Gothra Pattika - Gothra Pravaram - Gotra names and related Rishi vargam - Abhivathanam

List of Rishis, Their known Gotra lineage - The Gothra root is same irrespective of Sect or Sub-sect in all Brahmins.

Following are the names of Rishis, to whom a specific Gothra person belong to. While prostrating to elders, one has to give these details at the end, stating his Rishis group,  how many Rishis in his grouping, Soothra, and the Veda culture he belongs to, (Rg, Yajur, Sama & Atharva Veda), then his Gothra and name in that order. One need not pronounce this Abhivathanam to a Saint (Sanyasi), Kula Acharya - (the one who affixes the Shanka Chakra (The Conch & Wheel) Emblem in your arms and adopts you as His disciple/sishya) or any other women except one's mother. However, for Bruhaspathi (Vadyar) and other elders, one has to pronounce the entire abhivathanam, every time one meets them.

I list below the most used and prevailing Gothra names together Rishis' group that a specific Gotra one belong to and the pravaram one has to say while doing abhivathanam. If anyone finds a missing Gothra from the table given below, please let me know with due pravarams so as to include the same in the table. The actual benefits of prostrating (namaskaram & sashtanga namaskar, Dhandavath) is listed by a researcher and the same is published in another page of this website.

Please add the respective Rishis name from the given table, and other details in the blank spaces to complete the Abhivathana.

(1) Abivathaye,

(2) _______   _______    ______ (Names of respective Gothra Rishis, as applicable as one, two, three, five or seven Rishis from the table given below)

(3) ____________ (Choose one as applicable »Eka Risheya, »Dhwayarsheya, »Thrayaa Risheya, »Pancha Risheya, »Saptha Risheya), 

(4) Pravaraanvitha:

(5) _______________ Soothra (Abasthampa Soothra/ Bhodhayana Soothraa),

(6) _______________ (Yaajusha/Samo/Rg) Gaathyaathi

(7) ________________ Gothrasya

(8) ______________________ (your name)

(9) sarmaNa: aham asbibho.

Note: In the above chart, some of the Gothra Rishis names are appearing same as in other Gothra. It is advisable to check the pravaram Rishis names from your family elders as the Gothra name with different Rishi's names are mentioned in the same script. The difference is in the Rishis sub-lineage names that should be checked with elders. For instance, Saandilya Gothra has three different pravaram with the same Gothra Rishi but the sub-lineage names of Rishis are different.

What is Gotra?

How did the people thousands of years ago realize that genetically there was transference of some unique characteristics only from father to son (in the form of Y-chromosomes) ? In recent past when it was fashionable to condemn all Indian traditional systems as of no value, non-believers have referred to 'Gothra' as archaic, unscientific, irrelevant and male chauvinistic! The Scientifically proven factor DNA type test and assertions are more closer to the Gotra lineage matters. And to the Vedic line state nothing less than what your researchers & scientists speaking about! 

Modern DNA & genetic research has confirmed male line Y-chromosomal transference, through 8 generations in case of Thomas Jefferson. 'Gothra' in essence really stands for Y-chromosomal identity.

In the very recent, US President (& Author of Declaration of Independence of United States) Thomas Jefferson's paternity of his slave Sally Fleming's children has been in news. For nearly 200 years, since US president Thomas Jefferson's time, many traditionalists maintained that Jefferson did not cohabit with Sally. But some descendants of Sally maintained otherwise and claimed to be progeny of the ex-president. This old historical controversy has now been resolved using modern genetic DNA analysis methods (Source - Founding father by Eric S Lander & Joseph J Ellis and Foster et al, Nature [ Volume 396 - 5 November 19980] pages 14, 27 & 28).

The genetic DNA study of descendents of Jefferson family and Sally Fleming's family, has confirmed with very high probability that, US President Thomas Jefferson was indeed the father of at least one of the sons of Sally Fleming. How was this genetic work done? Geneticists used a scientific fact, that most of the male Y-chromosome is passed intact from father to son. Females do not carry the Y-chromosome. With modern advances in genetics, this fact has been used to trace paternal lineage, and resolve stories like Thomas Jefferson's.

Thomas Jefferson did not have surviving sons from his legal wife. But his paternal uncle's male lineage is in tact to present time.. The genetic Y-chromosome of these persons (eight generations down from Thomas Jefferson's paternal uncle) living at present time was used as the reference. This was compared with intact male line persons from (Five generations down from) Sally Fleming living presently. The geneticists used polymorph markers so that Y-chromosome can be distinguished by haplotypes. They found that Sally Fleming's son Eston's male line progeny had same haplotypes as Field Jefferson who was paternal uncle of Thomas Jefferson. Using other physical and living proximity factors, the geneticists have concluded with high probability that Eston Fleming was the son of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Fleming.

In the western countries, there are lots of research undertaken on the lineage and genealogy. But in India, there is no basis for equating genetics and race, other than specifying one's Gothram. And more interestingly, there is no female lineage taken into account! That is, if you are provided the geno-graphic profile of a random Indian, you would not be able to say to which caste or tribe that person belongs. Conversely, if you know the race of a person, you would not be able to say what genetic lineage that person will have. Race is a social phenomenon. Genetics is a biological phenomenon.
 
The Indian patrilineal pool is very diverse and cuts across castes and tribes. The Indian mitochondria DNA pool (female ancestry) falls into just four types, attesting to how closely related all Indians are to each other. Researchers suggest, that there is no link between language (Indo-European, Indo-Arabic and Dravidian) and genetic lineage.

Most of the genetic differences between people are superficial. However, geno-graphic profiles provide a way for us to understand our own origins and the migratory path of our ancestors (they may also be useful for understanding potential susceptibilities to certain diseases among people with different genetic lineages).

This class of human male lineage research is now very active and is being conducted in native populations of Wales, England, in Iceland and to establish uniqueness, paternity, historical lineage, medical issues and intellectual issues of heredity etc amongst various population groups. Does this not ring a bell amongst traditional Hindus who believe in 'Gothra' identification carried down from Sanathana-dharma orthodoxy?. 'Gothra' is an identity carried by male lineage in India from time immemorial. Most people have Gothra chain names traceable to Rig Vedic Rishis like 'Gowthama', 'Vasishta' 'Viswamithra' and to first sons of Vaivaswatha Manu like Angirasa & Bhrigu. Purana such as Vishnu Purana refer to individual identity through 'Gothra'. Listings of more than 250 Gothra chains have been explicitly listed. I have heard of instances of even Muslims converted from Hinduism still keeping track of their 'Gothra'.

In a classic example, I cite that Buddha, named Siddhartha was of 'Gowthama Gothra'.. It means that his Y-chromosomes were probably from Rig-Vedic Rishi 'Gowthama Rahoogana'.

Nearly 2500 years have passed since death of Lord Buddha, but many 'Gowthama Gothra' individuals exist even today. They can claim genetic relation to Buddha. Typically 4 generations occur in 100 years and in 2500 years nearly 100 generations are complete. Other 'Gothra' chains may have run 100-200 generations from Vedic period if male lineage did continue unbroken. Do Y-chromosomes remain intact after, say 100 generations of unbroken male issues? Genetic mutations may or may not have changed some Y-chromosomes. The Gotra lineage is the one aspect that is very interesting field of research for future to see if persons of same 'Gothra' in the present generations have common and unique Y-chromosomal features. Only deep study with dedicated research could bring about the truth, that Vedic Era findings are certainly more authentic and scientific one that our forefathers relied aptly.

In conclusion, considering the above, no doubt, the Gotra lineage and DNA roots, probably, are one and the same way to find out the Family tree from the roots!

TRS Iyengar