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Brahmin gotra system
The word "gotra" means "lineage" in the Sanskrit language. Among those of the Brahmin caste, gotras are reckoned patrilineally. Each gotra takes the name of a famous Rishi or sage who was the patrilineal forebearer of that clan. And each Gotra is addressed by the suffix 'sa' or 'asa' as relevant.
The concept of Gotra was the first attempt among Brahmins to classify themselves among different groups. At the beginning, these gents identified themselves by the names of various rishis (Angirasa, Atri, Gautam, Kashyapa, Bhrigu, Vasistha, Kutsa,and Bharadwaja; the first seven of these are often enumerated as Saptarishis). It is to be noted that Vishwamitra was initially a Kshatriya king, who later chose and rose to become an ascetic rishi. Hence the gotra was applied to the grouping stemming from one of these rishis as his descendants.
List of Brahmin Gotras
The following is a partial list of gotras found in the Brahmin community of Hindus:
Agastya, Atreyasa / Atri, Alambani, Angad, Angirasa, Ahabhunasa, Aupamanyava,
Babhravya, Bharadwaja, Bhargava, Bhakdi, Bhaskara,
Chandilya, Charora, Chikitasa, Chyavana,
Dalabhya, Darbhas, Dhananjaya, Dhanvantari,
Galvasaya, Garga, Gautamasa, Gaubhilya,
Harita/ Haritasa, Hukman Bhal,
Jamadagni, Jatukarna,
Kalabodhana/ Kalaboudha /Kalabhavasa, Kamakayana Vishwamitra, Kanva, Kaushikasa, Kapi, Kapil, Karmani, Kashyapasa, Kaundinyasa, Kaunsh, Kaushal/ Kaushalas / Kushal, Kaushik/Koshik/Koushik, Kushika, Kaustubha, Kausyagasa, Kavist, Katyayana, Krishnatriya or Krishnatreeya,
Kundina Gowtama,Kutsa, Kutsasa
Lakhi, Lohit, Lohita-Kowsika, Lomasha,
Mandavya, Marichi, Markandeya, Mauna Bhargava, Matanga, Maudgalya Moudgalya,
Mudgala (Maudgalya, Moudgil, Modgil, Mudgal), Mudgal
Naidhruva, Nithunthana/Naithunthasa, Nydravakashyapa, Nrisimhadevara,
Parashara, Parthivasa, Pouragutsya, Ratheetarasa, Purang, Pradnya, Pratanansya
Rathitara, Rohinya, Rauksaayana, Roushayadana,
Saminathen, Sanatana, Salankayana, Sangar, Sanaka, Sanaga, Sanjaya, Sankhyayana
Sankrithi(Sankrityayan), Sankyanasa, Sathamarshana, Shandilya , sanas, Sandilyasa, Shandelosya,
Saawarna, Saharia Joshi, Sauparna, Savaran, Savita. Somnasser, Saankritya(Sakarawar),
Soral, Srivatsa, Sumarkanth, Suryadhwaja, Shaktri, Shaunaka, Surya, Swatantra Kabisa, Suparna,
Tugnait * Upamanyu, * Upadhyay, Utsasya,
Vadula, Valmiki, Vardhviyasa, Vardhulasa, Vardhyswasa, Vashishta, Vatsa, Vatsyayan, Veetahavya, Vishnu, Vishnuvardhana, Vishnuvruddha, Viswamitra, Vishvagni, Vartantu, Vishwagni, Vaidya/Baidya,
Yaska
Brahmin communities
Brahmin communities in India are traditionally divided into two regional groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins according to the following shloka found in the Rajatarangini of Kalhana (12th century):
"The Karnatakas, Tailangas, Dravidas, Maharashtrakas and Gurjaras; these five (-types who- ) live south of Vindhya (- mountains) are (called-) "Dravida" (- brahmins); (whereas-) Saraswatas, Kanyakubjas, Gaudas, Utkalas, and Maithilas, who live north of Vindhya (- mountains) are known as "five Gauda" (- brahmins)."
The shloka only identifies the caste-system present on the basis of their regional presence. The classification of Brahmins, the highest varna, on the basis of Region is debatable (compare the Brahmin gotra system).
Pancha-Gauda
Main article: Pancha-Gauda
Those from Uttarapatha (Aryavarta) (northern and eastern India.)
Approximately ordered according to geographical regions, from West to East
Saraswat
Kashmiri Pandits
Mohyal Brahmins
Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
Gouda Saraswat Brahmins
Punjabi Saraswat Brahmins
Rajasthan Saraswat Brahmins
Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin
Nasarpuri Sindh Saraswat Brahmin
Brahmbhatt Brahmin
Kanyakubja
Kanyakubja Brahmins
Saryupareen Brahmins
Gauda
Khandelwal Brahmin
Kota Brahmin
Dadhich Brahmin
Gaur Brahmin
Sanadhya Brahmin
Shri Gaur Malviya Brahmin
Sanskrit gauḍa is a vrddhi derivation of guḍa, literally "sugar molass", but also the name of a tribe of the Madhyadesha. A school of thought believes that Gauda is sometimes taken to mean the Gaur region of Bengal. However the original meaning of the term coincides with region termed as Brahmakshetra:
Bengali Brahmins
Utkal(Orissa) Utkala Brahmins
Maithil Brahmin (Mithila) Maithil Brahmins
Pancha-Dravida (Five Southern)
Those from Dakshinapatha (South India, including Gujarat and Maharashtra).
