Understanding the Basics:
Gotra has come from Rigvedic. In simple terms, it means “enclosure” i.e, group or community. The deeper meaning refers to family and lineage kin. But in reality, it refers to the family of descendants from a common ancestor.Scientifically,in some ways, it also signifies the origin of a particular community having common features and behaviours. It was first popular among Brahamins only, as they used to classify people belonging to common ancestor and train them according analysis the traits of their ancestor. The result was efficiency in the work field and best utilization of resources and skills.
Origin- The Ancient Background:
Ancient books tell us that this system has appeared in the society from distant past since it is directly derived from Gautama and Bharadvāja, Vashishtha and Kaśhyapa, Viśvāmitra and Jamadagni, and Atri popularly known as Saptarshi.Along with that, later name of Agasthya Muni was also added to call them as Gotrakarins. So basically all 49 gotras we have in our society has been handed down from them.Please take note of the fact that gotra is different from Kula which refers to a group of persons with common cultural rituals. Interesting fact is that gotra can sometime be used as surname.Added to that, just as a surname is passed from father to his children, similarly for gotra as well.Since its inception, it has become an inevitable part of Hindus. Its importance extends vastly during pujas and marriage ceremonies.
Genetics-The Foundation:
A human has 23 pairs or 46 chromosomes out of which only one pair determines whether a boy or girl will be born, so it is also called sex chromosome. Basically the chromosome of a boy is XY and that of a girl is XX.X has female attributes while Y has male attributes. During initial embryonic stage, if an embryo has XY chromosome, the female attributes are suppressed by the genes(basic building block of life) in the Y chromosomes and eventually a male child is born and vice versa when a female child is born. So we can see clearly that, in a son, Y is derived from his father which,in turn, he has received from his grandfather and so on belonging to same gotra.So the link never breaks.But in a daughter, X that comes from both mother and father may not have come from grandfather, as mother’s X choromosome might have come from her father or mother belonging to different gotra. So always father’s gotra is taken into consideration.
Breaking The Myth:
So basically, gotra of any bride or groom are coming from their fathers.It is a commonly practice to check the gotra of bride and groom before marriage is fixed.Both belonging to same gotra cannot get married as they are considered to be siblings or cousins. Marriage under such situation would otherwise be considered as incest which is heavily looked down upon by the society with hatred. But scientifically, the fact is highly supportive as we know from biology that Y chromosome is similar in all males among same gotra and likewise for X chromosome in females. So when an offspring in born to them, a high chance of future disease and physical inability increases. The offspring can be unfit and weak.
Why gotra is always derived from father and not mother whose carries all the burder? We have touched upon that previously,here is more. X is common which comes from a mother as she cannot give Y. A child shares one chromosome from father and one from mother. As we said X can come from mother only, another has to come from father which can either be X or Y. So a father is responsible whether it would be a girl or a boy.This also shatters the fact that many a times a mother is blamed for carrying a female child.
Gotra of a woman changes after marriage from hers to that of her husband which also follows from the above as their sons will have Y chromosome from his father Y chromosome belongs to same gotra.
Facing the Challenge:
In human body, the size of Y chromosomes will is a special feature of male is about one third of the size of X chromosomes. Scientific facts have shown that the size of Y chromosomes are gradually decreasing in human and in far future it may giving rise to a disastrous scenario of no males at all. Scientists have blamed the above mentioned marriage within same gotra or family as a prime factor in genetic defects which has been passing on for generations and DNAs are repeatedly getting destroyed. So a preventive measure that all people, in cities and towns, take is to examine the blood groups and DNA profile to stop the passage of dangerous recessive genes in next generations.
So the question arises that how could Hindu saints and gurus who formulate this ritual of prohibition of marriage in similar gotra know that it would lead to problem in offspring without knowledge of genes and DNAs? Or do they have a science for themselves which is equal credibility as the modern science? A parallel between the two can never be drawn as Scientists have advanced tools to examine while in ancient age no such facilities were available as we understand? So it is safe to conclude that Ancient Hinduism had some mechanism far advancedthat what we have today or will some still question whether the rituals followed by Hindus have no logical base. This article is for them to shatter their criticism.
Whatever your views may be, we have to agree that what preventive measures scientists are suggesting now, were already proposed in Hindu religion and even in remote villages where scientific examinations cannot be carried out due to lack of facilities, Hinduism is the only hope.
