who are dead and gone. They will not break a custom because they see no sense in it as an Englishman or an American of strong individuality will do, but will blame their own frail intelligence that they do not see the sense in it. They have almost the same respect for what is old as Christians might have for the words of Jesus.
In the theory of caste the reason why certain occupations should be considered as pure and certain others as impure is very easy to understand; but why certain castes which have early marriage should be preferred to the castes with late marriages is a matter not so very easy.
The question of the causes of early marriages is quite different from the question why is the custom of early marriage so much honored. Early marriage itself depends on several factors. The fact that early marriage is considered sacred is simply one of the factors. That the earlier marriage should be considered holier than the late marriage is due to the hyperbolic notions of the Brahmins regarding purity. Their theory regarding early marriage may be stated as follows:
A really faithful man or woman ought not to feel affection for a woman or a man other than the one with whom he or she is united. Such purity is compulsory not only after marriage, but even before marriage, for that is the only correct ideal of chastity. No maiden could be considered pure if she feels love for a man other than the one to whom she might get married. As she does not know whom she is going to get married to, she must not feel affection for any man at all, before marriage. If she does so, it is a sin. So it is better for
