A Pragmatic
approach on Atulya gotra & Consanguinity.
Dr.K. Pallavi
Lecturer,Dept of Agadatantra ,
G J Patel Institute of Ayurvedic Studies & Research.
Dr.Jasmine Gujarathi
Lecturer, Dept of Prasuti Tantra & Streeroga G J Patel Institute of Ayurvedic Studies & Research.
In the past few days, we have
seen lot of cases of Honor killing of young married couples getting killed by
their own relatives just because they belonged to the same Gotra. The sustained effort by aggressive Khap panchayats and their
influential political backers to force leading political parties to have a
rethink on same gotra marriages is patently illegal. Sixty-five years ago, in
1945, the issue was settled by the Bombay High Court which categorically declared
same gotra marriages were legal. And that's been the law of the land since1.
Origin
& Introduction to Gotras:-
The word “Gotra”
is formed from the two Sanskrit words ‘aÉÉå’
(meaning Cow) and ‘§ÉÉÌW’ û(meaning Shed). So Gotra means Cowshed,
where in the context is that Gotra is like the Cowshed protecting a particular
lineage2. Generally, these lineages mean patrilineal descent from
the sages or rishis in Brahmins, warriors and administrators in Kshatriyas and ancestral trademen in
Vaisyas. The lineage system, either patrilineal or matrilineal, was followed by
the South Asian people. In present-day Hinduism, Gotra is applied to all the
lineage systems.
The earliest mention of this word in its technical
sense is to be found in Chandogya-Upanisad where the teacher of Satyakama
Jabali asks his Gotra. We find
frequent use of Gotras in the Buddhist and Jain literature, for example,
Manava, Vasistha Gautama etc. It seems that by the time of the Buddha, the
Gotra system was an established institution3.
The term Gotra broadly refers to people who
are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini
defines Gotra for grammatical
purposes as 'apatyam pautraprabhrti
gotram' (IV. 1. 162), which means 'the word gotra denotes the progeny (of a sage) beginning with the son's son.
When a person says ' I am Kashypasya-gotra'
he means that he traces his descent from the ancient sage Kashyapa by unbroken
male descent. According to the Baudhâyanas'rauta-sûtra Vishvâmitra, Jamadagni,
Bharadvâja, Gautama, Atri, Vasishtha, Kashyapa and Agastya are 8 sages; the
progeny of these eight sages is declared to be gotras. These eight sages are
called gotrakarins To this list, Agastya is also sometimes added. This
enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known to PâNini. The
offspring (apatya) of these eight are gotras and others than these are called '
Gotrâvayava '.4
There are more than 49
established Hindu gotras. All members of a particular gotra are believed to
possess certain common characteristics by way of nature or profession.
Gotra also means: "family enclosed by the
hurdle”, family, race, lineage, kin5. Gotra in Amarakosha6 is said to be race/line/tribe/extraction/stock
in Brahma varga. Sagotra in Shabdhakalpadruma7 is Samana gotraja or from the same lineage.
Marriages
& Gotras:-
In a patrilineal Hindu society (most common), the
bride belongs to her father's gotra before the marriage, and to her husband's
gotra after the marriage. The groom on the other hand only belongs to his
father's gotra throughout his life.
Marriages within the gotra ('sagotra' marriages) are
not permitted under the rule of exogamy in the traditional matrimonial system.
The word 'sagotra' is union the words
'sa' + gotra, where 'sa' means same or similar. People within the gotra are
regarded as kin and marrying such a person would be thought of as incest.The
Tamil words 'sagotharan' (brother)
and 'sagothari' (sister) derive their
roots from the Sanskrit word 'sahodara'
meaning co-uterine or born of the same womb. In communities where gotra
membership passed from father to children, marriages were allowed between
maternal uncle and niece8, while such marriages were forbidden in
matrilineal communities, like Malayalis and Tuluvas, where gotra membership was
passed down from the mother9.
A much more common characteristic of south Indian
Hindu society is permission for marriage between cross-cousins (children of
brother and sister). Thus, a man is allowed to marry his maternal uncle's
daughter or his paternal aunt's daughter, but is not allowed to marry his
father's brother's daughter. She would be considered a parallel cousin who is
treated as a sister.10
Gotra in Vedas & Puranas:-
According
to Agni Purana11 women from the same gotra is not married or from
the family acknowledging from the same rishi. Marriage of a woman is not
forbidden where the bridegroom is not related to her within seven degrees in
fathers line or five degrees in the side of the mother.
A lively discussion between Yama and Yami in Rigveda12,
which shows that, though marriage with a near relative may have been common in
early times, it was falling into disuse in the later Vedic period.
In Satapatha Brahmana there is a passage that refers
to the union of brothers and sisters in the third or the fourth generation.
Harisvamin, the commentator on the above Brahmana says, in the way of
illustration, that Kanva married a girl in the third generation. In Surastra
there are instances of marriage in the fourth generation. The prohibition of
marriage in one's Pinda also does not seem to be in force in the Vedic period.
In the Khailika hymn (VIII) Indra is
invoked in the way which shows that daughters of maternal uncle and paternal
aunt could be married13.
In Mahabharatha Shanthi Parva14 the conversation between Janaka &
Sulabha gives a hint of prohibition of marriage in sagotra.
Vedic rituals are not connected with Gotra
Sacrificers have not to choose only those hymns that were composed by their own
Gotra-Kr-ts. The Apri hymns are the
only exceptions; but this is the view of the Srauta Sutras only and the
Yajurveda does not lay any such restriction. Thus Gotra was not as yet much consulted
in the matter of religious ceremonies15.
Prohibition of marriage within the Pravara is first
found in the Grhyasutras, but there is no similar prohibition of Sagotra
marriage. Apastamba, Kausika, Baudhayana and Paraskara, all avoid Pravara but
not Gotra. From the time of the Dharmasutras, however, Sagotra and Sapinda
marriages are being prohibited. Vasistha prohibits Sagotra marriage. But the
range of Gotra was still very limited and marriage was possible beyond the
seventh generation of the father and the fifth of the mother. According to the
Apastamba Grhyasutra, however, the limits of Gotra were extended. It could go
too far and was not co-extensive with the seventh generation of the father.
Almost all the metrical Smrtis declare the marriages
within the Gotra, ipso facto, invalid. Such marriages could not be legalized,
nor the children born of such wedlocks. But there seems to be still some
leniency about marrying a girl within the Gotra, One Smrti prescribes only an
ordinary atonement for marrying a girl within the Gotra. While later on the
marriage is nullified and the punishment is very severe16.
The later writers on Dharmasastra are dead against
Sagotra and Sapinda marriages. They prohibit not only such marriages but try to
explain away ancient statements that might go against them. For example, they
say that the invocation to Indra in the Khailika
hymn is not a Vidhi (rule) but an Arthavada (praise); if it were a rule, incest
would become permissible. The writers in later period quotes the Brahma Purana,
Prohibiting Sagotra marriage which is equivalent to cow-slaughter, as
Kalivarjya.- "prohibited in the Kali age". These facts show that the
prohibition of Sagotra marriage was an accomplished fact during the time of the
commentators and the Nibandhakaras. Since then it has been followed in the
Hindu society with every care17.
Mythological
examples of sagotra marriages:-
Svayambhuva-Manu
married Shatarupa, who bore him three daughters by name Akuti, Devahuti and
Prasuti. Of these Akuti was given in marriage to the Prajapati Ruchi who had
through her a son Hari and a daughter Dakshina
. The
brother and sister were married as husband and wife. To these were born twelve
sons19.
Marriage of
paternal cousins, now condemned, is not unknown to Hindu tradition. Marichi and
Daksha were brothers and Kasyapa, the son of the former, married Aditi and
other daughters of the latter20. The Biblical prophet Abraham
married his own step sister Sarai21.
In Sri
Lankan folklore, there are at least
three significant instances where incest is mentioned. The forefather of the Sinhala race, "Sinhabahu", is a king who married
his own sister "Sinhaseevali". Incest is again mentioned when King
Vijaya's son and daughter fled to the jungle together in protest of their
father's second marriage. Also, the brother "Dantha" and the sister
"Hemamalini" who brought the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha to the
island, seemed to also have a married relationship22.
What
is Consanguinity?
Consanguinity
("con- (with/together) sanguine (blood) –ity (noun marker)")
refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In
that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor
as another person23. Consanguinity also means the amount of shared
(identical) DNA, the genetic material. For example, first cousins have four
times the consanguinity of second cousins. First cousins once removed have half
the shared DNA as full first cousins. Half-fourth cousins sometimes cannot be
detected at the DNA level. Finally , double first cousins share twice the
consanguinity as first cousins and are as related as half-siblings24.
The term consanguinity is used to describe unions
between couples who are known to share genes inherited from one or more common
ancestors. Globally, the most common form of consanguineous marriage is between
first cousins, who are predicted to have 12.5% of their genes in common, and so
on average their progeny will be homozygous at 6.25% of gene loci, equivalent
to a coefficient of inbreeding (F) of 0.0625 (Bittles 2001).
Consanguinity
in regions & religions:
According to Senart the Aryan people practiced in
affairs of marriage both a rule of exogamy and endogamy. A man must marry a
women of equal birth, but not of the same genes, according to the Roman law as
interpreted by Senart and Kovalevsky, and an Athenian must marry an Athenian
women, but not of the same genos.
Historically closest consanguineous marriage was performed between brothers and
sisters by sthe Egyptian Pharaohs to preserve the royal blood and interestingly
Cleopatra was born out of such marriage25.
Consanguineous unions remain preferential in North Africa,
the Middle East and some parts of Asia, with marriage between first cousins
being particularly common. Communities such as the Dhond and the Bhittani of Pakistan clearly
prefer marriages between cousins as they ensure purity of the descent line,
provide intimate knowledge of the spouses, and ensure that patrimony will not pass into the hands of "outsiders".26 Sri Lankan culture regards
incest as a taboo. Then again, contemporary Sri Lankan culture is heavily
influenced by the cultures of former colonial rulers, during the last couple of
centuries27.
In the Catholic
Church, marriage is never permitted
if the potential spouses are related in the collateral line up to and including
the fourth degree. The Church does not permit the marriage if a doubt exists on
whether the potential spouses are related by consanguinity in any degree of the
direct line or in the second degree of the collateral line.28
In the Eastern
Orthodox Church, marriages are not
allowed between second cousins or closer and between second uncles / aunts and
second nieces / nephews (between first cousins once removed) or closer29.
Although consanguineous marriage is common in all
Indian Muslim communities, the Quran contains no specific guidance that
could be interpreted as encouraging consanguinity (Hussain 1999). Indeed,
according to one of the hadith, a recorded pronouncement of the Prophet
Muhammad, cousin marriages were better discouraged. On the other hand the
Prophet married his daughter Fatima to Ali, his paternal first cousin and ward.
Thus, for Muslims, cousin marriage could be interpreted as following the sunnah,
i.e. the deeds of the Prophet.
Hindus in northern
India as a practice outlaw the consanguineous marriage by avoiding the same
`gothra' or patrilineal relationship between the probable bride and the groom.
National Family and Health Survey (IIPS 1995) says, unions between biological
kin are uncommon in the northern, eastern and north-eastern states because of a
general prohibition on consanguineous marriage in the majority Hindu
population. The prohibition is believed to date back to approximately 200 BC
and forbids the marriage of a man with the daughter of his father’s sister or
of his mother’s sister, or of his mother’s brother (Kapadia 1958;Sanghvi 1966;
Rao 1984).Cross-cousin
marriage was recognized in the Hindu
Marriage Act of 1955, and the legality of uncle–niece unions was subsequently confirmed
in the Hindu Code Bill of
1984 (Appaji Rao et al. 2002). As a result, consanguineous unions increase in prevalence in
the states south of the
Narmada, with the highest rates reported in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu .
