Parivedanā

By Swami Harshananda

The ancient dharmaśāstras like the Gautama Dharmasutras and the Āpastamba Dharmasutras declare that a younger brother should not marry before the elder brother. In case he did, he was called ‘parivettā’ and the act was known as ‘parivedanā’. However, if the elder brother was a lunatic, a patient suffering from an incurable serious disease, an impotent person or had become a monk, the younger one was permitted to marry.

This restriction is applicable to a younger sister also who married before her elder sister. All persons involved in such act like the parents of the couple, the priest and the two brothers were considered as sinners who would go to hell. Prāyaścittas or expiations were prescribed for them all. It is rather difficult to understand the logic behind this prohibition. This custom seems to have existed among the ancient jews also.

References

• The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore