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InHindu culture, the termgotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent tolineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor orpatriline. Generally, the gotra forms anexogamous unit, with marriage within the same gotra being regarded asincest and prohibited by custom.[1] The name of the gotra can be used as a surname, but it is different from a surname and is strictly maintained because of its importance in marriages among Hindus, especially among castes.Pāṇini definesgotra asapatyam pautraprabhrti gotram (IV. 1. 162), which means "the wordgotra denotes the descendance (or descendants),apatya, of a couple consisting of apautra, a son and abharti, a mother, i.e. a daughter-in-law." (Based on Monier Williams Dictionary definitions.)
According to theBrihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.2.4, Kashyapa, Atri, Vasistha, Vishvamitra, Gautama Maharishi, Jamadagni and Bharadvaja are seven sages (also known assaptarishi) andJambu Maharishi is another sage (also known asRenuka, who belongs to Kashyapa). The progeny of these eight sages are declared to be gotras. This enumeration of seven primary and one secondary gotra seems to have been known to Pāṇini. The offspring (apatya) of these seven are gotras and others than these are calledgotrāvayava.[2]
One who follows the system defined by three sages defines himself asTri-a-Vishay. Similarly, for five sages, it isPancha-Vishay, and for seven sages, it isSanta-Vishay.[citation needed]
There exists another theory about gotra: sons and disciples of a sage would have the same gotra; it is believed that they possess similar thoughts and philosophies. People of the same gotra can be found across different castes. Each gotra comprisespravaras.[citation needed]
While Hindu texts prescribe marrying within one's own community, they prohibit individuals from marrying those who belong to their owngotra, or lineage from the same Vedic sage:[3]
One should not choose (the bride) from the same gotra or born in the line of same sage. (One may choose) from (descendants of) more than seven (generations) on the paternal side and more than five (generations) on the maternal side.
— Agni Purana, Chapter 154
As aRigvedic term,gotra simply means "forward moving descendants".[4] (गौः) गमन करनेवाली (पृथिवी) means one always moving (Earth) and (त्र:) stands for Offspring. The specific meaning "family, lineage kin" (as it were "herd within an enclosure") is relatively more recent, first recorded around the mid-1st millennium BCE (e.g.,Chandogya Upanishad).
These "lineages" as they developed among theBrahmins of that time meant patrilineal descent. The Brahmanic system was later adopted by other communities, such as theKshatriyas andVaishyas[5]
According to the Vedic theories, theBrahmins are direct descendants of seven sages who are believed to be the sons of Brahma, born out of his mind through yogic prowess. They are (1)Atri, (2)Bharadvaja, (3)Gautama Maharishi, (4)Jamadagni, (5)Kashyapa, (6)Vasishta and (7)Vishvamitra. To this list,Agastya is also sometimes added. These eight sages are called gotrakarins, from whom all 108 gotras (especially of the Brahmins) have evolved. For instance, fromAtri sprang the Atreya and Gavisthiras gotras.[6]
According toRobert Vane Russell, many gotras of Hindu religion are oftotemic origin which is named after plants, animals, and natural objects. These are universal among tribes but occur also in Hindu castes. The commonest totem names are those of animals, including several which are held sacred by Hindus, as bagh or Nahar, the tiger; bachhas, the calf; murkuria, the peacock; kachhua, the tortoise; nagas, the cobra; hathi, the elephant; bhains, the buffalo; richaria, the bear; Kuliha, the Jackal, Kukura, the dog; kursaal, the deer; Hiran, theBlackbuck and so on. The utmost variety of names is found, and numerous trees, as well as rice and other crops, salt,sandalwood, cucumber, pepper, and some household implements such aspestle, rolling slab, serve as the names of clans. Thus the name of the rishi Bharadvaja means alark bird, andKaushika means descended fromKusha grass,Agastya from Agassi flower,Kashyapa from kachhap a tortoise,Taittiri from titer, thepartridge. Similarly, the origin of other rishis is attributed to animals,Rishyasringa to an antelope,Mandavya to a frog,Kanada to an owl. The usual characteristic oftotemism is that the members of a clan regard themselves as related to or descended from, the animals or trees from which the clan takes its name, and abstain from killing or eating them.[7]
A gotra must be distinguished from akula. A kula is equal to a particular family, or equal to modern-day "clans". A kula relates to acaste.[citation needed]
Marriages within the gotra (sagotra marriages) are not permitted under the rule ofexogamy in the traditional matrimonial system. The compound wordsagotra is a union of the words "sa" and "gotra", where "sa" means same or similar. It is common practice in preparation forHindu marriage to inquire about the kula-gotra (clan lineage) of the bride and groom before approving the marriage. People within the gotra are considered assiblings and marrying such a person can lead to higher chances for the child to get genetically transferred diseases. In almost all Hindu families, marriage within the same gotra is not practiced (since they are believed to be descended from the same lineage). Marriages between different gotras are encouraged; marriage within the same gotra started to happen later.
