Rockybhai3 at 20:44, 21 February 2026

2026-02-21T20:44:04Z

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{{Short description|Sub-group of Hindu Brahmins in India}}
These are [[Hindu]] [[Brahmins]] who affiliate either with the [[Gautama Maharishi|Gautam]] [[gotra]] and/or [[Gautama Maharishi|Gautam]] [[Dharmasutra]] and have their last name as '''Gautam'''.

==Etymology==
The name '''Gautam''' or '''Gautama''' (Sanskrit: गौतम, [[Sanskrit phonology|/ɡɑw.t̪ɐ.mɐ/]] {{IAST3|Gautama}}) is related to Gotama (गोतम)<ref name=" Williams 1">{{Citation |last= Williams |first=Monier | year=1872 |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Ango-Saxon and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages |publisher=The Clarendon Press | place=Oxford |page=301 |url= https://archive.org/details/1872sanskriten00moniuoft/page/301/mode/2up}} </ref> and is also written as Gowthama, Gauthama or Goutama. <br/>

The name is a compounded word derived from the Sanskrit word “Gõ' (गो) and Sanskrit root "Tama:(तम:)". "Tama: (तम:)" (with a [[visarga]] substitute for final "s (स्)" in "Tamas (तमस्))"<ref name="Kale 1">{{Citation |last= Kale | first = Moreshwar Ramchandra |year=1961 |title=A Higher Sanskrit Grammar for the use of Schools and Colleges |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass | place=Delhi |page=5 |url = https://archive.org/details/HigherSanskritGrammarKale7thEdition}}</ref> means, inter alia, "darkness".<ref name="Apte1">{{Citation |last= Apte | first = Vaman Shivram |year=1890 | edition= fourth 1965 |title=The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary Containing Appendices on Sanskrit Prosody and Important Literary and Geographical Names of Ancient India |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass | place=Delhi |page=468 |url=https://archive.org/details/practicalsanskri00apteuoft/page/468/mode/2up| ISBN= 0-89581-171-5}}</ref><ref name=" Williams 2">{{Citation |last= Williams |first=Monier |year=1872 |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Ango-Saxon and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages |publisher=The Clarendon Press |place=Oxford |page=364 |url = https://archive.org/details/1872sanskriten00moniuoft/page/364/mode/2up}}</ref>
and "Gõ (गो)" means, inter alia, "rays of light".<ref name="Apte2">{{Citation |last= Apte | first = Vaman Shivram |year=1890 |edition= fourth 1965 |title=The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary Containing Appendices on Sanskrit Prosody and Important Literary and Geographical Names of Ancient India |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |place=Delhi |page=412 |url=https://archive.org/details/practicalsanskri00apteuoft/page/412/mode/2up| ISBN= 0-89581-171-5}}</ref><ref name=" Williams 3">{{Citation |last= Williams |first=Monier |year=1872 |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Ango-Saxon and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages |publisher=The Clarendon Press | place=Oxford |page=296 |url = https://archive.org/details/1872sanskriten00moniuoft/page/296/mode/2up}}</ref>
Together they mean dispelling darkness (of the night) by the rays of light (of the dawn). <ref name="Aurobindo 1">{{Citation |author= Sri Aurobindo |year=1998 |title=The Secret of the Veda with Selected Hymns, The complete Works of Sri Aurobindo |volume= 15 |publisher=Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department | place= Pondicherry |pages= 123-172 |url =https://archive.org/details/the-secret-of-the-veda-sri-aurobindo/}}</ref><ref name="Aurobindo 2">{{Citation |author= Sri Aurobindo |year=1998 |title=The Secret of the Veda with Selected Hymns, The complete Works of Sri Aurobindo |volume= 15 |publisher=Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department | place= Pondicherry |pages= 276-284 |url =https://archive.org/details/the-secret-of-the-veda-sri-aurobindo/}}</ref>
<ref name=" Salagram">{{Citation | title= Gotras |website= www.salagram.net |url= http://www.salagram.net/Gotras.html}}</ref>
Metaphorically, the combined word indicates the one, who dispels ignorance by the brilliance of his spiritual knowledge. <ref name="Aurobindo 1"/><ref name="Aurobindo 2"/><ref name=" Salagram"/><br/>

