s not formally
wedded on the ground that she was one for whom dowry had been paid in the
form of valour. My uncle of Kuru's race, viz., king Valhika, said that
the maiden so brought away and not wedded with due rites should be set
free. That maiden, therefore, was recommended to Vichitravirya for being
married by him according to due rites. Doubting my father's words I
repaired to others for asking their opinion. I thought that my sire was
exceedingly punctilious in matters of morality. I then went to my sire
himself, O king, and addressed him these words from desire of knowing
something about the practices of righteous people in respect of marriage,
'I desire, O sire, to know what in truth the practices are of righteous
people.' I repeated the expression of my wish several times, so great was
my eagerness and curiosity. After I had uttered those words, that
foremost of righteous men, viz., my sire, Valhika answered me, saying,
'If in your opinion the status of husband and wife be taken to attach on
account of the gift and acceptance of dowry and not from the actual
taking of the maiden's hand with due rites, the father of the maiden (by
permitting his daughter to go away with the giver of the dowry) would so
himself to be the follower of a creed other than that which is derivable
from the ordinary scriptures. Even this is what the accepted scriptures
declare. Persons conversant with morality and duty do not allow that
their words are at all authoritative who say that the status of husband
and wife arises from the gift and acceptance of dowry, and not from the
actual taking of the hand with due rites. The saying is well-known that
the status of husband and wife is created by actual bestowal of the
daughter by the sire (and her acceptance by the husband with due rites).
The status of wife cannot attach to maidens through sale and purchase.
They who regard such status to be due to sale and the gift of dowry are
persons that are certainly unacquainted with the scriptures. No one
should bestow his daughter upon such persons. In fact, they are not men
to whom one may marry his daughter. A wife should never be purchased. Nor
should a father sell his daughter. Only those persons of sinful soul who
are possessed, besides, by cupidity, and who sell and purchase female
slaves for making serving women, regard the status of wife as capable of
arising from the gift and acceptance of a dowry. On this subject some
people on one occasion