Pitu Gotra K Rajaram IRS 24524 25524
Pāṇini defines gotra as apatyam pautra prabhrti gotram (IV. 1. 162), which
means "the word gotra denotes the descendance (or descendants), apatya, of
a couple consisting of a pautra, a son and a bharti, a mother, i.e. a
daughter-in-law." When a person says "I am Vipparla-gotra", he means that
he traces his descent to the ancient sage Vipparla by an unbroken male
descent.
@According to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.2.4, Kashyapa, Atri, Vasistha,
Vishvamitra, Gautama Maharishi, Jamadagni and Bharadvaja are seven sages
(also known as saptarshis) and Jambu Maharishi is another sage (also known
as Renuka, who belongs to Kashyapa). The progeny of these eight sages are
declared to be gotras. This enumeration of seven primary & one secondary
gotra seems to have been known to Pāṇini. The offspring (apatya) of these
seven are gotras and others than these are called gotrāvayava.
One who follows the system defined by three sages defines himself as
Tri-a-Vishay. Similarly, for five sages, it is Pancha-Vishay, and for seven
sages, it is Santa-Vishay.
There exists another theory about gotra: sons and disciples of a sage would
have the same gotra; it is believed that they possess similar thoughts and
philosophies. People of the same gotra can be found across different
castes. Each gotra comprises pravaras.
A Origins As a Rigvedic terms, gotra simply means "forward moving
descendants".[ Saraswati, Swami Dayanand (2010). Rigvedadi-Bhashya-Bhumika.
Vijaykumar Govindram Hasanand. p. 199. ISBN 978-8170771296. ] (गौः) गमन
करनेवाली means forward moving and (त्र:) stands for Offspring.
Chandogya Upanishad) interpreted meaning shows as “These "lineages" as
they developed among the Brahmins of that time meant patrilineal descent.
The Brahmanic system was later adopted by other communities, such as the
Kshatriyas and Vaishyas ( encyclopedia Britannica).
All members of a particular gotra are believed to possess certain common
characteristics by way of nature or profession. Many theories have been
propounded to explain this system. According to the Vedic theories, the
Brahmins are direct descendants of seven sages who are believed to be the
sons of Brahma, born out of his mind through yogic @ prowess. They are
(1) Atri, (2) Bharadvaja, (3) Gautama Maharishi, (4) Jamadagni, (5)
Kashyapa, (6) Vasishta and (7) Vishvamitra. To this list, Agastya is also
sometimes added. These eight sages are called gotrakarins, from whom all
108 gotras (especially of the Brahmins) have evolved. For instance, from
Atri sprang the Atreya and Gavisthiras gotras. MANY APEX COURT DECISIONS
HAD RENDERED THESE EXPLANATIONS ON GOTRA.
There is no harm in Sagotra marriage if the individuals are not related for
six generations on both maternal and paternal sides. This is expressed in
chapter 5 of Manu smriti in mantra 60, which states, सपिण्डता तु पुरुषे
सप्तमे विनिवर्तते । समानोदकभावस्तु जन्मनाम्नोरवेदने, which means that
sapinda ends after seven generations. Section 5(v) of Hindu Marriage Act
1955 also prohibits Sapinda relationship but there is no restriction of
Sagotra marriage.
In the 1945 case of Madhavrao vs Raghavendra Rao, which involved a
Deshastha Brahmin couple, the definition of gotra as descending from eight
sages and then branching out to several families was thrown out by the
Bombay High Court. The court called the idea of Brahmin families descending
from an unbroken line of common ancestors as indicated by the names of
their respective gotras "impossible to accept." The court consulted
relevant Hindu texts and stressed the need for Hindu society and law to
keep up with the times, emphasizing that notions of good social behaviour
and the general ideology of the Hindu society had changed. The court also
said that the material in the Hindu texts is so vast and full of
contradictions that it is a near-impossible task to reduce it to order and
coherence.
