This is a fascinating old thread from which I learned the history of my own gotra- Maudgalya. Also as I read more online I realise that that makes me very distantly a kin of Draupadi from Mahabharata, and possibly even to Lotan Nishad- the person unfortunately murdered this week https://twitter.com/ghorangirasa/status/1061598718229536771

Which also shows how caste was more fluid than we sometimes imagine. We are Smartha Brahmins, but at some ancient stage a male ancestor was a Kshatriya, and a female ancestor or relative came from a clan that is now classified as OBC.

Not that the lore would be accurate, but it can’t be too far away from what would have been socially acceptable anyway. So the specifics may well be wrong, but the general principle is still fascinating- of varna mobility through conferring Brahmin status, and marriage.

Hat tip to @shrikanth_krish for sharing this thread, and another one also from @GhorAngirasa which outlines the fascinating history of the Panchala dynasties. (End)