From Atul Subhash’s suicide to the blue drum incident — the institution of marriage is in crisis today, and the Sanatana answer is different from that of the West. This analysis by the Centre for Hindu Identity Studies places together the Western legal history of marriage, Indian scriptures, and the confusion facing today’s generation.
The speaker explains that the West had the “Law of Coverture” until the 19th century — after marriage, a woman had no independent identity. Today, they stand at the opposite extreme. The Sanatana perspective is neither as rigid as that, nor as hollow as this — in the Ashrama system, Grihastha Dharma means wealth generation, giving birth to a new generation, and upholding Dharma. Comparing the eight types of marriage (from Brahma to Pishacha) and the hollow foundation of the Western concept of “consent” — this discussion gives the youth a concrete alternative vision.

About The Speaker:
Prashant Pandey is currently the Director of the Centre for Hindu Identity Studies (CHIS). He worked as a journalist for nearly two decades, contributing to several national English newspapers. He has also been involved in book publishing and has co-authored two books, one of which is the BBC’s True Lies.