आदौ कुलं परीक्षेत ततो विद्यां ततो वयः ।
शीलं धनो ततो रुपं देशं पश्चात् विवाहयेत् ॥
ādau kulaṁ parīkṣēta tatō vidyāṁ tatō vayaḥ ।
śīlaṁ dhanō tatō rupaṁ dēśaṁ paścāt vivāhayēt ॥
Subhashitakar lists here not only the criteria but their priorities and order before deciding on a marriage alliance …
First he should carefully examine the nobility of the family, then the learning and next the age (of the bridegroom), next comes his wealth and then his personal beauty and the region to which he belongs – then should the marriage alliance be made.