gotra
[goh-truh]
- a Hindu clan tracing its paternal lineage from a common ancestor, usually a saint or sage.
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Origin of gotra
Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for gotra
Historical Examples
At weddings the Bhainas have a ceremony known as the gotra worship.
This was the name of his gotra or gens and roughly corresponds to a surname, being less comprehensive than the clan name Skya.
Hinduism and Buddhism, Vol I. (of 3)Charles Eliot
(g) Gotra produces the idea of noble and ignoble, as the potter fashions his pots.
The Sarva-Darsana-SamgrahaMadhava Acharya
He mentions also his own proper name and his gotra, which is always the name of some rishi or saint.
Phallic MiscellaniesHargrave Jennings
Marriage within the section or gotra is prohibited, but first cousins may intermarry.