Great Grand Father, Grand Father, Father, Self and son!
For Guru reference,
Adi Shankaracharya never mentions himself directly in his works.
‘Sri Govinda Bhagavatpaada Sishya,’
Disciple of the Noble Govinda Bhagavatpaada”
This system has been in place from the early period of the Vedas.
The founders of the Humanity, as far as Hindu Texts go, are the Saptha Rshi, the Seven Sages , after whom the lineage is from.
And they are referred to in introducing oneself.
This system is called the Gotra.
This is patrilineal.
Then there is Pravara.
”
a Pravara (Sanskrit for “most excellent”) is a particular Brahmin’s descent from a rishi (sage) who belonged to their gotra (clan). In vedic ritual, the importance of the pravara appears to be in its use by the ritualist for extolling his ancestry and proclaiming, “as a descendant of worthy ancestors, I am a fit and proper person to do the act I am performing.” Generally, there are either three or five pravaras. The sacred thread yajnopavita worn on upanayana has close and essential connection with the concept of pravaras related to Brahmin gotra system. While tying the knots of sacred thread, an oath is taken in the name of each one of these three or five of the most excellent rishis belonging to one’s gotra.
The full affiliation of a brāhamana consists of (1)gotra, (2)sutra (of Kalpa), (3)shakha, (4)pravaras .
(Example 🙂 A brahmana named ‘Rama’ introduces himself as follows : I am ‘Rama’, of Shrivatsa gotra, of Āpastamba sutra, of Taittiriya shākha of Yajurveda, of five pravaras named Bhārgava, Chyāvana, Āpnavan, Aurva and Jāmdagnya (This example is based upon the example given by Pattābhirām Shastri in the introduction to Vedārtha-Pārijata, cf. ref.).’
It may be noted in the Pravara,three or Five Rishis are mentioned.
For example, Kasyapa, Apasthara, Naithruva’
This is different from Kasyapa Gotra.
There is another Pravara for Kasyapa Gotra as well.
Kasyapa, Aavatsaara, Daivala.
The same with the other Rishis.
Sometimes three Rishis are mentioned and at times Five.
Why?
One view is that these references are to the excellent ancestors from the Gotra.
My view is that , if that be case the first Rishi should always be the founder.
But , as in Nythruva Kasyapa, Kasyapa does not appear as the First Rishi but it is Naithruva.
Reason is that many Rishis have more than one wife and many children through each of them.
Kasyapa had more than one wife.
The Prajapati Daksha gave his thirteen daughters (Aditi, Diti, Kadru, Danu, Arishta, Surasa, Surabhi, Vinata, Tamra, Krodhavasha,Idā, Vishva and Muni in marriage to Kashyapa.
Though the Father is one, mother differs.
To identify and emphasize the differentitae, the three or Five Rishis are mentioned.
Traditionally the first wife’s son carries the Father’s name as Gotra and the others the son of the Second or third wife and but to make the reference correct the founder is mentioned later in the Pravara.
The pravara identifies the association of a person with two, three (or sometimes five) of the above-mentioned rishis. It also signifies the Sutras contributed to different Vedas by those rishis.
For example, Kashyapa Gothram has 3 rishis associated with it viz. Kashyap, Nidruva and Avatsara
In a court case “Madhavrao vs Raghavendrarao” which involved a Deshastha Brahmin couple, the German scholar Max Mueller’s definition of gotra as descending from eight sages and then branching out to several families was thrown out by reputed judges of a Bombay High Court. The court called the idea of Brahmin families descending from an unbroken line of common ancestors as indicated by the names of their respective gotras and pravaras impossible to accept. The court consulted relevant Hindu texts and stressed the need for Hindu society and law to keep up with the times emphasizing that notions of good social behavior and the general ideology of the Hindu society had changed. The court also said that the mass of material in the Hindu texts is so vast and full of contradictions that it is almost an impossible task to reduce it to order and coherence.
Gotra is a system in India where the lineage of a person is identified.
The Gotra is recited in religious functions, especially in marriage.
The lineage, normally is traced to a Rishi ,then the clan is described, Grandfather, father’s name are mentioned.
The practice of Gotras is traced to the Vedas.
The Saptha Rishis are the earliest in the line of Gotras.
These Saptha Rishis are entrusted with the allocation of the Vedas for each clan for each Manvantara.
Read my Posts on Manvantara,Saptha Rishis,Rishis a Timeline,Pravara of Lord Rama.
The Gotra system was practiced by the Brahmins initially and later by the other castes.
So normally the Saptha Rishis are mentioned in the Gotras .
Apart from the Saptha Rishis, other Rishi Gotras are also found.
Like Siva, Vishnu.
