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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 9, Ch. 20]
highest classes, especially in the royal  kṣatriya  families. Mahārāja Duṣmanta's acceptance of Śakuntalā as his wife was sanctioned by Vedic culture. How the marriage took place is described in the next verse.
TEXT 16
ओमित्युक्ते यथाधर्ममुपयेमे शकुन्तलाम् । गान्धर्वविधिना राजा देशकालविधानवित् ॥१६॥
om ity ukte yathā-dharmam upayeme śakuntalām gāndharva-vidhinā rājā deśa-kāla-vidhānavit
om iti ukte —by reciting the Vedic  praṇava , invoking the Supreme Personality of Godhead to witness the marriage;  yathā-dharmam —exactly according to the principles of religion (because Nārāyaṇa becomes the witness in an ordinary religious marriage also);  upayeme —he married;  śakuntalām —the girl Śakuntalā;  gāndharva-vidhinā —by the regulative principle of the Gandharvas, without deviation from religious principles;  rājā —Mahārāja Duṣmanta;  deśa-kāla-vidhāna-vit —completely aware of duties according to time, position and objective.
TRANSLATION
When Śakuntalā responded to Mahārāja Duṣmanta's proposal with silence, the agreement was complete. Then the King, who knew the laws of marriage, immediately married her by chanting the Vedic  praṇava  [ omkāra ], in accordance with the marriage ceremony as performed among the Gandharvas.
PURPORT
The  omkāra ,  praṇava , is the Supreme Personality of Godhead represented by letters.  Bhagavad-gītā  says that the letters  a-u-m , combined together as  om , represent the Supreme Lord. Religious principles are meant to invoke the blessings and mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,  Kṛṣṇa , who says in  Bhagavad-gītā  that He is personally pres-