A
Brahmin (also
Brahman;
Brāhmaṇa) (
Sanskrit:
ब्राह्मण)
[Note 1] is a member of the priestly class in the Indian subcontinent and belongs to the upper caste society. According to the
Manusmṛti, there are four "
varnas", or classes: the Brahmins (poets, priests, teachers, scholars), the
Kshatriyas (kings, agriculturists and nobility), the
Vaishyas (merchants), and
Shudras (artisans, service providers and laborers). In Hinduism, Brahmins were charged with performing religious duties as priests and preaching
Dharma (as "one who prays; a devout or religious man; a Brāhman who is well versed in Vedic texts; one versed in sacred knowledge"). The Brahmins held authority over interpretation of Vedic and Puranic spiritual texts like the
Vedas,
Upanishads and
Bhagavad-Gita, and were the teachers of the Vedic period.
[citation needed]
The English word
brahmin is an anglicised form of the Sanskrit word
Brāhmana. Brahmins are also called
Vipra ("inspired"),
[1] or
Dvija ("twice-born").
[2]
Due to the diversity in regional religious traditions and the Vedic schools (shakhas), which they belong to, Brahmins, in modern usage of the term, are further divided into various sub-castes. Not all Brahmins are priests; only a subset of brahmins are involved in the priestly duties, with Vedic learning, ascetic and humble living. Brahmins have practised other professions from the late Vedic ages onward, becoming doctors, lawyers, engineers, warriors, writers, poets, landlords, ministers, etc. Many Brahmins have emigrated to other parts of the world in sizable numbers, first to South East Asia, and more recently to the USA, UK, Canada and Australia.
Although they are not caste born, the name also applies to mouth born followers of Brahma Kumaris religion.
[edit] History
According to mythology,the Brahmin community started from
Brahma creation, husband of
Saraswati, the supreme Hindu Goddess of
knowledge and
education in ancient Indian mythology and adopted in their religion (
Vedic religion of early
Hinduism, now often referred to by Hindus as
Sanatana Dharma). The
Vedas are said to be the primary source of knowledge for brahmin practices. Most
sampradayas (religious practices) of modern Brahmins claim to take inspiration from the Vedas. According to orthodox Hindu tradition, the Vedas are
apauruṣeya and
anādi (beginning-less), and are revealed truths of eternal validity.
The Vedas are considered
Śruti ("that which is heard") and are the paramount source on which modern Brahmin tradition claims to be based. Shruti includes not only the four Vedas (the
Rigveda, the
Yajurveda, the
Samaveda and the
Atharvaveda), but also their respective
Brahmanas,
Aranyakas and
Upanishads.
In 1931 (the last
Indian census to record caste), Brahmins accounted for 9% of the total population. Even in
Uttar Pradesh, where they were most numerous, Brahmins constituted just 15% of the recorded population. In
Andhra Pradesh, they formed less than 2%; in
Tamil Nadu they formed less than 3%.
[3] In
Kerala,
Nambudiri Brahmins make up 0.7% of the population. In west bengal too the figures stand the same. According to the 2001 census, Brahmins constitute less than 9% of the Indian population.
[edit] Genetics
Distribution of R1a (purple) and R1b (red).
The highest levels of R1a (>50%) are found across the
Eurasian Steppe:
West Bengal Brahmins (72%), and
Uttar Pradesh Brahmins, (67%) , the
Ishkashimi (68%), the
Tajik population of Khojant (64%),
Kyrgyz (63.5%),
Sorbs (63.39%),
Poles (56.4%), Ukrainians (50%) and Russians (50%)
[4][5][6][7] and in the Central
India among the
saharia tribe of
Madhya Pradesh R1a*(22.8%) and R1a1(28.07%). It is also found in relatively high frequencies in several South Indian Dravidian-speaking tribes including the
Chenchu and
Valmikis of
Andhra Pradesh.
[8]
R1a has been variously associated with:
The Modern studies for R1a1 (M17) suggest that it could have originated in South Asia.
[citation needed] It could have found its way initially from Western
India (
Gujarat) through
Pakistan and
Kashmir, then via
Central Asia and
Russia, before finally coming to
Europe"..."as part of an archaeologically dated Paleolithic movement from east to west 30,000 years ago.