Of these Gotras, Bharawaja Gotra is found in abundance in the North when compared to South India.
Siva and Vishnu Gotras are referred to in communities other than the Brahmins.
It is also a practice to mention the name of Subrahamnya as the founder for the Gotra ,if the Rishis are not known,(This is among the Smarthas).
Sri Vaishnavas use Bharatwaja in similar insurances.
For communities other than the Kshatriyas, Jambu Maharishi is mentioned.
Jamadagni, father of Parashurama is also mentioned among the Kshatriyas.
I have noticed that though classified as Avatars of Vishnu, Rama or Krishna Gotras are never mentioned.
Some mention is made of Krishna among some Yadava communities.
But in general Rama or Vishnu Gotras are not mentioned in the Pravaras.
Why?
Rama and Krishna, though avatars of Vishnu were born to Human beings and as such they had ancestors to whose lineage they belonged to.
This is yet another instance of Hinduism treating Gods as Human Beings and not some one special when they lived; their ancestors were given the respect due to them.
Therefore there ae no Gotras of Rama or Krishna in practice; in cases where they are mentioned it does not have the sanction of the Smritis.
I have noticed a curious fact when checking up the Pravara of Rama and Krishna.
Acroll down for Video for The Pravara of Krishna.
Rama belonged to Vasishta Gotra while Krishna to Garga.
Garga is not among the Saptha Rishis!
By the Gotras mentioned for Lord Rama, He is a Brahmin as Vasishta, was a Brahmin.
Garga is referred to as a Brahmin.
So Rama and Krishna are Brahmins by Lineage, not by profession.
This is yet another proof that a Man’s caste, even if it is an Avatar, is not determined by birth but by profession!
“Gotra can be used as surname but it is different from surname and is strictly maintained because of its importance in marriages among Hindus and especially among high Hindu-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 Kashyapa-gotra,” he means that he traces his descent from the ancient sage Kashyapa 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 eight sages is declared to be gotras. This enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known to Pāṇini. The offspring (apatya) of these eight are gotras and others than these are called gotrâvayava. There exists another theory about gotra: sons of rishi and disciples of the gurukul would have same gotra. It is believed that they possess similar thought and philosophy. People of same gotra can be found in different castes….
As a Rigvedic term, gotra simply means “cow shelter” or “herd of cows”. The narrowed meaning “family, lineage kin” (as it were “herd within an enclosure”) is younger, 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 theKshatriyas and Vaisyas
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. They are Gautama, Bharadwaja, Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, Vashista, Kashyapa and Atri. To this list, Agasthya is also sometimes added. 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.[4]
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-Devata, 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.’
Despite being Vaidikas, those who follow the Vedas,there are subtle differnces in Brahmin practices among Brahmins , though the essence remains the same.
I had posted an article on Who are South Indian Brahmins? and another History of Brahmins.
Brahmins in Indian Cricket.
My view is that Brahmins, being an integral part of Sanathana Dharma, were present in the North and the South right from the earlier ages.
And Lord Rama’s ancestor Satyavrata Manu migrated from the South to the North and his offspring established the Ikshvahu dynasty.
However evidence suggests that the Brahmins initially settled around the Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu, which was ruled by the Chola dynasty whose ancestors were the Surya Dynasty, and the Cholas belong to Kasyapa Gotra.
Please read my post on this.
In ancient times, there was no division of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh ;it was Dakshina Pada,south of Vindhyas.
I have used the present political names to enable the reader to understand.
No regional connotations are intended.
Brahmins migrated , for unknown reasons to Andhra Pradesh, around 1400AD.
“There are two major divisions among Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh: Niyogi and Vaidiki, and the Vaidiki Brahmin division is further divided into several groups, one of which is Dravida Brahmin group that arrived in Andhra via Tamil or Dravida (draaviDa) country.
A group of Brahmins migrated approximately 600 years ago (~1300-1400 AD) from Saurashtra(2) towards south of Vindhyas and settled on the banks of River Kaveri in Tamilnadu and adopted Tamil language. These Brahmins are related to the Ayyars of Tamilnadu. Later, some of these Brahmins migrated northward towards coastal Andhra to the River Godavari basin and henceforth are called Dravida Brahmins.
