U nitlersitg of 1Jombag Publication HINDU EXOGAMY HINDU EX:OGAMY BY s. v. KA1!4~J:H.I~AR, M.A. BOMBAY: D. B. URAPOREVALA SONS & Co. "KITAB ~URAL". HORNBY ROAD 1929 COPYRIGHT 1929 BY D. B. TARAPOREVALA SONS & CO. Printed bv G. G. "Bhatt at the Advo<:ate. of India Press. 21. Dalal Street. Fo Bombay & Published by D. B. TA~REVALA SoNS & Co. •K;ta.b Maha HorDbJ Road. Fort, Bombay. PREFACE Of all the social problems, marriage is of the paramount importance. It is a factor which is vitally connected with the ~ranteed continuation of the human race. Most ·or. .oWt;jfW'ir<jl" ideas are based upon the institution· of"llttW.a.~. The savage and the civilized, have alik~ felt lts i.ii;lj>qr,tance. Origi­ nally a social question, • a!·· aU . Ovff" the world, it is intermingled with re"l~gl()~e.rid·thus, tM problem becomes somewhat a cq_mplex. on~. ... ... ' According to the ancient Hindu ideas, marriage is an essential preliminary and an instrument in achieving the fourfold aims of life. Hindu marriage is governed by two sorts of restrictions: endogamous and exogamous. Every Hindu must marry v.ithin his endogamous sub-caste, and outside the exoga­ mous group, variously known as gotra, got, mid, kul, intiperulu, tarvad, etc. In the present work I have confined myself to the consideration . of only the exo­ gamous restrictions. Since the entry of the Indo-Aryans in India, the Brahmin has been constantly at work to estab• !ish his spiritual superiority, not only over the Kshatriyas and VaiSyas, but also over the mixed and purely Dravidian races. The Brahmin has proved eminently successful in his mission. All non-Brah-, min Hindu castes, high or 16w, are being slowly Brah­ manized, though, perhaps, the Brahmin may not be any longer honoured as the spiritual head. The caste, that adopts the Brahmanical ideals and dog­ mas more completely and more e:.>.."tensively, is re­ garded higher in its social status than the surround­ ing castes. In consideration of this gradual Brah­ manization of all Hindu castes, I found it necessary to examine the Brahmanical rules of exogamy at some knsth in the present work. • vi The work is far from being an exhaustive one; but I have tried to touch almost every side of the subject within the narrow limits in which I set my­ self to work. In discussing the problem of the pravaras, the writings of Dr. S. V. Ketkar and Mr. KrishQasastri Ghule on the subject have proved highly useful to me. For the spelling of Sanskrit words I have fol­ lowed the system of transliteration adopted in the Cambridge History of India with slight variations as far as the sibilants are concerned. The index was made for me by my friend Mr. S. N. Gokhale. I am extremely thankful to the University of Bombay for a handsome subsidy that was granted to cover a part of tlie cost of publication. Finally, I should like to express my gratitude .to Dr. G. S. Ghurye, University Reader in SQciology, Bombay, but for whose encouragement and guidance I would have neither undertaken the work· nor completed it. Bombay, S. V. Karandikar. June, 1929. CONTENTS CHAPTER I Exogamy in Vedic Times Hindu not a homogeneous race-Two aspects of Hindu exogamy-Propriety o~ beginning our enquiries with the Indo-Aryans-Various branches of the Aryan peoples non-exogamous-Complete abB!'nce of sept exo­ gamy among the Iranians-Probable abBl'nce of sept exogamJ' among the Indo-Iranians and also the Indo­ Aryans-No direct or indirect reference to sept exogamy in the J;tigveda-Prevalence of sagotra msrriage in ancient times-A form of sapir)Q.a exogamy practised in Vedic times-Marriage between brother and sister, parent and child, definitely barred-Marriage generally contracted outside the family-Marriage between cognates permis­ sible in the third generation-Introduction of sept exo­ gamy in the BrilllmaQa times very probable-Marriage between cognates eulogized in the Satapatha Brii.hmsl)a­ Sophistry of later wri~rs regarding cross-cousin msrriage. pp. 1-21 CHAPTER II Ootra Desirability of first examining Brahmin exogamy­ Strict adherence of Brahmins to the ancient exogamous restrictions-Vaidya's views regarding gotra: Four Pat­ rial"('h families, d-evelopment of the four families into eight, great antiquity of the Patriarch families and relative recentness of Atri, Vi:ivlim.itra and Agastya- • Vlll Arguments against this view: Baudhiiyana's definition of gotra-Absurdity of the Patriarch theory-No con­ stant denotation for the tt>rm 'Saptarshi'-Identity of gotra and surname-PoEsibility ·of grouping all gotras under four heads-patronymic, occupational, local and nickname-Identity of some modern surnames of Brah­ mins with their gotms-Brahmanical gotrasand totemism -Difference between gotra meaning a surname and gotra in its technical sense-Surnames among ~he l\Iarathas. PP· 22-41 CHAPTER III Pravara Pravara not precisely defined in the Siitras-l\Jax Miiller's explanation of pra>'"ilras-Vaidya's views re­ garding pravara : identity of the prav'"ilra l.fubis and the hymn-<:omposers-gotra ~~is, the descendants ~fpravara l;tishis-Arguments against ·this view : pravara organiza­ tion based upon formal discipleship--Two interpretations of the Siitra 'Arsheyam Vril)ite'-Autborship of the individual hymns often unknown-Sarvanukramal;li not a trust-worthy record--Faulty criterion of the Anukra~ maQi: to detnmine the authors of hymns-Pravara "J;tisbi, not necessarily a hymn-composer and every hymn-composer, not necessarily a pravara J;l.ishi­ '!