For example,Jats,Gurjars, andRajputs have 13,000 Gotras. AndMudirajas ofAndhra Pradesh andTamil Nadu have 2,600 Gotras. Gotra is always passed on from father to children among most Hindu communities. However, among theTulu people it is passed on from mother to child.
Thetatsama wordssahodara (brother) andsahodari (sister) derive their roots from the Sanskrit wordsahara (सहर) meaning co-uterine or born of the same womb. In communities where gotra membership passed from father to children, marriages were allowed between a woman and her maternal uncle,[8] while such marriages were forbidden inmatrilineal communities, likeTuluvas, where gotra membership was passed down from the mother.
A much more common characteristic ofSouth Indian Hindu society is permission for marriage betweencross-cousins (children of brother and sister, first cousins) as they are of different gotras. Thus, a man is allowed to marry his maternal uncle's daughter or his paternal aunt's daughter but is not allowed to marry his paternal uncle's daughter. She would be considered aparallel cousin, of the same gotra, and therefore to be treated as a sister.[9]
Nepali Hindu society not only follows the rules of gotra for marriages but also has many regulations which go beyond the basic definition of gotra and have a broader definition of incest.[10] Some communities in North India do not allow marriage with certain other clans, based on the belief that both clans are of the same patrilineal descent.[11] In other communities, marriage within the gotra of the mother's father, and possibly some others, is prohibited.
A possible workaround for Sagotra marriages is to perform aData (adoption) of the bride to a family of different gotra (usuallydata is given to the bride's maternal uncle who belongs to different gotra by the same rule) and let them perform the 'Kanyadanam' ('kanya' (girl) + 'danam' (to give)). Such workarounds are used in rare cases, and the acceptability is questionable.
Vedic Hinduism recognizes eight types of marriages, thus predominantly following the principles as stated in theManu Smriti, referring to eight types of marriages, the roles, and responsibilities of husband and wife, and the purpose of marriage.Eight types of marriages are, (1) Brahma Vivaha, (2) Arsa Vivaha, (3) Daiva Vivaha, (4) Prajapatya Vivaha, (5)Gandharva Vivaha, (6) Asura Vivaha, (7) Rakshasa Vivaha, and (8) Paishacha Vivaha. The first four types of marriages reflect the paradigm behind arranged marriages. The last three are prohibited as perManu Smriti, out of which the last two are condemned. The Gandharva marriage is analogous to the modern-day love marriage, where the individuals have the liberty to choose their partners. ThoughGandharva marriage had its due prominence in theShastras or precepts, with the advancement of time,Vedic Hinduism giving way to classic Hinduism, the concept of arranged marriage rose to prominence, which still today is predominantritual for a marriage between two individuals.
There is no harm in Sagotra marriage if the individuals are not related for six generations on both maternal and paternal sides. This is expressed in chapter 5 of Manu smriti in mantra 60, which states, सपिण्डता तु पुरुषे सप्तमे विनिवर्तते । समानोदकभावस्तु जन्मनाम्नोरवेदने, which means thatsapinda ends after seven generations.[12] Section 5(v) ofHindu Marriage Act 1955 also prohibits Sapinda relationship but there is no restriction of Sagotra marriage.[13]
While the gotras are almost universally used for excluding marriages that would be traditionallyincestuous, they are not legally recognized as such, although those within "degrees of prohibited relationship" or who are "sapinda" are not permitted to marry.[14]Khap panchayats in Haryana have campaigned to legally ban marriages within the same gotra. A convener of the Kadyan Khap, Naresh Kadyan, petitioned the courts to seek an amendment to theHindu Marriage Act to legally prohibit such marriages. However, the petition was dismissed as withdrawn after being vacated, with the Delhi High Court warning that the Khap would face heavy penalty costs for wasting the time of the court.[15]
In the 1945 case ofMadhavrao vs Raghavendrarao, which involved aDeshastha Brahmin couple, the definition of gotra as descending from eight sages and then branching out to several families was thrown out by theBombay High Court. The court called the idea ofBrahmin families descending from an unbroken line of common ancestors as indicated by the names of their respective gotras "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 Hindu society had changed. The court also said that the material in the Hindu texts is so vast and full of contradictions that it is a near-impossible task to reduce it to order and coherence.[16]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
