Marriage - Definition — MCQs

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Under classical Hindu law, marriage was primarily regarded as:
- A civil contract like any commercial agreement
- A religious sacrament (samskara) (correct answer)
- A temporary social arrangement
- A purely economic transaction
Explanation. Classical Hindu law treated marriage as one of the sixteen samskaras, not a civil contract.
The three traditional purposes of Hindu marriage are commonly summarised as:
- Profit, Pleasure, Power
- Dharma, Praja, Rati (correct answer)
- Wealth, Status, Alliance
- Duty, Money, Land
Explanation. Dharma (duty), Praja (progeny), and Rati (companionship) form the traditional triad of purposes.
In Tikait Mon Mohini Jamadai v. Basanta Kumar Singh, the court held that:
- Registration is compulsory for validity
- The bride's consent was not legally essential under the sacramental view (correct answer)
- A civil ceremony was required
- Bigamy is always valid
Explanation. The court held that consent was not required for a sacramental marriage, unlike a civil contract.
Which of the following best describes the modern legal character of Hindu marriage after the 1955 Act?
- Purely sacramental, unchanged since ancient times
- A pure civil contract with fully negotiable terms
- A sacred union regulated by statute, with conditions of validity and divorce (correct answer)
- Entirely dissolved concept, replaced by live-in relationships
Explanation. The Act kept the sacramental base and added contract-like features: conditions of validity, void and voidable marriages, and divorce. Modern Hindu marriage is a sacred union regulated by statute.
Which feature is NOT associated with the classical sacramental view of Hindu marriage?
- Indissolubility
- Performed for spiritual merit
- Freely negotiable terms between parties (correct answer)
- Bride's consent not treated as essential
Explanation. Unlike a civil contract, a sacramental marriage's terms were fixed by scripture, not negotiable by the parties.
The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 introduced which contract-like feature?
- Negotiable dowry terms
- Statutory conditions, grounds for nullity and divorce (correct answer)
- Abolition of all ceremonies
- Mandatory civil-only marriages
Explanation. The Act introduced fixed statutory conditions (Section 5) and grounds for nullity and divorce, resembling a regulated legal status.
Under classical Hindu law, the remarriage of a widow was:
- Compulsory
- Not allowed by most schools (correct answer)
- Recorded in a register
- Encouraged by every school
Explanation. Under classical law marriage was a sacrament. It could not be ended, the consent of the bride and groom was not essential, and most schools did not allow a widow to remarry.
A couple completes Saptapadi but never registers their marriage under Section 8. Is the marriage valid?
- No, registration is mandatory for validity
- Yes, the ceremony itself makes it valid (correct answer)
- Only if both parties are over 25
- Only if performed in a temple
Explanation. Section 7 requires the customary rites and ceremonies. Section 8 registration only helps to prove the marriage, and failure to register does not affect its validity.
How many classical forms of Hindu marriage are traditionally recognised?
- Four
- Six
- Eight (correct answer)
- Ten
Explanation. Classical Hindu law recognised eight forms of marriage, four approved and four unapproved.
Which of these is an APPROVED (prashasta) form of marriage?
- Asura
- Brahma (correct answer)
- Rakshasa
- Paishacha
Explanation. Brahma is one of the four approved forms, along with Daiva, Arsha, and Prajapatya.
Gandharva marriage is based on:
- Payment to the bride's family
- Mutual love and consent, without formal ceremony (correct answer)
- Forcible abduction
- A father's gift of his daughter to a priest
Explanation. Gandharva marriage arises purely from mutual love and consent, without formal ceremony or parental involvement.
Rakshasa marriage, involving forcible abduction, is today:
- Still a valid classical form
- Not a separate category today: every Hindu marriage is tested only against sections 5 and 7 (correct answer)
- Compulsory in certain communities
- Recognised under the Special Marriage Act
Explanation. None of the eight classical forms is a separate category today. Every Hindu marriage is tested only against sections 5 and 7.
In the table of the eight classical forms, which form rests on payment?
- Brahma
- Arsha
- Asura (correct answer)
- Prajapatya
Explanation. Asura rests on payment. The unapproved forms are Asura (payment), Gandharva (mutual love without ceremony), Rakshasa (abduction) and Paishacha (deceit).
Does mutual consent alone (Gandharva-style) create a valid Hindu marriage today?
- Yes, consent alone is sufficient
- No, a valid ceremony under Section 7 is still required (correct answer)
- Only if both parties are over 30
- Only in urban areas
Explanation. Modern law still requires a valid ceremony under Section 7; mutual consent alone is not enough.
Asura marriage was considered unapproved primarily because it involved:
- Elopement
- Payment or bride-price to the bride's family (correct answer)
- Force
- Deception while asleep
Explanation. Asura marriage rests on payment. The four approved forms are Brahma, Daiva, Arsha and Prajapatya, in which the father gives the bride freely.
What do all four approved forms of marriage have in common?
- Payment of a bride-price
- Voluntary giving by the father/guardian without payment, force, or deception (correct answer)
- Abduction by the groom
- Absence of any ceremony
Explanation. All four approved forms involved voluntary giving by the father or guardian, free of payment, force, or deception.