Gujarat
contd..2
The word "gotra" means "lineage" in the Sanskrit language. Among those of the Brahmin caste, gotras are reckoned patrilineally. Each gotra takes the name of a famous Rishi or sage who was the patrilineal forebearer of that clan. And each Gotra is addressed by the suffix 'sa' or 'asa' as relevant.
The concept of Gotra was the first attempt among Brahmins to classify themselves among different groups. At the beginning, these gents identified themselves by the names of various rishis (Angirasa, Atri, Gautam, Kashyapa, Bhrigu, Vasistha, Kutsa,and Bharadwaja; the first seven of these are often enumerated as Saptarishis). It is to be noted that Vishwamitra was initially a Kshatriya king, who later chose and rose to become an ascetic rishi. Hence the gotra was applied to the grouping stemming from one of these rishis as his descendants.
List of Brahmin Gotras
The following is a partial list of gotras found in the Brahmin community of Hindus:
Agastya, Atreyasa / Atri, Alambani, Angad, Angirasa, Ahabhunasa, Aupamanyava,
Babhravya, Bharadwaja, Bhargava, Bhakdi, Bhaskara,
Chandilya, Charora, Chikitasa, Chyavana,
Dalabhya, Darbhas, Dhananjaya, Dhanvantari,
Galvasaya, Garga, Gautamasa, Gaubhilya,
Harita/ Haritasa, Hukman Bhal,
Jamadagni, Jatukarna,
Kalabodhana/ Kalaboudha /Kalabhavasa, Kamakayana Vishwamitra, Kanva, Kaushikasa, Kapi, Kapil, Karmani, Kashyapasa, Kaundinyasa, Kaunsh, Kaushal/ Kaushalas / Kushal, Kaushik/Koshik/Koushik, Kushika, Kaustubha, Kausyagasa, Kavist, Katyayana, Krishnatriya or Krishnatreeya,
Kundina Gowtama,Kutsa, Kutsasa
Lakhi, Lohit, Lohita-Kowsika, Lomasha,
Mandavya, Marichi, Markandeya, Mauna Bhargava, Matanga, Maudgalya Moudgalya,
Mudgala (Maudgalya, Moudgil, Modgil, Mudgal), Mudgal
Naidhruva, Nithunthana/Naithunthasa, Nydravakashyapa, Nrisimhadevara,
Parashara, Parthivasa, Pouragutsya, Ratheetarasa, Purang, Pradnya, Pratanansya
Rathitara, Rohinya, Rauksaayana, Roushayadana,
Saminathen, Sanatana, Salankayana, Sangar, Sanaka, Sanaga, Sanjaya, Sankhyayana
Sankrithi(Sankrityayan), Sankyanasa, Sathamarshana, Shandilya , sanas, Sandilyasa, Shandelosya,
Saawarna, Saharia Joshi, Sauparna, Savaran, Savita. Somnasser, Saankritya(Sakarawar),
Soral, Srivatsa, Sumarkanth, Suryadhwaja, Shaktri, Shaunaka, Surya, Swatantra Kabisa, Suparna,
Tugnait * Upamanyu, * Upadhyay, Utsasya,
Vadula, Valmiki, Vardhviyasa, Vardhulasa, Vardhyswasa, Vashishta, Vatsa, Vatsyayan, Veetahavya, Vishnu, Vishnuvardhana, Vishnuvruddha, Viswamitra, Vishvagni, Vartantu, Vishwagni, Vaidya/Baidya,
Yaska
Brahmin communities
Brahmin communities in India are traditionally divided into two regional groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins according to the following shloka found in the Rajatarangini of Kalhana (12th century):
"The Karnatakas, Tailangas, Dravidas, Maharashtrakas and Gurjaras; these five (-types who- ) live south of Vindhya (- mountains) are (called-) "Dravida" (- brahmins); (whereas-) Saraswatas, Kanyakubjas, Gaudas, Utkalas, and Maithilas, who live north of Vindhya (- mountains) are known as "five Gauda" (- brahmins)."
The shloka only identifies the caste-system present on the basis of their regional presence. The classification of Brahmins, the highest varna, on the basis of Region is debatable (compare the Brahmin gotra system).
Pancha-Gauda
Main article: Pancha-Gauda
Those from Uttarapatha (Aryavarta) (northern and eastern India.)
Approximately ordered according to geographical regions, from West to East
Saraswat
Kashmiri Pandits
Mohyal Brahmins
Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins
Gouda Saraswat Brahmins
Punjabi Saraswat Brahmins
Rajasthan Saraswat Brahmins
Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin
Nasarpuri Sindh Saraswat Brahmin
Brahmbhatt Brahmin
Kanyakubja
Kanyakubja Brahmins
Saryupareen Brahmins
Gauda
Khandelwal Brahmin
Kota Brahmin
Dadhich Brahmin
Gaur Brahmin
Sanadhya Brahmin
Shri Gaur Malviya Brahmin
Sanskrit gauḍa is a vrddhi derivation of guḍa, literally "sugar molass", but also the name of a tribe of the Madhyadesha. A school of thought believes that Gauda is sometimes taken to mean the Gaur region of Bengal. However the original meaning of the term coincides with region termed as Brahmakshetra:
Bengali Brahmins
Utkal(Orissa) Utkala Brahmins
Maithil Brahmin (Mithila) Maithil Brahmins
Pancha-Dravida (Five Southern)
Those from Dakshinapatha (South India, including Gujarat and Maharashtra).
Gujarat
contd..2