Hare krishna,
dandavat pranam,
I was asked a question regarding subhadra and arjuna's wedding today.
The question is:
Krishna and arjuna were cousins and subhadra was also arjuna's cousin then why did krishna arrange the wedding of arjuna and subhadra knowing that they both are cousins.
Kindly help me in clarifying this.
Ys
Replies
Hare Krsna
As Gayatri Mataji mentions, the gotra is the criteria. Cousin considerations is western. Vedic way is to see gotra. Children get father's gotra.
Shurasena's descendants - Vasudeva, Kunti, Krishna, Balaram, Subhadra all have Same Gotra.
Kuru descendants - Dhritarashta, Pandu, Kaurava, Pandava, Karna have same Same Gotra.
Kunti and Pandu have differen Gotra so their marriage is allowed. Arjuna gets gotra from Pandu and not from Kunti. So Arjuna and Subhadra have different Gotra so their marriage is allowed.
Dhritarashtra had one daughter. Her marriage with Pandavas is no allowed.
Hare Krsna
Haribol, Thank you so much, Prabhuji.
Hare Krishna,
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/16/2/
refer to the purport under this.
Srila Prabhupada explains-" In the Vedic system of marriage, the importance of the gotra, or family, was stressed. Arjuna also married Subhadrā, although she was his maternal cousin-sister''
That is why cousins who are paternally related cannot marry and cousins who are maternally related ( first cousins) can marry.
--In south India such marriages do happen even now.
--Krishna Himself married two of his first cousins Mitravinda and Bhadra.( maternal side).
Marriage between girl and boy whose fathers are brothers cannot marry (X) as they are having same gotra.
Marriage can happen between girl and boy whose fathers are having different gotra. ( YES) can marry.
-->Kunti originally called Pritha was daughter of Surasena who was father of Vasudeva so by blood she is related to Vasudeva. But later she was given in adoption tho Surasena's cousin brother ( father side) Kunti Bhoja, as he was childless. She was named by him as Kunti. But still she has same gotra as she was adopted to the ( father's brother's son)
Surasena's father has let us say some male kids. among them Surasena, Kuntiboja etc are there. So father's son's bear all same gotra.
Now Kunti got married to Pandu. Who was having another gotra. Kunti acquires the gotra of Pandu ( kuru vamsha).
Vasudeva's daughter Subhadra has different gotra compared to Kunti's son Arjuna.
-->>More Importantly, Arjuna is not even kunti and Pandu's putra. He is blessed by Indra. He is Indra's son.
Secondly, This marriage was sanctioned by Lord Sri Krishna to avoid Balarama marrying Subhadra to his favorite disciple duryodhana. ( who was also first cousin in relation to her).
above all Krishna planned it. ( game over) as per their karmas.
Hare Krishna.
Nice answer
Haribol.Thank you so much, Mataji.
Hare Krsna dear Surbhi mataji,
PAMHO.
Marriage between cousins is happening even today. It was happening at that time also. Subhadra was mama's daughter for Arjuna. They met directly in adulthood only.
Even Dhritarashtra's proposal for Gandhari went because traditionally, daughter of that family would become daughter in law of Kurus. THat means there is relation, right?
Haribol,
YOur servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Haribol.Thank you so much, Mataji.