[10]
[edit] Brahmin communities
The Brahmin castes may be broadly divided into two regional groups:
Pancha-Gauda Brahmins from Northern India and considered to be North of Vindhya mountains and
Pancha-Dravida Brahmins from South of Vindhya mountains as per the
shloka. However, this sloka is from Rajatarangini of Kalhana, which was composed only in the 11th century CE.
कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः,
गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ||
सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः,
पन्चगौडा इति ख्याता विन्ध्स्योत्तरवासिनः ||
[11]
Translation: Karnataka (Kannada), Telugu (Andhra), Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), Maharashtra and Gujarat are Five Southern (Panch Dravida). Saraswata,
Kanyakubja, Gauda, Utkala (Orissa), Maithili are Five Northern (Pancha Gauda). This classification occurs in
Rajatarangini of
Kalhana and earlier in some inscriptions
[12]
[edit] Pancha Gauda Brahmins
Panch Gaur (the five classes of Northern India): (1)
Saryupareen Brahmins, (2)
Kanyakubja Brahmins, (3)
Maithil Brahmins, (4)
Saraswat Brahmins and (5)
Utkala Brahmins. In addition, for the purpose of giving an account of Northern Brahmins each of the provinces must be considered separately, such as
Uttar Pradesh,
Ayodhya (Oudh),
Kashmir,
Nepal,
Uttarakhand,
Himachal,
Kurukshetra,
Rajputana,
Andhra Pradesh,
Assam,
Gandhara,
Punjab,
Bengal,
Orissa,
Bihar, North Western Provinces and Pakistan,
Sindh,
Central India, and Tirhut, among others. They originate from south of the (now-extinct) Sarasvati River.
[13]
In
Assam, out of many sects of Hindu people which include Brahmins (Assamese: অসমীয়া ব্ৰাহ্মণ, Hindi: आसामी ब्राह्मण or Hindi: असमिया ब्राह्मण or Hindi: असमी ब्राह्मण), Kalitas, and Ahoms among others, the Brahmin community is comparatively small. Assamese Brahmins are found mostly in
Lower Assam,
Upper-Assam and throughout the entire
Brahmaputra Valley.
Assamese Brahmins are believed to have their origins in
Kannauj,
Uttar Pradesh, who generally migrated during
Kamarupa Kingdom period to
Lower Assam and then to rest of
Brahmaputra Valley and some migrated also from far off Rajasthan to that of Karnataka. Brahmins in Assam are same as per their faith and customs with that of any other Brahmin community across India. Each Brahmin family within the community carries a specific
Gotra (Proper Brahmin Identity Surname) which is specific for each family, thereby indicating their origin.
Sarma,
Barooah,
Goswami,
Sharma,
Chakravarty, are a few common
Assamese Brahmin surnames, among many others. (See also:
Assamese Brahmins)
In
Bihar, majority of Brahmins are
Kanyakubja Brahmins,
Saryupareen Brahmins,
Bhumihar Brahmins,
bhatt brahmins and
Maithil Brahmins with a significant population of
Sakaldiwiya or
Shakdwipi Brahmins. The distinctive 'caste' identity of Bhumihar Brahman emerged largely through military service, and then confirmed by the forms of continuous 'social spending' which defined a man and his kin as superior and lordly.
[14] In 19th century, many of the Bhumihar Brahmins were
zamindars.
[15] Of the 67,000
Hindus in the
Bengal Army in 1842, 28,000 were identified as Rajputs and 25,000 as Brahmins, a category that included Bhumihar Brahmins.
[16] The Brahmin presence in the
Bengal Army was reduced in the late nineteenth century because of their perceived primary role as mutineers in the
Mutiny of 1857,
[16] led by
Mangal Pandey. Maharaja of Banaras was the most renowned lover of Art and Literature. Every year, a competition of knowledge (Shashtraarth=शाश्त्रार्थ) was organized by him and three times it was owned by Maithil Brahmins.
Maithil Brahmins are said to be the most intelligent and analytic brain.
