“Our tradition and culture venerated the Ardhanarishwara – Shiva and Shakti as equal energies in the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the Universe. Even the word “tala” we use has equal components from Shiva’s tandav (ta) and Shakti’s lashya (la). As Bharatiyas, we always knew a bird can’t fly on only one wing – men and women need equal handholding, collaboration, and contribution, for nurturing and betterment of Society. I’m all for an Ardhanarishwara Day in which both women and men are celebrated than individual gender-based days !”

Was thinking of above response to some post wishing men on International Men’s Day (IMD). Then just like that something crossed my mind…

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My usual post on International Women’s Day remains :

“All foetuses are born female until the Y chromosome (mammalian) kicks in. Happy International Women’s Day (IWD) to all” – which basically celebrates the woman form ingrained in all mammals till the sex chromosome Y starts showing it’s characters in some foetuses which are destined to be male.

Thought IMD is celebration of the Y chromosome so why not delve deeper as to its origin !?!

My research took me to an article – Origin and Evolution of Y chromosomes: Drosophila tales by A. Bernardo Carvalho, Leonardo B. Koerich, and Andrew G. Clark which says :

“Classically Y chromosomes are thought to originate from X chromosomes through a process of degeneration and gene loss.”

Wow, so Y chromosomes didn’t exist at the start of creation. These were formed through a process of natural selection and evolution from the X chromosome.

Interpreting from a spiritual context, Shiva (Y) emanated from Shakti (X) or ardhanga it was, it always was, not ardhangini. It is more appropriate for a woman to say : “My worthy better half …” to her man than the other way round.

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So is the Y chromosome there to stay ?

As per the research paper : Extinction of chromosomes due to specialization is a universal occurrence by Jason Wilson, Joshua M. Staley & Gerald J. Wyckoff

“The degenerative nature of the Y chromosome has led some researchers to suggest it may lose all functional genes and become extinct in as little as 5 million years, an evolutionary phenomenon that has been observed in other species.”

Hello, detractors, men bashers – we have a limited shelf life you see. In next 50 lac or half a crore years we shall be gone …Tata Tata bye bye

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Long before the Earth gets eaten up by the expanding Sun as a Red Giant, creation may stop in Earth as the Y chromosome degenerates and disappears. Spiritually, creation’s death knell can be interpreted as when Shiva (Y) dissolves and only Shakti (X) prevails!

Then. No more men. No more Men’s Day. Only Women’s Day. But when you are the only one on this planet, will being a Woman matter !?!

To our tribe which is fast disappearing – Hoorah – 5 million more Men’s Day before…

Till such time, Cheers!

 

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