Gotra has come from Rigvedic. In simple terms, it means “enclosure” i.e, group or community. The deeper meaning refers to family and lineage kin. But in reality, it refers to the family of descendants from a common ancestor.Scientifically,in some ways, it also signifies the origin of a particular community having common features and behaviours. It was first popular among Brahamins only, as they used to classify people belonging to common ancestor and train them according analysis the traits of their ancestor. The result was efficiency in the work field and best utilization of resources and skills.
Origin- The Ancient Background:
Ancient books tell us that this system has appeared in the society from distant past since it is directly derived from Gautama and Bharadvāja, Vashishtha and Kaśhyapa, Viśvāmitra and Jamadagni, and Atri popularly known as Saptarshi.Along with that, later name of Agasthya Muni was also added to call them as Gotrakarins. So basically all 49 gotras we have in our society has been handed down from them.Please take note of the fact that gotra is different from Kula which refers to a group of persons with common cultural rituals. Interesting fact is that gotra can sometime be used as surname.Added to that, just as a surname is passed from father to his children, similarly for gotra as well.Since its inception, it has become an inevitable part of Hindus. Its importance extends vastly during pujas and marriage ceremonies.
Genetics-The Foundation:
A human has 23 pairs or 46 chromosomes out of which only one pair determines whether a boy or girl will be born, so it is also called sex chromosome. Basically the chromosome of a boy is XY and that of a girl is XX.X has female attributes while Y has male attributes. During initial embryonic stage, if an embryo has XY chromosome, the female attributes are suppressed by the genes(basic building block of life) in the Y chromosomes and eventually a male child is born and vice versa when a female child is born. So we can see clearly that, in a son, Y is derived from his father which,in turn, he has received from his grandfather and so on belonging to same gotra.So the link never breaks.But in a daughter, X that comes from both mother and father may not have come from grandfather, as mother’s X choromosome might have come from her father or mother belonging to different gotra. So always father’s gotra is taken into consideration.
Breaking The Myth:
So basically, gotra of any bride or groom are coming from their fathers.It is a commonly practice to check the gotra of bride and groom before marriage is fixed.Both belonging to same gotra cannot get married as they are considered to be siblings or cousins. Marriage under such situation would otherwise be considered as incest which is heavily looked down upon by the society with hatred. But scientifically, the fact is highly supportive as we know from biology that Y chromosome is similar in all males among same gotra and likewise for X chromosome in females. So when an offspring in born to them, a high chance of future disease and physical inability increases. The offspring can be unfit and weak.
Why gotra is always derived from father and not mother whose carries all the burder? We have touched upon that previously,here is more. X is common which comes from a mother as she cannot give Y. A child shares one chromosome from father and one from mother. As we said X can come from mother only, another has to come from father which can either be X or Y. So a father is responsible whether it would be a girl or a boy.This also shatters the fact that many a times a mother is blamed for carrying a female child.
Gotra of a woman changes after marriage from hers to that of her husband which also follows from the above as their sons will have Y chromosome from his father Y chromosome belongs to same gotra.
Facing the Challenge:
In human body, the size of Y chromosomes will is a special feature of male is about one third of the size of X chromosomes. Scientific facts have shown that the size of Y chromosomes are gradually decreasing in human and in far future it may giving rise to a disastrous scenario of no males at all. Scientists have blamed the above mentioned marriage within same gotra or family as a prime factor in genetic defects which has been passing on for generations and DNAs are repeatedly getting destroyed. So a preventive measure that all people, in cities and towns, take is to examine the blood groups and DNA profile to stop the passage of dangerous recessive genes in next generations.
So the question arises that how could Hindu saints and gurus who formulate this ritual of prohibition of marriage in similar gotra know that it would lead to problem in offspring without knowledge of genes and DNAs? Or do they have a science for themselves which is equal credibility as the modern science? A parallel between the two can never be drawn as Scientists have advanced tools to examine while in ancient age no such facilities were available as we understand? So it is safe to conclude that Ancient Hinduism had some mechanism far advancedthat what we have today or will some still question whether the rituals followed by Hindus have no logical base. This article is for them to shatter their criticism.
Whatever your views may be, we have to agree that what preventive measures scientists are suggesting now, were already proposed in Hindu religion and even in remote villages where scientific examinations cannot be carried out due to lack of facilities, Hinduism is the only hope.
