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In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally the gotra forms an exogamous unit, with the marriage within the same gotra being prohibited by custom, being regarded as incest. The name of the gotra can be used as a surname, but it is different from a surname and is strictly maintained because of its importance in marriages among Hindus, especially among the higher castes. Pāṇini 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 Vipparla-gotra", he means that he traces his descent from the ancient sage Vipparla by unbroken male descent.
According to the Brihadaranyaka Upanisad 2.2.6, Gautama and Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra and Jamadagni, Vashishtha and Kaśhyapa and Shandilya are seven sages (also known as saptarishi); the progeny of these seven sages are declared to be gotras. This enumeration of seven primary gotras seems to have been known to Pāṇini. The offspring (apatya) of these seven are gotras and others than these are called gotrâvayava.
One who follows the system defined by three sages defines himself as tri-a-rishaye. Similarly, for five sages, it is pancha-rishaye, and for seven sages, it is sapta-rishaye.
There exists another theory about gotra: sons and disciples of a sage would have the same gotra; it is believed that they possess similar thought and philosophy. People of the same gotra can be found across different castes. Each Gotra comprises pravaras.
Origins
As a Rigvedic terms, gotra simply means "cow pen" or "herd of cows". The specific meaning "family, lineage kin" (as it were "herd within an enclosure") is relatively more recent, first recorded around the mid-1st millennium BCE (e.g., Chandogya Upanishad).
These "lineages" as they developed among the Brahmins of that time meant patrilineal descent. The Brahmanic system was later adopted by other communities, such as the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas
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 vedic theories, the Brahmins are direct descendants of seven sages who are believed to be the sons of Brahma, borne out of his mind through yogic prowess. They are (1) Gautama Maharishi, (2) Bharadwaja, (3) Vishvamitra, (4) Jamadagni, (5) Vashista, (6) Kashyapa and (7) Atri . To this list, Agastya is also sometimes added. These eight sages are called gotrakarins, from whom all 49 gotras (especially of the Brahmins) have evolved. For instance, from Atri sprang the Atreya and Gavisthiras gotras.
According to Robert Vane Russell, many gotra of hindu caste are of totemic origin which are named after plants, animals and natural objects. These are universal among non-aryan or primitive tribes, but occurs also in Hindu castes. The commonest totem names are those of animals, including several which are held sacred by Hindus, as bagh or nahar, the tiger; bachas, the calf; murkuria, the peacock; kachhua or limun, the tortoise; nagas, the cobra; hasti, the elephant; bhainsa, the buffalo; richaria, the bear; Kuliha, the Jackal, kurura, the dog; karsayal, the dear; hiran, the black-buck and so on. The utmost variety of names is found, and numerous trees, as well as rice and other crops, salt, sandalwood, cucumber, pepper, and some household implements such as pestle, rolling slab, serves as name of clans. Thus name of the rishis or saints, Bharadwaj means a lark, Kaushik means descended from Kusha, Agastya from agasti flower, Kashyapa from kachhap a tortoise, Taittiri from titar a partridge. Similarly the origin of other rishis is attributed to animals, Rishyasringa to an antilope, Mandavya to a frog, Kanada to an owl. The usual characteristic of totemism is that the member of clan regard themselves as related to or desendend from, the animals or trees which the clan takes its name, and abstain from killing or eating it.
A gotra must be distinguished from a kula. A kula is equal to a particular family , or equal to modern day "clans", Kula does relate to lineage or caste.
See also
References
- Singer, edited by Milton; Cohn, Bernard S. (2007). Structure and change in Indian society (1. paperback printing ed.). New Brunswick, N.J.: AldineTransaction. p. 408. ISBN 978-0202361383.
{{cite book}}:|first1=has generic name (help) - "Brahmin, brahmana, caste, tribe, gotra, rishi, ritual, india, hindu, religion, Mana Sanskriti (Our Culture), Issue 69". vedah.net. October 2003.
- Singh, David Emmanuel (2012). Islamization in Modern South Asia: Deobandi Reform and the Gujjar Response. Walter de Gruyter. p. 199. ISBN 978-1-61451-246-2.
- "gotra – Indian caste system". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- "Gotra". gurjari.net. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- Bibek Debroy. Harivamsha. Penguin UK. p. 435. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- Russell, Robert Vane (1916). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India. London: Macmillan and Co.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Further reading
- Ruegg, D. Seyfort (1976). 'The Meanings of the Term "Gotra" and the Textual History of the "Ratnagotravibhāga"'. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 39, No. 2 (1976), pp. 341–363