1859.] On the Swayamvara of the Ancient Hindus. 31 



On the Swayamvara of the Ancient Hindus, and its traces in the 

 ancient world generally. — By E. B. Co well, M. A. 



One of the favourite incidents in the heroic poems of the Hindus 

 is the rite called Swayamvara or the choice of a husband by a 

 princess from an assembly of suitors met from all parts to take 

 their chance in the lottery. Success is not represented as depend- 

 ing on their own efforts, as in many of our fairy tales, where the 

 knight wins the lady by his own prowess in a tournament ; the 

 heroes here submit themselves in silent rivalry to the princess's in- 

 spection as she walks along their line, and selects from the throng 

 the favoured suitor by presenting him with a garland, or a cup of 

 water, or some such token of regard. The readers of Hindu poetry 

 will at once remember many instances of this peculiar institution, 

 which must have been not uncommon in actual life as well as in the 

 ideal world of the heroic times, since we find it apparently alluded 

 to in the following passage in Arrian's Indica. " The Indians nei- 

 ther give nor receive gifts when they marry, but when their daugh- 

 ters are of a marriageable age, their fathers bring them out publicly, 

 ,and set them as the prize for the winner in a wrestling or boxing 

 or running match, or any such manly exercise." This hardly cor- 

 responds with the practice as we find it described in Hindu liter- 

 ature, since Arrian represents the lady as acting a merely passive 

 part, whereas, if we may judge by the poems and by the very name 

 Swayamvara (from " Sway am" " herself," and vara, " choosing,") she 

 had a much more active share in the transaction.* Dean Milman 



* The custom is not found among the various forms of marriage given in 

 Manu's third book, but this may be explained by the fact that the Swayamvara 

 relates only to the choice of the husband, the nuptial ceremony being performed 

 afterwards according to the proper rites. We find an allusion in a later part of 

 the Institutes which proves the prevalence of the custom, as it is said (ix. 90, 91), 

 " three years let a damsel wait, though she be marriageable ; but, after that 

 term, let her choose for herself (vindeta,J a bridegroom of equal rank ; if, not 

 being given in marriage, she choose her bridegroom (adhigachhed yadi sway am, J 

 neither she nor the youth chosen commits any offence." The Scholiast explains 

 it of the so-called Swayamvara, " adhikagunavardlabhe samunajdl igunam varum 

 sway am vrinita." 



