GOTRA (गोत्र)
The word ‘gotra’ has been extensively used in the Hindu Scriptures, especially when a person has to introduce himself to another and also in connection with marriage.
‘Gotra’ means a cowshed (or a cowherd) where the cows of a group of people (most probably relatives) were kept together and protected. But, in course of time, the word acquired the meaning, of a common patriarchal ancestor from whom one has descended.
Gotra was of great importance in several fundamental matters of family affairs like inheritance or marriage and religious ceremonies like Sraddha. The original sages, from whom the gotras are traced, are 21 in number as mentioned in the picture above. With the passage of time and after intermarriage and intermixture with other Brahmins the number of gotras multiplied to 199. According to P. N. Kaul Bamzai, “The Kashmiri Pandits are divided into 133 exogamous gotras, each member of which claims to be a descendant of a Rishi whose name the gotra bears.”
Giving the name of one of these above sages by a person indicates that he traces his lineage from that sage by unbroken male descent.
When a person does not know his gotra, he can adopt that of his priest. If even that is not properly known, he can then take Kasyapa-gotra, Kasyapa being the original Prajapati from whom the creation of living being started. When a boy is adopted by a childless couple, he will retain the gotra of his original father as well as the one of the foster father. Marriage between persons having the same gotra is prohibited.
© Chander M Bhat
Picture Credits: Quora
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