ly desirable, as they throw much light on the representation of the dramas"[1].
II.—On the Early Marriages of the Hindus.
AT a monthly meeting of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, held In its library rooms on Thursday the 9th June 1863, Dr. Bühler read a paper on the early marriages of the Hindus, in which he attempted to prove that the laws enjoining the early marriages of girls are opposed to the practice of the Vedic age and therefore not binding, even for an orthodox Hindu. He first traced the gradual development of these laws in the Smritiçâstras. He pointed out that one class of these works to which the Sâmvarta, Ângirasa, Parâçara and other dharmaçâstras belong, limit the time for marriage much more, and are much severer in threatening punishments for offenders against their laws than Manu, Gautama and Baudhâyana. For whilst, according to the former, girls must be married before ten, or lose their caste, the latter authors, though they recommend early marriages, allow the father to keep his daughter at home up to the age of thirteen. After that time daughters are allowed to choose their husbands for themselves. The a priori supposition that these laxer rules are the more ancient, receives full confirmation from the Smârta, especially the Grihyasûtras from some of which it appears that marriages with women as well under as of more than full age were permitted by law.
But whilst the Smârta Ćástras and Sûtras permit the contraction of marriages with females under age, the Rigveda seems to be opposed to this custom. Amongst the Riks which are recited at the marriage-ceremony, there are some (R. V. X. 85, 38-41) which express the belief that the bride belongs to the three gods, Soma (the moon), Gandharva and Agni, before she passes into the possession of mortal
- ↑ The library of the Madras Board of Examiners contains seven copies of the Bharataçátra, a standard work on music, dancing and theatrical exhibitions. No. 2041, Taylor's Catalogue, I, 153), No. 1291 (Ibid, i, 291), No. 996 (Ibid, i, 433), No. 1587 (Ibid, i, 431), No. 757 (Ibid, ii, 211), No. 528 and 611 (Ibid, ii, 387), No. 284 (2) (Ibid, ii, 773). There is also a No. 1666 at vol. 1, p. 43i which is said to be "prefaced by matter on musical modes, and on the tunes adapted to times and occasions. A Telugu collection of tunes, called Sangîta Ratnákaram, was printed at Madras by Vénugo'pal Náyakkar in 1862. And the Editor possesses a similar MS. in Canarese entitled Sangîta Ratnamála.—Ed.
