Swami: 18 years and over for marriage

Expressing his support for any law that will make the marriageable age 18 or older, Prakashnanda said, “To insist otherwise is Jurassic in nature and will make a relic of Sanatana Dharma in Trinidad and Tobago.” The Sanatana Dharma is the appropriate title of Hinduism, he said.

Commenting on the amendments to the Miscellaneous Provisions (Marriage Bill) 2016, Prakashnanda said there was a well established conventional agreement that an individual does not have the full capacity to make an informed judgement about who to vote for in an election and in other judgements until they have reached 18 years.

“How then can they make the most dramatic and life-changing decisions about marriage?” he asked.

The Swami, who has been serving the local community in the spiritual and religious field since his return to TT from his studies in India in 1997, said, “The principle that guides modernity in Hinduism is the re-codifying of laws in Smrti (ancient Hindu scriptures detailing moral and ethical codes of conduct) form to suit the needs of the time (and by extension place, since many Hindus live not only in India).” Therefore, he said, there are “different Smrtis for different ages: Manu for Satyug, Yajnavalkya for Treta and Parashara for Kali, etc.” If the local Hindu community did not give serious thought to the requirements of modernity, and by extension evolution, Prakashnanda said, “We run the risk of being left behind in the march of time and progress, and many leaving our fold for a more modern and progressive way of life.” The re-codifying of Smrti for Yuga (historical age) was always done, he said, “by the Rishi-gana – holy guides and seers of Hinduism – who are grounded in the Sanatana Dharma.” Today, he said, “We are faced with the terrifying prospect of it being re-codified by leaders of organisations who are grounded more in political power than in Sanatana Dharma.”