Changes

* In Rigveda (2.23.3) (where Brihaspati's chariot is said to be Gotrabhid) Taittriya samhita (4.3.4.1), Atharva veda (5.2.8) etc, the term Gotra has been used in the sense of '''"Durg or Fort"'''.

* In Rigveda (2.23.3) (where Brihaspati's chariot is said to be Gotrabhid) Taittriya samhita (4.3.4.1), Atharva veda (5.2.8) etc, the term Gotra has been used in the sense of '''"Durg or Fort"'''.

* In Rigveda (2.23.18) and (6.65.5) gotra is used in the sense of '''"samuha" or assemblage'''.

* In Rigveda (2.23.18) and (6.65.5) gotra is used in the sense of '''"samuha" or assemblage'''.

* In the Atharvaveda (5.21.3) the compound "Vishvagotrayaha" is used, and the word Gotra here clearly means '''<nowiki/>'a group of persons connected together by blood''''.  

* In the Atharvaveda (5.21.3) the compound "Vishvagotrayaha" is used, and the word Gotra here clearly means '''a group of persons connected together by blood''''.  

* The Kaushika sutra (4.2) quotes a mantra in which gotra undoubtedly means '''"a group of persons"'''.  

* The Kaushika sutra (4.2) quotes a mantra in which gotra undoubtedly means '''"a group of persons"'''.  

* Severa'''<nowiki/>'''l passages in the Taittriya samhita show that '''descendants of great rshis''' were often called after the names of those rshis. In Tait. Samh (1.8.18) it is said 'hota is a Bhaargava". Bhaargava is the descendant of Bhrgu maharshi.

* Several passages in the Taittriya samhita show that '''descendants of great rshis''' were often called after the names of those rshis. In Tait. Samh (1.8.18) it is said 'hota is a Bhaargava". Bhaargava is the descendant of Bhrgu maharshi.

* It is possible that in those times '''descent was traced through teacher and student as well as father and son'''. In numerous mantras of the Rigveda the descendants of well-known rshis are denoted by the plural form of the names of those rshis. In Rigveda (6.35.5) the Bharadvaajas are referred to as Aangirasas. Sunahsepa is said to have been an Aangirasa by birth (Aitr. Brah. 33.5). This illustrates that gotra relationship was by birth (and not from teacher to pupil). However, in the Upanishads, the rshis when expounding the knowledge of [[Brahman (ब्रह्मन्)|Brahman]] addressed their students by the gotra names. e.g. Vaiyaaghrapada and Gautama in Chandogya Upanishad (5.14.1 and 5.16.1) Gautama and Bharadvaaja, Vishvamitra and Jamadagni, Vasishta and Kashyapa in Brhdaranyaka Upanishad (2.2.4)

* It is possible that in those times '''descent was traced through teacher and student as well as father and son'''. In numerous mantras of the Rigveda the descendants of well-known rshis are denoted by the plural form of the names of those rshis. In Rigveda (6.35.5) the Bharadvaajas are referred to as Aangirasas. Sunahsepa is said to have been an Aangirasa by birth (Aitr. Brah. 33.5). This illustrates that gotra relationship was by birth (and not from teacher to pupil). However, in the Upanishads, the rshis when expounding the knowledge of [[Brahman (ब्रह्मन्)|Brahman]] addressed their students by the gotra names. e.g. Vaiyaaghrapada and Gautama in Chandogya Upanishad (5.14.1 and 5.16.1) Gautama and Bharadvaaja, Vishvamitra and Jamadagni, Vasishta and Kashyapa in Brhdaranyaka Upanishad (2.2.4)

* In the [[Brahmana (ब्राह्मणम्)|Brahmana]] literature families of purohitas differing in details of worship, grouped together based on their similarity in worship. Such '''groups were named after their founding rshis'''.<ref name=":0" /> For example,  Taittriya Brahmana (1.1.4) prescribes that aadhana (consecration) of the agnis was to be performed by one mantra by the families of Bhrgus or Aangirasas, while other gotra families use a different mantra in the same context.

* In the [[Brahmana (ब्राह्मणम्)|Brahmana]] literature families of purohitas differing in details of worship, grouped together based on their similarity in worship. Such '''groups were named after their founding rshis'''.<ref name=":0" /> For example,  Taittriya Brahmana (1.1.4) prescribes that aadhana (consecration) of the agnis was to be performed by one mantra by the families of Bhrgus or Aangirasas, while other gotra families use a different mantra in the same context.