_heory of descent shattered by the order of pravaras­ ~sheya and pravara synonymous terms--Gender of Arsbeya-Original denotation of Arsheya-Siguificance of the suffix 'vat' used in the pravara-formula-Later developments in the sense of Arsbeya-Arsheya a matter of free selection in the beginning. pp. 42-59 • IX CHAPTER IV Connection between Ootra and Pravara Connection between gotra and pra vara-Millions ot gotras grouped uvder ten pravara heads--Indirect reference to the ten divisions in the Brabmal)as-Slight difference of the Bral,mal)a divisions from the divisions in the Sutras-Seven dhisions named after the 'Seven ~his'-Peculiar fascination of the Indo-Aryan mind for the number seven-Eighth diviaion named after Agastya-Significan~ of the prefix 'Kevala' .attached to the Bhrigu .and Al'lf'iras groups-Some independent divisions in the Brahma~;~as later coerced down under Kl'vala Bhrigus and Kevala Angiras-Possibility of changing the pravara-group-IIIustrations, anecdotes. of S1mal;!Sepa and Gritsamada--So also the conversion of 1\ratu, Pulaha and Pulastya families to Agastya-group -Real meaning of such terma .as Vasishthiil), Bhargava.b etc.-Recitation of the individual pravaras always pre­ ceded by the two names of l\lanu and Bharata-lUen ignorant of their pravaras asked to borrow the pravaras of their spiritual guru-Father's gotra, not inherited by the son by m.ere hirth-Gotra conferred upon a hoy at the time of the initiation-Gotra and adoption-Gotra in relation to birth and death impurities-Very re­ strict<Jd impurities before the initiation-The sameness of gotrn and pravarn inoperative in determining the. surct>ssion-Recitation of one nniform prn>"'llora 'Manu". retomm>"nded by Tiiotlins-Confusion of discipleship witl1 blood-relationsbip due to more than one reason-. ~atapath.a Brfthm.a~oa passage-In ancient India the t~>nclwr respect~<l far aboYe the father. pp. 60-90 • X CHAPTER V The Ootras and Pravaras of the Kshatriyas and Vaisyas Vaidya's emphatic assertion regarding the pravaras <>f the Kshatriyas and VaiSyas-His fundamental miscon­ «lption-Gotras of the Kshatriyas in Jain and Bud­ dhistic works-Broader view of the subject-Formation ()£ the four classes in the J;ligveda period-Dividing line not properly drawn between the first three classes­ Development of classes into hereditary £astes-E:fforts ()f the priestly caste to establish its supremacy-Pravam <>rganisation entirely a communal organisation of the .Brahmins- Arsheya definitely denied to the Kshatriyas .and VaiSyas-Double game of the priestly caste-Apas- 1amba's three contradictory statements regarding the Arsheya of the Kshatriyas-Gotras of the Kshatriyas :.in the copper-plates borrowed from the priests. pp. tH-99. CHAPTER VI Sept Exogamy in Sidra Times Sept exogamy probably unknown to the Indo-Imn­ :ians and aloo to the lndo-Aryans-Prevalence of a form ()£ sapil;l~ exogamy in the :J:I.igveda period-bept exogamy in the process of formation in Briihma~Ja times-First mention of st'pt exogamy in Sii.tras-Enun­ (:iation of the rule by Gautama, :Baudhayana and Yasisht,ha-Gotra, meaning a family, the exogamous unit in the beginning-Manu, the first and foremost law­ .giver of the Indo-Aryans-Great antiquity of the original Manu-Smriti-lts revision from time to time- • Xl .Manu's rule uf exogamy brief and loose, and applicable nut only to thu Brahmins but to the first three castes­ According to Manu, sagotra marriage neither a serious sin nor a minor sin-1\-lention of sept exogamy in the appendices of A8valayana's Srauta and Grihya !:!utras­ No penances prescribed for sagotra marriage either by Vasishtha or Apastamba-Mild penances prescribed by Baudhiiyana-Strong condemnation of sagotra marriage by Gautama-Views of ruinor Sutra-writers-On the "hole, the rule of sept exogamy not univt'rsally accept­ ed in Siitra times-Scope of the rule of sept exogamy­ '.l'o begin with, gotra, meaning a family, the exogamous unit-Limits of family-relationship-Pravara organiza­ tion used by the Brahmin as the basis of his sept exogamy-Family, the exogamous unit with other castes-Loose application of the rule of Bt'pt exogamy in thi' case of the Kshatriyae and VaiSyas.