गान्धर्वविधिना राजा देशकालविधानवित् ॥१६॥
om ity ukte yathÄ-dharmam
upayeme Å›akuntalÄm
gÄndharva-vidhinÄ rÄjÄ
deÅ›a-kÄla-vidhÄnavit
om iti ukte - by reciting the Vedic praṇava, invoking the Supreme Personality of Godhead to witness the marriage; yathÄ-dharmam - exactly according to the principles of religion (because NÄrÄyaṇa becomes the witness in an ordinary religious marriage also); upayeme - he married; Å›akuntalÄm - the girl ÅšakuntalÄ; gÄndharva-vidhinÄ - by the regulative principle of the Gandharvas, without deviation from religious principles; rÄjÄ - MahÄrÄja Duá¹£manta; deÅ›a-kÄla-vidhÄna-vit - completely aware of duties according to time, position and objective.
When ÅšakuntalÄ responded to MahÄrÄja Duá¹£manta’s proposal with silence, the agreement was complete. Then the King, who knew the laws of marriage, immediately married her by chanting the Vedic praṇava [oá¹kÄra], in accordance with the marriage ceremony as performed among the Gandharvas.
The oá¹kÄra, praṇava, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead represented by letters. Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ says that the letters a-u-m, combined together as om, represent the Supreme Lord. Religious principles are meant to invoke the blessings and mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ that He is personally present in sexual desires that are not contrary to religious principles. The word vidhinÄ means, “according to religious principles.†The association of men and women according to religious principles is allowed in the Vedic culture. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we allow marriage on the basis of religious principles, but the sexual combination of men and women as friends is irreligious and is not allowed.
