| Marriage | | | | comes under this category for astrological purpose. |
| According to Manu there are eight kinds of vivaha | | | | Living together without a formal marriage must also |
| falling into two distinct categories – the socially | | | | come under this category. It is different from love – |
| acceptable ones (the legal unions) and the non – | | | | marriage in as much as the love affair in this case |
| acceptable ones (the illegal unions). | | | | does not necessarily culminate in a formal marriage |
| Socially acceptable or legal union: | | | | while in the case of love marriage there is a formality. |
| 1. Brahma vivaha: Father of the bride invites a | | | | The planetary configurations are not much different |
| cultured and educated groom and respectfully hands | | | | from marriage in either case except that the role of |
| over to him the properly attired and ornamented bride | | | | the fifth house and it lord, and Venus, and some times |
| along with some compensatory money. This | | | | the malefics also, assumes importance. The union here |
| sometimes included a ritual known as Swayamvara | | | | is essentially emotional often culminating in a physical |
| where the bride selected her groom out of several | | | | one. Astrologically, it may be difficult in each and every |
| eligible candidates who sometimes were required to | | | | case to distinguish it from a regular marriage. |
| establish their claim through some sort of competitive | | | | 7. Rakshasa vivaha: Cohabitation with a person |
| activity. | | | | who was captured and kept for the purpose forcefully |
| 2. Daiva vivaha: Father of the bride hands her over | | | | and without his/her consent or even in spite of his/her |
| to the Vedic preceptor of the family. | | | | protest after raiding, defeating or killing the members of |
| 3. Aarsha vivaha: Father of the bride hands her | | | | her tribe. This is nothing but abduction attended with |
| over to the groom against a nominal consideration like | | | | violence and the planetary configurations must show |
| a couple of cows to cover the cost of rituals. | | | | violence, coercion, confinement and injury etc. to the |
| 4. Prajapatya vivha: A union between a man and | | | | person with or without configurations showing |
| woman with the object of propagating the lineage. | | | | marriage. |
| Socially unacceptable or the illegal union: | | | | 8. Paishacha vivaha: Cohabitation with a person |
| 1. Aasur vivaha: Father of the bride and the other | | | | while he / she is asleep, unconscious, under intoxication |
| members of the community sell the bride away to the | | | | or of unsound mind. The planetary configurations must |
| groom who pays well. In terms of contemporary law, | | | | show injury to the person with or without |
| this no doubt, is illegal and certainly not a marriage but | | | | configurations showing marriage. |
| in terms of astrological appraisal it may be difficult to | | | | So it would appear that a comprehensive and |
| distinguish this kind of event from a regular marriage. | | | | somewhat liberal meaning is to be given to the word |
| This is a regular practice in several tribes. | | | | vivaha appearing in the classical texts of Vedic |
| 2. Gandharva vivaha: Amorous relationship between | | | | astrology. The essence of marriage is not the formality |
| man and woman with or without explicit or implicit | | | | or legality of the event but the intent and the fact of |
| permission of parents and the sanction of a formal | | | | cohabitation of the native with another person, |
| marriage. | | | | generally female. |
| Any love affair with or without physical intimacy | | | | |