There are several ancient terms that are frequently used in the society that we live in, but people do not know the meanings of such terms. It is common to be confused by the words like Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah. But it is necessary to understand the definitions and differences between the words like Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah.
Sati Pratha vs Bal Vivah
The main difference between Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah is that the word Sati Pratha refers to the ancient Hindu practice of sacrificing the widow at the funeral of her husband. On the other hand, Bal Vivah refers to another ancient Hindu practice of child marriage. Though Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah share similar origins, they are different practices.
The word Sati Pratha is used to refer to the age-old practice that was followed in Hinduism. According to the custom of Sati Pratha, the wife needs to sacrifice herself at the funeral of her husband. The tradition finds its origin in ancient Hindu texts like the Vedas. However, Sati Pratha is no longer relevant.
The word Bal Vivah is used to refer to the age-old practice that was followed in Hinduism. According to the practice of Bal Vivah, a boy and a girl, who are usually under the age of 15, are married by their parents. It is also another Hindu practice that finds its origins in the Vedas. Though it has reduced a lot, Bal Vivah continues to occur in a few places in India.
Comparison Table Between Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah
What is Sati Pratha?
The word Sati Pratha is used to define the ancient practice of Hinduism. According to Sati Pratha, the wife (widow) of the deceased husband must sacrifice herself at the funeral pyre. There are a lot of age-old customs and traditions in all religions that were baseless and discriminatory against our fellow humans. Sati Pratha is one of the most notorious ancient Hindu practices. The word is translated into the Sati Practice.
It finds its origins in the ancient Hindu texts of Vedas and other books. The earliest recording of Sati can be traced back to 400 C.E., but it used to be a common practice since 300 BCE. The women are expected to jump into the funeral pyre of their husbands and sacrifice their lives too. Even under different kingdoms, Sati was continued to be practiced. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, a social reformer, was one of the fiercest critics of Sati Pratha.
Ram Mohan Roy pressurized the erstwhile British government of India to declare Sati Pratha as an illegal and punishable offense. The practice of Sati Pratha has almost reduced to none since then. The custom ceases to exist in the modern era. It is necessary to view the age-old customs and traditions through a rationalist lens and discard the discriminatory and evil practices.
What is Bal Vivah?
The word Bal Vivah is used to define the ancient practice of Hinduism. According to Bal Vivah, a boy and a girl are made to marry by their parents. The children are usually lesser than 15 years of age. Bal Vivah is another notorious ancient Hindu practice. It is one of the age-old customs and traditions that were baseless and discriminatory against our fellow humans. The word is translated into Child Marriage.
Even Bal Vivah finds its origins in the ancient Hindu texts of Vedas and other books. The earliest recording of Bal Vivah can be traced back to the B.C era. The children of age 8 to 15 are forced by their parents for marriage. The marriage is conducted by the parents. The children are allowed to stay together or stay separately until they reach puberty or become an adult.
There were also practices of marrying young girls to adult males in Bal Vivah. This practice of Bal Vivah was criminalized when India became independent. It has reduced to a great extent, but still, it continues in certain parts of India. There continue to be regular news reports on arresting the parents of children who force child marriages. It is important to voice out and create awareness against the practice of Bal Vivah.
Main Differences Between Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah
- The word Sati Pratha refers to the practice of sacrificing the widows of deceased husbands. On the other hand, the practice of Bal Vivah is child marriage.
- Raja Ram Mohan Roy played an influential role in abolishing Sati Pratha. The British Government of India criminalized child marriage in 1929.
- Sati Pratha dates back to 300 BCE and is specifically found in India. Meanwhile, Bal Vivah dates back to the ancient age and is found in several other countries too.
- In Sati Pratha, the women are the victims because they are made to sacrifice themselves in the funeral pyres. Children are victimized in Bal Vivah and are forcefully married at young ages.
- Sati Pratha has been abolished in India and is no longer relevant. Bal Vivah is criminalized but is continued to be practiced in certain parts of India.
Conclusion
It is high time people understand and voice out against baseless age-old customs and traditions that were preached by religions. The practices of Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah are shocking in the age we live in. One can never say that these practices are no longer practiced anywhere. Hence, it is necessary to stay aware of ill practices like Sati Pratha and Bal Vivah and oppose them vehemently.
The term Sati Pratha is used to refer to the practice of widow sacrifice. The women are made to sacrifice themselves at the funeral pyre of their husbands. Meanwhile, the term Bal Vivah refers to the practice of child marriage. Children under the age of 15 are forcefully made to marry by their parents.
References
- https://philpapers.org/rec/SINWEI
- https://www.academia.edu/download/41425283/Child_Marriage_in_India_Factors_and_Prob20160122-13154-fty2kz.pdf