Atulya
gotra in Ayurveda:-
Ayurveda emphasizes on
prevention of diseases. The first step towards this prevention is previous to
birth itself.Just like Ahara & Nidra Abrahmacharya is also essential for
Healthy life. Achievement of a healthy
progeny (Shreyasi Prajaamichheth)30
is the main aim of couple.
Procurement of a healthy
offspring begins with the selection of the partner. Acharya Charaka states that
the partner who performs coitus for achieving a child should be of “Atulya
gotra.” i.e of dissimilar gotras.
AtuLy go5a. v<*ya. c p/º*3a.
in=p³van | c ic ÊãÉãÉÍ
AtuLygo5Sy rj:9yaNte rhoivs<*3.
im4unIk<tSy |
ik. SyaXctu*paTp/wv. c 8D\Wyo yt\ S5I8u
gwRTvmupEit pu.s: ||
xuk/. tdSy p/vdiNt 2Ira y²Iyte
gwRsmuWdvay |
vaTviGnwUMyVgu`padv%t\ 8DWyo rseWy:
p/wvXc tSy || c xa ÊãË,Ì
For procreation of a healthy child it is necessary
that the male & female should be mutually of a different clan. Coitus among
the member of the same clan is a sinful act which does not have the sanction of
scriptures. Chakrapani comments a male & a female from atulya gotra should
be married to each other.If they are from tulya or same gotra then it is a
sinful act according to the Dharma shastra.
tuLygo5a`a.
ih mE4une™2moR wvit, 2mRxaS5e8u ini8²Tvat\ | ck/pai`
Gangadhara comments describing that a Shaddhatuka
purusha who take birth in a Human womb should follow the principles of atulya
gotra prior cohabition which is mandatory. He defines atulya gotra as :-
yo
yya n tuLyo go5: s tSya AtuLygo5: | g.ga2r
Which means the the male & female before
copulation should be of two different clan. He adds Panini quoting that the
apatya marga to procure the progeny should be of two different clans. Not only
of different clan but before uniting the female should have completed the three
nights of menstruation. The copulation can be performed from 4th day
to 16th day of the cycle in a lonely place.Garbha or the womb can
only be formed if all the elements from both the male & female are in
proper condition. When explaining about gotra he himself raises a question whether
the concept of atulya gotra spoken here is applied for Parajayaya (female other
than his own wife) or Swajayaya (own wife). Further, he answers the query
saying that here the concept of atulya
gotra is only spoken for Dharmya vishayas or righteous acts which is followed according to the Dharma
Shastra.This means the atulya gotra is
applicable to those who follow Vaidika Karmas or the rituals according to the
Dharma Shastra.There is no meaning in discussing about the invalid things who do not follow
the Vaidikas or Dharmashastras.So according to Dharma Shastra the male who
marries a female & cohabits only with his single wife is considered to be
Vaidaka or following the rules of religion. So before the marriage, the male
& female should be of different clan rather after marriage they cannot be
called as atulya gotriyas as they belong to same clan.
Gangadhara continues the commentary referring to
Manu’s aphorism :-
Asip~Da c ya matursgo5a c ya iptu: |
sa p/xSta iµjatIna. darkmRi` mE4une || m Sm<
ËãÍ
Manu Dharma shastra quotes not only atulya gotra but
also Asapinda which means from different pinda (kinsman connected with
ancestors) to have a progeny & such pairs
only are eligible to get married(darakarma), The atulya gotra here is not only
considered before marriage for the couples who get married but Gangadhara adds
saying that the male & female who are yet to marry also should be the
progeny of different clans that is the Parents of a girl & Boy should also
be of different clan before marriage. Though the parents are of same clan at
present they should be of different clan before they were married. So, even the
progeny of sagotra marriages were denied for marriage which was considered
Adharma.
sip~Dta tu puru8e sPtme
ivinvtRte |
smanodkwavStu jNmnaMnervedne
|| mnu Sm< ÍãÎÒ
The Sapinda-relationship ceases with the seventh
person (in the ascending and descending lines), the Samanodaka-relationship
when the (common) origin and the (existence of a common family)-name are
no(longer) known.
durpTy.
kula¥aro go5e jat. mhTyip | A h< ÉãÊÑ
mhTyip
go5e jat. ]Tk<*3e™ip kul. ]TpNn. A¥arkayRkar`sam$yaRt\
smStTkulivnaxhetuTvaTkula¥ar [TyuCyte || Aru`dTt
Vagbhata in ashtanga hridaya defines the rule of
marriage saying whatever the factors which is going to destruct the progeny
should be avoided. The gotra which should be of admirable features which should
be according to the kula & desha. Kula here may be occupation which is
followed from generation & desha is the rules & rituals followed
according to the geographical area.
