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Rashmi said:Her question to me and her parents was... when i get married to a boy from XYZ gotram... my gotram would change to XYZ from ABC.. in such a situation does it not become a "Sahagotram" situation.. and will my husband not become my brother?
It was a veri logocal question .. and got me thinking
RVenkatraman said:I had quoted from our Shastra about the Jeeva and the physical body, in fact the progeny shares many characters from both father and mother, but the emphasize was on the mutation of the Y-C hence I had to lean towards the father to quote what basic things are carried and passed only by the father, in case if the progeny is a Male then the probability of the Y-C mutation is higher and this is based on the Genetics research! Hence male Gothram is predominent.
Why was there an emphasis only on the mutation of Y-Chromosome? Who placed that emphasis?
According to your words in case the progeny is a male then the "probability" of Y-Chromosome mutuation is higher. This does not rule out that there are atleast a few times when the X-chromosome plays a role.
Also, in my elementary understanding genetic mutation is a big deal. It usually has dramatic effects. Sometimes such effects can be so dramatic as to create the template for a new species. This is the underlying argument of Darwin's theory of evolution. But what we as individuals inherit is a "combination" of genetic materials from the father and the mother. I don't know if that combination can be called mutation.
And even if we accept the idea that it is the Y-Chromosome that is solely responsible for change, intelligence, spiritual evolution and development in an individual then Brahmin men are solely to be blamed for the present state of degeneration of the community. The 'Jeeva Sarira' (of Brahmins today) that you explain bears no resemblance to the spiritual powers of Vashishta and Vishwamitra (whose Gotrams we claim to belong to). The 'Sthoola Sarira' that you explained is filled sometimes with beer and non-vegetarian food. The clothes that adorn the Sthoola Sarira are Western where men inherit the nonsensical habit of wearing a tie when the temperature outside is 40 degrees Centrigrade or over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Women in my parents generation did not drink and smoke and eat non-vegetarian food. And if the Y-Chromosome has prompted men to alter themselves so unrecognizably is it fair that we continue to consider men as worthy of carrying the lineage? They have proved themselves to be utterly irresponsible. So why should we respect the Y-Chromosome as the bearer of lineage?
I see that you have recognized the value of women's roles by mentioning that there are at least 30 women sages mentioned in the Rig Veda. So how is it we don't have any Gotrams attributed to them?
I think it is great that women enjoy a very good position in the Vedas but how is it that it is not translated into actual practice? Christians may not have such an elevated status for women in their scriptures but in the West they do a far better job of treating them well.
I hope I am being clear here. I think lineage can be a wonderful thing but I think it should go to people who have proven themselves to be responsible. Sometimes sons are worthy other times daugthers are worthy.
To say that lineage can be recognized only through men shuts out the possibility that Divine Mother can be born as a human female just as Lord Krishna was born a human male. I would love to have been the daughter of a human manifestation of Divine Mother and her devotee husband just as much as I would have loved to have been the daughter of Lord Krishna and Radha. In the former case I would be proud to count my lineage on matrilineal lines and in the latter along patrilineal lines.
I think any system of rigity refuses to accept the possibility that God can appear through any human form. And devotees of God can occur in any family, in any gender.
Do you think some of our rigid ways has caused us to not invite God into our lives? Do you think God went away from the lives of Brahmins because S/He felt sad at what has happened?