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Line 42: − 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. A family 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" /> + + + + + + + + + + + + + − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − +
Family Structure in Sanatana Dharma (सनातनीय कुटुम्बव्यवस्था) (view source)
Revision as of 22:05, 12 August 2021
, 22:05, 12 August 2021editing and adding content
== कुटुम्बस्य परिभाषा॥ Definition of Family ==
== कुटुम्बस्य परिभाषा॥ Definition of Family ==
==== Modern Perspective ====
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. A family 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 few elements of the family are as follows<ref name=":0" />
# The family is a basic, definite and enduring biological group
# A family is a socially approved organization for meeting definite human needs. It is a social institution.
# Family is formed by the relatively durable companionship of husband, wife and their sex relationships
# The family includes the couples and their children. The family procreates and brings up children.
# The family can also be large in size in which persons belonging to several generations may live together.
# The family may be limited to husband, wife or only the father and his children or only the mother and her children.
# When many generations live together it is called joint family
==== Bharatiya Perspective ====
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 (संस्काराः)|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>
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 (संस्काराः)|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.<ref name=":02" /> <blockquote>अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् । 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.<ref name=":02" /> <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.
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.<ref name=":02" /> <blockquote>अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् । 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.<ref name=":02" /> <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.<ref name=":02" />
A family is, thus, characterized by
* institutionalized mating, i.e., some type of marriage
* a nomenclature for knowing the descent, i.e., a mode to know the descent
* an economic unit especially the mother and child
* association with a common habitat for all its members i.e., a common household
== Distinctive Features of the Family ==
A family having the above characteristics has the following distinctive features
* '''Universality''' - family is found all over the world and at all levels of culture. Besides, there is no conclusive or convincing evidence that there ever was a time when the family did not exist. Modern civilization has not so far succeeded in providing a complete and fully satisfying substitute for this grouping.
* '''Emotional basis''' - The integrative bonds in a family are mutual affection and blood ties. The cords that tie together the members of a family are the outcome of such an emotional factor as love, and not an intellectual factor like reason. This factor helps perform the all-important role of early education, a transmitter of culture.
* '''Educative role''' - The most plastic years of every individual’s life, that is, his childhood, are spent in his family. He gets the earliest and the most fundamental lessons in socialization. He is mentally formed according to the norms of society, which get ingrained in him to re-appear in his adult life as conscience or super-ego The cultural traditions that are imbibed by a individual are imbibed by him in the familial setting, making the formative influence of the family supreme Speaking form a limited point of view, his family also exerts a formative influence on the biological growth of the individual by making available particular and defined types of basic satisfactions to meet the basic needs in such matters as metabolism, safety, growth and so on.
* '''Limited number of members''' -
* '''Central position''' -
* '''Responsibility among members''' -
* '''Social regulation''' -
* '''Persistence and change''' -
== Joint Family ==
== Joint Family ==
A dharmic society in India owes its very existence to the united family system. Even after repeated invasions and influence of foreign rulers for thousand years, if a dharmic society is still seen today, it is due to the family structure. Even after 300 years of contrary education, people have remained faithful to the dharmas propounded by our seers. However, as with any lengthy battles, our family system has been gradually weakening while the education system introduced by McCauley and others are steadily gaining ground over centuries. We have seen how the world which is steadily imitating countries like America is a land of broken families. The dharmik values which shape the moral and ethical values of a person are not easily awakened unless given adequate exposure.
A dharmic society in India owes its very existence to the united family system. Even after repeated invasions and influence of foreign rulers for thousand years, if a dharmic society is still seen today, it is due to the family structure. Even after 300 years of contrary education, people have remained faithful to the dharmas propounded by our seers. However, as with any lengthy battles, Indian family system has been gradually weakening while the education system introduced by McCauley and others are steadily gaining ground over centuries. We have seen how the world which is steadily imitating countries like America is a land of broken families. The dharmik values which shape the moral and ethical values of a person are not easily awakened unless given adequate exposure during his/her upbringing.
== References ==
== References ==
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