A4 qlu pumanekiv.xitv8R:
kNyamtuLygo5a.tuLyaiwjnams.cairrogkulp/sUta. ………………………| A s. xa ÉãÊ
yiSmn kule s.carI rog: ku*#pE¥Lyaid:
naiSt, ………………………|[Ndu
Astanga Sangrahakara while describing the qualities
of the girl eligible for marriage also adds the importance of Kanya from atulya
gotra to be selected, which can prevent the Kula sanchari rogas or the diseases
which are prevalent in the family.The kula sanchari rogas are said to be
Kushta,Paingulya etc. according to Indu the commentator.
A¥p/Ty¥inv<RiTt Svwavadev jayte |
A¥p/Ty¥inv<RTtO ye wviNt gu`agu`a:
||
tee te gwRSy iv)eyo 2maR2mRinimTtja: ||
su xa ËãËÎ
Sushrutha quotes the formation of Garbha or womb
& its qualities of development of each & every part of the body is
natural & spontaneous & the qualities & conditions which mark these
organs are determined by the acts of the child which are anterior to its
genesis & were done on its prior existence. It can also include the
righteous acts of parents who give birth.
xuk/xoi`t s.yoge wve±o8 ]Tk3: |
p/k<itjaRyte ten tSya me l9`.
&<`u || su xa ÌãÎË
n ih
svRmev bIj. dUi8t. ik. tihR bIjavyvo dUi8t: n cavyvgtdo8e` gwRp/itbN2o
jaTyN2mUkadegwRSydxRnat\ | tSma´ 0va.xo bIjSy du*3o wvit tTkayRSyEv gwaRvyvSy
ivk<itrwsavo va wvit; y4a d<*yarmWke bIjwage du*3e jaTyaN2o gwoR wvit n
tu gwR 0v n wvit, t4a do8aQye bIjwage du*3e tTkayRSyev gwRxrIrwavSy
sm2atorpe9ya ivk<it: Sfui3tkrcr`aidl9`a wvit n tu gwRVya6atn | DLh`
He also adds saying that the Dosha or the
exaggerating factors which are in its peak whilst the time of cohabition of
Shukra & shonitha (a sperm & ovum), the same would be the characters of
the progeny.If any component of the sperm or the ovum is with some defects then
according to that the diseases would also arise.The natural process of
development of organs is not considered to be defection in the womb but the
defective alteration which happens due to Beeja (sperm & ovum) and Beejavayava (component) is invisible in
garbha.Therefore atulya gotra also might have its effects on the quality of
beeja which can produce a healthy progeny.
Factors responsible for the abortion of the fetus:-
bIjaTmkmaRxykaldo8E:
matuSt4a™™harivhardo8E: |
kuvRiNt do8a iviv2ain du*3a:
s.S4anv`RiNd/yvEk<tain ||c xa ÊãÊÑ
Due to defects of beeja
(sperm or ovum), the genetic factors,the self,past deed,uterus &
time,mothers fod & behavior,the vitiated doshas produce various
abnormalities in shape ,complexion & sense organs.
Though acharyas have mentioned the importance of
atulya gotras in marriage no consequences are described directly. The defects
of Shukra ,Shonitha & even the Garbhopaghatakara bhavas are elaborately
dealt nevertheless the tulya gotra marriages is considered to be adharma. As for as the discussion on Adharma,
prajnaparadha is said to be the origin.So if the principles of marriage is
considered then one must follow the atulya gotra vada in choosing the spouse if
not it would be a prajnaparadha.If one follows Dharma then only one can attain
happiness31.
