Pravaras

Pravara is a set of the main rishis who belonged to the gotra. Usually these are the founding fathers (and in a few cases, founding mothers) of the gotra. In vedic ritual, the importance of the pravara appears to be in its use by the ritualist for extolling his ancestry and proclaiming, "as a descendant of worthy ancestors, I am a fit and proper person to do the act I am performing."

While the gotras were classified initially according to eight rishis, the pravaras were classified under the names of the following seven rishis:

• Agastya
• Angirasa
• Atri
• Bhrigu
• Kashyapa
• Vasishtha
• Vishvamitra

According to the listing of authors included in the verses in Rigved, the rishi Jamadagni was a descendant of rishi Bhrigu while the rishis Gautam and Bharadvaja were the descendants of rishi Angirasa.

The pravara identifies the association of a person with two, three (or sometimes five) of the above-mentioned rishis. It also signifies the Sutras contributed to different Vedas by those rishis.

For example, Kashyapa Gothram has 3 rishis associated with it viz. Kashyapa, Nidruva and Aavatsaara

GOTHRAM PRAVARAM

1. Bharadwaja: Angirasa, Bhaarhaspatya, Bharadwaja
2. Shatamarshana: Angirasa, Powrukutsa,Traasatasya
3. AAtreya: Atreya,Aarchanaasa,Syaavaasva
4. Vatula: Bhargava,Vaitahavya,Saavedasa
5. Srivatsa: Bhargava,Syaavana,AApnavaana,Owrva,Jaamadaghnya
6. Kowsika: Vaiswaamitra,AAgamarshana,Kowsika
7. Viswamitra: Vaiswaamitra,Devaraata, Owtala
8. Kowndinya: Vaasishta,Maitraavaruna, Kowndinya
9. Harita: Angirasa, Ambarisha,Yuvanasva
10. Mowdkalya(3 Variations)
    1. Angirasa,Bharmyasva,Mowdgalya
    2. Tarkshya,Bharmyasva,Mowdgalya
    3. Angirasa, Dhavya, Mowdgalya
11. Sandilya (2 Variations)
    1. Kasyapa,Aavatsaara,Daivala
    2. Kasyapa,Aavatsaara,Sandilya
    3. Kasyapa, Daivala, Asitha
12. Naitruvakaasyapa: Kasyapa,Aavatsara,Naitruva
13. Kutsa: Aankirasa,Maandhatra,Kowtsa
14. Kanva (2 Variations)
    1. Angirasa,Ajameeda,Kaanva
    2. Angirasa,Kowra, Kaanva
15. Paraasara: Vaasishta, Saaktya, Paarasarya
16. Aagastya: Aagastya,Tardhachyuta,Sowmavaha
17. Gargi (2 Variations)
    1. Angirasa,Bharhaspatya,Bharadwaja,Sainya,Gargya
    2. Angirasa, Sainya, Gaargya
18. Bhadarayana: Angirasa,Paarshadaswa, Raatitara
19. Kasyapa: Kasyapa, Aavatsaara, Daivala
20. Sunkriti (2 Variations)
    1. Angirasa,Kowravidha,Saankritya
    2. Sadhya,Kowravidha,Saankritya

Example

Example transliteration of a pravara

   AbhivAdaye AngIrasa BhAradvAja GArgya Chainya trayArshEya pravarAnvita
   Gargya BhAradvAja gOtrah
   Apastamba sUtrah
   yajushshAkhAdhyAyI
   Sri rAma sharmAnAm aham asmibhoh

Explanation of the example

  Line 1: The names of the rishis of the person saying the pravara and their number 
  Line 2: Gotra of the person
  Line 3: The sutra that the person follows
  Line 4: The veda shakha that the person belongs to
  Line 5: Name of the person

See also

• List of Brahmin gotras
• Brahmin gotra system

External links

• [1] - Search for "pravara" in that page.