One of the eight
methods to conduct a marriage acknowledged in dharma literature, or religious
responsibility treatises.
The rakshasas are a kind of demon, and rakshasa marriage
occurs when a man has sexual relations with a woman after dragging her away by
force.
Even though it was recognized a lawful marriage, this was
one of the four odious (aprashasta) kinds of marriage and was outlawed due to
the woman's lack of consent.
(Here, the authors seem to be more concerned with giving the
"bride" legal status as a wife than with legitimizing the
"groom's" acts.) This kind of marriage has been prohibited since the
dharma literature was first codified in the years before the common period,
despite the fact that it is theoretically legitimate.
Although the rakshasa marriage has never been widely
recognized, there are certain groups where the wedding ceremony includes a
ritualized fight and the capture of the bride.
The barat, the groom's and his family's parade to the
wedding place, may even be seen as a ritualized triumphant arrival after
victory.
Marriage, eight classical forms, wedding ceremonies, and
marriage bans are also covered.