Adharma is considered to be sinful in Shastras.That
which is Manasantapaka (distressing), Mahajanaviruddha (disagreeable to eminent
men) & Shareeraopatapaka (disease bringing) is Adharma.Like the seed which
is sown does not sprout immediately in same way even the consequances of
Adharma will not be seen immediately. Any vicious & misfortune happens
because of Adharma according to Charaka32.Sagotragami will have
Bhagandara roga33 is mentioned in of texts but the condition of progeny
as a result of sagotra marriages is not clear though it can be considered under
Beeja & Beejavayava doshas.
Theories
on formation of gotra ,Why atulyagotra?
Different schools give various angles of opinion
·
The custom of exogamy arose owing to the
paucity of women in early times.
·
to prevent the early sexual promiscuity within
the clan.
·
Due to the absence of sexual attraction
between persons who are brought up together.
·
The
patriarch of the family himself wanted to keep the young girls of the family
for himself.
·
The clan blood was regarded sacred and
to spare the divinity of the totem one had to refrain from its appropriation
for sexual purpose.
·
To increase the number of followers of a
particular gotra.
These
theories do not seem to be conclusive in them. To take the first theory even if
granted that the female population was less than the male one, in ancient
times, the paucity of women would not stand in the way of every young man for
taking his wife from within his own clan. As regards the second theory, we are
quite familiar with the fact that the savages are not credited with such a
thoughtful scheme of improving morality of the clan. The third theory does not
take the facts in order; the absence of sexual attraction is a result rather
than the cause of prohibition; for example, animals do not betray such
repulsion, and in many religious orgies of India, even at present, no scruples
are felt in sexual intercourse within the same clan. The fourth theory of
patriarchal coercion is borrowed from the beast-herds, where the strongest
animal drives the younger ones away from the females. But will not the
patriarch appropriate the new-corners also? So the origin of exogamy must be
sought for somewhere else. The theory of totemic sanctity also is not supported
by facts. It is not probable that the totem was regarded as divine in the
period when the custom of exogamy arose. Moreover, the members of the clan were
regarded as friends and equal and not as gods. In this case the clan blood was
not too sacred for sexual intercourse34.
Atulya gotra might have been introduced to avoid the
jealousy and quarrel in the family also. When marriage was allowed in the family,
the same girl was desired by a number of cousins, who sometimes quarreled among
themselves. To prevent this trouble, the head of the family might have thought
it wise to arrange the marriage of young men outside the family.
Pseudo-theoreticians say that as the genes descend
from the same ancestor within a clan, marriages within the clan will trouble
the offspring because of the conjugation of the same genes; Both social and
economic reasons are given for the popularity of consanguineous unions (Bittles
et al. 1991;Bittles 1994). It is believed that consanguineous marriage helps
to strengthen family ties, and at the same time health or financial
uncertainties that could arise through marriage with a partner from another
family or community will be avoided. Premarital arrangements are greatly simplified
in consanguineous unions, and the relationship of a couple, especially the
bride, with their in-laws (and family relatives) is expected to be more
congenial. Economic considerations also are important and, in communities where
either dowry or bride-wealth payments are the norm, the arrangement of a
marriage within the family reduces or even abolishes the associated financial costs
(Badaruddoza and Afzal 1995).