NORTH WRITERS DO BELIEVE THAT*: “VATSA GOTRIANS* AMONG THE SARASWAT BRAHMINS
Goddess Saraswati is the tutelary mother of Saraswats, Lord Brahma being
their tutelary father. Lord Brahma approved all the Saraswat Brahmins to
adopt their kinship based on the lineage with great sages. Accordingly, the
gotras of Godddes Saraswati Brahmins is believed to be originated from the
Rishis viz. ATRI, KAASHYAP, KAUNDINYA, KAUSHIK, GAUTAMA, JAMADAGNYA,
BHARADWAAJ, VASISHTTH, and VISHWAMITRA (KAMSHI). But, Lord Brahma adopted
some among them and called them as VATSA. Traditionally, it is also
believed that the Vatsa Gotra is belongs to Jamadagni Rishi lineage.
Bhargava Parashuram was the fifth son of Jamadagni Rishi (other four being
Rumnnwaan, Sushenn, Vasu and Vishwaavasu). So, it is possible that because
of their in borne virtues, Sage Jamadagni might have adopted Saraswat
Brahmins belonging to the Vatsa Gotra. Bhargava Parashuram brought
sixty-six families from ten scholarly kinsmen (DASHA-GOTRI SARASWAT
BRAHMINS) from the then holy place namely TRIHOTRA for purification of the
reclaimed land of Konkan. They were Atri, Kaashyap, Kaundinya, Kaushik
(Kaunsa), Gautama, Jamadagnya, Bharadwaaj, Vatsa, Vasishtth, and
Vishwamitra. So, Vatsa gotra was already therein as one among the ten
gotras.
Vatsa-Kaannva, Vatsapri-Bhaalndan and Vatsa-Agneya are known as
contributors of Rig-Veda. Vatsa-Kaannva was the son of Kaannva. He
contributed to the eighth 'manddal' out of 10 'manddal' of Rig-Veda.
The sixth 'sukta' (incitation no. 8.6.46-48) mentions of Tirinder, who was
also known as Parshwya, the king of Parshu-desh (Persia i. e. Iran). Hemadri
has also made his mention. Coincidently, Hemadri belonged to Vatsa gotra.
Hemadd Pandit, one of the celebrated personalities from the twelfth century and
prime minister of the Deogiri Empire belonged to the Vatsa gotra.
Vatsapri-Bhaalndan contributed to the ninth and tenth 'manddal' out of 10
'manddal' of Rig-Veda. The 68th sukta of the ninth and 45th and 46th sukta
of the tenth 'manddal' make a mention of Pawamaan Soam and Agni. His name
also surfaces in 'Panchvinsha Brahman (12.11.25) as a contributor to Sam
Veda. It is known as 'Vaatspra'. His name is also referred in Taittariya
Samhita ( 5.2.1.6), Kaatthak Samhita (19.12), Maitraayanni Samhita (3.2.2),
and Shatapath Brahman (6.4.4.1). Vatsa-Agneya had contributed to the tenth
'manddal' of 10 of Rig-Veda, (incitation no. 10.187) eulogizing Agni. One
is reminded of Vatsa-Kaannva, who too had lauded Agni.
While the 96 families of Saraswat Brahmins had already left for Konkan
under the leadership of Bhargava Parashuram, others were engrossed in for
several centuries, in creating own domain for farming and rearing cows so
as to concentrate on their normal religious activities. This lineage was so
mighty that, later on, Vatsa gotrians formed one of the sixteen powerful
provinces ('Janpada') in the north India on the bank of Yamuna, during the
6th century. This land was known as Vatsa.”
In Rig Ved (1.31.16) deva Agni is said to create or form a rishi :
इमामग्ने शरणिं मीम्र्षो न इममध्वानं यमगाम दूरात |
आपिः पिता परमतिः सोम्यानां भर्मिरस्य रषिक्र्न मर्त्यानाम ||
Similarly Rig Ved ( 9.96.18 ) declares that soma, the Lord of Delight,
creates seers :
तर्तीयं धाम महिषः सिषासन सोमो विराजमनुराजति षटुप ||
चमूषच्छ्येनः शकुनो विभ्र्त्वा गोविन्दुर्द्रप्स आयुधानिबिभ्रत |
Rig Ved (9.96.6) declares the deity Soma as the rishi among sages (“Rishir
Vipranam”) :
बरह्मा देवानां पदवीः कवीनां रषिर्विप्राणां महिषोम्र्गाणाम |
शयेनो गर्ध्राणां सवधितिर्वनानां सोमः पवित्रमत्येति रेभन ||
Rig Ved (9.87.3) declares that the seer (rishi) among the sages (Vipra)
leads the people (“Rishiviprah purayeta jananam”) :
रषिर्विप्रः पुरेता जनानां रभुर्धीर उशना काव्येन |
स चिद विवेद निहितं यदासामपीच्यं गुह्यं नाम गोनाम ||
A rishi is identified by two names, his own name and that of his lineage or
teacher. The first Suktam of Rig Ved Samhita was revealed to
Madhuchchhandah Vishwamitra , a disciple or son of Vishvamitra. The famous
Gayatri Mantra ( Rig Ved 3.62.10) was revealed to Vishvamitra Gathin, i.e.,
Vishvamitra , son of Gatha.
