HK: Namaste acharya ji. Is gotra system mentioned in vedas? If yes then why we don’t marry in same gotra? How many varnas(caste) are there? Please share verses which can be used to end caste based discrimination. Thanks a lot acharya ji.
Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you my son. In this connection I paste my following articles –
GOTRA
Hindu Mein ya kisi bhi caste mein gotra traditional hota hai arthat baap, dada, pardada pehle se hee chala aata hai. shadi ke baad, bachchey ka gotra pita ka gotra hee maana jaata hai.
The meaning of ‘gotra’ is a path, family line, genealogy and a learned acharya on whose name the path of vansh (gotra) has been made. For-example, there was “Bhardwaj rishi” on whose name Bhardwaj gotra stands etc. Rigveda mantra 10/85/21 states that marriage of boy and girl must not be performed within gotra.
According to Rigveda Mantra 10/85/21 marriage should always be solemnized with girl from different gotra.
Manusmriti Shloka 3/5 states that the girl who is away from the six generations of parents is only to be married.
Gotra system
As per Yajurveda mantra 31/11, God has not made any caste system. There are four classes of human beings (varannas) according to the deeds and not by birth.
Those classes (VARNNAS) are — BRAHMIN, KSHATRIYE, VAISHYA and SHUDRA, which are changeable based on deeds. Further, human beings have made their own Gotras. It is not good to marry in the same Gotra.
Four Ashrams
There are four ashrams in the life, Brahmacharya ashram up to age of 25 years, Grihastha ashram up to 50 years, Vanprasth ashram up to 75 years and Sanyas ashram up to 100 years. So one should try to discharge his duties of every ashram knowing duties thereof and then must take sanyas, but if anybody else is interested to take sanyas being ascetic by true speech etc., then he can take sanyas even at an early age.
I have already written about caste system (varn vyavastha). Yajurveda mantra 31/11 says that caste is based on present deeds (karmas) and not by birth. The sense of Mantra is that if a son of shudra studies Vedas, controls senses/organs and mind, does practice of Ashtang yoga, then he will be considered Brahmin and a Brahmin who has no such qualities he will be treated as shudra etc., etc. There is no caste system in Vedas based on birth and the other holy books like Manusmriti, six shastras, Upnishads, Valmiki Ramayana, Mahabharat (Bhagwad Geeta) etc., were written by ancient Rishis/Munis based on only the knowledge of Vedas, so no caste system exists therein based on birth.
In this connection Yajurveda mantra 31/11 also says that he who knows Vedas and God, he is Brahmin being most supreme in the world like a mouth in the body. So anyone (of any caste) can be a Brahmin by hard studies of Vedas, practising Ashtang yoga therein and thus realizing God. One who has physical power in his arms, he is Kashtriye-Rajput to protect the country. So anyone can be a Rajput, holding the said qualities. One who has powers in his thighs to travel and to do hard work to establish business, he is Vaishya (businessman). One who has not studied, based on his qualities that he could not gain the qualities of Brahmin, Kashtriye and Vaishya, he is shudra (may be of any caste).
There is a symbolic story in Mahabharat. That once Yudhishthir saw that his brother Bhima was caught by a huge python. Yudhishthir asked python that my brother is a great warrior having sufficient power that you could not catch him. So really you are not python, tell me, who you are. Python replied that he was a yaksha. O Yudhishthir, if you would answer my question, then your brother would be released. Yaksha asked Yudhishthir that if a son of Brahmin takes wine, meat, gambles and does bad deeds then whether he will be considered as Brahmin and when a shudra (lowest caste) reads Vedas, does practice of Ashtang yoga, controls his five senses, five organs and mind and does always pious deeds then whether the son of such shudra will remain shudra? Yudhishthir replied that the Brahmin will be treated as shudra and shudra will be treated as Brahmin.
King Janak called all the emperors/anybody to break the bow to prove to be the best powerful emperor amongst all to marry his daughter Sita. So King Janak did not make any objection of caste system. So was the case of marriage of Draupadi where in the garb of a Brahmin Arjuna pierced the eye of the fish with arrow and Yudhishthir married Draupadi. Draupadi was daughter of Khastriye, Rajput whereas in the dress, Arjun was Brahmin. So qualities are to be checked either of boy or girl.
Caste System
Caste system has not been made by God. Therefore, punishment etc., mentioned by people in caste system was against the Vedas and every spiritual book. But now its all okay as per Government. But hundred percent implementation of govt. orders is to be made yet.
Holy books cannot give an order to anyone to avoid preach to any caste because Vedas or other holy books are for human beings/souls and not for any special caste. Such things are occurring only due to lack of study of Vedas, please. So at present spreading of knowledge of Vedas will sure finish the ravages of hatred. When sun rises, the darkness of the night is over, similarly when knowledge of the Vedas will spread, the illusion will automatically be over. When sun rises, the darkness from the earth is removed from that portion only which comes towards sun. And rest of the portion remains dark. Similarly wherever the Vedic knowledge will spread and be gained, the ignorance/illusion from those human beings will be over. Therefore spreading of knowledge of Vedas and other holy books, is must.
