Pravaras


In Brahmin Hindu culture, a Pravara is a particular Brahmin's descent from a rishi who belonged to their gotra. The Pravara has been extensively used in identifying ones ancestry and thus giving salutations to the listener. 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." Generally, there are three, five or seven pravaras. The sacred thread yajnopavita worn on upanayana has close and essential connection with the concept of pravaras related to Brahmin gotra system. While tying the knots of sacred thread, an oath is taken in the name of each one of these three, five or seven of the most excellent rishis belonging to one's gotra.
The full affiliation of a brāhamana consists of gotra, sutra, shakha, pravaras.
A brahmana named 'Rama' introduces himself as follows : I am 'Rama', of Sarvarna gotra, of Gobhil sutra, of Taittiriya shākha of Saamved, of five pravaras named Bhārgava, Chyāvana, Āpnavan, Aurva and Jāmdagnya.
While the gotras were classified initially according to seven rishis, the pravaras were classified under the names of the following seven rishis: Agastya,
Angirasa, Atri, Bhrigu, Kashyap, Vashista, and 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 of the above-mentioned rishis. It also signifies the Sutras'' contributed to different Vedas by those rishis.
For example, Gothram has 2 rishis associated with it viz., Nidruva and Avatsara. Another Gothram in Andhra Pradesh has 7 Rishis associated with it viz. Aavatsara, Naidruva, Rebha, Raibha, Sandila, Sandilya.
Pravaras also help in identifying different gotras bearing the same name. For eg: Harita Gotra with Pravaras Angirasa, Ambarisha, Yuvanaswa is different from Harita Gotra which has a single Pravara Vashishta.

Gotra Pravara

Example transliteration of a pravara

chatussAgara paryantam gobrAhmaNebhyaH shubhaM bhavatu
Bhargava, Vaitahavya, Saavedasa
trayaRishayoH pravarAnvita
vardhulasa gotraH
Apastamba sUtraH samaveda shAkhAdhAyI
sri ganti mallikarjuna Sarma ahaM bho AbhivAdaye
Example 2 :
Chatussagara paaryantam gobrahmanebhyaha shubham bhavatu Aangirasa, Bharaspatya, Bharadwajasya Triyarusheya pravaranvita Bharadvajasya grotraha apastamba sutrah yajushakhadhayi Abhishek Rao Sharma ahambho abhivadaye.
चतुस्सगारा पर्यन्तं गो ब्रह्मणेभ्यः शुभम भवतु
अन्गिरस भारद्वाज गार्ग्य शैन्य त्रयारिशयो: प्रवारंविता
गार्ग्य भारद्वाज गोत्र: अपस्तम्ब सूत्रः यजुह शाखाधायी
श्री राम शरमः अहम् भो अभिवादये

Explanation of the example

Line 1: Prologue: May the world be blessed from all the cows and Brahmanas across the four seas

Line 2: The names and number of the main rishis to whose lineage the person belongs

Line 3: Gotra of the person

Line 4: The sutra that the person follows

Line 5: The veda shakha that the person belongs to

Line 6: Name of the person followed by 'SHARMA'