vivaaH = UNION OF A
MAN AND A WOMAN
TO UPHOLD DHARm
TO SUSTAIN AND RE-CREATE
HUMANITY IN THIS WORLD
AND
TO SUSTAIN OTHER CREATIONS
The entire process of creating the male-female union among humans which leads
to upholding the eternal cylce of creation, sustenance and cyclic re-creation on
this planet earth and in the universe we humans know about is extensively
detailed in veD = SCIENCES OF CREATION AND LIFE....In
veD and
veDik lifestyle, the process of male-female union among humans is
called vivaaH = marriage in
English language....
In veD is outlined 8 forms or
types of vivaaH:
- bRH`maa vivaaH:
Free will and consent of all from both parties.
- aaARSH vivaaH:
With or without full consent of the bride and bridegroom and parents with a
condition that the bridegroom gives an agreed amount of wealth to bride's
father.
- pRaajaapt`y vivaaH:
Bride is given to a bridegroom who has requested for the hand of the bride as
his DHARm or moral obligation.
- Daeev vivaaH:
A bride is given to a yjmaan that
is a man who is performing a yGN.
yjmaan is a person who wishes a
yGN to be performed and arranges
and pays for the performance of the yGN.
yGN is a veDik ceremony performed
to propitiate a god or goddess to achieve one's desire or wish.
- gaaNDHARv
vivaaH: A bride and bridegroom who are mutually in love
with each other and wishes that love to last for ever through
vivaaH.
- aasur vivaaH:
Payment of agreed wealth by the bridegroom to the bride's father and without
the consent of the bride to vivaaH.
- raaaKSHs
vivaaH: Forceful
abduction of a bride by the bridegroom for the purpose of
vivaaH.
- paeeshaach vivaaH:
Forcefully marrying a bride when the bride is sleeping or unconscious and
without bride's consent.
Only in 2 forms of vivaaH as noted
above there is exchange of any compensation of wealth for either of the bride or
bridegroom.
In veD, of the 8 forms of
vivaaH,
bRH`maa vivaaH is of the most DHARmik
or sacred and morally correct type as the union is based on total free will
including the consents of both sets of parents and following the rules of
arranging and performing vivaaH in conformance to
DHARm-shaas`TR and veD.
In veD, paeeshaach vivaaH is regarded
as the most aDHaaARmik (unlawful and
morally wrong) type of vivaaH.
All of these types of vivaaH are said
to occur among humanity in all times in all places as per
veD knowledge.
The above write-up will be continued in the days to come and in the meanwhile
the following is the text of the Bangalore protest against dowry:
From
HINDUISM TODAY and
BBC:
BANGALORE, INDIA, November 28, 2003:
Thousands of people in the southern Indian city of Bangalore have staged a
march and rally against the system of dowry.
The women protesters were joined by many men. Female and male students from
across the city marched through the streets, yelling "Down, Down, Dowry," and
holding starkly worded banners:
- "Brides are not for Burning,"
- "Real Men Don't Demand Dowry," and
- "Dowry Causes Women's Deaths."
On a truck, a mock-up of a bride being beaten was staged. Dowry - the
giving of money and goods by a bride's family to that of the groom - has been
illegal in India for more than 40 years, but on the ground it continues.
The organizers of the rally - the Karnataka State Women's Commission (KSWC)
- say that dowry-related murders and violence are continuing to be perpetrated
against women unabated.
One woman told the BBC that after 10 years of marriage, her husband's
family asked for 150,000 rupees ($3,000) extra in dowry. The reason - she had
two daughters but no son.
She says that when her family did not pay up, her husband and in-laws set upon
her two months ago and tried to burn her. Philomena Peres says brides'
families are afraid to speak out "They poured kerosene over me and lit a
match. When I screamed, my neighbours rescued me."
The chairperson of KSWC, Philomena Peres, said that despite Bangalore's
reputation as India's information technology capital, many women were still
badly treated.
According to her, there are still six to eight dowry-related deaths in the
city every day.
She said brides' families were afraid to speak out because both giving and
taking dowry is punishable; the law should be adjusted, she added.
But Ms Peres feels young people's attitudes are bringing change. The
students present at the rally will tomorrow face the world and get married,
she said. "They are the ones who should say 'No, no and no - this is enough.'
"
One of the large numbers of male students present, Anand Sankar, said he
felt taking dowry was wrong and he would not do it.
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