vivah jatak ke jivan kal ki sabse mahatvapurn smaraniya ghatna hoti hai. hamare bharat desh men larke aur larke ke mata-pita ke apsi sanpark v sahyog se dharmik v samajik riti-rivajon ke anusar vivah hote hain. vivah manav jivan men ek apriharya sanskar hai. vivah ke pashchat hi ek purush ko ek stri ke sath rahne ka vaidh adhikar prapt hota hai. brahmanon daivastayaivarthah prajapatyastathasurah. gandharvo rakshasashchaiv paishachashchashtamo'dhyah.. manusmriti 3.21 ..
samast dharmasutrakaron aur smritikaron ne vivah ke ath prakaron ko svikar kiya hai. in ath prakaron ko punah do shreniyon men vibhakt kiya gaya hai - prashast aur aprashast. pratham char prakar prashast aur antim char prakar aprashast svikare gaye hain. in ath prakar ke vivahon ka sankshipt parichay prastut hai: brahm vivah achchadya charchayitva v shrutishilvte svayam. ahuya danan kanyaya brahmo dharmah prakirtitah.. .. manu smriti 3.27 ..
sarvadhik prashast, shuddh, viksit aur samprati prachlit vivah-prakar brahm vivah hai. kanya ka pita vidvan v shilvan var ko svayan amantrit kar uska vidhivat satkar kar usse shulk ityadi svikar n kar, dakshina ke sath yathashakti vastrabhushnon se alankrit kanya ka dan karta hai ise brahm vivah kaha jata hai. yah vivah param pavitra v sarvottam hai. 2. daiv vivah yagyae tu vitte samyagritvije karm kurvate. alankritya sutadanan daivan dharm prachakshate.. manu smriti 3.28 .. jis vivah men yagya karate hue ritvij purohit ko vastrabhushnon se susajjit kanya dan kiya jay, use daiv vivah kahte hain. yah pratha bahu-vivah ki poshak upapatni pratha thi.
yah vivah brahmanon men prachlit tha, kyonki paurohitya ka karya brahman hi karta tha. isko ‘daiv’ islie kaha jata hai ki yagya men devon ki puja hoti hai. brihatparashar ne ise ‘daivik’’ kaha hai. is vivah men pita ke man men yah bhavna bhi rahti hai ki kanya pakar purohit prasannatapurvak