CHARAK SANHITA AND CHATURVARNYA

Charak Sanhita is included as reference book in the curriculum of Government recognized Medical Course which grants Ayurvedic BAMS degree.
A section of it deals with treatments to bear "Male" child. They differ for different VARNA of Brahmin ( The priest) , Kshatriya ( The  warrior ), Vaishya ( The trader / farmer ) and Shudra.( The manual abor ) This allegedly promotes dissemination based on caste and sex.
The " Sanhita" or the script written by the sage "Charak" is more than 3000 years old.  It as ancient and popular but not fully understood / interpreted. Some sections deals with surgery treatment too, which were not known or practiced by the " Vaidyas ". They were the main medical service available before the arrival of Allopathy in India by the British. Quite naturally it is ignorant of present provisions of the Indian Constitution. It upholds four layer system of the society as is upheld by Geeta. It proves that the Chatutvarnya existed and accepted at least 3000 years back. It originated as based on natural inborn attributes / tendencies of a person and was perhaps interchangeable. With the passage of time the four layer society started being by birth and was further divided in countless castes, sub castes,  tribes . The lists of SC, ST, OBC and so on has never seen the end of them. It goes on enlisting hitherto unknown names. Some times one wonders if the list itself promotes search for lesser known or unknown or even just invent ones.
Forget " Charak Sanhita" ,one can easily find quack practitioners from the square corner on road to self claimed professional consultants in AC Rooms. Countless sex determination test being conducted illegally. The ratio of Male to Female population is almost refusing to get better. All because of the senseless belief that only Male child can carry the family name and liberate parents. Some ladies have started to use both family names . A practise that deserves recognition and society support. More than constitutional changes, the social awareness for reformation is necessary.
Coming back to " Charak Sanhita " , recommendation is being made to drop those chapters from the script. A move thousand times better than burning of ' Manu Sanhita ".

JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN.

Was reminded of this slogan " JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN" given by  Lal Bahadur Shastri former Prime minister of India . His tenure came after Pt. Nehru and not particularly glorious war with Pakistan and hords of patriotic poems and songs in almost all Indian languages. The slogan was pertinent then and equally pertinent now. The reason for remembering the slogan was two news paper articles appearing back to back on two consecutive days 24th and 25th May 2016. One told a story of a soldier ( Jawan ) and other of a farmer ( Kisan ).

The soldier in news was Shahid Gavade Pandurang Manadev age 32 of  Maratha Light infuntry deputed to 41st National Rifles who died fighting with five terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad organisation at Kupwara, Kashmir on 21st May 2016. Hailed from Village Amboli, of District Sawantvadi, Maharashtra state of India. He was reported to be a skilled sniper shooter, radio operator, an expert in radio and computer technology, a sportsman and so on. His two elder brothers also served or serving in Army. The 41st national Rifles have lost two more personnel from the same area earlier. Cremated with full honor in presence of many political leaders, Military Officers, Soldiers, relatives and neighbors. Survived by a five year and five month old sons, widow and unlucky parents. 

The other one and the farmer in news is  Mr. Sanjay Tidke age 42 from village Sangvi , Murtizapur , Maharashtra state of India. He jointly owned 30 acres ( approx. 12000 SQM ) of farm land. He sold 10 acres of it to raise Rs. 5,500,000=00 ( Five and half million ) to bear the cost of construction of a dam in his farm sufficient to store 30,00,000  ( Thirty Million ) Litre water sufficient for the need of the entire village. Got technological support from Agriculture Department of the state for know how of construction and harassment from the Revenue department over some flimsy issue. The dam has become sort of Pilot project of what can be done when Government is busy finding excuses for delay and postponement of its duties. 

Both news are underlining true patriotism in peace time. It also denotes the changes in thinking pattern of the post Independance era. Both can be said as uncommon examples from common background. They may not the leaders in true sense but definitely the workers true to their vocation. 

These are the people to be honored when we will exhaust the list of so called 3rd and 4th level freedom fighters on 15th August or 26th January. The nation also needs to pull out its face from the history and take a fresh look at the changing present and hope for better future.

SALUTE to them . 

JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN.

PATERNITY PONDERINGS

An article has appeared in informing about spurt in the DNA tests to establish paternity in recent past which was perceived as threat to the social fabric. 

The issue here is not of sex determination test but biological doubt and question the loyalty of mother.

Majority of the men are proud to be father ( particularly of a son ) for more than one reason like establishing manhood to  continuation of the family name or simply getting an heir to perform last rituals and thereby ensuring a birth in heaven and many more reasons thrown in between. People are anxious and waiting for arrival of baby and with it title of FATHER.

Few generation back men would marry again and again till some wife bears a son. We dont talk about the keeps and children born out of wedlock. Even  the paternity of bastards was never questioned till their mothers remained loyal to one man. . I had six grand fathers but twelve grand mothers. Luckily my grand father and one of his sibling gave us only one grand mother each. One can imagine how many times others must have married. 

Even if one is denied biological son, adoptions were rampant. More complicated procedure would follow to find heir to the King who did not have his own one. One can easily remember the story of Baroda Prince Gayakwad from recent history.

Again denying of fatherhood is also nothing new. Many examples are found in scriptures,  the famous being that of Sage Vishamitra and Menka. Why Vishamitra has suddenly become an example to follow in recent past ? 

We can find the answer in the role family plays as balancing instrument between an animal level individual and a civilized society. One must note that the existance of civilization is prior to the concept of family. Those of our forefathers who lived in caves and collected food from trees had a semblance of civilization but not family. They lived in commune but still we find their painting and sketching skills. The family concept began developing from aggregarian civilization to agricultural civilization . When the wealth started accumulating in the form of land or the herds of animals or precious metals etc. Inheritance may the first reason going for the concept of family.

Even in Epic  times we find examples of one lady like Kunti giving birth of a son from the sun and still considered as virgin! What a lady who kept the secret ( except from notorious Lord Krishna ) till in the middle of epic war of Mahabharat. The forefathers of her husband and her mothers in law were no different. Just recall the names like Matsyagandha, Amba, Ambika who fathered sons with names like Vichitravirya , Vidura and you have story of how strong family values were at that time. All of them  including the Author Maharshi Vyasa belonged to same family and played very important roles in Mahabharat. Perhaps that was the time when the concept of family was just being introduced as go between  a man and the society. Remember Lord Rama or Lord Krishna had no surnames but just a KUL name like Raghukul or Yadukul. (a concept difficult to translate into English ). No character in Ramayana or Mahabharata is recognized by surname. Just names. There were no Gupta , Maurya  Kennedy or Gandhi then.

We have passed  through the stages of Commune living to family living. We reduced from commune to KUL and from Kul to family with a surname. It needed a man to carry the family heritage. Even now the southern part of India with Maternal inheritance system dont worry about family name. We could have S. Radhakrishnan as first Vice President of India. The S in his name was neither of his father or his mother but to his village " Sarvapalli " That was enough for his recognition. 

We have moved from large families to nucleous families and from nucleous family  to live in relationship. Live in relations dont want children so question of being Proud or being in Doubt does not arise from them. It is Family status that makes a man to undergo miseries of doubt. It manifests in the from of DNA test or more horrible forms like Honor killing. 

Are we right in calling ourselves as belonging to civilized society ?