- Brahmin gotra system
The word "gotra" means "lineage" in the
Sanskrit language. Among those of theBrahmin caste , "gotras" are reckonedpatrilineal ly. Each "gotra" takes the name of a famousRishi or sage who was the patrilineal forebearer of that clan. And each Gotra is addressed by the suffix 'sa' or 'asa' as relevant.The concept of
Gotra was the first attempt amongBrahmin s to classify themselves among different groups. At the beginning, these gentes identified themselves by the names of eight rishis (Agastya ,Atri ,Gautam ,Jamadagni ,Shandilya ,Vasishtha ,Vishwamitra andBharadvaja ; the first seven of these are often enumerated asSaptarishi s). It is to be noted thatVishwamitra was initially aKshatriya king, who later chose and rose to become an ascetic rishi. Hence the gotra was applied to the grouping stemming from one of theserishi s as his descendants.Gotras
Many lines of descent from the major
rishi s were later grouped separately. Accordingly, the major "gotras" were divided intogana s (subdivisions) and eachgana was further divided into groups of families. The term "gotra" was then frequently started being applied to thegana s and to the sub-ganas.Every
brahmin claims to be a direct patrilinial descendant of one of the foundingrishi s of a certaingana or sub-gana. It is thegana or sub-gana that is now commonly referred to as "gotra".Over the years, the number of "gotras" increased due to:
#Descendants of originalrishi also started new family lineage or new "gotras",
#By inter marriage with other sub-groups of the samecaste , and
#Inspired by anotherrishi whose name they bear as their own "gotra".Pravara is the number of the most excellent (-cf. reference, Sanskrit-English Dictionary,
Monier-Williams ) rishis who belonged to that particular gotra to which a person belongs. Gotra is the name of the founding father. In vedic ritual, the importance of the pravara appears to be in its use by the ritualist for extolling his ancestry and proclaiming, "as a descendant of worthy ancestors, I am a fit and proper person to do the act I am performing." The sacred threadyajnopavita worn onupanayana has close connection with the concept of pravaras related to brahmin gotra system. While tying the knots of sacred thread, an oath is taken in the name of each one of these three or five of the most excellent rishis belonging to one's gotra.The full affiliation of a brāhamana consists of (1)
gotra , (2)pravaras (3)sutra (ofKalpa ), (4)shakha .(Example :) A brahmana named 'X' introduces himself as follows : I am 'X', of Shrivatsa gotra, of Āpastamba sutra, of Taittiriya shākha of Yajurveda, of five pravaras named Bhārgava, Chyāvana, Āpnavan, Aurva and Jāmdagnya (This example is based upon the example given by Pattābhirām Shastri in the introduction to Vedārtha-Pārijata, cf. ref.).
While the "gotras" were classified initially according to nine (?)
rishi s, thepravaras were classified under the names of the following sevenrishis :
*Agastya
*Angirasa
*Atri
*Bhrigu
*Kashyapa
*Vasishtha
*Vishvamitra According to the listing of authors included in the verses in
Rigved , the rishiJamadagni was a descendant of rishiBhrigu while the rishisGautam andBharadvaja were the descendants of rishiAngirasa .The pravara identifies the association of a person with three or sometimes five of the above-mentioned
rishis .For example, Kashyapa Gothram has 3 rishis associated with it viz. Kashyapa, Daivala and Aavatsaara
Gothras and Pravaras
#
Suryadhwaja : Lakhi (Mehrishi), Soral, Binju
#Bharadwaj : Angirasa, Bhaarhaspatya, Bharadwaja
#Rathitara : Angirasa, Bhaarhaspatya, Rathitara
#Vadula : Bhargava,Vaitahavya,Saavedasa
#Srivatsa : Bhargava,Syaavana,AApnavaana,Owrva,Jaamadaghnya
#Salankayana : Viswaamitra, Aghamarshana, Devavrata
#Shatamarshana: Angirasa, Powrukutsa,Traasatasya
#Atreya: Atreya,Aarchanaasa,Syaavaasva
#Kowsika: Vishwamitra,Aghavarshana,Kowsika
#Kalabodhana/Kalaboudha: Viswaamitra,AAgamarshana,Kalabodhana/Kalaboudha
