Formerly, a man was respectable by his birth in a respectable family and by his behavior.
Just like a Brahmin. A Brahmin was respected because his behavior was so nice. He was truthful, he was clean, he was man of knowledge, he was faithful in scriptures, and so many qualifications. Therefore he was respected. So here it is said that janma, birth in a good family or high family, or good behavior. Janmācāra. Janmācāra, and guṇa, quality. Suppose a man is a great philosopher, or a great learned scholar. That is very good qualification.
So these things will not be considered. And if a man is very learned scholar or coming of a very respectable family and has got all good qualities, that will be neglected. Another man, if he has all the bad qualities but he has got money, he's respected. He'll be respected. This is the symptom of this age.
And dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi (SB 12.2.2). Dharma. Dharma means suppose you have acted something irreligious. In every religion, and every scripture, there are many things, you do it and do not do it. So that is called following the religious principle. In every religion, either Hindu or Christian or Mohammedan, there are some rules and regulation. Just like in Mohammedan religion, drinking is greatest sin. And . . . in Hindu religion, flesh eating, especially cow's meat, is greatest sin. So these are religious principles. So dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyām.
So there are some rules and regulation according to different types of religion. So how they will be settled? Kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi: by might. If one has . . . "Might is right." That "Might is right." There is no reason. "Why you are doing against religious principle?" If I ask, if you are powerful, stronger than me, you'll say, "Yes! I can do that. What is that? What for you? What is that to you?" So balam eva hi. If anyone is powerful in power, oh, he can act against the rules and regulation of religious or scriptural injunctions. Nobody can protest. Dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi.
Dāmpatye abhirucir hetur māyaiva vyāvahārike (SB 12.2.3). Dāmpatye. Dāmpatye means making husband and wife relationship. Abhiruciḥ. Abhiruciḥ means liking. A boy likes another girl, and the girl likes another boy. That's finished. Let them become husband and wife. Formerly, it was would not be. Formerly, according to Vedic civilization, there was no liking of the boy or the girl. The parents of the boy and the girl, they would see, "Whether this combination will be happy."
They will bring horoscope and calculate astronomically, "What is the symptoms of this boy? What is the symptoms of this girl? Whether they will be peaceful in married life?" They calculated, and the parents would see in what kind of family the girl is born, and what kind of boy, the family he's born. So many things. If they do not agree, the parents of the girl and the boy . . . that boy . . . then there is no marriage.
Still, in India . . . at least . . . I was also married, and some of my children, they are also married. But this system in India is still followed. The parents, they select the suitable boy and the suitable girl. The primary aim is that they may live very peacefully; there may not be unnecessarily disturbance in their family life. That was the aim.