Difference between Gotra & pravara:what if one wants marry with in the gothra?

[Guest guest]

Two questions were asked on Rediff.com and I have tried to answer

these questions.

 

" 1. Difference between Gotra and pravara :

 

A good question to ask. Many people do not know what is the basis for

the Gotra and pravara system.

 

Basically, a Gotra literally meaning Cow pen indicates lineage of a

person.

 

In the olden days, the life of the people was centered on looking

after their herd of cows. Cows were the property of the community and

their protection etc used to be the principal occupation. By then,

the Varna system (the four fold occupational division of Indian

society) has not started because there was no development of

occupations as such.

 

The religion also more community based rather than personal. The

concept of personal gods has not come into picture by then and all

the people used to pray to the god of nature. I dont think even Indra

was worshipped during these days.

 

The original patriarch was recognized as Praja pati or Brahma and his

regents on the earth were the ten brahmas :

1. Marichi

2. Atri

3. Angirasa

4. Pulaha

5. Pulasthya

6. Krathu

7. Vasishta

8. Prachethasa

9. Bhrigu

10. Narada

All the communities (or cow pens) are originally centered around

these 10 brahmas since they were supposed to be the sons of the

Prajapati or the Creator. Thus, a person has come to be known by the

Brahma of the community he belonged to. This is what is called as

Gotra( lineage based on cow pen one belonged to)

Out of these, Narada has refused to be a part of the proliferation

and remained bachelor .But it is more probable that even if he has

prolifirated, he and his people might have not settled at a place and

might have been absorbed into whichever Gotra they have been married

to.

The Gotras of pulaha and paulastrya also vanished for various reasons.

With time, the remaining seven gotras have transformed to the present

day primary gotras and in fact, new gotras have also formed from

them. A s per one estimate, there were no less than 73 gotras in the

Rg Vedic times. But all these gotras formed only on the basis of the

above 7 Gotras or their modifications.

 

With times, there was the Varna systems and with growth of

occupations and the societies, kings have come into existance. The

primary duty of ksatriyas was to protect has been turned into more

important responsibility of governing. Thus, the lineages have

changed from Gotras into the kingly dynasties.

Some people have a misunderstanding that only Brahmins have gotras.

It is not so, since at the time of formation of gotras there was no

varna or caste system present.

Today, we see that people belonging to several castes outside the

castes of Brahmins, ksatriyas and vaisyas bearing gotras. However,

most of these gotras have come into existance after the formation of

Caste system.

Varna systme has collapsed in post Mahabharat times and caste system

has grown out of the collapsed varna system, at a much later time.

Most of the known gotras have come into existance in the post caste

system.

Pravara is different from Gotra in the sense that it indicates the

grouping of gotras. Marriages are prohibited amongst ones own Gotra

or pravara.

It is scientific and socially accepted that one should avoid

marriages in ones own relatives and marrying outside ones gotra or

pravara constructs the basic rules of marriage.

In case you have further doubts, you can ask me on

Kishorepatnaik09 or join my group

.

Hope this helps,

Kishore patnaik

98492 70729

 

 

2. What if one wants to marry within the gotra- any solutions?

 

 

I have explained the origins of Gotras in reply to your another

question. Basically, each gotra, as I have explaind there, is

supposed to have originated from single cluster of people centered

around a person. Just like marrying into the joint family is a taboo

today, it has been a taboo to marry from your own Gotra which is more

of an extended family.

 

Obviously, there is a strong scientific basis for this and

genetically, it is better to avoid marriages from one's family. Now,

coming to a solution when you face the problem of wanting to marry a

person from your gotra- so far I know there is no solution as long as

you attach value to the gotra system.

What will some one do if she or he wants to marry a person, who is

distantly related to him or her as a brother or sister? It simply

depends on the value one attaches to it, or the resistance he or she

faces from self, the prospective spouse, families and of course,

friends and society.

 

This is more of a social problem than religious.

 

Hope this helps, "

Any corrections or additions are welcome from the members

 

kishore patnaik

98492 70729

[Guest subramanya]

boy from koundinya gothra marry girl of vasishta gothra?