The Vidhāna Pārijāt isan encyclopaedic text on Hindu law, one out of manysuch attempts at compilation during medieval times.In Part 1, on page 691, this text has an importantcomment to offer on the marriage of Duṣyanta andŚakuntalā. It says that when Ŗshi Kaṇva returned to his ashram afterhis journey, he performed a homa ritual even though Duṣyanta hadmarried Śakuntalā earlier during the absence ofKaṇva and without his knowledge or consent,according to the gāndharva form of marriage. Thishoma is referred toin the famous play AbhijñānaŚākuntalam of Kālidāsa butdoes not appear in the Mahābhārata, from which Kālidāsa tookthe story and modified the narrative to base hisplay on. Thus we may treat it as part of acommentary on the play by Kālidāsa and not on thegeneric story of Duṣyanta and Śakuntalā. Thischapter is an attempt to understand the observationin the VidhānaPārijāt.

The Hindu marriage has the following eight formsrecognized and men¬tioned in all the law books:

• 1. Brāhma: Inthis the guardian of the bride invites the groomand gives the girlto him in marriage. This is almost the onlyrecognized form of Hindu marriage today. The pointof this marriage is that the bride is a ‘gift’, ordāna, to the groomso that he can enter the householder's stage inhis life after he has completed his basiceducation. This cannot be done without a wife. Sohe is treated with all the honour that is due aperson who receives a dāna in the Hindu religious system. The‘giver’, a guardian of the girl, receives the samereligious benefit which the giver of dāna is believed toreceive. Many lawgivers praise it as the highestform of dāna sincethe recipient has indeed been given somethinginvaluable – the one legitimate means ofcontinuing his line with worldly honour andheavenly blessings. This form has received all theattention and care in choosing the bride and thegroom, and all the complex calculations – theastrological chartings, the consanguinitytabulations and so on – are in relation to thisform.