The Kama Sutra

When the girl cannot make up her mind, or will not express her readiness

to marry, the man should obtain her in any one of the following ways:--

(1). On a fitting occasion, and under some excuse, he should by means of

a female friend with whom he is well acquainted, and whom he can trust,

and who also is well known to the girl's family, get the girl brought

unexpectedly to his house, and he should then bring fire from the house

of a Brahman, and proceed as before described.

(2.) When the marriage of the girl with some other person draws near,

the man should disparage the future husband to the utmost in the mind of

the mother of the girl, and then having got the girl to come with her

mother's consent to a neighbouring house, he should bring fire from the

house of a Brahman, and proceed as above.

(3.) The man should become a great friend of the brother of the girl,

the said brother being of the same age as himself, and addicted to

courtesans, and to intrigues with the wives of other people, and should

give him assistance in such matters, and also give him occasional

presents. He should then tell him about his great love for his sister,

as young men will sacrifice even their lives for the sake of those who

may be of the same age, habits, and dispositions as themselves. After

this the man should get the girl brought by means of her brother to some

secure place, and having brought fire from the house of a Brahman,

should proceed as before.

(4.) The man should on the occasion of festivals get the daughter of the

nurse to give the girl some intoxicating substance, and then cause her

to be brought to some secure place under the pretence of some business,

and there having enjoyed her before she recovers from her intoxication,

should bring fire from the house of a Brahman, and proceed as before.

(5.) The man should, with the connivance of the daughter of the nurse,

carry off the girl from her house while she is asleep, and then, having

enjoyed her before she recovers from her sleep, should bring fire from

the house of a Brahman, and proceed as before.

(6.) When the girl goes to a garden, or to some village in the

neighbourhood, the man should, with his friends, fall on her guards, and

having killed them, or frightened them away, forcibly carry her off, and

proceed as before.

There are verses on the subject as follows:--In all the forms of

marriage given in this chapter of this work, the one that precedes is

better than the one that follows it, on account of its being more in

accordance with the commands of religion, and therefore it is only when

it is impossible to carry the former into practice that the latter

should be resorted to. As the fruit of all good marriages is love, the

Gandharva[52] form of marriage is respected, even though it is formed

under unfavourable circumstances, because it fulfils the object sought

for. Another cause of the respect accorded to the Gandharva form of

marriage is, that it brings forth happiness, causes less trouble in its

performance than any other forms of marriage, and is above all the

result of previous love.