tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33794067715185428952024-03-13T22:35:34.151-07:00Know Your Gotrarestless zesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08472540759352531976noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3379406771518542895.post-78101343089754337882008-04-16T21:45:00.000-07:002008-04-16T21:52:48.446-07:00Origin of Gotras<p>A <b>Gotra</b> is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineage" title="Lineage">lineage</a> or clan assigned to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu" title="Hindu">Hindu</a> at birth. In most cases, the system is patrilineal and the <i>gotra</i> assigned is that of the person's father. Other names used to refer to it are <b>Vansh, Vanshaj, Bedagu, Purvik, Purvajan, Pitru</b>. An individual may decide to identify his lineage by a different gotra, or combination of gotras. For example Lord <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama" title="Rama">Rama</a> was Surya Vansha, also known as Raghu Vansha. This was because Lord Rama's great-grandfather <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raghu" title="Raghu">Raghu</a> became famous.</p> The term <i>gotra</i>, itself, according to strict Hindu tradition is used only for the lineages of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin" title="Brahmin">Brahmin</a>, Kshatriya and Vysya families. A Gotra relates directly to the original seven or eight Rishis of the Vedas.<br /><br />Recently, the term <i>"gotra"</i> has taken broader meanings to include any lineage, Brahmin or otherwise. Therefore, today, other terms are considered synonymous with <i>gotra</i> and the distinct meaning of the word and the esoteric connotations are lost to many, even within the Brahmin community.<br /><br /><p>A common mistake is to consider gotra to be synonymous with cult or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kula" title="Kula">Kula</a>. A kula is basically a set of people following similar rituals, often worshipping the same God (the <i>Kula-Devata</i> - the God of the cult). Kula has nothing to do with lineage or caste. In fact, it is possible to change one's Kula, based on his faith or ista devatha.</p> <p>It is common practice in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hindu</a> marriage to enquire about the Kula-Gotra meaning Cult-Clan of the bride and bridegroom before approving the marriage. In almost all <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hindu</a> families, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage" title="Marriage">marriages</a> within the same gotra are prohibited. But marriage within the kula is allowed and even preferred.</p> <h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The word "<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotra" title="Gotra">Gotra</a></i>" means "lineage" in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a><i>gotra,</i> as given names may reflect the traditional occupation, place of residence or other important family characteristic rather than <i>gotra.</i> language. While it is somewhat akin to a family name, the given name of a family is often different from its <i>gotra,</i> as given names may reflect the traditional occupation, place of residence or other important family characteristic rather than <i>gotra.</i></span></h2>People belonging to the same <i>gotra</i> also belong to the same <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste" title="Caste">caste</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu" title="Hindu">Hindu</a> social system.<br /><br /><p>Many lines of descent from the major <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishi" title="Rishi">rishis</a> were later grouped separately. Accordingly, the major <i>gotras</i> were divided into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gana" title="Gana">ganas</a> (subdivisions) and each <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gana" title="Gana">gana</a> was further divided into groups of families. The term <i>gotra</i> was then frequently started being applied to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gana" title="Gana">ganas</a> and to the sub-ganas.</p> <p>Every <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin" title="Brahmin">brahmin</a> claims to be a direct patrilinial descendant of one of the founding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishi" title="Rishi">rishis</a> of a certain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gana" title="Gana">gana</a> or sub-gana. It is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gana" title="Gana">gana</a> or sub-gana that is now commonly referred to as <i>gotra</i>.</p> <p>Over the years, the number of <i>gotras</i> increased due to:</p> <ol><li>Descendants of original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishi" title="Rishi">rishi</a> also started new family lineage or new <i>gotras</i>,</li><li>By inter marriage with other sub-groups of the same <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste" title="Caste">caste</a>, and</li><li>Inspired by another <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishi" title="Rishi">rishi</a> whose name they bear as their own <i>gotra</i>.</li></ol><br /><p>While the <i>gotras</i> were classified initially according to nine (?) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishi" title="Rishi">rishis</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pravaras" title="Pravaras">pravaras</a> were classified under the names of the following seven <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rishis" class="mw-redirect" title="Rishis">rishis</a>:</p> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agastya" title="Agastya">Agastya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angirasa" class="mw-redirect" title="Angirasa">Angirasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atri" title="Atri">Atri</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhrigu" class="mw-redirect" title="Bhrigu">Bhrigu</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashyapa" title="Kashyapa">Kashyapa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasishtha" class="mw-redirect" title="Vasishtha">Vasishtha</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishvamitra" title="Vishvamitra">Vishvamitra</a></li></ul><br /><h2><span class="mw-headline">List of Brahmin Gotras</span></h2> <p>The following is a partial list of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotra" title="Gotra">gotras</a> found in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin" title="Brahmin">Brahmin</a> community of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu" title="Hindu">Hindus</a>:</p> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agastya" title="Agastya">Agastya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atreya" title="Atreya">Atreya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atreya" title="Atreya">Atreya</a>/ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atri" title="Atri">Atri</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alambani&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alambani (page does not exist)">Alambani</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angirasa" class="mw-redirect" title="Angirasa">Angirasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhardwaj" class="mw-redirect" title="Bhardwaj">Bhardwaj</a> / <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bharadvajasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bharadvajasa (page does not exist)">Bharadvajasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhargava" title="Bhargava">Bhargava</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charora" title="Charora">Charora</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chikitasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Chikitasa (page does not exist)">Chikitasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalabhya" title="Dalabhya">Dalabhya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Darbhas&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Darbhas (page does not exist)">Darbhas</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhananjaya" title="Dhananjaya">Dhananjaya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Galvasaya&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Galvasaya (page does not exist)">Galvasaya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garga" title="Garga">Garga</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautam" class="mw-redirect" title="Gautam">Gautam</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gautamasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gautamasa (page does not