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A number of modern sociologists and social scientists have defined the family in a number of ways. Many opine that the family is a definite and long-term group defined by the conjugal relationships that reproduce and bring up children. It may include other blood-relations also but it is mainly formed by living together of man, woman and their children. The unit formed by their living together is called family. When people of many generations and relatives can also live together in a family. The unit that is thus formed is called ‘dynasty’ by Ogburn and Nimkoff. They distinguished between family and dynasty.<ref name=":0" />  

A number of modern sociologists and social scientists have defined the family in a number of ways. Many opine that the family is a definite and long-term group defined by the conjugal relationships that reproduce and bring up children. It may include other blood-relations also but it is mainly formed by living together of man, woman and their children. The unit formed by their living together is called family. When people of many generations and relatives can also live together in a family. The unit that is thus formed is called ‘dynasty’ by Ogburn and Nimkoff. They distinguished between family and dynasty.<ref name=":0" />  

The families of India, however, comprised of the husband, wife, children, brothers and sisters, and parents, as is fully indicated by various rites given in the [[Grhyasutras (गृह्यसूत्राणि)|Grhyasutras]]. The [[Grhasthashrama (गृहस्थाश्रमः)|grhasthashrama]] of a person is considered the basis of a family. A grhastha is the householder, who founds a family after [[Vivaha (विवाहः)|vivaha samskara]] and supports people who are in other ashramas. Grhyagni was the symbol of a household and each household must possess its own Grhyagni. Families in India, since ancient times, were mostly patriarchal in character. In the Grhyasutras we find various samskaras and grhya yajnas involving different members of the family, the rights and duties entailed for them. For example, in the Grhapravesha ceremony, the sutras enjoin that the husband enters the newly-built house in the company of his wife and eldest son, and the daughter or sister are to light the fire in the kitchen in the new house. A family includes even the students, who has the authority to perform regular worship in the Grhyagni of a grhastha, in his absence. The existence of a joint family system is indicated by several Sutras.<ref name=":02">Gopal, Ram. (1959) ''India of Vedic Kalpasutras.'' Delhi : National Publishing House (Pages 438 - 449)</ref>  

The families of India, however, comprised of the husband, wife, children, brothers and sisters, and parents, as is fully indicated by various rites given in the [[Grhyasutras (गृह्यसूत्राणि)|Grhyasutras]]. The [[Grhasthashrama (गृहस्थाश्रमः)|grhasthashrama]] of a person is considered the basis of a family. A grhastha is the householder, who founds a family after [[Vivaha (विवाहः)|vivaha samskara]] and supports people who are in other ashramas. Grhyagni was the symbol of a household and each household must possess its own Grhyagni. Families in India, since ancient times, were mostly patriarchal in character. In the Grhyasutras we find various samskaras and grhya yajnas involving different members of the family, the rights and duties entailed for them. For example, in the Grhapravesha ceremony, the sutras enjoin that the husband enters the newly-built house in the company of his wife and eldest son, and the daughter or sister are to light the fire in the kitchen in the new house. A family includes even the student, who along with the wife, son, daughter and brother of the householder has the authority to perform regular worship in the Grhyagni of a grhastha, in his absence. In case the son decides to have a separate household, his Grhyagni would be separate from that of his father. The existence of a joint family system is indicated by several Sutras.<ref name=":02">Gopal, Ram. (1959) ''India of Vedic Kalpasutras.'' Delhi : National Publishing House (Pages 438 - 449)</ref>  

Contrary to the sociologists' views of just the husband, wife and children constituting a family, the Indian family system advocated a united undivided family consisting of the parents, siblings and even students. It is no wonder that our seers expressed that the world is one family, "vasudaiva kutumbakam" which aptly depicts the inclusiveness of the sanatana kutumba vyavastha. <blockquote>अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।</blockquote><blockquote>उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥ ७१॥  (Maha. Upan. 6.71)<ref>Mahopanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D Adhyaya 6])</ref></blockquote>We find the following version of the same purport in usage.<blockquote>अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्। उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्॥</blockquote><blockquote>ayaṃ nijaḥ paro veti gaṇanā laghucetasām । udāracaritānāṃ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam ॥</blockquote>

Contrary to the sociologists' views of just the husband, wife and children constituting a family, the Indian family system advocated a united undivided family consisting of the parents, siblings and even students. It is no wonder that our seers expressed that the world is one family, "vasudaiva kutumbakam" which aptly depicts the inclusiveness of the sanatana kutumba vyavastha. <blockquote>अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।</blockquote><blockquote>उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥ ७१॥  (Maha. Upan. 6.71)<ref>Mahopanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D Adhyaya 6])</ref></blockquote>We find the following version of the same purport in usage.<blockquote>अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्। उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्॥</blockquote><blockquote>ayaṃ nijaḥ paro veti gaṇanā laghucetasām । udāracaritānāṃ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam ॥</blockquote>The vidhi given in the Grhyasutras that only the eldest son should kindle the Grhyagni, after the death of the householder, shows that after the householder passes away, the eldest son alone moves into the position of the householder, if all the brothers continue to live together without partitioning their inheritance. This vidhi is found in Sankhyayana, Kaushika and Gobhila grhyasutras. <blockquote>पित्र्यमग्निं शमयिष्यञ्ज्येष्ठस्य चाविभक्तिन एकाग्निमाधास्यन् १ (Kaus. Sutr. 69.1)<ref>Kaushika Sutra ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%AF Adhyaya 9])</ref></blockquote>This vidhi refers to the joint family system and undivided families, where the eldest son becomes the head of the household after the father. Until recent centuries, families in India chose to stay united as joint family.

 

== References ==

== References ==

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