876
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 3, Ch. 22]
daughter in charity to a suitable son-in-law is considered to be one of the pious activities of a householder. There are eight forms of marriage mentioned in the scripture  Manu-smṛti , but only one process of marriage,  brāhma  or  rājasika  marriage, is now current. Other kinds of marriage, by love, by exchange of garlands or by kidnapping the bride, are now forbidden in this Kali Age. Formerly,  kṣatriyas  would, at their pleasure, kidnap a princess from another royal house, and there would be a fight between the  kṣatriya  and the girl's family; then, if the kidnapper was the winner, the girl would be offered to him for marriage. Even  Kṛṣṇa  married Rukmiṇī by that process, and some of His sons and grandsons also married by kidnapping.  Kṛṣṇa 's grandson kidnapped Duryodhana's daughter, which caused a fight between the Kuru and Yadu families. Afterwards, an adjustment was made by the elderly members of the Kuru family. Such marriages were current in bygone ages, but at the present moment they are not possible because the strict principles of  kṣatriya  life have practically been abolished. Since India has become dependent on foreign countries, the particular influences of her social orders have been lost; now, according to the scriptures, everyone is a  śūdra . The so-called  brāhmaṇas ,  kṣatriyas  and  vaiśyas  have forgotten their traditional activities, and in the absence of these activities they are called  śūdras . It is said in the scriptures,  kalau śūdra-sambhava . In the age of Kali everyone will be like  śūdras . The traditional social customs are not followed in this age, although formerly they were followed strictly.
TEXT 17
यां हर्म्यपृष्ठे कणदङ्घ्रिशोभां 
    विक्रीडतां कन्दुकविह्वलाक्षीम् । 
    विश्वावसुर्न्यपत्स्वाद्विमाना- 
    द्विलोक्य सम्मोहविमूढचेताः ॥१७॥
yām harmya-pṛṣṭhe kvaṇad-aṅghri-śobhām  
 vikrīḍatīm kanduka-vihvalākṣīm  
 viśvāvasur nyapatat svād vimānād  
 vilokya sammoha-vimūḍha-cetāḥ
yām —whom;  harmya-pṛṣṭhe —on the roof of the palace;  kvaṇat-aṅghri-śobhām —whose beauty was heightened by the tinkling ornaments on her feet;  vikrīḍatīm —playing;  kanduka-vihvala-akṣīm —with eyes bewildered,