Panini in his Vachaspati kosam defines Rishi as “Rishati jnanena
samsaraparam”-
“one who crosses and reaches the other shore of the Sea of Samsara.”
When the initial embryonic cell has XY chromosome, the female
attributes get suppressed by the genes in the Y Chromosome and the embryo
develops into a male child. Since only men have Y Chromosomes, son always
gets his Y Chromosome from his father and the X Chromosome from his mother.
On the other hand daughters always get their X Chromosomes, one each from
both father and mother. To check facts from science
So the Y Chromosome is always preserved throughout a male lineage (Father –
Son – Grandson etc) because a Son always gets it from his father, while the
X Chromosome is not preserved in the female lineage (Mother, Daughter,
Grand Daughter etc) because it comes from both father and mother.
A mother will pass either her mother’s X Chromosome to her Children or
her father’s
X Chromosome to her children or a combination of both because of both her X
Chromosomes getting mixed (called as Crossover). On the other hand, a Son
always gets his father’s Y Chromosome and that too almost intact without
any changes because there is no corresponding another Y chromosome in his
cells to do any mixing as his combination is XY, while that of females is
XX which hence allows for mixing as both are X Chromosomes.
Women never get this Y Chromosome in their body. And hence Y Chromosome
plays a crucial role in modern genetics in identifying the Genealogy ie
male ancestry of a person. And the Gotra system was designed to track down
the root Y Chromosome of a person quite easily. If a person belongs to
Angirasa Gotra, then it means that his Y Chromosome came all the way down
over thousands of years of timespan from the Rishi Angirasa!
And if a person belongs to a Gotra (say Bharadwaja) with Pravaras
(Angirasa, Bhaarhaspatya, Bharadwaja), then it means that the person’s Y
Chromosome came all the way down from Angirasa to Bhaarhaspatya to
Bharadwaja to the person. {SIMILARLY, 5 AND 7 Generations} {KR DOES IT MEAN
THAT ANGIRA GOTRA STOPPED BECAUSE OF DAUGHTER AND SO CHANGED TO BRHASPATYA;
AND AGAIN, DAUGHTE ONLY; SO, SHIFTED TO Bhardwaj?} {KR And therefore goes
up to 5 and 7 stages, by which time, a new gotra DNA is formed correct?}
This also makes it clear why females are said to belong to the Gotra of
their husbands after marriage. That is because women do not carry Y
Chromosome, and their Sons will carry the Y Chromosome of the Father and
hence the Gotra of a woman is said to be that of her husband after marriage.
Senart’s theory Senart points out the close correspondence that
exists between the three series of groups in Rome – gens, curia, tribes;
family groups in Greece; and he family gotra and caste in India. Pursuing
the subject into fuller detail, he seeks to show from the records of
classical antiquity that in the department of marriage, roman gens and an
Athenian group present striking resemblance to the Indian gotra. We learn
from Plutarch, that the romans never married a woman of their own kin, and
among the matrons who figure in classical literature, none bears the same
gentile’s name as her husband. nor was endogamy unknown. At Athens in the
time of Demosthenes. membership of a group was confined to the offspring of
that particular group. In Rome the long struggle of plebeians to obtain the
jus connubia with patrician women belongs to the same class of facts; the
patricians, according to Senart, were guarding the endogamous rights of
their order— If they marry a woman from humbler origins or foreigners, her
children were traded as low-class people. In Rome if low class people are
present in the sacrifice of gens, they are offended. In Rome the woman was
transferred to the group of her husband. Brahmin women also get the gotra
of her husband leaving her own gotra.
