1. Verses promoting Child Marriage
Parashar Smriti 7.5-6
When the twelfth year is reached by the female child, if the guardian does not give her away in marriage, her forefathers drink, without interruption, during each succeeding month, whatever blood is passed in her courses. The mother, and the father, and likewise the eldest brother, all these three relatives will go to hell, if before menstruation they neglect to marry the girl.” (source)
Yama Smriti Verse 22
The father, who does give away [in marriage] his maiden-daughter after she has attained the twelfth year, drinks her menstrual blood, month after month.” (source)
Gautama Dharmasutra 18.21-23
A girl should be given in marriage before (she attains the age of) puberty. He who neglects it, commits sin. Some (declare, that a girl shall be given in marriage) before she wears clothes.” (source)
Padma Purana 6.118.2-15
A man should marry his daughter as long as she has not attained puberty. Wise men recommend a girl’s marriage when she is eight years old.” (source)
Brahma Viavarta Purana Krishna Janma Khanda 76.54
The one who gives away a girl of eight years adorned with ornaments to a Brahmana, he achieves the merit of donation to goddess Durga.” (source)
Vishnu Smriti 24.41
A damsel whose menses begin to appear (while she is living) at her father’s house, before she has been betrothed to a man, has to be considered as a degraded woman: by taking her (without the consent of her kinsmen) a man commits no wrong.” (source)
Samvarta Smriti Verse 66-68
A maiden eight years [old] becomes Gouri; one of nine years a Rohini; and of ten years, a Kanya (maiden); and after that, a Rajasvala (a woman in menses). By seeing a maiden in menses, her mother, father and eldest brother these three go to hell. Therefore one should espouse a maiden before she has menstruated; the marriage of an eight years old maiden is most preferrable.” (source)
Baudhayana Dharmsutra 4.1.11
Let him give his daughter, while she still goes naked, to a man who has not broken the vow of chastity and who possesses good qualities, or even to one destitute of good qualities; let him not keep (the maiden) in (his house) after she has reached the age of puberty.” (source)
Brahma Purana Gautami Mahatmya 95.7
After the fourth year and before the completion of the tenth year the marriage of his daughter must be performed scrupulously by the father.” (source)
Vasishtha Dharmasutra 17.70
Out of fear of the appearance of the menses let the father marry his daughter while she still runs about naked. For if she stays (in the house) after the age of puberty, sin falls on the father.” (source)
Mahabharata 13.44.13
A person of thirty years of age should wed a girl of ten years of age called a Nagnika. Or, a person of one and twenty years of age should wed a girl of seven years of age.” (source)
Vishnu Purana 3.10.16
If he marry, he must select a maiden who is of a third of his age.” (source)
Manusmriti 9:94
A man thirty years old shall marry a charming maiden twelve years old; or one twenty four years old, a damsel eight years old; in the event of his duties suffering, he may do it sooner.” (source)
Manusmriti 9:88
One shall give his daughter in the proper form, even though she may not have attained (the age), to a bridegroom who is of exceptionally distinguished appearance, and her equal.” (source)
Padma Purana 2.85.62-66a
Wise men get married their unmarried daughter(s). As long as she does not menstruate (i.e. does not attain puberty)…” (source)
Padma Purana 2.47.47-65
The father should keep his daughter in his house till she becomes eight years old. He should not keep a strong (i.e. grown up) one. Both the parents get the (fruit of the) sin which a daughter, living in her father’s house, commits.” (source)
Garuda Purana Chp 95
The relations of a girl incur the sin of wilfully creating a miscarriage, or of killing a foetus in the event of their failing to give her away in marriage before she has commenced to menstruate. A girl is at liberty to make her own choice, and to be united with a husband, in the absence of any such relation to give her away in marriage.” (source)
Brahmanda Purana 3.19.11
Many sons should be sought so that at least one would go to Gayā, one shall marry a girl of the Gaurī type (i.e. of eight years or one who is a virgin) or one shall discharge a Nala (? lean like a red) bull.” (source)
