Child Marriage in Hinduism

 

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ‎ 

Starting with the name of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) The Most Merciful, the Entirely Merciful!

Hindus has been awake lately, trying hard to overcome the so-called threat from the Muslims. They are trying hard to find contradictions and problems in Islam but are unaware they won’t be able to find any. One of such alleged problems they have derived and have been attacking is the marriage of Prophet Muhammad PBUH with Ummul-Mu’mineen Aisha (May Allah be pleased with Her). They claim that Aisha (May Allah be pleased with Her) was 6 years old when she was married to Prophet Muhammad PBUH and was 9 years old when she consummated marriage with the Prophet PBUH. They say that it was child marriage. Please bear that the age of marriage, or age of consent or age of consummation in Islam is Puberty both for male and female. The Hindus claim this while looking at the problem with the glasses of modern age of consent. I won’t be talking about the refutation of the case of marriage of Prophet Muhammad PBUH with Aisha (May Allah be pleased with Her) as already there are numerous works done on that regard but I will be quoting Hindu scriptures that it also teaches the consummation of marriage of a girl with someone when puberty hits. It is even prescribed to marry her early (before puberty) and then consummation of marriage after she has hit puberty. 

1 Eight Forms of Marriage
There are 8 forms of marriages in Hinduism:
ब्राह्मो दैवस्तथैवार्षः प्राजापत्यस्तथाऽसुरः ।
गान्धर्वो राक्षसश्चैव पैशाचश्चाष्टमोऽधमः ॥ २१ ॥

brāhmo daivastathaivārṣaḥ prājāpatyastathā'suraḥ |
gāndharvo rākṣasaścaiva paiśācaścāṣṭamo'dhamaḥ || 21 ||

Translation: (1) The Brāhma, (2) the Daiva, (3) the Ārṣa, (1) the Prājāpatya, (5) the Āsura, (6) the Gāndharva, (7) the Rākṣasa and (8) the Paiśāca, which is the eighth and the lowest. -(21)
Manusmriti 3.21

The best form of marriage is Brahma. After the student bachelor has completed his gurukulavasa, his parents approach the parents of a girl belonging to a good family and ask them to give away their daughter in marriage to their son--to make a gift of their daughter (kanyadana) to him. A marriage arranged like this is brahma. In it this girl's family does not give any dowry or jewellery to the boy's family. There is no "commercial transaction" and the goal of a brahma marriage is the dharmic advancement of two families. Of the eight forms of marriage the dharmasastras regard this as the highest.

2 Marriage before Puberty

Swami Chandrashekarendra Saraswati writes;
“It is for these reasons that the dharmasastras, which are based on the Vedas and which constitute Hindu law, permit eight forms of marriage. In all these eight, the bride and groom have the right to be united in wedlock with the chanting of mantras. But brahma is the highest of the eight forms. In it the bride must not have attained puberty. "Pradanam prak rtoh": -- this statement is in the dharmasastras themselves. A girl's marriage, which has same significance for her that the upanayana has for a boy, must be performed when she is seven years old (or eight years from conception).”

Manusmriti says in 9.88;
उत्कृष्टायाभिरूपाय वराय सदृशाय च ।
अप्राप्तामपि तां तस्मै कन्यां दद्याद् यथाविधि ॥ ८८ ॥

utkṛṣṭāyābhirūpāya varāya sadṛśāya ca |
aprāptāmapi tāṃ tasmai kanyāṃ dadyād yathāvidhi || 88 ||

Translation: One shall give his daughter in the proper form, even though she may not have attained (the age), to a bridegroom who is of exceptionally distinguished appearance, and her equal. -(88)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Utkṛṣṭāyci-abhirupāya.’—The first term qualifies the second; and the meaning is ‘who is of exceptionally distinguished appearance.’—Or, the two terms may be taken as two distinct qualifications—‘utkṛṣṭāya’ meaning ‘one whose caste and other qualifications are remarkable,’ and ‘abhirūpāya’ meaning ‘handsome’;—the literal signification of the term being ‘rūpam ābhimukhyena prāptaḥ,’ ‘who has acquired a good appearance.’—Or, ‘abhirūpāya’ may mean well-disposed; it is in this sense that a learned man also is called ‘abhirūpa.’
‘Equal’—in caste and other matters.
‘Bridegroom’—one who marries; the son-in-law.

