The Age of Marriage

Hinduism is a widely practiced religion that also guides many social rituals of everyday life, including the institution of marriage, which is discussed in several sub-sections such as age of marriage, divine marriages, types of marriage, girls’ rights, and the concept of abandoning a wife.

In this section, we examine the age of marriage, which in these descriptions includes unions with pre-pubescent girls, creating a clear conflict with morals and scientific understanding.

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The ideal age of marriage for girls is mentioned in between 7-12(including 7 & 12)

Manu Smriti 9.94(A man, aged thirty years, shall marry a maiden of twelve who pleases him, or a man of twenty-four a girl eight years of age.)

Mahabharat, Anushasana Parva, book no.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)

Vishnu Purana book 3 chapter 10(If he marry, he must select a maiden who is of a third of his age(1/3rd); one who has not too much hair)

A serious problem arises when girls are married before reaching puberty because their bodies are not physically prepared for pregnancy and childbirth, which creates major health risks and consummating makes it even worse like how we will see in next section. At that age the brain is still developing, and a child lacks the emotional and psychological maturity needed to understand the lifelong consequences of marriage. Because of this, informed consent is not possible. Early marriage also interrupts education, limits personal development, and can lead to long-term psychological and social harm. For these reasons, modern medical and ethical standards strongly oppose marriage before puberty.