"गोतम: (Gotama:)" and "गोतम (Gotama)" both signify the same word. The difference between "Gotama:" and "Gotama" in Sanskrit is grammatical. Gotama is the form of the stem or root (प्रातिपदिक) "गोतम्" whereas "Gotama:" is the form of the nominative singular case (प्रथमा विभक्ति). <ref name="Goldman1">{{Citation |last1= Goldman | first1= Robert P. |last2= Goldman | first2= Sally J. Sutherland |year=1980 | edition= Third 1999 |title=Devavanipravesika: An Introduction to the Sanskrit Language |publisher=Center for South Asia Studies, University of California | place= Berkeley |page=60-63 |url = https://archive.org/details/devavanipravesika-ocr_202206/page/386/mode/2up}}</ref> The final "a" in "Gotama:" is clearly pronounced while the final "a" in "Gotama" is not pronounced.<ref name="Goldman1"/><br/>

The name “Gotama” initially originated during the early Rigvedic times, and the name “Gautama” later developed as a vrddhi (au “औ” for o “ओ”) <ref name="Kale 2">{{Citation |last= Kale | first = Moreshwar Ramchandra |year=1961 |title=A Higher Sanskrit Grammar for the use of Schools and Colleges |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass | place=Delhi |page=11 |url=https://archive.org/details/HigherSanskritGrammarKale7thEdition}}</ref>
patronymic from Gotama. <ref name=" Williams 1" /> In the Rigveda Samhita the descendants of Gotama are also called Gotama while in later Vedic literature they are called Gautama.<ref name="Satis 1">{{Citation |translator-last= Vidyabhusana |translator-first= Satis Chandra |year=1913 |title=The Nyaya Sutras of Gotama |publisher= The Panini Office, Bhuvaneswari Asrama |place= Bahadurganj, Allahabad |page=iii |url= https://archive.org/details/TheNyayaSutrasOfGotama/page/n12/mode/2up }}</ref><br/>

==Distribution==
Brahmins, having "Gautam" gotra, are found across India, from Kashmir to Kerala and Assam to Gujarat. Many Brahmins also follow the Gautam Dharmasutra. However, not all Brahmins, who affiliate with Gautam gotra and/ or follow the Gautam Dharamsutra, write their last name as "Gautam". But Brahmins, who also write their last name as "Gautam", are generally found in Punjab, Haryana,<ref name="Sharma">{{cite news |last=Sharma |first=Pradeep |date= 2024-10-21 |title= Kalyan, Mool Chand lead race for post of Haryana Speaker |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/kalyan-mool-chand-lead-race-for-post-of-haryana-speaker/|location= Chandigarh |publisher= Tribune News Service |access-date= 2025-07-06}}</ref> Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh,<ref name="Singh">{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Rajesh Kumar |date=2024-04-25 |title= Stage set for Phase 2 Lok Sabha polls in eight west Uttar Pradesh constituencies
|url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/stage-set-for-phase-2-lok-sabha-polls-in-eight-west-uttar-pradesh-constituencies-101714059806665.html |location= Lucknow |publisher= Hindustan Times |access-date= 2025-07-06}}</ref> Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India. In Nepal also some Brahmins, who affiliate with Gautam gotra, write their last name as "Gautam". In the rest of the regions of India, Brahmins who affiliate with Gautam gotra and/ or follow the Gautam Dharamsutra, either write the generic Brahmin’s name (such as, Sharma etc.) or their "Vipra Shashanam विप्र शाषनम्" or "alla अल्ल" (such as, Mishra, Bhatt etc.) as their last name.

==Notable people==
*[[Bana Malwala]], Dewan Banna Mal Gautam, Dewan of Kapurthala Princely State and he built Shivala Dewan Banna Mal Mandir in [[Nawanshahr]], Banna Mal Has two sons Namely Dewan Acchru Mal Gautam (Finance Minister of Kapurthala State) And Dewan Sundri Mal Gautam (Honorary Magistrate)
*[[Dhwani Gautam]], Indian filmmaker
*[[Hari Gautam]], Cardiologist, former VC of BHU and former UGC Chairman
*[[Mukesh Gautam]], Indian film director and father of Surilie and Yami Gautam
*[[Navneet Gautam]], Indian kabaddi player
*[[Ram Kumar Gautam]], Indian politician
*[[Rashmi Gautam]], Indian actress
*[[Ravindra Gautam]], Indian film and television director
* [[Satish Kumar Gautam]], Indian politician
*[[Shatrughan Gautam]], Indian politician
*[[Sheela Gautam]], Indian politician
*[[Srikant Gautam]], Indian lyricist and film director
*[[Surilie Gautam]], Indian film and television actress
*[[Umesh Gautam]], Indian politician
*[[Yami Gautam]], Indian actress
*[[Gaurav Gautam]], Indian politician

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Brahmins]]

Gautam Brahmins - Revision history

Rockybhai3 at 20:44, 21 February 2026