Understandably, Hinduism’s approach to and value of marriage differs considerably from the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism and Islam. In addition to its polytheism, predating Abrahamic monotheism, there is also no central text in Hinduism that mirrors the Torah or the Qur’an. Instead there are a wide variety of stories, passed down through generations by first oral tradition and later in writing, which comprise the textual basis of Hindu religious doctrine. It is within these stories that the Hindu concepts of marriage can be found. The Rig Veda Marriage Hymn, dating back to 1200 BCE, contains the story of the divine marriage between Sūryā and Soma as the model for human marriage. The hymn itself has 47 verses outlining all the details of the
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There are, however, numerous rules stating how a marriage should be arranged. The Laws of Manu, circa third century CE, contains teachings given to Manu by the Creator on what actions are appropriate in terms of Hindu marriage. The text says, “A man should marry a wife who is of the same class and has the right marks [physical characteristics]. A man should not marry a girl who is a redhead or has an extra limb or is sickly or has no body hair or too much body hair or talks too much. He should marry a woman who does not lack any part of her body and who has a pleasant name, who walks [gracefully], whose body hair is fine, whose teeth are not big, and who has delicate limbs.” Again we see that physical “normalcy” is praised as an important quality in a wife, characteristic of Hinduism’s connection between physical and spiritual beauty. Additionally, the requirement of a man to marry a woman of the same class or caste shows that compatibility via similar backgrounds is also important for Hindu marriage. The lack of discussion about divorce hints that Hinduism may in fact be so centered on making sure marriages last that little consideration is put into what happens when they do not last. We can infer then that marriage is so sacred within Hindu society that such precautions are necessary in order to preserve the holy nature of this spiritual union, as well as to preserve the structure of Hindu society
There are, however, numerous rules stating how a marriage should be arranged. The Laws of Manu, circa third century CE, contains teachings given to Manu by the Creator on what actions are appropriate in terms of Hindu marriage. The text says, “A man should marry a wife who is of the same class and has the right marks [physical characteristics]. A man should not marry a girl who is a redhead or has an extra limb or is sickly or has no body hair or too much body hair or talks too much. He should marry a woman who does not lack any part of her body and who has a pleasant name, who walks [gracefully], whose body hair is fine, whose teeth are not big, and who has delicate limbs.” Again we see that physical “normalcy” is praised as an important quality in a wife, characteristic of Hinduism’s connection between physical and spiritual beauty. Additionally, the requirement of a man to marry a woman of the same class or caste shows that compatibility via similar backgrounds is also important for Hindu marriage. The lack of discussion about divorce hints that Hinduism may in fact be so centered on making sure marriages last that little consideration is put into what happens when they do not last. We can infer then that marriage is so sacred within Hindu society that such precautions are necessary in order to preserve the holy nature of this spiritual union, as well as to preserve the structure of Hindu society