By H.H. Chandramauli Swami
The nine principal rsis, or sages, are Marici, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrgu, Vasistha and Atharva. All these rsis are most important, and Brahma desired that the nine daughters already born of Kardama Muni be handed over to them. Here two words are used very significantly – yatha-silam and yatha-ruci. The daughters should be handed over to the respective rsis, not blindly, but according to the combination of character and taste. That is the art of combining a man and woman. Man and woman should not be united simply on the consideration of sex life. There are many other considerations, especially character and taste. If the taste and character different between the man and woman, their combination will be unhappy.
Even about forty years ago, in Indian marriages, the taste and character of the boy and girl were first of all matched, and then they were allowed to marry. This was done under the direction of the respective parents. The parents used to astrologically determine the character and tastes of the boy and girl, and when they corresponded, the match was selected: “This girl and this boy are just suitable, and they should be married.” Other considerations were less important.
The same system was also advised in the beginning of the creation by Brahma: “Your daughters should be handed over to the rsis according to taste and character.” According to astrological calculation, a person is classified according to whether he belongs to the godly or demoniac quality. In that way the spouse was selected. A girl of godly quality should be handed over to a boy of godly quality. A girl of demoniac quality should be handed over to a boy of demoniac quality. Then they will be happy. But if the girl is demoniac and the boy is godly, then the combination is incompatible; they cannot be happy in such a marriage. At the present moment, because boys and girls are not married according to quality and character, most marriages are unhappy, and there is divorce.
It is foretold in the Twelfth Canto of the Bhagavatam that in this age of Kali married life will be accepted on the consideration of sex only; when the boy and girl are pleased in sex, they get married, and when there is deficiency in sex, they separate. That is not actual marriage, but a combination of men and women like cats and dogs. Therefore, the children produced in the modern age are not exactly human beings. Human beings must be twice-born. A child is first born of a good father and mother, and then he is born again of the spiritual master and the Vedas. The first mother and father bring about his birth into the world; then the spiritual master and the Vedas become his second father and mother. According to the Vedic system of marriage for producing children, every man and woman was enlightened in spiritual knowledge, and at the time of their combination to produce a child, everything was scrutinizingly and scientifically done. (End of Srila Prabhupada’s purport.)
HH Candramauli Swami: So before I begin I would like to take the blessings of all the assembled Vaisnavas so I can somehow or the other say something that is meaningful. So this particular section here is being described as. Actually, if you go through these verses you see that it talks a lot about suitable arrangements for marriages and especially this verse.
First of all Kardama Muni was a progenitor and he produced nine very qualified and very devotional girls. Those nine girls were later given to nine rsis. The matter is mentioned in the beginning of the fourth canto. The first chapter describes which girl went to which rsis and all their progeny actually populated the universe. So it is described very scientifically here.
Srila Prabhupada spends most of his purport describing the accordance of marriage as a basis for practicing spiritual life and how that combination is a feature of the success of ones Krsna consciousness. Herein it is mentioned how character should be matched up and if it is not done Prabhupada uses the word unhappy, the relationships become difficult and it is very hard to practice Krsna consciousness.
So in Vedic culture the authority of seniors was given so much importance. Here it is mentioned Lord Brahma is giving the recommendation on what to do. Kardama Muni could and he is in the position as the father of these daughters to make arrangements for the daughters. Lord Brahma said gives his recommendation, “Here is nine very qualified sages and your daughters are also very qualified so please make this arrangement and you will see they will live very successfully both in populating the universe and having the best of all devotional children.”
So Kardama Muni follows that. The very interest part of this verse is the following of authority. Srila Prabhupada explains that in married life especially in today’s societies, not only in western society but all societies that are no longer based on the Vedic culture, people no longer take advantage of direction from authorities. They act independently according to physical attraction, physical infatuation and what is the result? Generally the result is that there is varna sankara, unwanted population.
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