874
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 22]
TEXT 15
ऋषिरुवाच
बाढ्युद्रोढुकामोऽहमप्रत्ता च तवात्मजा । 
  आवयोरनुरूपोऽसावाद्यो वैवाहिको विधिः ॥१५॥
rṣir uvāca 
  bāḍham udvoḍhu-kāmo 'ham 
  aprattā ca tavātmajā 
  āvayor anurūpo 'sāv 
  ādyo vaivāhiko vidhiḥ
rṣiḥ —the great sage Kardama;  uvāca —said;  bāḍham —very well;  udvoḍhu-kāmaḥ —desirous to marry;  aham —I;  aprattā —not promised to anyone else;  ca —and;  tava —your;  ātma-jā —daughter;  āvayoḥ —of us two;  anurūpaḥ —proper;  asau —this;  ādyaḥ —first;  vaivāhikaḥ —of marriage;  vidhiḥ —ritualistic ceremony.
TRANSLATION
The great sage replied: Certainly I have a desire to marry, and your daughter has not yet married or given her word to anyone. Therefore our marriage according to the Vedic system can take place.
PURPORT
There were many considerations by Kardama Muni before accepting the daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu. Most important is that Devahūti had first of all fixed her mind on marrying him. She did not choose to have any other man as her husband. That is a great consideration because female psychology dictates that when a woman offers her heart to a man for the first time, it is very difficult for her to take it back. Also, she had not married before; she was a virgin girl. All these considerations convinced Kardama Muni to accept her. Therefore he said, “Yes, I shall accept your daughter under religious regulations of marriage.” There are different kinds of marriages, of which the first-class marriage is held by inviting a suitable bridegroom for the daughter and giving her in charity, well dressed and well decorated with ornaments, along with a dowry according to the means of the father. There are other kinds of marriage, such as  gāndharva  marriage and marriage by love, which are also accepted as marriage. Even