योषितां विवाहे प्रशस्तकालःThe right time for a girl to marry
Verse 107
अज्ञातपतिमर्यादामज्ञातपतिसेवनाम् । नोद्वाहयेत् पिता बालामज्ञातधर्मशासनाम् ॥ १०७ ॥
ajñātapatimaryādāmajñātapatisēvanām | nōdvāhayēt pitā bālāmajñātadharmaśāsanām || 107 ||
Translation
A father should not give in marriage a young girl who does not yet know the bounds of a husband's house, nor the service of a husband, nor the teaching of dharma.
Word by word
- ajñāta
- who does not know
- pati
- of a husband
- maryādām
- (maryādām) the bounds
- sēvanām
- (sevanām) the service
- na
- not
- udvāhayēt
- (udvāhayet) should give in marriage
- pitā
- a father
- bālām
- (bālām) a young girl
- dharma
- of dharma
- śāsanām
- the teaching
Meaning
An important rule, and one listed among the chapter's topics as "the right time for a girl to marry": a girl must not be married before she understands what marriage is and what it asks, and knows dharma. In a society where child marriage was common, this sets a condition of maturity and understanding.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
See the commentary on verse 106.