[edit] Bengal
It is claimed that large scale migration of Brahmins from Kanyakubja region occurred during Pala and Sena periods. However historical evidence attests significant presence of Brahmins in Bengal since the Maurya period. The Jain Acharya Bhadrabahu, regarded to be the preceptor of Chandragupta Maurya is said to have been born in Brahmin family of Pundravardhana ( or Puṇḍra , the region north of Ganges and west of Brahmaputra in Bengal, later known as Vārendra). A copper-plate grant from the Gupta period found in the vicinity of Somapura mentions a Brahmin donating land to a Jain vihara at Vatagohali. Such evidences suggest Puṇḍra or Vārendra and regions west of Bhagirathi (called Radha in ancient age) to be seats of brahmins from ancient times; Rādhi and Varendra are still chief branches of Bengali brahmins settled in these regions.
The three main divisions among Bengali brahmins are Rādhi from Radh (region south-west of Ganga), Varendra, from Vārendra region (North-East) or Puṇḍra and Vaidika (migrants, originally experts of Vedic knowledge) brahmins from other parts of India.
The traditional accounts of the origin are given in texts termed Kulagranthas (Kuladīpīkā), composed around the 17th century. They mention a ruler named Ādiśūra who invited five Brahmins from Kanyakubja, so that he could conduct a yajña, because he could not find Vedic experts locally. Traditional texts mention that Ādiśūra was ancestor of Ballāl Sena from maternal side and five brahmins had been invited in AD 1077.
Another account mentions a king Shyamal Varma who invited five Brahmins from Kānyakubja who became the progenitors of the Vaidika Brahmins. A third account refers to five brahmins being the ancestors of Vārendra brahmins as well. From similarity of titles (e.g., upādhyāya), the first account is most probable.
Kulin Brahmins are those Brahmins in Bengal who can trace themselves to the five families of Kanauj (Kanyakubja), Uttar Pradesh who migrated to Bengal. The five families were of the five different gotras (Shandilya, Bharadwaj, Kashyap, Vatsya and Savarna). They are widely believed to be at the apex of Bengal's caste hierarchy. The kulin families are further divided into two sections - Barendra and Rarhi.
Major titles adopted by the high Rādhi Brahmins are Mukhopādhyāya and its adaptation Mukherjee a Kulin Brahmin, Bandopādhyāya and its adaptation Banerjee a Kulin Brahmin, Chattopādhyāya and its adaptation Chatterjee a Kulin Brahmin, Gangopādhyāya and its adaptation Ganguli / Ganguly a Kulin Brahmin, Bhattāchārya and its adaptation Bhattacharya/ Bhattacharjee a Kulin Brahmin and Goswami and its adaptation Swami of ones own Gow / further Gow stands for 5 Sense of human body, so sanyasins are those who can master their own senses. a Kulin Brahmin.
Jāti-Bhāṣkar mentions that those who were given grants along the Ganges by Ballāl Sena were called Gangopādhyāya (literally 'the Vedic teachers in the regions around the Ganges'). Mukhopādhyāya means chief Vedic teacher. Bandopādhyāya is a Sanskritized form of 'Banodha + upādhyāya', Banodha being the ancient name of Raebareli-Unnāva whence their ancestors had come from.
Bhattāchārya meant 'expert of Vedic rituals'. This was an honorary title awarded to a Rādhi or Vārendra brahmin who excelled in spiritual and vedic matters. The Bhattāchārya's are generally referred to as the Hindu Priests in Bengal.
Goswami is a typically a title bestowed on people who choose the path of Sannyasa. The sanyasins or disciples of Adi Shankaracharya are also called "Dash Nam" as the Title Goswami is further divided into ten groups viz. Giri, Puri, Bharti, Ban, Aranya, Sagar, Aashram, Saraswati, Tirth, Yogi and Parwat. These all dashnam Goswamis are associated with four Math in four corners of India, established by Adi Shankaracharya. Initially all the disciples were Sanyasins who embraced sanyas either after marriage or without getting married. Since, sanyasins are considered as Brahmin therefore during the course of time, those who embraced married life on the order of their guru and their decedents are considered Brahmins with the surname Goswami. Being a Goswami Sanyasin includes a vow of celibacy. Some religious traditions use the title Swami for those who had never married, and Goswami for those who had been married in that life and vow not to marry again. This is also the source of the surname Gosain. Goswami can also refer to an individual from the Brahmin caste of the Hindu religion.
