Tag: Shiva Gotra

I have written articles on the Gotra, the Hindu System of tracing Lineage, with a List of Brahmin Gotras and Brahmin Surnames in India.

I have also published Vaisya and Kshatriya Surnames.

Shiva, Image credit.www. stephen Knapp.com

Often I receive mails and calls to verify whether a Gotra belongings to Brahmins and I have been replying.

I shall be writing a Post on How to identify Brahmin Gotra.

In the course of answering these questions I was struck by one fact.

That there is No Shiva Gotra is not found among Brahmins, despite Shiva being considered as a Brahmin because of Function and Vishnu as Kshatriya because of the same yard stick, that of protecting us.

And Subrahmanya is considered as the best among the best of Brahmins-Su+Brahmanya.

One does not find Rama and Krishna Gotras among Hindu community.

I have written on this, explaining the reason.

Then why Shiva is left out, even though He is described as a Brahmin?

1.Shiva is truly a Ayonija, never born of a womb.He appears from nowhere and disappears.

He does not have progeny  ,like Rama or Krishna.

2.The term Brahmin denotes one who realizes Brahman by self efforts.

Shiva being Para Brahman Himself, He need not realize.

He is without attributes, Nirguna.

Hence  to belong to a Brahmin Gora he should have realized Brahman which is not the case with Him.

Hence no Shiva Gotra among Brahmins.

In comparison between Rama and Krishna. while Rama was aware of Himself as Brahman occasionally, Krishna was all the time aware of it and He, like Shiva did not need to Realize Himself.

And Krishna’s Children were killed and He was left with no progeny, consequent to Gandhari’s Curse.

However Shiva Gotra is found among communities other than Brahmins for it had been a practice to denote Shiva as the Father when one is unable to trace the ancestry.

Anoter intersting point to note is that though Viswamitra was not a Brahmin by birth we find Viswamitra Gotra among Brahmins indicating that caste is by disposition and character and not by birth.

Inputs with authentic sources welcome.