exist)">Gautamasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gargheyasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gargheyasa (page does not exist)">Gargheyasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gaubhilya&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gaubhilya (page does not exist)">Gaubhilya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harita" title="Harita">Harita</a>/ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haritasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Haritasa (page does not exist)">Haritasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haritasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Haritasa (page does not exist)">Haritasa</a>/ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haritash&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Haritash (page does not exist)">Haritash</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hukman_Bhal&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Hukman Bhal (page does not exist)">Hukman Bhal</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamadagni" title="Jamadagni">Jamadagni</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kalabodhana&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kalabodhana (page does not exist)">Kalabodhana</a>/ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kalaboudha&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kalaboudha (page does not exist)">Kalaboudha</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kamakayana_Vishwamitra&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kamakayana Vishwamitra (page does not exist)">Kamakayana Vishwamitra</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanva" class="mw-redirect" title="Kanva">Kanva</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaushika" class="mw-redirect" title="Kaushika">Kaushika</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapi" title="Kapi">Kapi</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapil" class="mw-redirect" title="Kapil">Kapil</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashyapa" title="Kashyapa">Kashyapa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaundinya_%28disambiguation%29" title="Kaundinya (disambiguation)">Kaundinya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kaunsh&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kaunsh (page does not exist)">Kaunsh</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyayana" title="Katyayana">Katyayana</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kutsa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kutsa (page does not exist)">Kutsa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kutsasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kutsasa (page does not exist)">Kutsasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lakhi&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Lakhi (page does not exist)">Lakhi</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lohit" title="Lohit">Lohit</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lomasha&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Lomasha (page does not exist)">Lomasha</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandavya" title="Mandavya">Mandavya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mauna_Bhargava&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mauna Bhargava (page does not exist)">Mauna Bhargava</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matanga" title="Matanga">Matanga</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mudgala&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mudgala (page does not exist)">Mudgala</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maudgalya&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Maudgalya (page does not exist)">Maudgalya</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moudgil&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Moudgil (page does not exist)">Moudgil</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Modgil&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Modgil (page does not exist)">Modgil</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudgal" title="Mudgal">Mudgal</a>)</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudgal" title="Mudgal">Mudgal</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nithunthana&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nithunthana (page does not exist)">Nithunthana</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nydravakashyapa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nydravakashyapa (page does not exist)">Nydravakashyapa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nrisimhadevara&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nrisimhadevara (page does not exist)">Nrisimhadevara</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parashara" title="Parashara">Parashara</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pouragutsya&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Pouragutsya (page does not exist)">Pouragutsya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rowshayadana&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rowshayadana (page does not exist)">Rowshayadana</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salankayana" title="Salankayana">Salankayana</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangar" title="Sangar">Sangar</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankrithi" title="Sankrithi">Sankrithi</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sankyanasa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sankyanasa (page does not exist)">Sankyanasa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sathamarshana&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sathamarshana (page does not exist)">Sathamarshana</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shandilya&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Shandilya (page does not exist)">Shandilya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saawarna&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Saawarna (page does not exist)">Saawarna</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saharia_Joshi&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Saharia Joshi (page does not exist)">Saharia Joshi</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Somnasser&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Somnasser (page does not exist)">Somnasser</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soral" title="Soral">Soral</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srivatsa" title="Srivatsa">Srivatsa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sumarkanth&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sumarkanth (page does not exist)">Sumarkanth</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suryadhwaja" class="mw-redirect" title="Suryadhwaja">Suryadhwaja</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaunaka" title="Shaunaka">Shaunaka</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rathitara&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rathitara (page does not exist)">Rathitara</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tugnait&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Tugnait (page does not exist)">Tugnait</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roushayadana&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Roushayadana (page does not exist)">roushayadana</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upamanyu" title="Upamanyu">Upamanyu</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Upadhyay&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Upadhyay (page does not exist)">Upadhyay</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadula" title="Vadula">Vadula</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmiki" title="Valmiki">Valmiki</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vashishta" class="mw-redirect" title="Vashishta">Vashishta</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatsa" title="Vatsa">Vatsa</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veetahavya&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Veetahavya (page does not exist)">Veetahavya</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Vishnu</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viswamitra" class="mw-redirect" title="Viswamitra">Viswamitra</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaska" title="Yaska">Yaska</a></li><li>Parthivasa</li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">source: wikipedia</span></span>restless zesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08472540759352531976noreply@blogger.com584