Vārendra - These brahmins also claim descent from five original brahmins, although four out of five names are different, and they are also hierarchically organised into three groups: (1) Śri Kulin comprising Bāgchi, Chākrāborty (Chākrāvārti), Lāhiri, Māitra, Bhāduri, Sānyal, etc. (2) Śrotriya have Nanda, Bhato Shāstri, Karanja, Laduli, Navasi, etc. (3) Kaṣṭa Kulin compris 85 gains (villages given in grant by Sena kings).
Another intermediate order is called Kāpa(originally Kulin but negligent in duty) which is between first two. Other famous titles of Bengali Kulin brahmins are Bhattāchārya, Majumdāra, Rāi, Choudhary, Roy Chowdhury, Jovādāra, Mishra,etc.
Vaidikas -These are of two types Dākṣiṇātyas, coming from Orissa & Andhra originally but now part and parcel of Bengali brahmins. Pāschātyas, coming from western and northern India originally but now part of Bengali brahmins. These were experts of Vaidika knowledge who were invited to Bengal in different ages, later than the original five brahmins from which Rādhi brahmins originated.
The bulk of Bengali Brahmin gotras are Vashista/Shakti, Agastya, Bharadwaja, Bhargava, Gautama, Kashyapa, Matanga, Sabarna /Savarna, Shandilya, Vatsa, Viswamitra and Katyana. Besides the above mentioned, other gotras can also be found at low frequencies within the Bengali Brahmin community.
[edit] Haryana
The Brahmins of Haryana & delhi are
Gaur Brahmin belongs to Panch Gaurs of north India, belongs to Vedic Aryan tribes.
Kaushik Kaushik/Koushik(कौशिक) is a ancient Indian'Gotra'. Origin of Kaushik can be referenced to an ancient Hindu text. There was a Rishi (saint) by the name of "Vishvamitra" literally meaning 'friend of the universe','vishwa' as in universe and mitra as in 'friend', he was also called as Rishi "Kaushik".kaushik is the biggest gotra in Gaur Brahmins of Haryana. Bhargavas also called 'Dhusar' Brahmins, part of Gaur Brahmins are originally from South Haryana. They have migrated to various places in the world from 'Dhosi' Hill area and Rewari district.Also in them Tyagi brahmins who shifted to gurgaon region.
[edit] Madhya Pradesh
In western Madhyapradesh, especially in the "malwa" region, there are many "shrigoud" brahmins. "Shrigoud Brahmins" (श्रीगौड़ ब्राह्मन) are the root of all the other classified Brahmins. "Gaud" means Root. The word "Brahman" emerges out from Lord Brahma. In the region of Nimaad and Malwa, Narmadiya Brahmins(rooted from regions around river Narmada) are also settled.
Some clan of highly esteemed Upreti Brahmins are also found in this state. They were originally migrated from Kumaon regions. The people have surname like Mandlik, Joshi, Vyas, Rawat, Pathak, Dubey comes under Shrigoud Brahmins.
Brahmins are the second largest caste group in
Nepal,
Chhetri(
Kshatriya) being the first. Several subgroups(usually following the Sukla Yajurveda) are attested: the Newari speaking Rajopadhyaya, the Nepali speaking Purbe, Kumai, etc. Brahmins have been inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley since at least the Lichavi dynasty (c. 300-750 CE) Nepal. References in the Vamsavalis and some Puranas such as the Himavatkhanda, pointing to earlier times, are of legendary nature. The situations is different for the plains (Tarai), where Brahmins have been attested since the early Upanisads and the Buddhist Pali canon.
[edit] Odisha/Orissa
The Sanskrit text Brāhmaṇotpatti-Mārtaṇḍa by Pt. Harikrishna Śāstri mentions according to which a king named Utkala invited brahmins from Gangetic Valley for performing a yajna in Jagannath-Puri; when the yajna ended the invited brahmins laid the foundation of the Lord Jagannath there and settled there for serving the Lord
The
Utkala Brahmins are of two classes 1) Shrotriya (vaidika) and 2) Sevaka (doing accessory rites) Brahmin. Again, there are many sub-classes in these two classes.
