Gotras, Grandfathers, and Grand-gurus: The Transformation from Monastic to Biological Lineages

While theoretically casteless, Jain participation in and development of caste identities, especially as vaiśyas, has been well-documented. Alan Babb’s 2004 Alchemies of Violence, for example, studied the development of Marwari Jain trader caste identity, typically in contradistinction to Brahman and Kshatriya caste identity. This study examines the development of four relatively new gotras that trace their origin from Śvetāmbar yatis, a special category of monks that follow an alternative interpretation of Jain monastic conduct. Some yatis, or former-yatis according to some, were known to take wives and father children. These children inherited their monastic parentage’s property, maintained the social networks of their predecessors, and continued their ritual practices. The existence of these gotras creates tension among yati monks and the broader Jain community by forcing them to consider the caste status of someone who walks back their renunciation and to deal with the social implications of their renewed worldly life.