Q. Consider the following statements:
- The institution of gotra appeared during the later Vedic times.
- Ashrams or the four stages of life were well defined in the later Vedic texts.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer:
1 Only
Notes: The institution of ‘gotra’ first appeared in the later Vedic period. It literally meant 'cow-pen'. Cattle belonging to the whole clan was kept in a single cow pen. Subsequently, it signified descent from a common ancestor. Marriage within such an extended family tree was frowned upon and people started to practice ‘gotra’ exogamy. So, statement 1 is correct. Ashrams were not well established in the later Vedic times. Only the first three ashrams- Brahmacharya, Grihastha and Vanaprastha ashrams are mentioned in the later Vedic texts. All the four stages are mentioned only in the post-Vedic texts. So, the statement 2 is incorrect.