It is possible that Dravida Brahmins migrated to Andhra around 400 years ago(3) from Tamilnadu. The Dravida Brahmin group continued the migration deep into north coastal Andhra, settling at various places of their convenience and based on the locations they settled in, further divided into:
Aaraamadravidas
Divili Brahmins
Dravidas or suddha dravidas
Perurudravidas
Pudurudravidas
Ryalidravidas
Tummagunta Brahmins
Aaraamadravidas are those Brahmins who settled and lived in gardens (aaraamas) initially. They are also called thota aravalu (thota = garden, aravulu = Tamils or Dravids). Some Dravida Brahmins settled in the villages and are identified by the area or the name of the village in which they settled down. For example, the Brahmins who settled in the town Peruru near Amalarpuram came to be known asPerurudraavidulu. Similarly, the Brahmins settled in the towns of Ryali, Divili, Puduru and Tummagunta came to be known as Ryalidraavidulu, Divili Brahmins, Pudurudraavidulu, Tummagunta Brahmins, respectively. In addition, there is another branch called dravidulu or suddha dravidulu.
The Dravida Brahmins included 6 jaatis (tribes), 6 vamshams (stock or clan), 18 pakshams (parts) and 18 gotrams (lineage) and several family names(4). Due to their expertise and learning, the rulers ofCoastal Andhra(5) gave not only refuge, but also gifts and rewards of lands and agrahaaras (villages) to the migrated Brahmins. Dravida Brahmins continued their migrations in search of opportunities and are found in several states in the Indian Union, especially in the cosmopolitan cities like Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc., and also in the New World.
Dravida brahmins such as perurudaravidas, dhimiladaravidas, Dravidas etc. are very much into vedic rituals like yajnas and yagas. Aaraamadravidas are not big on perfoming yajna and yaagas like others Dravida Brahmins, but excelled in vedic studies, poetry and literature, medicine, music, astrology etc. As the Indian society has changed from Islamic rule to Christian rule to independence and democracy, Brahmins have lost, to a large extent, their traditional life style and religious vocations, and are left with secular vocations in competition with rich, powerful forward castes and privileged SC, ST and BC communities everywhere in India.”
Brahmins Surnames, Andhra Pradesh.
The earliest Brahmins to arrive in Andhra were most probably sage Viswamitra’s students and progeny around 1200 BC. South Indian kings showed respect and patronage for Brahmins and Brahminism since ancient times, e.g., Satavahana dynasty that ruled for five centuries and extended over Andhra and central India, founded by Srimukha (221-198 BC), supported Brahminism and Vedic tradition (History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh, Rao PR, pp.viii and 8-22). One of the most important features of Satavahana dynasty was granting land to Brahmins. (History of India, Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, p. 102). Sangam era of Chera, Chola and Pandya kings in Deep South also used to grant lands to Brahmins (History of India, Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, p. 104). Similarly there have been Brahmin migrations back and forth that continue even today. Due to these waves of Brahmin migrations, we see today various sub-castes and traditions among Brahmins.
One of those Brahmin migrations pertinent to Dravida Brahmins was from Saurashtra to the south to River Kaveri. It is not clear why this particular group of Brahmins migrated to Tamil country in 13th and 14th centuries. However, the period in which the Dravida Brahmins migrated was full of strife and destruction due to Islamic incursions in the Northwestern Indian Continent (current Afghanistan, Pakistan and present Western India), including Gujarat. Saurashtra forms part of the area where the ancient Saraswati river existed. Saurashtra is also known as Soruth and Sorath, a former state in the Indian continent, located on the Kathiawar peninsula of western India, which is now part of the Indian State of Gujarat. The Rig-Veda refers to the River Saraswati as a mighty river flowing from the mountains to the sea and was adored as the nurturing mother of a civilization, which drew its life sustenance on the banks of the river. It is not clear if the southward-migrated Brahmins are related to Saraswat Brahmins of this region who migrated to other parts of the Indian continent.
From the River Kaveri region, they migrated to various other parts of Tamilanadu and up north into Andhra Pradesh somewhere between 600 to 300 years ago. Some of the Aaraamadravida Brahmin families have migrated from Kumbhakonam, an ancient temple town in Tamilnadu on the banks of river Kaveri, 194 miles away by train from Chennai. Kumbhakonam has mythical connections – visit Kanchi Kamakoti peetham site.
3) Although it is not clear when Dravida Brahmins migrated to Andhra, according to Anamtapadmanaabham Dvivedula (ref 1), about 300 years ago they adopted Telugu language and integrated with Telugu speaking people. If we consider the studies on language adoption in the US, the immigrants (first generation of immigrants) and their offspring (second generation immigrants) continue to speak their native tongue as well as the language of the land. The third generation of immigrants forget their ancestral language or only a small minority in that group maintains bilingualism. Speaking only English is the predominant pattern by the third generation in the US. Thus, by extrapolation, we may assume Dravida Brahmins began migrating to Andhra around 400 years ago, which is, of course, an assumption. It could be 600 years ago!