SRIVATSA GOTRAM: Brugu Rishi is also known as "Bhargava" Rishi Since the
lineage got originated by Brugu Rishi (aka., Bhargava), the people in this
lineage belong to the "Bhargava Gothra" (dynasty or Parampara) The word
'Sri' refers to Mahalakshmi. The term 'vathsa' refers to the child. Shriman
Narayanan does not have karmic life cycle of birth and death. Similarly,
Mahalakshmi also don't have Karmic cycle of Birth and Death. Similarly,
Mahalakshmi who is always present and exist, one time did avatar from the
Ksheerapthi, Also, born as a girl to Brugu Rishi Mahalakshmi born as Brugu
Rishi's girl, and Mahalakshmi was also known as "Bhargavi". For whom
Mahalakshmi (sri) is baby (Vathsa), he is known as Srivathsan. Hence, Brugu
Rishi is known as "Srivathsan" as well. People from Brugu Lineage who say,
"We are descendent from Bargava Gothra" were proud of saying that "Mahalakshmi
was born in our dynasty" As Brugu Rishi is also known as "Srivatasan" as he
is the father of Mahalakshmi, People from Brugu Lineage were excited to
say, "We are descendent from Srivathsa Gothra" as it connects Brugu as well
as Mahalakshmi. KR IRS 9123
3 Gotra and Pravaram
belongs to the ‘Kashyapa’ Gotra – the clan of the Sage Kashyapa – and
further belongs to a ‘Tryarsheya’ Pravara – or a Pravara containing the
names of three Rishis – the same being Kashyapa-Avatsara-Naidhruvi.
The Matsya Purana provides an interesting insight into the origins of these
seven Rishis and how they became the Gotra-pravartaka Rishis.
The longevity of an individual Brahma is 100 years, after which he attains
Moksha. Each of the 100 years consists of 360 days and nights. Every single
day (and similarly every night) in the life of the Chatur Mukha Brahma
consists of 14 manvantaras. Each manvantara, as measured by our time
standards, is equal to 306,720,000 human years. Presently, in the life of
the current Chaturmukha Brahma, 6 manvantaras have already passed, and the
seventh manvantara is underway. The name of the present manvantara is
‘Vaivaswata’ – so named after the ‘Manu’ or the leader of the current time
period. The first of the manvantaras was similarly named after the then
Manu – Swayambhu.
Chaturmukha Brahma had created the various life forms during the
Swayambhuva manvantara. This included the various Rishis – the Saptarshis
being the chief among them. However, it so happened that Lord Shiva once
cursed the Rishis to lose their tapasya. The Rishis were greatly depressed
by this and they sacrificed their lives, choosing to not live a life
without knowledge of the parabrahman.
महादेवस्य शापेन त्व्यक्त्वा देहं स्वयं तथा |
ऋषयश्च समुद्भूताच्युते शुक्रे महात्मनः || M.P – 195 – 6 ||
In the Vaivasvata manvantara, Chaturmukha Brahma decided that it was time
to bring back the various Rishis to ensure the propagation of jnana and
dharma happened without any hindrance. To facilitate this, he underwent a
‘retas-skhalana’. The veerya thus produced by Brahma was offered, by
himself, into a great sacrifice! From the sacrifice, numerous Rishis took
birth one after the other.
>From the base of the sacrifice, Rishi Bhrigu made his appearance. From the
heated coals, Rishi Angirasa was born. Rishi Atri was born from the flames
of the fire. From the rays of the fire emerged the resplendent Rishi
Marichi. From the hair of Brahma, Rishi Kapisha and Pulastya were born.
>From his long locks, Rishi Pulaha was born. Right from the middle of the
sacrificial fire, Rishi Vasishta appeared. Rishi Kashyapa and Agastya also
came out of the sacrificial fire like the others. Numerous other Rishis
were also given birth by Brahma in this fashion.
These Rishis got married and subsequently gave rise to numerous other
Maharishis. Thus, the various lineages started to grow at the onset of
Vaivasvata manvantara.
