Origin of Brahmin Gotras

Author(s): Dharmanand Kosambi
Publisher: D D Kosambi

Page 9

ORIGIN OF BRAHMIN GOTRAS
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him to a special claim on the Bharatas (Mbhi...69.47-48), supposedly descended from the son of Snkuntali (herself a daughter of Visvimitra by an afsaras dicnaki= 'thc woman'), but in any casc a rcal historical pcoplc with a central position in thc Rgrcda. This is how Kaiyapa is gradually promotcd to bca father of all crcaturcs, fit to receive thc whole world as his sacrificial foc Brāh. xiii. 7.1.15). This again dcinonstrates thcinncr lctcrogcncity of Brahmin tradition, and proves that both Kasyapas and Kanvas arc latecomers into the Icdic fold. Nevertheless, the seven traditional Brahmins groups arc undoubtedly very oli, no matter what their actual original names might have been. l'hat the claims of Kahyapa and the Bhřgus could be poriniltcd only mcans that a considerable part of the Brahmin pricsthood acknowledged tlic special position of thcsc latcr conscripti; this again supports thc thcsis that Brahminisın itself coincs into being by the adoption of indigenous prc-Aryan pricsts. Kagyapa is a prajipati later on, onc from whom almost all living crcatures arc dcscended (Mbh. 1.59.10 ff.), which would then account for the spccial importance attached to that gotra. The Agastyas arc also not prominent in the oldest vcda, though ascribed the authorship ofi.166-191, mcntioned in 1.117.11, and x.60.6.
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RGVEDA AS A SOURCE-BOOK ; TVASTR
5. Wc havc thcrciorc to look at thc central groups Icft to us if thc oldest source, namely thc Rgveda, is to bc analyscd. Thcsc groups arc thc Bhrgus, Augirasas,* Atris, Vasişthas, and Visvanitras. Or thesc, the first two are closcly associatcd. The story of Cyavana's rcjuvenation, for exar 10 i. 117.13, thc hymn being ascribed to Kakņīvān who is an Angiras, whilc Cyavana (or licrc Cyavina) is supposcdly Blīgu; but thc Salapatha Brälmana (iv.1.5.1-13) is doubtful whcthcr thc aged īsi was the onc or the other. Gștsamada and the Girtsamadas arc Bhsgus in thc gotra lists, but thc anukramani calls liim son of Sunahotra Angiras at the beginning of his special book, ii. Vausa is still a Bhrgu-Janiadagni gotra (my mother's) but thc carlicst known rai namcdVatsa is callcd son of Kanva (viü. 8.8), hcncc a kevala-angiras. Nodlias Gotama says in i.58.6 that thc Blırgus have brought firc to mankind, and in 1.60.1 chat Matariávan had brought firc as a gift to the Bhrgus ; this is confirmed by x.46.2,9-a lymn ascribed to the principal Vaisya gotra founder, Bhūlandana. Even thc Viśvāmitras havc thc samc idcas, as cxprcsscd iii. 5.10. But the association of the Augirasas with fire and thc first discovery of firc is also will attested, as for cxamplc in i.83.4. Thc Atris havc onc pcculiarity which distinguishes them from the other particular familics of rgvcdic sccrs : they alonc arc mcntioncd osien outside thcir own book. In the Kanva book, for cxample, viii. 35-38, 42, ctc. wc find them promincnt, whilc viii. 36 is by
#It may be noted that whereas all Gotamas and Bharadvajas arc Augirasas, thic converse does not hold and authorship attributions in books viii and ix sccm to prove the existence of Angirasas who were ncither.