[StethyEntinic]

Dear All

As a Vedic person I would say the authority is only the ‘Prasthana Thrayam’ (somebody will say Prasthana Thrayam as Vedas, Upanishads and Srimad Bhagavath Geetha, also there is one more saying, as Vedas are mainly divided as 3 parts, Samhitha, Brahmana and Aranyaka, hence Prasthana Thrayam). Anyhow, let us see what is there in our Shastra (Shastra means teaching, so If I refer to Shastra which means what is been taught by the Prasthana Thrayam). I am trying to brief my thoughts for the discussion “how about Iyengars vs. Iyers – by SILVERFOX [cool name!!!….]” with the context of marriage, for that I request you to bear with some additional briefs I have to make for a flow!

Before Jagathguru Sri Adi Shankara, there were huge confusion and misconception in ‘Bharatha desha’ (India) on worshipping, it is said that the worshiping was in one extent as holy as and in other extreme as horrible as and thousands and thousands of branches. Hence, Sri Adi Shankara taken the Shastra as means and formulated 6 ways to reach or realize the reality. Sri Adi Shankara thence called ‘Shanmdha sThapaka’ viz (Saivam, Vainavam, Shaktam, Ganapathyam, Gaumaram and Sowram). We know this very well. This is only the path recommended to attain the oneness, path of Bakthi yoga to realize the reality.

Philosophy - “Advaita, Vasistadhvaitha, Dvaita etc”, all can fit into this path. Say a Vainavite can be philosophically an Advaithic! A Saivite can philosophically a Dvaitic!

A Brahmana or any other Varna person can fit into or follow any path mentioned above and can have any philosophy as well. (Note: For a Vedic person the worship is different, it is only nature and the elements, fire, water, ether, air and the earth, for a Vedic person every thing in nature is a ‘Devatha’ and all the rituals are for Devathas only).

Now a Brahmana can be an Iyer or Iyengar or given any name as he holds and assumes he belong to, but for the matter of fact, Iyer or Iyengar belong to Brahmana Varna. I would like to quote a brief from Manu, a Brahmana male can marry even other Varna women, in case of a ‘Dharmic’ necessity and this is permitted because of the Y-Chromosome factor! (remember as I said in my earlier thread about Y-Chromosome, so for a Brahmana male only a Brahmana progeny would born, but this is not true if a Brahmana women marry other Varna men, because She does not carry Y-C and could not procreate a Y-C of Brahmana). So it is evident that there is no such reference made in Shastra that an Iyengar vs. Iyer is not allowed! In fact these terminologies came only few centuries before. So simply a Brahmana vs. Brahmana is perfect!

Now there may raise a doubt, “if a Brahmana men can procreate a Brahmana, then what is wrong if inter Varna marriage is done!"?
Our Shastra says, Men carry the Jeeva (Sookshma Shareera), vitality, personality and characteristics of the progeny in him in the form of Sukla (semen), Women carry the influencing factor (genetical material) to grow limbs such us, spinal card, skull, hair etc., of the progeny. Which means we carry the Jeeva and the Y-C which is given by our Father and our Limbs (mostly all the main limbs) which was given by our Mother.
[Recently: I heard this from my wife: (She is a bio-chemist and a researcher) Men do develop their nipples even though there is no use of it as men won’t feed! Why is that necessary for men? Because initially during conception every embryo is designed as Female template physically, then due to some genetical influence the fetus will start growing as male or female, since the embryo started as female, male carry many physical structures of a female, once such is development of nipple and Male embryo keeps carrying this till fully develop.].

Consider the below char based on what i have understood by comparing the Shastras and some medical/biological data and with my perception:
Sookshma Shareea (causal body)
Sthoola Shareea (physical body)

A. Brahmana Male + Brahmana Female = Sookshma Shareea of Brahmana men + Sthoola Shareea of Brahmana women = Sthoola, Sukshma Brahmana progeny

B. Brahmana Male + Other Varna Female = Sookshma Shareea of Brahmana men + Sthoola Shareea of Other Varna women = Sukshma Brahmana and Sthoola of Other varna, progeny

C. Other Varna Male + Brahmana Female = Sookshma Shareea of Other Varna men + Sthoola Shareea of Brahmana women = Sthoola Brahmana, Sukshma of Other Varna progeny

A. Optimum choice
B. (Left to you to comment)
C. (Left to you to comment)
J

I would say everyone have choices, everyone have the option to choose the optimum choices.

Our Shastra says a progeny should be a Brahmana in attitude as well as in physic that is why we give much importance to our daily practices of pooja, rituals and samprathaya to be in Brahmana attitude and eat sathvic food to be in Brahmana physic J mind you food influence our attitude as well!

Philosophical aspect:

All the above is only for the ‘vyavahara’ means the worldly presence. As long as you have a connection with the world and considering world as reality and materialistic. For a Jnani, Turavi this Varna classification won’t fit!

Our Shastra also says: Janmana Jayathe Sudhraha: Karmana Jayathe Twijaha: Brahme idhi vidhihi Brahmanaha:
Which means, by birth all are Sudhra, by doing what is prescribed for you in this world, you become a Twija (Twice Born), when you are in aware of reality by only meditating on that ultimate and supreme reality the Brahman, then only you are a Brahmana!

For Vyavahara, we need to consider all the above said A, B, C and other factors, For pure philosophy there is No Jathi, No Madham, No Vrnam.

I have tried to brief what is said in oceans of our sacred scripts, with a little knowledge what I had inferred form great men and Periyava. If my understanding on this is wrong in any way, you have all the rights to correct me.

RV