Answer

In Jainism, the word Gotra can mean two different things:

• Gotra Karma in Jain philosophy
• Community/family gotra or clan names used socially among Jains

There is no single universally accepted “complete list of all Jain gotras” for all Jain communities, because gotra names vary by region, sect, language, caste-community, and family tradition.

1. Gotra in Jain Philosophy

According to Jain karma theory, Gotra Karma is one of the eight main types of karma. It determines a soul’s social status or family background in birth.

There are two types:

• Uchcha Gotra Karma – karma that gives birth in a respected or high-status family
• Neecha Gotra Karma – karma that gives birth in a lower-status or less-respected family

Spiritually, Jainism teaches that birth, caste, clan, or family status does not decide the purity of the soul. True greatness comes from right faith, right knowledge, right conduct, non-violence, humility, and self-discipline.

2. Social Gotras Among Jains

Many Jain communities use family or clan gotras for marriage and identity. These are especially found among communities such as:

• Oswal Jains
• Shrimal Jains
• Porwal Jains
• Khandelwal Jains
• Agarwal Jains
• Humbad Jains
• Bagherwal Jains
• Chaturtha Jains
• Dashashrimali Jains
• Visa Shrimali Jains
• Modh Jains
• Gujarati, Rajasthani, Marwari, Kannada, Tamil, and other regional Jain groups

Examples of Jain community gotra/surname/clan names may include names such as:

• Shah
• Mehta
• Doshi
• Sanghvi
• Vora
• Parikh
• Gandhi
• Oswal
• Shrimal
• Porwal
• Kothari
• Sethia
• Bhandari
• Lodha
• Chopra
• Surana
• Daga
• Bafna
• Sancheti
• Jain

However, these are not all gotras, and many of these are also used as surnames, titles, or community identifiers rather than strict gotras.

Important Note

A truly complete list would need to be separated by community, for example:

• Oswal Jain gotras
• Shrimal Jain gotras
• Khandelwal Jain gotras
• Porwal Jain gotras
• Humbad Jain gotras
• Bagherwal Jain gotras
• Regional Jain gotras

Without knowing the specific Jain community, it is not accurate to give one combined “all gotra” list.

Takeaway

In Jain Dharma, Gotra Karma has spiritual meaning, while social gotras are community-based traditions. Jainism gives greater importance to the purity of the soul and conduct than to birth, caste, or clan.