Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.20.15
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyMarriage by Agreement Within Vedic Culture
“King Duṣmanta replied: O Śakuntalā, with beautiful eyebrows, you have taken your birth in the family of the great saint Viśvāmitra, and your reception is quite worthy of your family. Aside from this, the daughters of a king generally select their own husbands.”
What the purport teaches
- Duṣmanta praised Śakuntalā's reception as worthy of her family. The purport explains that her invitation indicated her wish to accept him as her husband.
- Both desired marriage, so their agreement was natural. Marriage by personal selection or agreement is called gāndharva marriage.
- Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this marriage was sanctioned by Vedic culture. He distinguishes marriage by agreement from divorce by disagreement.
Try this today
Write down one way to show steadiness in a serious commitment.
Ask yourself
What does this account teach me about treating marriage as a lasting commitment?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.