The seven primary Gotra-pravartakas All the Gotra-pravartaka Rishis are
categorized under seven primary Rishis. These seven – Bhrigu, Angirasa,
Atri, Kashyapa, Vasishta, Agastya and Vishwamitra – were all Brahmarshis
occupying the highest echelons amongst the hierarchy of the Rishis.
>From these seven Rishis, there arose 18 chief groups – gaNas – to which all
the Gotra causing Rishis belonged. In other words, every Rishi who has
propagated a Gotra belongs to one of these 18 gaNas.
The classification of the 7 Brahmarshi families into 18 gaNas is as follows.
Rishi Bhrigu heads five gaNas.
The Rishis who are the head of these five gaNas are Jamadagni,
Vitahavya, Grutsamada, Vadhrashwa and Vainya
Rishi Angirasa accounts for eight gaNas.
The Rishis who are the head of these eight gaNas are Gautama,
Bharadhwaja, Kapi, Kanva, Mudgala, Virupa, Harita, Vishnuvruddha
The other 5 Brahmarshis – Kashyapa, Atri, Vasishta, Agastya and
Vishwamitra – head one gaNa each.
Thus the 18 Rishi gaNas are Jamadagni, Vitahavya, Grutsamada, Vadhrashwa,
Vainya, Gautama, Bharadhwaja, Kapi, Kanva, Mudgala, Virupa, Harita,
Vishnuvruddha, Kashyapa, Atri, Vasishta, Agastya and Vishwamitra.
Brahmarshis and the Gotra Ganas Ganas and Gotra Rishis
Each of the 18 gaNas listed above have under them a number of ‘Gotra
Rishis’. Thus, from 18, we get many tens of Gotras, the descendants of whom
are amongst us even today. Further under each Gotra, numerous Rishis and
Rishi-kumaras were born. Based on the tradition in the particular Gotra, a
number of ‘Pravaras’ or sub-lineages became prevalent.
Thus, each gaNa has several Gotras, each of which further has one or more
Pravaras. The Pravaras are classified based on the number of Rishis who are
remembered in the lineage.
Ekarsheya – Pravara has the name of only one Rishi
Dvarsheya – names of two Rishis used
Tryarsheya – three Rishi names are used
Pancharsheya – five Rishis are remembered as part of the Pravara
Saptarsheya – seven Rishis comprise the Pravara
The documentation of all the Gotra names under each gaNa and the list of
all Pravaras under each of those Gotras will be a very exhaustive work,
beyond the scope of this post. However, in order to illustrate the richness
of the classification, the names of few Gotras under each gaNa and a few
Pravaras will be given below.
Markandeya Purana defines this sapinda relationship very succinctly.
पिता पितामहश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः |PITA PITAMAJASCHAIVA TATAIVA PRAPITAMAHA
पिण्डसंबन्धिनो ह्येते विज्ञेयाः पुरुषास्त्रयः ||PINDA SAMBANDINO HYETHE
VIJEYAA PURUSHA TRAYA
लेपसंबन्धिनश्चान्ये पितामहपितामहात् |Lepa sambandinnu dhanaschaanye
Pitamaha pita mahath
प्रभृत्युक्तास्त्रयस्तेषां यजमानस्तु सप्तमः ||prabhu yuktha traya teshaam
yajamanastu saptama
इत्येषः मुनिभिः प्रोक्तः संबन्धस्साप्तपूरुषः ||ityesha munibi: proktha
sambandas daptha purusha:
“Father, grandfather and great-grandfather are the three purushas known as
“pinda sambandi”. The great-great-grandfather, his father and his
grandfather – these three are known as “pinda-lepa sambandhi”. Including
the person who has the right to give pinda, 7 generations thus get
accounted for. So have the great munis decided”
Thus amongst the 7 generations thus described, if there is any common
pinda-pradaatru (pinda-giver) on either side, then the relationship will
end up becoming a sapinda relation.{KR after the 7 generations thus there
are no sapindas viz sagotram even if the descendants might still may belong
to old ancestors; many may not even be aware 3 generations; so remembering
the 3 addl generations and prior is next to impossibility distant drums
does not matter}
For those who do not know their Gotras, either because the family lost
knowledge of the same, or if a person became an orphan in childhood – the
Gotra and Pravara of the family purohita becomes their Gotra.