Demerits
of Sagotra & Consanguinity
Darwin says. "The consequence of close
inter-breeding carried on for too long a time are, as is generally believed,
loss of size, constitutional vigour, and fertility, sometimes accompanied by a
tendency of malformation35. Marriages between close relatives within
a gotra reflect inbreeding with significant health consequences. Inbreeding
generally increases pre-reproductive mortality and crude mortality increases
with inbreeding in proportion to the mortality rate.36
Inbreeding leads to
a higher probability of congenital birth defects because it increases that proportion of zygotes that are homozygous, in particular for deleterious recessive alleles that produce such disorders.37 Because most such alleles are rare in populations, it is
unlikely that two unrelated marriage partners will both be heterozygous
carriers. However, because close relatives share
a large fraction of their alleles, the probability
that any such rare deleterious allele present in the common ancestor will be
inherited from both related parents is increased dramatically with respect to
non-inbred couples. Contrary to common belief, inbreeding does not in itself
alter allele frequencies, but rather increases the relative proportion of
homozygotes to heterozygotes. However, because the increased proportion of
deleterious homozygote’s exposes the allele to natural selection, in the long run its frequency decreases more rapidly in
inbred population. In the short term, reproduction is expected to produce
increases in spontaneous abortions of zygotes, perinatal deaths, and postnatal
offspring with birth defects. HM
Slatis38 showed
a significant delay in time to first pregnancy in first-cousin marriages as
compared with unrelated individuals in the same population. There may also be
other deleterious effects besides those caused by recessive diseases. Thus,
similar immune systems may be more vulnerable to infectious diseases ( Major Histocompatibility
Complex and Sexual Selection).39
The extent to which the risk increases depends on the
degree of genetic relationship between the parents; so the risk is greater in
mating relationships where the parents are close relatives, but for
relationships between more distant relatives, such as second cousins, the risk
is lower (although still greater than the general population).The risk
increases down the bloodline with each successive consanguineous marriage40.
Myths
& facts
One in two rural marriages in Tamil
Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are consanguineous.
It
is sad to note that many movies in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh highlight and
glorify consanguinity. Evidence suggests that consanguinity does play a
negative role in human health. The social benefits of consanguinity should not
outweigh the biological damages; many in the community are ignorant about these
facts. While assessing the consequence of consanguineous against
non-consanguineous (non-blood related) marriages in health and disease, several
scientific studies have shown that consanguinity leads to death of infants
before, during or immediately after birth, increased incidence of birth
defects, genetic diseases including blinding disorders, blood cancer (acute
lymphocytic leukemia), breathing problems for children at birth (apnea),
increased susceptibility to disease etc41.
There also is evidence that the levels of
consanguineous marriage within the Hindu community have decreased since the
1961 Census of India (Roychoudhury 1976), although high levels of consanguineous
marriage have continued among tribal groups (Joseph and Mathew 1991). groups
(Joseph and Mathew 1991). A comprehensive listing of genetic disorders that
have been diagnosed in the progeny of consanguineous couples is available at
the website http://www.consang.net. Nonetheless, it is probable that increased urbanization
and the gradual shift to smaller family sizes will impose constraints on
consanguineous marriage in future generations. In this respect, a reduced
prevalence of uncle–niece marriages would appear to be especially likely
because of unacceptable age differentials between the potential partners (Radha
Rama Devi et al. 1982).
Some scientists contradict these studies and state
that other biological factors could be accountable for the results and not
consanguinity alone. Consanguinity could increase the risk of inheriting any
one of the 4968 (autosomal recessive) genetic diseases that could affect any
part of the body from head to foot42.
Why do consanguineous marriages result in children
with genetic diseases? Due to inheritance parents and children, and brothers
and sisters, commonly share 50 per cent of their genetic make-up. Similarly
uncle and niece share 25 per cent and first cousins 12.5 per cent of their
inherited genetic material as it originates from a common ancestor. In such
situations if there are any `silent' genetic defects, then such errors
manifesting as a disease in the child of a consanguineous parents is high43.
The prohibition on
marriage within the clan strengthens its uni lineal character .If a person is
married within the clan his or her children would find it difficult to make
sharp distinctions between maternal & paternal relatives44.
The products of close marriages tend to produce an
increase of the various types of genetic disorders such as birth defects,
mental retardation, deafness and blindness. Most pregnancies do terminate
prematurely or as abortions or miscarriages, which in itself are signs of an
unhealthy pregnancy, perhaps one carrying a defect.
Throwing
light on Prevention aspects:- The main thrust towards a reduced
frequency of consanguineous matings remains in the field of preventive genetics
in the form of general education of society and specific programmes such as
preconception counselling and genetic counselling.As Ayurveda also emphasizes
more on prevention then its pertinent to follow the apthavachana of Atulya
Gotra before marriage as the the consequances & the treatment modalities
are not aforementioned.
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