Vayu Purana 21.12-15
It is better to wish for many sons. At least one of them will go to Gaya or marry a girl eight years old or discharge a blue ox (free to wander)…’Brhaspati said: A son begot after marrying after marrying a girl of eight years sanctifies twentyone generations. Moreover, he sanctifies six generations in the family of his maternal uncle. This is remembered as the benefit (of such marriage).” (source)
Vyasa Smriti 2.2-7
of auspicious signs, clad in silken garments, and not above eight years of age, and whose paternal ancestors to the tenth degree in the ascending line were all men of renown, should be solemnly wedded by a (twice-born) according to religious rites, if preferred in marriage. The sin incidental to (an act of) procuring abortion (lie: destruction of the foetus) is committed, if through the if negligence of a her giver a girl menstruates before her marriage. He, who does not give away a daughter in marriage before she attains puberty, becomes degraded.” (source)
Skanda Purana 7.1.205.80-86
If girl, before being consecrated by marriage rites, has her menses in the house of her father, her Pitrs become fallen and that girl is called Vrsali. If a is Brahmana knowingly marries that girl, they say, he is not fit for a Sraddha. He cannot be in the same row as others. He is a Vrsalipati. Gauri virgin is the best and most important. Rohini is considered as Madhyama (middling). Rajasvala should be known as the bases though equal to her (Rohini) image. When there is no menstrual flow, she is Gauri. When there is the flow she is Rohini. If the girlhood has not fully developed she is Kanya. One without breasts is Nagnika. A seven year old girl is Gauri; nine year old is Nagnika. Ten year old shall be Kanya; above that she is Rajasvala. Through breasts she spoils the family of her father and through menstrual flow, she spoils the desirable goal (salvation) and pleasures of the other worlds of her father. He who marries one with menstrual flow should be known as Vrsalipati.” (source)
Devi Bhagavatam 9.41.26-47
The World-Mother never stays even for a moment in his house who eats at the house of one who marries an unmarried girl twelve years old in whom menstruation has commenced.” (source)
2. Examples of women getting married at pre-adolescent ages
Devi bhagavatam 3.27.40
My daughter has come to a marriageable age; I have no money. Her age has exceeded ten years; the marriageable age limit has been exceeded. Alas! What am I to do?” (source)
Devi bhagavatam 5.17.3-26
The King Candrasena, the father, was very pleased to have this beautiful daughter and gladly called her by the name of Mandodarī. This daughter began to grow daily like the phases of the Moon. When she grew ten years old, she became very handsome. The King now became anxious to have a suitable bridegroom and used to think of it everyday. The Brāhmins then told the king that there was a prince named Kambugrīva, the intelligent son of the powerful king Sudhanvā of Madra” (source)
Skanda Purana 3.3.18.4-6
When she was aged twelve years, the girl had beauty of form and all good features. A Brāhmaṇa named Padmanābha whose wife had passed away, requested for the hand of the girl. The Brāhmaṇa had plenty of wealth. He was calm and quiet. He was a permanent companion of the king. So the father of the girl did not dare to refuse. He gave the daughter to him. The marriage was celebrated at midday.” (source)
Skanda Purana 7.1.166.17-20
My dear daughter, it is time that you are to be given away in marriage. But no youth has approached me with a request. Even after pondering over, I do not find any bridegroom befitting ourselves. You are to behave in a manner that will give no cause to the Devas to despise me. My dear daughter, I have heard this cited in sacred scriptures. ‘If without being consecrated (in marriage) a girl discharges her menses in her father’s house the father earns the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaying and the girl is known as a Vṛṣalī (Śūdrā).’ Therefore, I am sending you off in the company of aged ministers. Hurry up. Choose your own husband and decide.” (source)
Brahma Viavarta Purana Prakriti Khanda 49.36-39
In the Varaha-kalpa, Radhika was born in the village of Gokula in the family of a Vaisya cowherd. She was born without any human contact… After the expiry of twelve years, finding her becoming youthful, she was married to a trader named Rayana” (source)
