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Gotra means

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Gotra means of the same family, of ṛṣis, gotra, from the ṛṣis. So we have to become acyuta-gotra, again belonging to the family of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

So if we serve Kṛṣṇa, that is our Acyuta position. If we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is vicyuta, fallen condition. Acyuta and vicyuta. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means acyuta-gotra. Acyuta-gotra. Gotra, perhaps you do not know. Gotra is the family tradition. According to Vedic civilization, everybody has got gotra. Gotra means of the same family, of ṛṣis, gotra, from the ṛṣis. So we have to become acyuta-gotra, again belonging to the family of Kṛṣṇa. Now we are fallen. Therefore we have forgotten that we belong to the family of Kṛṣṇa. When we revive our consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I belong to the Kṛṣṇa's family..." Kṛṣṇa is not alone, eko bahu śyāma. He wants to enjoy.

So we are family members of Kṛṣṇa, not void. That is another rascaldom. Why Kṛṣṇa should be alone? He is so powerful, He is so opulent, have you got any experience that a powerful person, opulent person is alone? Where is that example? Any rich man, any powerful man, any king, any lord, oh, he has got so many associates. So how Kṛṣṇa can be alone? Kṛṣṇa is never alone. Therefore you will find always Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa with the cowherds boys, Kṛṣṇa with Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa is never alone. So these are the conditions of becoming acyuta. So Arjuna knows all these things because he is a devotee. Therefore particularly he is addressing Kṛṣṇa, senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). That's all right. Thank you very much.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Gotra means in which family one is coming.
Lecture on SB 1.3.27 -- Los Angeles, October 2, 1972:

So these family descendants... Still there is gotra. Gotra means in which family one is coming. Everyone must say his gotra and family title. Gotra means the guru, disciplic succession. Acyuta-gotra. We Vaiṣṇava, our gotra is acyuta-gotra, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Acyuta. Because we give up our other family gotra. We accept. Actually, originally everyone is coming from Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Brahmā. From Brahmā, the sages, the Manus. In this way, everyone is descended from Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa confirms also in the Bhagavad-gītā,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad-yonir
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
(BG 14.4)

"I am the origin, or seed-giving father." Trees, plants, aquatics, by their karma they have to accept different dress, but as spirit soul, everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).

Gotra means family. In Indian system there are gotras of big, big ṛṣis' name: gautama-gotra, kaśyapa-gotra, vasiṣṭha-gotra. Like that.
Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

A Vaiṣṇava, when he's asked about his identification, he gives acyuta-gotra. "Now I belong to the Acyuta, not to my original family." Therefore for a sannyāsī, when he's asked "What is your identification?" it is said, pūrvāśrama. Pūrvāśrama means "Formerly I belonged to such and such family. Now I belong to the family of Kṛṣṇa, acyuta-gotra." This is the etiquette. One should not... Sannyāsī should not be inquired about his identification because he has given up the family relationship. So he should not be bothered. That is not etiquette. Even somebody inquires, he should inquire like that, pūrvāśrama: "What was your pūrvāśrama? Before taking sannyāsa, what was your identification?" So to take sannyāsa means to become in the family of Acyuta. Acyuta-gotra. Gotra means family. In Indian system there are gotras of big, big ṛṣis' name: gautama-gotra, kaśyapa-gotra, vasiṣṭha-gotra. Like that. So they are coming in disciplic succession, or family. All of them were gṛhasthas. Some of them are coming from the family, and some of them are coming from disciplic succession, but both of them are of the same gotra. So therefore it is understood, acyuta-gotra. Those who are renounced order of life, they are called acyuta-gotra.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Gotras means coming from that great sage. Just like our family belongs to the Gautama gotra.
Sri Isopanisad Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 8, 1971:

Formerly the spiritual master, the disciplic succession, there are two ways. One is called śaukra and another is called sautra. Śaukra means succession from the seminal. Just like son. Son is born by the semina, and the disciple is born by Vedic knowledge. So the one familywise is called śaukra. Śukra means semina, coming from the śukra, and the other is sautra, by hearing. So spiritual master... In India still there are gotras. Gotras means coming from that great sage. Just like our family belongs to the Gautama gotra. Gautama Ṛṣi, from him the familywise gotra, and similarly disciplic succession is also gotra. There is no difference between putra and chatra. Putra means son, and chatra means disciple. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca; they are equally treated. Both of them equally eligible for hereditary rites from the person, either he is son or disciple. So Brahmā distributed knowledge to some... Practically everyone was his son because he was the first living creature. So later on, disciples also, son's son. So in this way Brahmā distributed this Vedic knowledge, some to the sons, some to the... Vyāsadeva also, he distributed knowledge, some to his sons, some to his disciples. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So that is the process of disseminating Vedic knowledge. Then?

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: The guru-śiṣya is as good as putra. More than a putra. To a real guru the śiṣya is more than a putra.

Prabhupāda: For guru there is no difference. But the real thing is qualification. That gotra, our gotra, that is applicable to the śiṣya and to the putra.

Dr. Patel: That is in śiṣya-paramparā they have got that... Gautama.

Prabhupāda: Gotra... Just like gotra, Kasya-gotra.(?) This gotra means this family, either śiṣya or putra. Just like Gautama-gotra, there are many brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas. So those who are brāhmaṇas, it means putras and those who are kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, they are śiṣyas. But the gotra is the same. So we shall go down. (end)

Page Title:Gotra means
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:07 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:5