Kashyapa

In Hindu mythology, Kashyapa is the
chief of the Prajapatis (a class of semidivine beings) and the father of Garuda,
the divine eagle who serves as the animal “vehicle” for the god Vishnu.
Kashyapa is also one of the Seven Sages
whose names mark exogamous clan
“lineages” (gotra); the others are
Gautama, Bharadvaja, Vasishtha,
Bhrgu, Atri, and Vishvamitra. All brahmins are believed to be descended from
these seven sages, with each family taking the name of its progenitor as its
gotra name. In modern times, gotras are
still important, since marriage within
the gotra is forbidden. After her marriage, the new bride adopts her husband’s gotra as part of her new identity.
See also marriage prohibitions.