History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c42.s2.7

v3.c42.s2.7

The solar Rājputs no doubt present a difficulty. The Guhilots of Mewad, the Kachhwahas of Jaipur-Alwar and the Rathods of Jodhpur-Bikaner are solar race Rājputs and their gotras are respectively Baijavāpa, Mānava and Gautama. Now in the Vamśāvalis given from Mānu the names of these Rishis do not come in. We have, however, shown in Vol. II that many Brahmin gotra Rishis are Kshatriyas such as Hārita, Gārgya, Mudgala and others. We have, however, no tradition in the Purāṇas to hold that Baijavāpa, Mānava and Gautama were solar or lunar Rājarshis. For all that we know, they may be. But the most plausible explanation seems to be that these clans, when they became distinct in most ancient days, attached themselves to these Pakshas for ritual practice and were in effect adopted into these families, and therefore they have these gotras and Pravaras. The expression in the Purāṇas that Hārita and Mudgala attached themselves to the Paksha of Angiras shows this clearly and in one place they are called even sons*. It was by adoption and not by discipleship that these gotras were taken in ancient times. For the theory as well as the fact is that if a different Purohita is taken, the gotra does not change but remains the same. Therefore, the theory of some is that the gotras of these Rājput clans were taken in very ancient times from their Purohitas; but these once taken cannot be changed at any subsequent time (see the opinion quoted below). This is in a sense adoption and this is the reason why the gotras of the Kshatriya clans have remained unchanged for centuries. Gotra and Pravara, like the Veda and Śākhā which the clan took up in ancient times for the performance of ritual in accordance with it, cannot change at any subsequent change of purohita.