‘She who has not attained’; -i.e., who has no carnal desires aroused, who is still too young, not having reached the youthful age, called ‘nagnikā’ in another Smṛti-text; i.e., one in whom the sexual instinct has not arisen, who is only eight or six years old, but not a mere infant; as is indicated by the qualifications (elsewhere)—‘one who is eight years old.’ This same qualification may also be indicative of the fact that marriage is meant to be conducive to spiritual merit If mere Lust were the sole inducement to Marriage, wherefore could there be any marriage of the girl ‘who has not attained her age’?
There is no force however in this; as people are found to many very young girls with a view to her dowry. And it has been fully explained under Discourse III that all forms of activity are not in accordance with what is laid down in the scriptures. -(88)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha;
‘Aprāptām’—‘Who has not attained the marriageable age,’ (Medhātithi and Rāghavānanda);—‘who has not attained eight years of age’ (Kullūka and Nārāyaṇa).
This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 481), which explains ‘aprāptām’ as ‘one whose marriage time has not arrived, i. e., who is still a child’;—in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 124), which explains ‘aprāptām’ as ‘one who has not attained the age that is most commended for marriage’;—in Vīramitrodya (Saṃskāra, p. 755), which reproduces the explanation of ‘aprāptām’ given in Parāśaramādhava;—in Smṛtikaumudī (p. 39), as countenancing the marrying of a girl even before she is of the proper age;—in Śuddhikaumudī (p. 30) to the same effect;—and in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 103), which explains ‘aprāptām’ as ‘one who has not attained the right age,’ who may be given away in consideration of the special qualifications of the bridegroom.

Comparative notes by various authors (verses 9.88-89);

Gautama (18-21).—‘A girl should be given in marriage before puberty.’
Vaśiṣṭha (17.70).—‘Out of fear of the appearance of the menses, let the father marry his daughter while she still runs about naked. For if she stays in the home after the age of puberty, sin falls on the father.’
Baudhāyana (4. 1.11).—‘Let him give his daughter, while she still goes about naked, to a man who has not broken the vow of chastity and who possesses good qualities, or even to one destitute of good qualities; let him not keep the maiden in his house after she has reached the age of puberty.’
Yama (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 754).—‘Family, character, beautiful body, age, learning, wealth, presence of guardians,—these seven qualifications should he sought for before a girl is given away; nothing else need he considered.’
Lalla (Do.).—‘Caste, learning, age, character, health, large family, wealth, Brahmanic character,—these eight should he the qualities of the Bridegroom.’
Gautama (Do.).—‘One should give away his daughter to a man who is endowed with learning, character, relations and good conduct.’
Śātātapa (Do., p. 755).—‘That bridegroom should he selected who is seeking for a wife and is endowed with good family and character, handsome, learned, intelligent and young, and free from defects.’

It is written in Srimad Bhagavatam 4.25.42;
कस्या मनस्ते भुवि भोगिभोगयो:
स्त्रिया न सज्जेद्भुजयोर्महाभुज ।
योऽनाथवर्गाधिमलं घृणोद्धत
स्मितावलोकेन चरत्यपोहितुम् ॥ ४२ ॥

kasyā manas te bhuvi bhogi-bhogayoḥ
striyā na sajjed bhujayor mahā-bhuja
yo ’nātha-vargādhim alaṁ ghṛṇoddhata-
smitāvalokena caraty apohitum

Translation: O mighty-armed, who in this world will not be attracted by your arms, which are just like the bodies of serpents? Actually you relieve the distress of husbandless women like us by your attractive smile and your aggressive mercy. We think that you are traveling on the surface of the earth just to benefit us only.

