This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 198.182.56.5 (talk) at 20:23, 29 September 2005 (→where is the religious edict against non-brahmin gotras?). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 20:23, 29 September 2005 by 198.182.56.5 (talk) (→where is the religious edict against non-brahmin gotras?)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A Gotra - literally, Cowpen or Cowshed in archaic rigvedic Sanskrit indicates lineage in the Hindu Brahmin community. Gotra is frequently used as surname among Brahmins. Each of the gotras is normally named after a great ancient Brahmin Sage or Rishi, and belonging to a particular gotra generally implies patrilineal descension from the rishi, whom the gotra is named after.
In Brahminical ritual, the notion plays a critical part, with the hotri claiming divine sanction and legitimacy by reciting the names of his ancestors, qualified by his gotra.
Present day Brahmin gotras derive from eight rishis, Agastya and the Saptarishis - Angirasa,Atri, Bharadwaja, Gautama, Jamadagni, Kashyapa, and Vasishta.Viswamitra is ranked the same as the rest of the saptarishis. Over time, the number of gotras have increased and today, by some counts, number between 50 and 100. A sub-division of the gotra is a pravara, which is a set of the greatest rishis who belonged to the gotra.
The gotra-pravara classification made exogamous systems feasible. Even in ancient times, marriages within pravaras, and according to some scriptures, that within gotras, were not permitted.
