Editing Gotra (section)

{{short description|Lineage forming an exogamous clan in Vedic society}}
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{{distinguish|Gatra (disambiguation){{!}}Gatra}}
{{for|wasp genus|Gotra (wasp)}}
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{{Hinduism small}}

In [[Hindu culture]], the term '''gotra''' ([[Sanskrit]]: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to [[Lineage (anthropology)|lineage]]. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or [[patriline]]. Generally, the gotra forms an [[exogamy|exogamous]] unit, with marriage within the same gotra being regarded as [[incest]] and prohibited by custom.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Singer|editor1-first=Milton|editor2-last=Cohn|editor2-first=Bernard S.|title=Structure and change in Indian society|date=2007|publisher=AldineTransaction|location=New Brunswick, N.J.|isbn=978-0202361383|page=408|edition=1. paperback printing}}</ref> The name of the gotra can be used as a surname, but it is different from a surname and is strictly maintained because of its importance in marriages among Hindus, especially among castes. [[Pāṇini]] defines ''gotra'' as ''apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram'' (IV. 1. 162), which means "the word ''gotra'' denotes the descendance (or descendants), ''apatya'', of a couple consisting of a ''pautra'', a son and a ''bharti'', a mother, i.e. a daughter-in-law."  (Based on Monier Williams Dictionary definitions.)