In Hindu society GOTRA refers to people who are descendants from an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. You might have heard that you cannot marry a person from same GOTRA as yours, that is because they are your family in some way.
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 the higher castes.
All the Gotra-pravartaka Rishis are categorized under seven primary Rishis. These seven – Bhrigu, Angirasa, Atri, Kashyapa, Vasishta, Agastya and Vishwamitra – were all Brahmarshis occupying the highest echelons amongst the hierarchy of the Rishis. There are 49 established Hindu gotras today all of which are itself or evolved from those earlier seven gotras. Some sources say that there are 284 khas surnames today.
Agasti (अगस्ती) : Dhungel
Angira (अंगिरा) : Joshi, Sedai, Saunak, Shahi
Atri (अत्रि) : Adhikari, Arjel/Arjyal, Bam (Raakse Thakuri), Bhatta (Pashupat), Chapagai, Gotame, Khatiwoda, Mishra, Ojha, Wosti
Aatreya (आत्रेय) : Aryal, Bhatta (Duwadi), Devkota, Dawadi, Dulal, Kalikote (Khadka), Paudel, Pokharel (Pani), Rosyara, Sharma, Sigdel, Thapa (Bagale)
Bharadwaaj (भरद्वाज) : Adhikari, Bhatta (Palyal), Chaulagai, Devkota, Jamarkattel, Lohani, Niraula, Panthi, Pandey (Kuleta), Panta, Pokharel (Dudh), Rawat, Shahi, Siwakoti / Shiwakoti, Subedi, Thami (Adhikari), Thapaliya, Upadhaya, Wagle, [Bhandari (Niraula, Suntakhane)]
Dhananjaya (धनञ्जय) : Basel/ Batsayal, Basnet, Bhusal, Budhathoki (Khulal), Dhamala, Gauripitri/ Gairipippli, Guragai, Humagai, Karki (Khulal), Khadka (Khulal), Kukurkote, Kunwar, Pangeni, Rijal, Thapa, [Bhandari (Bhusal)]
Garg (गर्ग) : Bastola, Bhatta (Lamichhane), Bhetuwal, Bhurtel, Chudal, Gajurel, Khetan, Thapa (Lamichhane), Rokaha, Rishal, Shah (Kaskeli Khand)
Gautam (गौतम) : Chanda, Bam (Thakuri), Dangal, Mahat, Pandey (Paleu), Tripathi, Tiwari
Ghrita Kaushik (घृत कौशिक) : Baral, Karki (Sutar), Khanal, Nepal, Pandit
Kapil (कपिल) : Khati, Daani, Bohora
Kashyap (कश्यप) : Adhikari (Bhadare, Khilchine and Kaubali), Badaal, Bhatta (Kalauni, Mushyal), Bogati, Budhathoki (Sodari), Darji, Gadtaula, Gartaula, Ghimire, Hada, Kathayat, Kumal, Kumbhairana, Pade, Pandey (Badkhora, Badaal, Bhumihar, Simaaldiya), Rayamajhi, Shah (Thakuri), Sahi, Thapa (Godar), Tiwari
Kaudinya (कौण्डिन्य) : Achraya, Baskota, Bhandari (Kaala), Gaagle, Joshi, Khadka, Kharel, Marashini, Neupane, Pakurel, Paneru, Pathak, Parajuli, Sapkota, Satyal, Thapa (Bagale and Gamle), Trital
Kausalya (कौसल्य) : Pathak, Thami (Chhettri)
Kausik (कौशिक) : Bam (Chhatyal Thakuri), Baniya, Bastakoti, Bhandari (Aachhami), Bidari, Dhital, Dhungana, Gaudel, Khadka, Khapatari (Khadka, Bistha, Budhathoki and Basnet), Lamichhane, Luitel, Majhi, Pathak, Phuyal, Pudasaini, Raghubansi, Regmi, Rimal, Sanjel, Shahi (Sijapati), Tiwari, Thami
Kundin (कुण्डिन) : Trital, Banjad/ Banjade
Mandabya (माण्डव्य) : Bajagai, Bajhai, Gyawali, Katuwal, Maskey, Panthi [Bhandari (Bajgain)]
Maudagalya (मौद्गल्य) : Belkadhi, Karki (Mudula), Koirala, Kuinkel, Rume, Simkhada, Timsina/ Timilsina, Upreti
Parasar (परासर) : Dhimal (khas), Karki (Lama) , Kattel, Marhattha
Ravi (रवि) : Shah (Kalyaal Thakuri)
Sankhyayan (सङ्ख्यायन) : Pandey (Desh)
Shandilya (शाण्डिल्य) : Kafle/ Kaphle, Mahat, Pathak, Prasai, Tiwari
Upamanyu (उपमन्यु) : Bartaula, Bhatta (Duwal), Dhakal, Mainali, Pathak
Vishwamitra (विश्वमित्र) : Bhatta (Alina, Dumadi, Nirbansi, Rai and Rayal)
Vatsa (वत्स) : Bhatta (Naagar), Dahal, Dayal, Kuwar, Kharaal, Lamsal, Rana, Rupakheti
Vashishta (वशिष्ठ) : Bhandari (Thansinghe), Bhatta (Tapleli),Bhattarai, Chalise, Dawadi, Gaire, Gamnage, Kharel, Mudabhari, Pathak, Raut, Suyal (Garthi), Suyal (Thapa), Thangsine
I). गोत्रः
I). The word “गो” is also means Veda – The word “गोत्र” came into meaning the one who protects the Veda. (“गोत्रः” = the
one, the Rishi (Atreya, Kaundinya, etc.) of a recention of a particular Veda Shaakaa). The second part of the word “त्र”
stands for त्रायते (meaning protects).
Since the word “गोत्रः” [गाम् /गाः त्रायते (protects) इति गोत्रः] also means – God / King (the protector the world), A
Rishi (protector of Vedas), A cowherd (protector of the Cows).
II). गोपालः
१) The word गोपालः [गाम् /गाः पालयति (protects) इति गोपालः], can also be used for all the 3 meanings. For (1) वेदव्यासः
(because Veda Vyasa protects Veda); (2) कृष्णः (because Krishna protects the world); (3) राजा (because the king protects
the cows (cows are considered to be real wealth)).
III). गोपः
३) In the same way गोपः” [गाम् /गाः पाति (protects) इति गोपः] – this word also means the same thing God /King (the
protector the world), A Rishi (protector of Vedas), A cowherd (protector of the Cows)
Note: the above three words are compounds (Samāsa) in Sanskrit and belong to “उपपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः” category.
So why only the word ‘gotra’ is used for Rishi and the progeny (rishi parampara) ?
Even though these 3 words mean the same thing (गोपालः, गोत्रः, गोपः) – due to popular usage (this is called in Sanskrit
as “रूढिः”) the word गोपालः is used chiefly for Krishna (protector of the world) गोत्रः is used chiefly for a Rishi (
protector of Vedas and the progeny belong to the same ‘gotra’ ) गोपः is chiefly used for a cowherd (protector of Cows)