आचार्यगोत्रप्रवरानभिज्ञस्तु द्विजः स्वयम् |
दत्त्वात्मानं तु कस्मैचित्तद्गोत्रप्रवरो भवेत् ||
Another solution given in the shastras is to accept the Kashyapa Gotra
since the Shrutis declare Kashyapa as the forefather of all humanity.
गोत्रस्यत्वपरिज्ञाने काश्यपं गोत्रमुच्यते |
यस्मादाह श्रुतिः सर्वाः प्रजाः कश्यपसंभवाः ||
References
Smruti muktavali – Shodasha Karma Prakarana – By Sri Krishnacharya,
Shishya of Sri Raghavendra Swamiji
Matsya Purana.
Markandeya Purana.
Valmiki Ramayana.
“Rishigalu” – A book in Kannada by Sri Be. Na. Vijayeendracharya,
published by Sri Harivayu Prakashana, First edition, 2014
Brahmin communities in India are traditionally divided into two regional
groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins according to the
following shloka found in the Rajatarangini of Kalhana (12th century):
कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः ।
गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ॥
सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः ।
पन्चगौडा इति ख्याता विन्ध्स्योत्तरवासिनः ॥
कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः ।
गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ॥
सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः ।
पन्चगौडा इति ख्याता विन्ध्स्योत्तरवासिनः ॥
"The Karnatakas, Tailangas, Dravidas, Maharashtrakas and Gurjaras; these
five (-types who- ) live south of Vindhya (- mountains) are (called-)
"Dravida" (- brahmins); (whereas-) Saraswatas, Kanyakubjas, Gaudas,
Utkalas, and Maithilas, who live north of Vindhya (- mountains) are known
as "five Gauda" (- brahmins)."
The shloka only identifies the caste-system present on the basis of their
regional presence. The classification of Brahmins, the highest varna, on
the basis of Region is debatable (compare the Brahmin gotra system).
ORIGIN OF THE CONCEPT DNAs
Verse 6.7.6 Section 6.7 Chandogya Upanishad
एवं सोम्य ते षोडशानां कलानामेका कलातिशिष्टाभूत्सान्नेनोपसमाहिता प्राज्वाली
तयैतर्हि वेदाननुभवस्यन्नमयंहि सोम्य मन आपोमयः प्राणस्तेजोमयी वागिति
तद्धास्य विजज्ञाविति विजज्ञाविति ॥ ६.७.६ ॥
॥ इति सप्तमः खण्डः ॥
evaṃ somya te ṣoḍaśānāṃ kalānāmekā kalātiśiṣṭābhūtsānnenopasamāhitā
prājvālī tayaitarhi vedānanubhavasyannamayaṃhi somya mana āpomayaḥ
prāṇastejomayī vāgiti taddhāsya vijajñāviti vijajñāviti || 6.7.6 || || iti
saptamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ||
6. ‘In the same way, O Somya, of your sixteen parts, only one remained. But
that, when nourished by food, has revived, and by that you are now able to
follow the Vedas. O Somya, this is why I said that the mind was nourished
by food, prāṇa was nourished by water, and speech was nourished by fire.’
Śvetaketu now understood what his father was saying.
Evam, in the same way; somya, O Somya; ekā kalā, one part; te
ṣoḍaśānām kalānām, of your sixteen parts; atiśiṣṭā abhūt, remained; sā, it;
upasamāhitā annena, nourished by food; prājvālī, has revived; etarhi, now;
tayā, by that [remaining part]; vedān, the Vedas; anubhavasi, you can
understand; somya, O Somya; hi, this is why [I said]; manaḥ annamayam, the
mind is nourished by food; prāṇaḥ āpomayaḥ, prāṇa is nourished by water;
vāk tejomayī iti, speech is nourished by fire; asya, of that [what his
father had said]; tat ha vijajñau iti, he understood it; vijajñau iti, he
understood. Iti saptamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the seventh section.
Commentary: Just as a fire will go out if fuel is not added to it, so
also the mind will cease to function if you do not eat. After fasting for
fifteen days, Śvetaketu still had a small portion of his mind left working.
It was reduced to a fragment, as it were. But after eating, his memory
returned and his mind was again active and vigorous.