#Viswamitra: Vaiswaamitra,Devaraata, Owtala
#Kaundinya: Vaasishta,Maitraavaruna, Kaundinya
#Haritasa: Angirasa, Ambarisha,Yuvanasva
#Gautamasa: Angirasa,Aayasyasa,Gautama
#Mowdkalya(3 Variations)
##Angirasa,Bharmyasva,Mowdgalya
##Tarkshya,Bharmyasva,Mowdgalya
##Angirasa, Dhavya, Mowdgalya
#Sandilya (3 Variations)
##Kasyapa,Aavatsaara,Daivala
##Kasyapa,Aavatsaara,Sandilya
##Kasyapa, Daivala, Asitha
#Naitruvakaasyapa: Kasyapa,Aavatsara,Naitruva
#Kutsa: Angirasa,Maandhatra,Kowtsa
#Kanva (2 Variations)
##Angirasa,Ajameeda,Kaanva
##Angirasa,Kowra, Kaanva
#Paraasara: Vaasishta, Saaktya, Paarasarya
#Aagastya: Aagastya,Tardhachyuta,Sowmavaha
#Gargi (2 Variations)
##Angirasa,Bharhaspatya,Bharadwaja,upadhyay
##Angirasa, Sainya, Gaargya
#Bhadarayana: Angirasa,Paarshadaswa, Raatitara
#Kasyapa (3 Variations)
##Kasyapa, Aavatsaara, Daivala
##Kasyapa, Aavatsaara, Naidruva(Naitruva)
##Kasyapa, Aavatsaara, Naidruva(Naitruva), Rebha, Raibha , Sandila, Saandilya
#Sunkriti (2 Variations)
##Angirasa,Kowravidha,Saankritya
##Sadhya,Kowravidha,Saankritya
#goutam/gowtamasa Aangeerasa, ayasya, gowtama
#Vadhoola: Bhargava, Vaitahavya, SavedasaList of Brahmin Gotras
The following is a partial list of
gotra s found in theBrahmin community ofHindu s:
*Agastya
*Atreya
*Atreya /Atri
*Alambani
*Angirasa
*Bhardwaj / Bharadvajasa
*Bhargava
*Chandilya
*Charora
*Chikitasa
*Dalabhya
*Darbhas
*Dhananjaya
*Galvasaya
*Garga
*Gautam /Gautamasa
*Gargheyasa
*Gaubhilya
*Harita / Haritasa
*Hukman Bhal
*Jamadagni
*Jatukarna
*Kalabodhana /Kalaboudha
*Kamakayana Vishwamitra
*Kanva
*Kaushika
*Kapi
*Kapil
*Kashyapa
*Kaundinya
*Kaunsh
*Kaushal / Kaushalas / Kushal
*Kausyagasa
*Katyayana
*Kutsa
*Kutsasa
*Lakhi
*Lohit
*Lomasha
*Mandavya
*Mauna Bhargava
*Matanga
*Maudgalya [Moudgalya]
*Mudgala (Maudgalya ,Moudgil ,Modgil ,Mudgal )
*Mudgal
*Nithunthana
*Nydravakashyapa
*Nrisimhadevara
*Parashara
*Pouragutsya
*Ratheetarasa
*Rohinya
*Rowshayadana
*Salankayana
*Sangar
*Sankrithi
*Sankyanasa
*Sathamarshana
*Shandilya ,sanas
*Shandelosya
*Saawarna
*Saharia Joshi
*Somnasser
*Soral
*Srivatsa
*Sumarkanth
*Suryadhwaja
*Shaunaka
*Rathitara
*Tugnait
*Roushayadana
*Upamanyu
*Upadhyay
*Vadula
*Valmiki
*Vashishta
*Vatsa
*Veetahavya
*Vishnu
*Viswamitra
*Yaska
*Parthivasa
*Vaidya/Baidya
*Utsasya Implications
Although people belonging to the same "gotra" are, in theory, related to each other patrilineally, and belong to the same Brahmin caste, there may be very little else in common between them. In fact, as per the Vedic system, a man and a woman belonging to the same "gotra" are considered to be a brother and sister, and hence, a marriage between a man and a woman belonging to the same "gotra" (known as sa-gotra) is forbidden as it will cause anomalies in the progeny that come out of such a marriage. The fact that people belong to a certain "gotra" says nothing about their domicile, original place of residence, mother tongue or family occupation, which can be known from than lower lever classification below gotra:
pravaras , sutra (ofKalpa ) andshakha .Please add Vadhryashwa Gotra to your list of Gotras.Many Deshastha Brahmins near Nagpur Mahrashtra have this Gotra including me.Reference to Vadhryashwa Rishi is found in Rigveda.( See books by Shreeram Sharma Acharya of Gayatri Parivar).Prof Suresh M Deshpande,JNCASR,Bangalore 560064, Ph 80-22082816
References
*A History of Brahmin Clans (IAST|Brāhmaṇa Vaṃshõ kā Itihāsa) in Hindi, by Dorilāl Śarmā,published by Rāśtriya Brāhamana Mahāsabhā, Vimal Building, Jamirābād, Mitranagar, Masūdābād,Aligarh-1, 2nd ed-1998. (This Hindi book contains the most exhaustive list of Brahmana gotras and pravaras together their real and mythological histories).
*Vedārtha-Pārijata by Swāmi Karpātri,Published by Sri Rādhā Krishna Dhanuka Prakāshan Sansthan,Calcutta,1979;(Sañchālakas : Vedasāstra Research Centre, Kedārghat, Vārānasi)ee also
*
List of Brahmin gotras
*Brahmin communities
*Pravaras
*gotra
*Maithil Brāhamana
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