History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c26.252

v2.c26.252

The Mahābhārata says that the original gotras were only four viz. Aṅgiras, Kaśyapa, Vasiṣṭha, Bhṛgu.¹¹⁴¹ The verses are rather abruptly introduced in the epic and there is nothing to show on what this statement was based and it appears that it is due to the imagination of the writer. Baud. as shown above states that the original gotras are eight. But it is remarkable that Bhṛgu and Aṅgiras (whose divisions and sub-divisions are many) are not included by him in these eight. Therefore, it appears that even Baudhāyana is not correctly stating the number of original gotras. Gautama and Bharadvāja are stated to be two out of the original eight, but both of them instead of being separately dealt with are grouped under the comprehensive Āṅgirasagaṇa. So even Baud. is not to be implicitly followed. The Bālambhaṭṭī mentions eighteen principal gotras (eight as in Baud. plus ten more some of which are names of mythical kings¹¹⁴²). Baud. himself says that there are millions of gotras and in the Baud. Pravarādhyāya there are over 500 names of gotra and pravara sages; while the Pravaramañjarī quotes a verse that 'there are three crores of them¹¹⁴³ and so the gotra system is difficult to comprehend', and it mentions about 5000 gotras. Therefore, as the Smṛtyarthasāra says the nibandhas endeavour to place the innumerable gotras under groups and distribute them among 49 pravaras (mentioned by Baud.)¹¹⁴⁴. Some idea of these gotras and their distribution among the pravaras is given below. The appendix under note No. 1144 collects together the 49 pravara groups.