife;
2nd - the son begotten upon one's wife by an accomplished person from motives of kindness
3rd - the son begotten upon one's wife by a person for pecuniary consideration(for money)
4th - the son begotten upon the wife after the husband's death
5th - the maiden-born son, that is if the lady had a son before the marriage
6th - the son born of an unchaste wife
7th - the son given
8th - the son bought for a consideration(money)
9th -
10th - the son received with a pregnant bride (if the girl had got pregnant  before the marriage from a different man)
11th - the brother's son
12th - if the man gets a son from another woman other than his wife

Then Pandu also narrates several incidents where a queen has got  children from other than her husband

Pandu tells O Kunti  I shall now tell about the ancient practices marriage indicated by great Rishis, fully acquainted with every rule of morality, women formerly were not immured within houses and dependent on husbands and other relatives. They used to go about freely, enjoying themselves as best as they liked. they did not then adhere to their husbands faithfully, and yet  they were not regarded sinful, for that was the sanctioned usage of the times. That very usage is followed to this day by birds and beasts without any (exhibition of) jealousy. That practice, sanctioned by precedent, is accepted by great Rishis, this practice is still regarded with respect amongst the Northern Kuru dynasty. Indeed, that usage, so lenient to women, hath the sanction of antiquity. The present practice of marriage, however (of women's being confined to one husband for life) hath been established but lately. I shall tell you in detail who established it and why

Once there was a Rishi named Uddalaka, who had a son named Swetaketu who was also a great Rishi, One day, in the presence of Swetaketu's father a Brahmana came and bought Swetaketu's mother by the hand, told her, 'Let us go.' holding his mother seized by the hand and took away apparently by force, the son was greatly moved and angry. Seeing his son disturbed, Uddalaka addressed him and said, 'Be not angry. O son! This is the practice sanctioned by antiquity. The women of all orders in this world are free, O son; men in this matter, as regards their respective orders, act as kine.' The Rishi's son, Swetaketu, however, disapproved of the usage and established in the world the present practice as regards men and women.

Source of Mahabharata: https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01123.htm




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