The idea is, this human body is a very powerful instrument. The mind is
powerful; speech is powerful; life itself is powerful. But it is all
dependent on food (i.e., earth), water, and energy (i.e., fire). Yet even
these gross elements are not independent. As we have seen earlier, earth is
a mixture of water and fire with earth. Water also is a mixture of earth
and fire with water. Similarly, fire is a mixture of earth and water with
fire. This process is called trivṛta, or triplication. It is the
permutation and combination of the three elements. Vedānta says, we cannot
see these elements in their pure form, because that pure form is Existence,
sat.
What the Upaniṣad is saying is suggestive: That which we do not see in its
pure form, but in a form which is a by-product of a combination of other
things, really does not exist. This is the argument Buddhism also advances.
They say: ‘You talk about a chariot, but where is the chariot? Is it a
reality? No, it can’t be a reality, because a chariot is a combination of
different things put together. Where is the chariot? Is it the wheels? The
platform? The canopy? No. When you speak of an object which is not
independent, which is dependent on factors combining together, then it is
not real.’
Here is the same argument. All objects are dependent. What exists then?
Vedānta says it is sat, Existence. That Existence is our own Self, the real
Self, the essence, the real being, pure Spirit. When the Upaniṣad refers to
our mind, our life force, and our speech, it is referring to this
phenomenal world.
We have to look at these things from two levels: From the cosmic level
there is one Reality, one Existence. From the individual level we owe our
mind, life force, and speech to these elements. But in reality all these
elements, all these manifestations of creation, are pure Spirit. One
Reality, pure Spirit, has assumed diverse forms. The whole manifestation of
this universe is dependent. Even the mind.
Where does the mind come from? Science has not yet been able to answer this
question. According to Vedānta, the mind is nothing but matter; yet
consciousness, which is pure Spirit, is the source. Vedānta does not make
any distinction between matter and consciousness. We say it is one and the
same. Consciousness is the source, and out of that one source, all that
exists—call it matter, call it energy, call it mind—has come.
Science has its own terms. They may call the source of life DNA or
something else. Vedānta says it is tat, That. Or it is sat, Existence. From
Existence, everything has emerged. In essence there is one—the same thing
appearing in different forms. {KR THUS THE ANCIENT SAW THAT THERE IS ONLY
ONE THING THAT CAN SURVIVE FOREVER THAT IS sat OR tat AND SCIENCE SAYS DNAs
ARE IMPERISHABLES.}
You may ask, how did the. One became manifest as many? Why did it happen?
The fact that we can ask this question shows that that One is conscious.
Only a conscious being can think, plan, and wish. Because that one Reality
is consciousness it can say, ‘I will be many.’ If it were inert, it could
not wish to become many. So Vedānta says, that one Reality, pure Spirit, is
consciousness.
Yet, that consciousness can also take the form of something inert. Matter
and consciousness are not different. For instance, if you break a
paperweight into atoms, and then smash even those atoms, you will find so
much energy—so much motion. So, whether the manifestations of this creation
are conscious or unconscious, intelligent or unintelligent, they all have
their source in that one conscious Reality.
*According to Ghurye, they did not originate in ṛgvedic times. They
took shape as a socio-religious product after the gotras came inThe
Śatapathabrāhmaṇa was the first to use the term pravara.* The next stage
was in Baudhāyana-śrautasūtra , which listed 800 gotras, (however doubtful)
and 91 ṛṣis (sages) supposed to be connected with them. They were called
pravaras-ṛṣis. According to P.V. Kane, though the term gotra was not used
in ṛgvedic times, gotra as an idea existed at that era so did pravaras a
little latter
The use of pravaras in gotra came in ritual practice in śrauta ceremonies
in the 5th century BCE At the non-ritual level, pravaras as a source of
identity along with gotra were used first by Odishan monarchs during the
6th-7th century CE. Yājñavalkya (3rd century CE) insisted on both gotra and
caraṇa. In fact from Yājñavalkya till the modern period, most of the
law-givers insisted that pravara be given due weight while considering
one's gotra.
In many cases, we find the term sa-gotra which means ‘of the same
gotra-group’. However, in the inscriptions, it is mostly associated with
educational lineage for example Āśvalāyaṇa (Ṛgveda), Kāpiṣṭhala (Yajurveda)
and others.
K Rajaram IRS 24524 25524
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