Gotra is the Sanskrit term for a much older system of
tribal clans. The Sanskrit term “Gotra” was initially used by the Vedic
people for the identification of the lineages. Generally, these lineages
mean patrilineal descent from the sages or rishis in Brahmins, warriors
and administrators in Kshatriyas and ancestral trade men in Vaisyas.
The lineage system, either patrilineal or matrilineal,
was followed by South Asian people. In present-day Hinduism, Gotra is
applied to all the lineage systems.
The case of sage Vishwamitra is the example. Thus the
gotra must have been of the lineage of the learning one chose rather
than the lineage of one’s birth. Rama is stated to be the descendant of
Ikshwaku, but the lineage was broken when Kalmashpada got his son
through Niyoga of Vashista with Kalmashapada’s wife Madayanthi, and not
through a biological liaison. Yet Rama is said to be Ikshwaku’s
descendant and not of Vashistha. Some claim of a continuous biological
linkage with the ‘Moola purusha’ [or most significant personality] of
the Gotra, whereas it need not be the case. Some times, a Gotra is based
on the Guru for the family or one of the ancestors.
In Hindu society, the term Gotra means clan. Gotra, a
term applied to a clan, a group of families, or a lineage – exogamous
and patrilineal – whose members trace their descent to a common
ancestor, usually a sage (Rishi) of ancient times.
Panini defines ‘gotra’ for grammatical purposes as “apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram”
(IV. 1. 162), which means “the word gotra denotes the progeny (of a
sage) beginning with the son’s son. When a person says ”I am
Kashypasa-gotra”, he means that he traces his descent from the ancient
sage Kashyapa by unbroken male descent.
According to the Baudhâyanas’rauta-sûtra, Vishvâmitra,
Jamadagni, Bharadvâja, Gautama, Atri, Vashista, Kashyapa and Agasthya
are 8 sages; the progeny of these eight sages is declared to be gotras.
This enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known to
PâNini. The offspring (apatya) of these eight are gotras and others than
these are called ‘ gotrâvayava ‘.[1]
The Gotra classification took form probably sometime during the
Yajur-Veda period, after the Rig-Veda period. It is believed that the
Gotras (now account to a total of 49) started to consolidate some around
10-8 Century B.C. The present day, Gotra classification is created from
a core of 8 Rishis (The Saptha-Rishis + Agastya) who were the
originators of their Clan.
The Seven Rishis (Saptarshi), as below, are recognized
as the mind born sons of the creator Brahma. The ‘Shatapatha Brahmana’
gives their names as:
1. Atri
2. Bharadwaja
3. Gautama
4. Jamadagni
5. Kashyapa
6. Vasishtha
7. Vishwamitra and
8. Agastya
Out of these seven Rishis, Viaswamitra was basically a Kshatriya king, who chose and rose to become an ascetic Rishi.
These Rishis belonged to different sects like Shakti, Shavites and
Vishnavites and had different deities for worship. Such deities came to
be known as the Kula-devtas.
The lines of descent from the major Rishis are
originally divided into Ganas [sub divisions] and each Gana is further
divided into families. However, subsequently the term Gotra is
frequently applied to the Ganas and to the families within the Ganas
interchangeably.
A gotra is of immense importance to a Hindu for it
shores up his identity. All Hindu ceremonies require a statement of the
gotra. A devout Hindu speaks out his gotra and pravara every day in the
morning. Gotra also comes of use during the performance of the rites of
passage or sanskaras. People of the same gotra (sa-gotra) are not
allowed to marry, to prevent inbreeding. At weddings, the gotra of the
bride and the groom are proclaimed aloud to establish that they are not
breaking this socially ordained genetic precaution.
Marriages between certain gotras are also not allowed;
for instance, marriages between those of the Vasishtha and Vishvamitra
gotras are not permitted. This is because these two sages were opponents
and their descendants are traditional foes.
There are 49 established Hindu gotras. All members of a
particular gotra are believed to possess certain common characteristics
by way of nature or profession. Many theories have been propounded to
explain this system.
According to the Brahminical theory, the Brahmins are
the direct descendants of seven or eight sages who are believed to be
the mind-born sons of Brahma. These eight sages are called ‘Gotrakarins’
from whom all the 49 gotras (especially of the Brahmins) have evolved.
For instance, from Atri sprang the Atreya and Gavisthiras gotras.
According to this theory, the Kshatriyas
and Vaishyasdo not have a gotra and are to speak out the gotras of
their Purohita during the various ceremonies. However according to some
Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, they are also descendants of these sages.
Because of this, many a time a Brahmin, Kshatriya and a Vaishya claim
the same gotra. The members of a gotra however need not necessarily be
blood relations, but could be spiritual inheritors or descendants of a
guru’s pupils.
