Gotra in Cases of Adoption -- Generational Impact

[Vivek Rallabandi]

Namaste to all the vidvans. 

In response to a previous inquiry I had raised in this forum regarding the "Gotra of a Wife After Divorced," an interesting response was provided by Sri Rajagopalan Soundararajan who had written the following: 

This leads to another interesting practice followed on the Gotra of a young boy given in adoption to a childless couple. The young boy is initiated into Brahmacharya ashrama by the adopted father with the acquired Gotra pravaram. When the boy grows up and is ready for marriage, the girl is chosen from a family that is neither the Gotra (acquired) nor the native. 

This is just for information.

[Heard this from an esteemed scholar in Chennai who has an adopted son, a practice he said he had adhered to]

Soundararajan

This raises an interesting question which is personally relevant. My paternal grandfather -- whose birth father was of Koundinya-gotra -- was given in adoption to a related family of Bharadwaja-gotra. He took on the surname of the adopted family as well as the gotra of the adopted family. I am therefore also now of Bharadwaja-gotra. According to the maxim put forth by Sri Soundararajan, my grandfather would have been precluded from marrying a woman belonging to either of these two gotras (Koundinya and Bharadwaja). 

The question then arises as to whether this prohibition then extends beyond my paternal grandfather and also applies to me -- that is, am I also barred from marrying a woman belonging to Koundinya-gotra? I believe a scholar had mentioned to us several years ago that this was the case. I wanted to solicit the views of the vidwans here in this regard and whether any particular provisions in Dharma-Shastra would be instructive here. 

I am grateful for the clarification that may be provided in this regard. 

[Sivasenani Nori]

Namaste

I don't have the Dharma Sastra references handy to quote, but know of a practice which has the same purport. In such cases, the adopted boy adds two rishis from the gotra he was born into, to the three rishis of the acquired gotra. Thereafter, he and his progeny avoid marrying any girl with common rishis. My maternal uncle is a Vathula sagotra, but with five rishis. When this repeats, it is also possible to have seven rishis, I believe. This is one way of keeping track of earlier adoptions and avoiding those gotras in marriage down the line.

Regards 

Senani

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[Krishnan S]

So if a parent of gotra A adopts a boy from gotra B, the boy as well as his progenies are not to have alliance either from gotra A    or gotra B. (say rule X)

Does it applicable to adopted daughters??

For a boy in my neighbourhood was in love with a neighbour girl. Both the families gave consent to thier marriage.

Then it dawned on them that the two families are from the same gotra (say P)

They were advised that the girl's should "handover" the girl to a third family of differnt gotra (say Q) . A sort of 'adoptation'

And after the 'adpotation', the marriage was solmnized.

And this practice  is  an accepted way out in our circle

But as per the rule X, the girl should not from marry any boy either from gotra P or gotra Q

Krishnan

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[Sivasenani Nori]

The stated rule (well, practice really) does not apply to girls. As an analogy, we can look at how a girl changes her gotra completely upon her marriage. Similar is the case with adoption.

Regards 

Senani

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[BVK Sastry (G-S-Pop)]

Namaste

 

Given the ideations linked to  ‘Gotra’ – for ‘Identity based sacrament prescription’, per debated ‘Dharma Shaastra Rules and Practices ,

 

I request a clarification. What is  ‘GOTRA- IDENTITY - MODEL’  in Dharma Shastra’s  for rule making ?

 

a) Is ‘gotra’ –  a portable, changeable flexible ‘identity tag model’, which keeps switching back and forth by social / sacramental status ?

 

b) Is ‘gotra’ – something  of physiological connect to ‘Parental DNA – Genetic – Bio Chemistry that cannot be physiologically modified ?

 

c) Is ‘gotra’ -  a gender dependent and modifiable community –religion- faith  identity – by human intention through a ritual sacrament like

         ‘adoption/ marriage / deekshaa’?

 

d) Is ‘gotra’ – a ‘name appendage like ‘last name / ancestor of lineage ( Vruddha) ’ in many communities ?  

 

Reason to seek clarification: Gotra related rules and studies are made with all these interpretative dimensions.

                                                   The Samskruth term ‘ Gotra’ is having Paninian grammar rules processing guidelines !

                                                    The Vedamnatras have rishi names that go by ‘ Gotra’ Rishis;

                                                   There are social ‘gotras’ proliferated post-colonial rule.

                                                    Even ‘Devatas’ ( specifically Graha Devatas ) have gotra identity mentioned !  

                                                   ‘Gotra’ many times is linked to family identity continuity; and

                                                   ‘Gotra’ many times is linked to ‘ Sacrament- Guideline’ in Sutras (Gruhya and Srauta) ].

 

My personal View: ‘Gotra’ Identity is deep-linked to unique ‘Jataka’: Birth-Point Sky map.

                                   This is a unique Identity for each human, gender independent.

                                    May be this needs more research. 

 

There are some Vedanga Jyotisha works /practices  which make a subtle pointer to justify this view. Rest of the rules could be a ‘Mystic issue’.

 

Regards

BVK Sastry

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