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Mahabharata -Rajagopalachari
5.THE MARRIAGE OF DEVAYANI
She replied: "I am the daughter of
Sukracharya. He does not know that I
have fallen into the well. Lift me up" and
she held forth her hands. Yayati seized her
hand and helped her out of the well.
Devayani did not wish to return to the
capital of the king of the asuras. She did
not feel it safe to go there, as she
pondered again and again on Sarmishtha's
conduct. She told Yayati: "You have held
a maiden by her right hand, and you must
marry her. I feel that you are in every way
worthy to be my husband."
Yayati replied: "Loving soul, I am a
kshatriya and you are a brahmana maiden.
How can I marry you? How can the
daughter of Sukracharya, who is worthy to
be the preceptor of the whole world,
submit to be the wife of a kshatriya like
myself? Revered lady, return home."
Having said these words Yayati went back
to his capital.
A kshatriya maiden could marry a
brahmana, according to the ancient
tradition, but it was considered wrong for
a brahmana maiden to marry a kshatriya.
The important thing was to keep the racial
status of women unlowered. Hence
anuloma or the practice of marrying men
of higher castes was legitimate and the
reverse practice, known as pratiloma, i.e.
marrying men of a lower caste, was
prohibited by the sastras.
Devayani had no mind to return home.
She remained sunk in sorrow in the shade
of a tree in forest. Sukracharya loved
Devayani more than his life. After waiting
long in vain for the return of his daughter
who had gone to play with her
companions, he sent a woman in search of
her.
The messenger after a weary search came
on her at last near the tree where she was
sitting in dejection, her eyes red with
anger and grief. And she asked her what
had happened.
Devayani said: "Friend, go at once and tell
my father that I will not set my foot in the
capital of Vrishaparva" and she sent her
back to Sukracharya.
Extremely grieved at the sad plight of his
daughter Sukracharya hurried to her.
Caressing her, he said: "It is by their own
actions, good or bad, that men are happy
or miserable. The virtues or vices of
others will not affect us in the least." With
these words of wisdom, he tried to
console her.
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