3. Ram marries 6 year old Sita
Valmiki Ramayana 3.47.3-11
I am the daughter of noble-souled Janaka, the king of Mithila, by name I am Seetha, and the dear wife and queen of Rama, let safety betide you. On residing in the residence of Ikshvaku-s in Ayodhya for twelve years, I was in sumptuosity of all cherishes while relishing all humanly prosperities. In the thirteenth year the lordly king Dasharatha deliberated together with his imperial ministers to anoint Rama as Crown Prince of Ayodhya. When Raghava’s anointment was being organised my venerable mother-in-law known as Kaikeyi begged her husband Dasharatha for a boon. Restraining my veracious father-in-law by a good deecronce done by her in this respect, Kaikeyi besought two boons from him, namely expatriation of my husband, and anointment of her son Bharata. ‘If Rama is anointed now, come what may I will not eat, sleep, or drink, and my life ends this way, thus Kaikeyi was adamantine, and the king and my father-in-law entreated her who is nagging with meaningful riches, but she did not make good on that entreaty. My great-resplendent husband was of twenty-five years of age at that time, and to me eighteen years are reckoned up from my birth.” (source)
If we do a little math here, we can understand that Sita was 18 years old when she went into exile with her husband. Before the exile, she had spent 12 years with her husband in the house of King Dasharatha. So, if we deduct the age of Sita at the time of exile (18 years) and the number of years she spent in the house of King Dasharatha (12 years), we get:
18 – 12 = 6 years old
Skanda Purana clearly states that Sita was married when she was only six years old,
Skanda Purana 3.2.30.8-9
The bow of Isvara that was kept in the abode of Janaka, was broken. In his fifteenth year, O king, Rama married the six year old beautiful daughter of the king of Mithila, Sita who was not born of a womb. On getting Sita, Raghava became contented and happy.” (source)
4. Krishna marries 8 year old Rukmini
Skanda Purana 5.3.142.8-27
The second child born was a daughter named Rukmiṇī. At that time an unembodied etherial voice told him, “O Bhīsmaka, this girl should be given to a Four-armed One (born) on this earth.” On hearing these words, he and his beloved became delighted. Along with learned Brāhmaṇas, he entered the lying-in-chamber and made them recite the Svastika prayers and the girl was duly named Rukmiṇī. O descendant of Bharata, she was proclaimed Rukmiṇī by the Brāhmaṇas then because she had a freckle golden in colour congenitally. As time passed on she became a girl of eight years. The king recollected the words of the unembodied being and became worried. ‘To whom shall I give this daughter? Who will be the four-armed one?’ In the meantime Damaghoṣa, the chieftain of Cedi came there from the excellent mountain Raivata. He entered the royal palace where King Bhīṣmaka was present. On seeing him arrived in the abode, the king duly adored him. He was taken to the Royal Court and given a proper seat. ‘This day has dawned meritoriously. I was eager to see you. O great king, my daughter has come to the age of eight years. The ethereal voice of an unembodied being has told that she should be given to a Four-armed One”. On hearing the words of Bhīṣmaka, Damaghoṣa said thus: “My son is well known in all the three worlds as Four-armed One (Caturbhujā). O Bhīṣmaka, let this girl be given to Śiśupāla.” On hearing the words of Damaghoṣa, O king, Rukmiṇī was betrothed to Śiśupāla by Bhīṣmaka.” (source)
Shrimad Bhagavatam 10.53.51-52
Smitten with love kindled (in their breast) by her. the illustrious warriors assembled (there) felt bewildered to behold the princess, who was possessed of a shapely (slender) waist and had not yet attained puberty, and who had a girdle of jewels thrown about her hips and in whom signs of womanhood were (just) manifesting themselves, whose (charming) countenance was graced with ear-rings and whose eyes were moving as though afraid of her curly locks (that overhung her face).” (source)
Brahma Viavarta Purana Krishna Janma Khanda 105.1-10
The monarch Bhismaka observed his beautiful daughter engaged in child-like sports and increasing in splendour day by day like a digit of the moon in the midst of clouds. Considering it advisable to marry his youthful and lovely daughter…” (source)
