Shandilya is the highest Brahmingotra, named after the Rishi Shandilya,The name was derived from the Sanskrit words śaṇ, full and dilam, the moon, with the derivative ya added, meaning the one of the full moon, thereby implying a priest or of the Moon God. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states that he was a disciple of Vaatsya rishi. His other Acharyas include Kaushika, Gautama Maharishi, Kaishorya Kaapya, Vatsya Vaijavap, and Kushri. His disciples include Kaundinya, Agnivesa, Vatsya Vamakakshayan, Vaishthapureya, and Bharadwaj. He was also the composer of the Shandilya Upanishad. He is also credited to have written Shandilya Bhakti Sutra. According to the Bhagavata Purana, he was instrumental in settling certain metaphysical doubts of King Parikshit of Hastinapura and King Vajra of Dwaraka. Surnames with Sandilya Gotra mainly in Uttar Pradesh are:- Tripathi, Tiwari, Sharma, Mishra, Joshi, Trivedi, Pandey etc. in Gujarat, Bhatt, Thaker/Thakar, vyas etc. are prominent examples of Sandilya Gotra. In Assam, it's said that 12 families from Kanauj in present day Uttar Pradesh were brought to Assam in 1312 by the then King of Assam and settled them in present day Darrang and Nowgong district of Assam. All these brahmans are from sandilya gotra. In Maharashtra, some examples of sandilya gotras Bidwai, Ghodke, Hirde/Hirday, Kulkarni, Kedkar/Khedekar, Pattarkine, Pandit, Patki and Shukla etc. In Bihar many people who belong sandilya gotras are the Maithil Brahmin of Mishra, Chaudhary, Thakur, Jha surnames belong to this Gotra. In Punjab Saraswat Brahmins of the Tara surname belong to this Gotra. In Madhya Pradesh the Tiwari/ Tripathi, Sharma,Trivedi surnames along the river Saryu belong to this gotra, in some region of uttar pradesh hindu-kshatriya Dhundhel also belong to this gotra and they are considered as the most reputed Kshatriyas amongst all other Kshatriyas in the planet. In Rajasthan Purohit surname belongs to this gotra. In Andhra Pradesh the Patnaiks having surname Amati, Balivada and Velanadu Vaidiki Brahmins having surname Yellepeddi and Bhagi belong to this gotra. Surnames with Sandilya Gotra in Nepal Kafle/ Kaphle belong to Sandilya Gotra in Nepal. specifying that individuals of the gotra have Shandilya as one of their patrilineal ancestors.