Swami Prabhupada says in its commentary;
When a husbandless woman is attacked by an aggressive man, she takes his action to be mercy. A woman is generally very much attracted by a man’s long arms. A serpent’s body is round, and it becomes narrower and thinner at the end. The beautiful arms of a man appear to a woman just like serpents, and she very much desires to be embraced by such arms. 

The word anātha-vargā is very significant in this verse. Nātha means “husband,” and a means “without.” A young woman who has no husband is called anātha, meaning “one who is not protected.” As soon as a woman attains the age of puberty, she immediately becomes very much agitated by sexual desire. It is therefore the duty of the father to get his daughter married before she attains puberty. Otherwise she will be very much mortified by not having a husband. Anyone who satisfies her desire for sex at that age becomes a great object of satisfaction. It is a psychological fact that when a woman at the age of puberty meets a man and the man satisfies her sexually, she will love that man for the rest of her life, regardless who he is. Thus so-called love within this material world is nothing but sexual satisfaction. 

Vishnu Purana 3.10.16;
"A man should marry a girl 1/3 of his age"

Manusmriti 9.94;
त्रिंशद्वर्षो वहेत् कन्यां हृद्यां द्वादशवार्षिकीम् ।
त्र्यष्टवर्षोऽष्टवर्षां वा धर्मे सीदति सत्वरः ॥ ९४ ॥

triṃśadvarṣo vahet kanyāṃ hṛdyāṃ dvādaśavārṣikīm |
tryaṣṭavarṣo'ṣṭavarṣāṃ vā dharme sīdati satvaraḥ || 94 ||

Translation: A man thirty years old shall marry a charming maiden twelve years old; or one twenty four years old, a damsel eight years old; in the event of his duties suffering, he may do it sooner. -(94)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
“What the injunction means is that the maiden married should be so much younger than the man;—and not that marriage must be done only at. the age stated. Nor is any stress meant to be laid upon the exact number of years mentioned; all that is meant is that one should many a girl very much younger than himself.”

Mahabharat 13.44.31;
“A person of thirty years of age should wed a girl of ten years of age called a Nagnika. Or, a person of one and twenty years of age should wed a girl of seven years of age"

Baudhayana Dharma sutra 4/1/11-12;
11) Let him give his daughter, while she still goes naked, to a man who has not broken the vow of chastity and who possesses good qualities, or even to one destitute of good qualities; let him not keep (the maiden) in (his house) after she has reached the age of puberty.”
12) He who does not give away a marriageable daughter during three years doubtlessly contracts a guilt equal to (that of) destroying an embryo.

Vashishtha Dharmasutra 17.70;
“Out of fear of the appearance of the menses let the father marry his daughter while she still runs about naked. For if she stays (in the house) after the age of puberty, sin falls on the father.”

Parashar smriti 7.5-6;
"The mother, and the father, and likewise the eldest brother, all these three relatives will go to hell, if before menstruation they neglect to marry the girl."

Padma Purana VI.118.2-15;

“A man should marry his daughter as long as she has not attained puberty. Wise men recommend a girl’s marriage when she is eight years old.”

Brihaspati smriti 24.3;
"If the father does not marry before during her menstruation or if a Husband doesn't have intercourse with her during her periods they become legally reprehensible and deserving of punishment."

Samvarta Samhitha verses 66-68;
"By seeing a maiden in menses, her mother, father and eldest brother these three go to hell. Therefore one should espouse a maiden before she has menstruated; the marriage of an eight years old maiden is most preferrable.”

3 Conclusion

From the aforementioned evidence and the scriptures quoted, it must be understood that Hinduism has supported prepubescent child marriages but the consummation of the marriage can only be done after puberty. Now the question rests on the Hindus that if it is Child Marriage or not according to today’s principle? And does it mean that Hinduism is immoral or not?

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