Usually, Telugu Brahmin family names are based on their vocation, villages, awards, recognition etc. Family names like Kuchibhatlu, Nagabhatlu, Bhairavabhatlu, Raghavabhatlu, etc. are names based on “battir“, Tamil word for pundit. Some say that Bhattu is a derivative of bhata, which means a person who works for hire and as these Brahmins were hired by kings for various priestly duties, they are calledbhat-lu. It is also said that Brahmins who considered themselves as bhattus (servants) of their family God (kula-daivam) gave their family name as bhattu or bhatla of their family God. For example,Nagahatlu means bhattus of Naga or snake God. Raghavabhatlu means bhattu of Lord Raghava or Rama. Pamtulu, Madhurapamtulu, etc. based on their recognition as pamtulu, which means pundit or guru or teacher. Ponnapalli, Marepalli, Kolluru, Addanki, etc are based on village names. Vedulavaru, Dvi-vedulavaru, etc. based on their learning in vedas and others like soamayaajula are based on ancestral achievements, jobs and deeds.
I published a Post on the Surnames of Brahmin Community.
I had in my mind to publish a complete list of Brahmin Gotras.
I promptly forgot about it.
Couple of Days ago when I received an alliance proposal for my brother’s Grandson, I was unable to check the Gotra, whether it belongs to the Brahmin Community.
Later I checked it out and it was a Gotra of Brahmin Community.
I am posting a list from the available resources and people may also contribute with authentication to make this List a Comprehensive one.
Each gotra takes the name of a famous Rishi or sage.
Gotra is a concept of patrilineal classification, which identifies the families of a caste.
The original rishis after whom the gotras were named were just Seven in number .
Gotras were further subdivided into ganas and sub ganas.
Another concept is that of Pravara of Rishis who were a few of the most learned and capable sages belonging to that gotra.
Each Brahmin was thus known by his gotra, pravar, sutra and shakha.
There are exceptions to the rule too. For example the descendents of Maharishis Bhrigu and Angirasa cannot marry, because of the same Pravara Rishis, which are common to the two individuals.
The weddings in India are fixed as per the Gotra of the bride and groom.
Gotra matching is one of the most important concerns in North indian Hindu matrimony.
Wedding in similar Gotra is strictly prohibited.
A Gotra has three Rishis.
This indicates the fact some of the Rishis had more than one wife, at different times , for example Parasara.
I that case the male offspring from each of the Wives are added and the third if there are any more differentiation.
Readers may contribute in this area.
Another instance is when a Rishi changes his Varna.
Viswamitra was a Kshatriya and his original name was Kausika.
Later he became a Brahmin after he reealized Brahma Gnana.
Then he was called a Barhmin and his Gotra was changed from Kausika to Viswamitra.
அப்படிப்பார்க்கையில் அனைவரும் சஹோதர சஹோதரிகளாகிறோம்..
அதே சமயம் மரபணு சார்ந்த உண்மைகளை ஒதுக்கவும் முடியாது.
விளக்கத்திற்கு
“Now we know even in modern Genetics that marriages between cousins will increase the risk of causing genetic disorders. That is because, say suppose there is a recessive dangerous gene in one person. What this means is that say a person is carrying a dangerous abnormality causing gene in one of his chromosome, but whose effect has been hidden in that person (or is not being expressed) because the corresponding gene in the pairing Chromosome is stronger and hence is preventing this abnormality causing gene from activating.
Now there are fair chances that his offsprings will be carriers of these genes throughout successive generations. As long as they keep marrying outside his genetic imprint, there is a fair chance that the defective gene will remain inactive since others outside this person’s lineage most probably do not have that defective gene. Now if after 5-10 generations down the line say one of his descendants marries some other descendant who may be really far away cousins. But then there is a possibility that both of them are still carrying the defective gene, and in that case their children will definitely have the defective gene express itself and cause the genetic abnormality in them as both the Chromosomes in the pair have the defective genes. Hence, the marriages between cousins always have a chance of causing an otherwise recessive, defective genes to express themselves resulting in children with genetic abnormalities.
So if the Vedic Rishis had allowed marriages within the same Gotras, then there were chances that the resulting male can be a victim of such defective gene expression, and any such gene expressions which took place in the 5% exposed area of the Y Chromosome would be fatal for the continuity of that Y Chromosome. Even after hundreds of generations there would still be chances of any defective genes being propagated within these successive generations, and marriage within the same Gotra would provide a golden opportunity for these genes to express themselves, there by causing the genetic abnormality in the offspring.
And hence the ancient Vedic Rishis created the Gotra system where they barred marriage between a boy and a girl belonging to the same Gotra no matter how deep the lineage tree was, in a bid to prevent inbreeding and completely eliminate all recessive defective genes from the human DNA.
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