The Island of a Thousand Temples (12)
Family Relationship Based on Gotra

GOTRA refers to the relatives (warga) alliance or peguyuban (association) based on the figure. The coalition process was ordinarily in natural execution and stage in phases. For case, if someone who has a relative connection with certain figure — it happens perhaps of feeling struggled for faith, or accidentally of blood-relatives — so they are closed and get sibling with, and finally unite in one warga (family).

Warga in Sanskrit means a harmonic connection or relation. This warga/gotra system is valid a lot in Bali, like Warga Brahmana Siwa Wangsa, Brahmana Budha Wangsa, Pasek Sanak Sapta Resi, Bujangga Waisnawa, Maha Semaya Pande, para arya (Arya Kuta Waringin, Arya Sentong, Arya Kepakisan), etc.
The initiator of the relative alliance (warga) or peguyuban is usually called Wangsa Karta. Their genealogy or membership can easily and clearly to find. For examples, Mpu Dang Hyang Dwijendra who believed as the initiator of Warga Brahmana Siwa Wangsa, Mpu Dang Hyang Astapaka or Mpu Katrangan as the initiator of Warga Brahmana Wangsa Budha, Mpu Gni Jaya, the initiator of Warga Pasek Sanak Sapta Resi.
Half of that diverse Gotra are having a close relation in one sapinda (blood descent), and some are not. Warga Brahmana Siwa Wangsa, for example, based on Gotra, it merely seem that it have no ‘sapinda’ connection with Warga Pasek Sanak Sapta Resi. Nevertheless, if it traced genealogically, Warga Brahmana Siwa is actually having sapinda relation with Warga Pasek Sanak Sapta Resi. Because, the ancestor of Mpu Dang Hyang Dwijendra, the initiator of Warga Brahmana Siwa, is Mpu Beradah, who as the blood brother of Mpu Gni Jaya, the ancestor of Warga Pasek Sanak Sapta Resi.
By then, from sapinda view, Warga Brahmana Siwa is of one relative with Warga Pasek Sanak Sapta Resi. So does for the other membership. It maybe difference in gotra but likely of one sapinda. The relative alliance or soroh or clan in Bali, are mostly from the descent of Sang Panca Tirtha (the five priests or five pandita) who ever exist in the insertion of Hindus spiritual values in Bali. Those five pandita are Mpu Gni Jaya, Mpu Kuturan, Mpu Beradah, Mpu Gana, dan Mpu Semeru.
The Hindus specification based on Gotra, is typically of stimulus factor to conserve someone’s supreme values so they disserved to obtain a predicate as a figure. The quality of alliance relationship based on Gotra is stronger rather than of one that based on sapinda, which only based by the descent blood. However, Gotra is follow by equality and solidarity relation of the figure’s idealism.
The alliance process based on Gotra, is more dominantly because the equality idealism is use for struggling and defending the norm that decided by the figure with supreme mind stimulus to serve during his life. Because, according to Sarasamuscaya holy book, one of the merits by honoring the ancestor, who was as the figure, is bala (power) in serving in this life. By doing a merit, according to Hindus belief, the people will life in harmony whether in sekala or niskala realm (real and unreal realm).
One form of that merit is by continue the ancestor’s noble struggle that insufficiently committed within their life in this real world. By that, the Hindus always try to honor their ancestor.
The other aims in honoring the ancestor that not less important is to build the harmonic in life, at least within our own brother, to emerge positive ideas. According to Manawa Dharmasastra Holy Book (III. 37 – 38), if the descent has a good behave in sekala realm (real world), then their ancestor in niskala realm will site for a better place. From another better life in niskala realm, the ancestor might help their generation life in sekala realm.
(Ketut Wiana and Berata Ashrama, editor)