husband! Do thou ascend the full, inexhaustible ship of fortune to bring hither to this woman the suitor who shall be agreeable to thee. Bring hither by thy shouts (Oh lord of wealth!) the suitor – bend his mind towards her. Turn thou the attention of every agreeable suitor to her. In Mahabharata, one of two major epics of Hindus, Rishi Kanva, the foster father of Shakuntala, recommends Gandharva marriage with the statement “The marriage of a desiring woman with a desiring man, without religious ceremonies, is the best marriage.” Elsewhere in Mahabharata (iii:190.36), the epic says “No man any longer asks for the daughter, nor does a father give away his daughter, they (women) find the man for themselves.” Historic debate Gandharva marriage over time became controversial, disputed and debated. Majority of ancient scholars discouraged it on religious and moral grounds. One argument found in the classical literature is that Gandharva marriage ignores the sacred rituals and vows the groom and bride must make to each other. Such a marriage, argued those ancient Vedic scholars, may or may not be lasting since it did not involve Agni. Over time, Gandharva marriages were either opposed or done with the use of Agni to ensure the longevity of the marriage through vows. Manu argued that Gandharva marriage is almost always the most suitable form of marriage. He goes on to state that Gandharva marriage is best suited for males who are priests, warriors, serving in the military, administrators, nobility and rulers. Baudhayana claims that it is the best type of marriage, as it is based on love and free will. Narada, yet another ancient scholar who wrote Nāradasmṛti sometime between 100 BC and 400 AD, suggests Gandharva marriage is best for everyone including the Brahmins. Calling it sadharna; Narada claims the only methods of marriage that are wrong are those that are based on abduction, forced, violence, fraud or purchase. Decline There is no consensus theory to explain why Gandharva marriages have declined over the ages. One theory claims that as prosperity and wealth increased, parents sought greater control of the activities and social life of their children. Pandey claims Hindu ideology shifted from diversity of marriage types to where the social pressures compelled the girl's family to seek arranged early marriages. Yet another theory is that the priestly caste of India, who officiated Brahma marriages and religious ceremonies, over time