do descendants of saints exist? edited

Originally posted by: varaali

Your family Gotra indicates which Rishi you have descended from. In your case it would be Kaashayapa Gotra. It is not a myth.

Over the years the number of gotras incresed due to:

Descendents of these Rishis also started new family lineage or new gotras (Kaundinya was a descendent of Vasihta, Vishwamitra was a descendent of Kaushika and Vatsa was a descendent of Jamadagni)

By inter marriage with other Brahmins

Inspired by a saint whose name they bear as their own Gotra.

• New groups like Kshatriyas (who were also makers of hymns) were taken into fold by some Rishis

These Rishis belonged to different sects like Shakti, Shavites and Vishnavites and had different deities for worship. Such deities came to be known as the Kuladevatas.

Importance of Gotras

The gotra system was instituted for the purposes of identifying one's ancestors and pay respects during various invocations and other rituals to honor their fathers, fore-fathers and so on, up to their respective Rishis. This was later extended to other aspects of the Brahmin life, such as Marriage and temple worship. In present days, marriage will not be allowed within the same gotra in order to avoid impure matrimony. This thinking is in tune with the modern day genetic paradigms of hybrid vigor.

Originally posted by: aru_86

i am from shandilya gotra..was there any rishi named shandilya???i never heard

At some places 16 rishis are mentioned, giving their names