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Revision as of 13:05, 16 October 2005 by Raj2004 (talk | contribs) (→Marriages and Gotras: incest forbindden in Hindu society)(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.
Origins of Gotra
The term 'gotra' is applied generally to all the lineages found in various Indian castes. In South India, the lineage could be known as 'bali'(Tulu) or 'ill'(Malayalam). The Brahmins and highly Sanskritized non-Brahmins generally exhibit gotras based on sages, however, other castes have different names for their gotras.
Gotra could be one of the 'Aryanized' old Indian traditions considering the different terminologies used and different names used to denote the lineages and also different ways of inheritance(See "Inheritance of Gotra" below").
Inheritance of Gotra
Generally, gotras were inherited patrilineally. However, in South India few Malayalee and Tulu castes inherit gotras matrilineally.
Marriages and Gotras
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. The reasoning is that marrying within one's gotra would be akin to marrying one's sister and would be akin to incest.
References
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