Convenience: Is that all we care about???

Ever wondered how hypocrite of a society we belong to? Everything seems to have a context waiting to please us. We suddenly seemed to have lost the concept of a progressive society and moved into stagnation. It’s like all of us have dug big holes and got comfortable in there blaming everything on the stability of society as tradition. We misinterpret the term tradition to a practice crossing over the time barrier. We inherently are stubborn on the lamest argument in support of this being “What was good back then, ought to be good now”. Doesn’t that make your blood boil; doesn’t that make your conscience die a million deaths???

As a society we chose to hand pick the beliefs from our SHASTRAS not in its entirety but based on convenience. There are many stories recounted in the ancient texts and Puranas. But do we accept them all as literally true? Our parents make us have the best of education to learn the basic concepts of Solar eclipse and Lunar eclipse, even when according to our traditional scriptures those were the acts of 2 demonic figures called Rahu and Ketu who ate Sun and the Moon in some divine act to result the eclipse.

But when it comes to the caste system our parents themselves reject the best of suitors for us just based on caste and not credibility. Is it all about convenience and ego charade? One cannot become a Brahmana because of birth alone.’ Great sages like Rishyashringa, Vishwamitra and Agastya stand as illustrious examples of people who, though not born as Brahmins, became Brahmins by their penance, virtues and attainments


It is said in the Puranas that Mahidasa, the author of Aitareya Braahmana, who became a Dwija, was the son of a Shudra woman. Jabala, who had no father to be named, was initiated into the Brahmin group by his Guru through the Upanayana ceremony. These things were possible only because they had recognised the limitations of the inherited talents and had made the system elastic and catholic in outlook. Thus it was possible for the system to last for centuries.

The origin of cast system is form chaturvarniya system. In chaturvarniya system there were four varnyas i.e.castes . These are :- Brahmins , kshatriya , vaishya and shudra . These four castes are based on occupations of people . Slowly and gradually , Brahmins were considered as the highest and most important caste below in hierarchy there were kshatriya then vaishya and lastly shudra . shudra received low status in society . They have to live miles away from locality . they were not suppose to touch any of brahmin and were not suppose to drink water from well . Brahmin tortured shudras . Brahmin have right to take education . There very much dominating . These caste system prevailed for many years in India .


In the past when socioeconomic status was inexorably tied to an inherited caste system, a caste determined marriage was the most reliable way of ensuring a continuance of the lifestyle that the parties to marriage were born into and grown accustomed to. Caste determined occupation and therefore earning power. Caste determined social status and ones role in religious practice. Caste was therefore the most important determinant of lifestyle. With such clear differences between the castes, marriages between individuals of differing castes would expose them to widely different lifestyles that could potentially lead to marital discord. This is probably the reason why matching of caste emerged as a rule of the thumb to achieve marital compatibility.


In urban India, socioeconomic status is increasingly becoming independent of caste. Occupation is no longer a matter of caste-linked inheritance. Religious and cultural practices too are becoming more homogenous across the previously well delineated caste boundaries. Lifestyles are to a great extent determined by spending power and are influenced less by caste. In this emerging new social structure, convenience therefore lies in matching earning prowess which is now decreasingly determined by caste.

Inter-caste marriages pose less of problems in terms of cultural compatibility and day to day interaction for we are all merging into a common culture. Is marriage also just another institution for us based on convenience? Is it just another way to spend life based on bounds of meaningless myths? Don’t get me wrong I don’t believe in either arranged or Love marriage. I only believe in social compatibility and having the freedom to choose our partners based on logical parameters instead of something as mind less as a sir name and all.

The caste based marriage system evolved and was stable because at the heart of it was the fact that matching castes was equivalent to matching economic power, social status and cultural lifestyle. Now, in many cases, matching of caste in marriage is no longer essential for achieving such compatibility. What is not essential will not survive. Running away with some lad who doesn’t have a future or stability and believing in the bogus phrase “Love will keep us alive” is utter foolishness, but neglecting a biological chemistry on compatibility with judgmental parameters is flat ol cruelty.



“The institution of marriage as opposed to the relationship of love has always been a matter of convenience.” – This statement should enough a nightmare for any real Indian to do something about the social hell we all are in.

Let’s consider this post as a food for your thoughts and not a biased slang against the institution of social harmony.