Svayamvara

Svayamvara (Sanskrit: स्वयंवर, romanized: svayaṃvara lit. 'self-choice') is a distinctive matrimonial tradition in ancient Indian society where a bride, usually from Kṣatriya (warrior) caste, selects her husband from a group of assembled suitors either by her own choice or a public contest between her suitors. This practice is mainly featured in the two major Sanskrit epics, the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyaṇa, though its prevalence and portrayal vary significantly between them.^[1]

Prevelance of Svayamvara during the Vedic period is unclear and a subject of scholarly debate. Few scholars suggest that it emerged from the Gāndharva marriage tradition, diverging from more ritualistic and arranged forms of marriage, and developed as a narrative device within the epics to highlight the heroism and valor of protagonists, aligning with the Kṣatriya ethos of competition and martial prowess. Despite being closely associated with the epics, Svayamvara is not list as a form of marriage in the Dharmaśāstra and the actual frequency and details of Svayamvara are fewer. Svayamvara is sometimes regarded as the ninth form of Hindu marriage.^[1]