Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupad
We all have a social life and a devotional life. Social life is to be part of Varnasrama Dharma and devotional life is to embrace Bhakti for our spiritual progress. That is why it is said that "Varnasrama Organization Oriented Vs Bhakti Individual Oriented".
Coming to Social life the 4 orders and 4 class
There are four orders of spiritual life, namely:
- brahmacarya,
- gahastha,
- vanaprastha and
- sannyasa,
Four Class
- Bramanas
- Kshatriyas
- Vaisyas
- Sudras
In kali yuga there are no Brahmanas and Kshatriyas only some of Viasyas and more of sudras.
Taking these factors for discussion there is a saying that we are what we eat and they say tell me who your friend is and I will say who you are. We are what we are by the company we choose.
This rout becomes more cemented when we marry as marriage is noting but a most close, confidential and continuous association with a specific person. So the quality, characteristic of that person whom we choose as a spouse should be done after great deliberation.
we will briefly discuss the other class first to understand how things take place and work in social life rather How should things take palce and should be worked in social life.
There are eight types of marriage described in Manusmriti (Laws of Manu) or “Manava Dharma Shastra”:
Rite of Brahmana (Brahma) – where the father of the bride invites a man learned in the Vedas and a good conduct, and gives his daughter in marriage to him after decking her with jewels and costly garments.
Rite of the Gods (Daiva) – where the daughter is groomed with ornaments and given to a priest who duly officiates at a sacrifice during the course of its performance of this rite.
Rite of the Rishis (Arsha) – when the father gives away his daughter after receiving a cow and a bull from the brightgroom.
Rite of the Prajapati - (Prajapatya) where the father gives away his daugher after blessing the couple with the text “May both of you perform together your duties”
Rite of the Asuras (Demons) – when the bridegroom receives a maiden after bestowing wealth to the kinsmen and to the bride according to his own will.
Rite of the Gandharva - the voluntary union of a maiden and her lover, which arises from desire and sexual intercourse for its purpose.
Rite of the Rakshasa - forcible abduction of a maiden from her home after her kinsmen have been slain or wounded and their houses broken open.
Rite of the Pisaka - when a man by stealth seduces a girl who is sleeping or intoxicated or is mentally disbalanced or handicapped.
Among the eight types not all had religious sanction. The last four were not religiously defined and were condemned. These are: Brahma marriage, Daiva marriage, Arsha marriage, Prajapatya marriage, Gandharva marriage, Asura marriage, Rakshasa marriage and Paishacha marriage.
The Purana narrates that a Brahman may take four wives, a Kshatriya may have three wives, a Vaisya may take two and a Shudra on the other hand can have only one wife. A woman can be given away only once in marriage. And a man who robs or carries away a married woman is considered a thief.
Notes:
As we are in Kaliyuga and the rules and this yuga all are sudras hardly any vaisyas therefore the rule is not more than one wife.
Brahmans like Rishis
Kshatriyas like the Raja Rishis
Vaisyas like one who is rich like Nanda Maharaj not Kaliyuga Vaisyas who have maximum of 5 cows taht to can be sold or bought in 2000rs and gives 2 lts of milk.
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