Among the Kshatriyas, Rajputs claim to be the direct
descendants of the Sun (Suryavanshi), the moon (Chandravanshi) or the
fire (Agnikula). They are also divided into numerous clans, each bearing
the name of some great ancestor. Similarly every caste and class of the
Hindus is divided into many clans.
In olden times the members of the Brahminical gotras had
certain characteristic features distinguishing them from the others:
the Bhargavas had their heads shaven, the Angirasas wore five braids and
so on.
Gotra closely connected with the concept of gotra is
that of pravara which is the invocation of Agni by the name of the
ancestral sage of whichever Brahmin consecrates the sacrificial fire. As
a rule, there are not more than four or five sages in one pravara. Two
gotras having a common pravara are not allowed to marry. For instance
those of the Kashyapa and Shandilya gotras cannot intermarry because
they share the same sage, Asita, in their pravaras.
Abhivada, the formal proclamation of one’s ancestry, is only enjoined upon ‘twice-born’ (see also Upanayanam)
males. It includes not just the gotra and pravara but, for a Brahmin,
the Veda to which he ‘belongs’, the Sutra or Vedic interpretation
favoured by his gotra and finally his own name. It is said with the
thumb behind the ears, in the traditional gesture of invoking ancestors.
Today’s great classical musicians invoke their gurus similarly before
beginning a concert.
Vasishtha, Maitra – Varuna, Kaundinya Trayarishiya
gotre, Apastambha sutra, Yajushtagadhyayi, Sri Parashuraman Sharmana
aham asmiboho. In the Rig-Veda (see Veda), the word gotra means a
‘cowpen’. In the Vedic period, marriage within the family was a common
occurrence. The term gotra was used in its present sense for the first
time in the Brahmanas. It was systematised by about the 4th century BC
to accommodate changed social rules and laws and by the time of the
Sutras, it was a well-established system. Even today almost all families
abide by its rules.
List Of Hindu Gotras out of 49:
| Angiras |
Atri |
Bhardwaj |
| Bhargav |
Bhrigu |
Dasodia |
| Gautam |
Gargya |
Grandhisila |
| Hansaj |
Harinama |
Heritasa |
| Jamadagni |
Kashyapa |
Koundinya |
| Kulsa |
Lohitaksha |
Marichi |
| Mudgal |
Naidhruva |
Pamidikula |
| Parthiva |
Sawarna |
Serawat |
| Shandilya |
Shankha |
Siwa |
| Upamanyu |
Vardrayana |
Vasishtha |
| Vatsa |
Vishwamitra |
|
Importance of Gotras in Marraiges
The Gotra system was instituted for the purposes of
identifying one’s ancestors and pay respects during various invocations
and other rituals to honour their fathers, fore-fathers and so on, up to
their respective Rishis.
In present days, Gotra is mainly linked with marriages. Marriage will
not be allowed within the same Gotra in order to avoid impure
matrimony. This thinking is in tune with the modern day genetic
paradigms of hybrid vigour.
In a patrilineal Hindu society, the bride belongs to her father’s
Gotra before the marriage and to her husband’s Gotra after the marriage.
The groom on the other hand only belongs to his father’s Gotra
throughout his life.
A gotra must be distinguished from a kula. A kula is a set of people following similar cultural rituals, often worshiping the same divinity (the Kula-Devta, god of the clan). Kula does not relate to lineage or caste. In fact, it is possible to change one’s kula, based on one’s faith or Iṣṭa-devatā.
It is common practice in preparation for Hindu marriage
to inquire about the kula-gotra (clan-lineage) of the bride and groom
before approving the marriage.
Marriages within the gotra (‘sa-gotra’ marriages) are
not permitted under the rule of exogamy in the traditional matrimonial
system. In almost all Hindu families, marriages within the Gotra
(‘sa-gotra’ marriages) are not permitted under the rule of exogamy in
the traditional matrimonial system. The word ‘sagotra’ is union of the
words ‘sa’ + ‘gotra’, where ‘sa’ means same or similar. People within
the Gotra are regarded as kin and marrying such a person would be
thought of as incest. But marriage within the kula/jati is allowed and
even sometimes preferred.
The Tamil words ‘sagotharan’ (brother) and ‘sagothari’
(sister) derive their roots from the Sanskrit word ‘sahodara’ (सहोदर)
meaning co-uterine or born of the same womb.
North Indian Hindu society not only follows the rules of
gotra for marriages, but also had many regulations which went beyond
the basic definition of gotra and had a broader definition of
incestuousness.
Some communities in North India do not allow marriage
with some other communities on the lines that both the Communities are
having brotherhood.
