…the psychology is that woman, the first man she meets and if she is kept carefully, she becomes staunch lover. This is psychology. There is good psychology in maintaining the society. Therefore a woman, especially in India, especially in Bengal, before attaining puberty, she was married. Not to meet the husband unless she attains puberty. But she remained at father's house, but she must know that: "I am married. I have got husband." This psychology. Then she becomes very chaste. Because she thinks of her husband, and becomes more and more devoted. So this arrangement that woman must be married before puberty… Or even after puberty, she must get a husband. So if this dharma… It is called kanya-daya, kanya-daya. Kanya-daya means it is very obligatory that the father must get the daughter married. This is dharma.

(Srila Prabhupada, speaking on Bhagavad-gita 1.40 — London, July 28, 1973)