1) Shrotriyas are mainly adherents of
Vedas, especially:
a) Shakalya shakha of
Rigveda b) Kanva shakha of
Shukla Yajurveda c) Ranayana/Kauthuma shakha of
Samaveda d) Paippalada shakha of
Atharvaveda
2) Sevakas generally belong to brahmins doing accessory rites like cooking in temples, helping in procession of temple deity. They generally follow any of the Veda of their choice for family rites but they cannot perform Vedic sacrifices.
Utkala or Oriya Brahmin surnames include: Acharya,
Mishra, BhattaMishra,
Tripathi,
Dash, DashSharma, Dwivedi, Udgata or
udgātṛ, Hota or
Hotṛ,
Dikshit,
Satapathy,
Chaturvedi, Debata (Devta),
Kar, Bishi, Suara, Mahasuara, Garabadu,
Sharma, Nath, Choudhury, Sahu, Dyansamantray, Panigrahi,
Guru, Rajguru, Rayguru,
Mahapatra, Pani, Mohapatra (some of them), Bastia(some of them),
Rath, RathSharma, Sharma, Patra, Sadangi, Pani, Thakur (found mostly in Kalahandi and Sambalpur), Pati, Bahinipati, Vedi, Trivedi, Sarangi, Pattajoshi,
Joshi, Gantayat, Behera (found mostly in Kalahandi and Sambalpur), Sar (Found mostly in Hindol, Dhenkanal), Sabat, Swain (some of them),
Shukla,
Panda or
Pandit, BadaPanda, PujaPanda, Sabata, Nanda, Purohit, Pujari, Padhiary, Pathi, Nepak, Devasharma, Praharaj, Padhi, Otta, Khadenga, and Pradhan (some of them)senapati.
[edit] Punjab
The Brahmins of the Punjab region are chiefly
Saraswat Brahmins. They have a special association with the Punjab since they take their name from the river, Saraswati.
In Punjab, the Saraswat Brahmins are further divided into following main sections.
1.
Panja jati (five families), the highest subgroup of Punjabi Brahmins whose surnames are Jaitly, Trikha, Kumoria, Jinghan,Metra and Mohla.
2.
Barahis (twelvers), who marry among twelve castes only. This group belongs to the Shakadweepi Brahmins/ Maga Brahmins.
3.
Bawanjais (fifty-twoers), who marry among fifty-two houses only.
4.
Athwans (seven families/seveners) and include Joshis, Kurals, Bhanots, Sands, Pathaks, Bharadwajs, Shouries. These eight families marry among each other.
5.
Mohyals- the warrior brahmin race. They are a distinct category of Brahmins who combine military knowledge with learning. They strictly refrain from performing priestly duties, often to the point of excommunicating anyone who violates that rule. They are a group of seven clans (Bali, Vaid, Chhibber, Datt, Mohan, Lau and Bhimwal). They generally own lands and are mostly involved in military and administrative services. They eat meat and are not very strict in the observance of religious taboos. They also marry within the seven clans.
6.
Bhaskars Gotra Vashisht originating from a place "Badu ki Gusaiyaan" now in Pakistan.
[edit] Rajasthan
There are lots of type of Brahmin in Rajasthan. Bhardwaj, Bhargava, Dadhich, Gaur, Upreti, Gujar gaur, Kaushik, Pushkarna, Vashishta, Jangid Brahmins. Most Brahmins in India are strict vegetarians.
One group is Brahmin Swarnkar, which developed from Shrimal Nagar's brahmins (now known as Bhinmal). They are called "Brahmin Swarnkars" because a group of Brahmins adopted a swarnkar business for their enhancement of life style, and so these brahmins are called as Brahmin Swarnkars. Being a brahmins, brahmin swarnkar, have main 9 Rishi gotras.
1.
Atri, 2.
Kashyap, 3.
Kaushik, 4.
Gautam, 5.
Parashar, 6.
Bharadwaj, 7.
Vatsat, 8.
Vashisht, 9.
Haritas, 10.
Bhrugu.
Upreti / Uprety(देवनागरी:उप्रेती), 11.
Saraswat Brahmin, is a community of highly regarded
Brahmins living in the
Kumaon region of
Uttarakhand state of
India. A few are also found in
Rajasthan and the Konkan/Goa area. According to their traditions, they are the descendents of the sage
Bharadwaj.[1]
There are subgotras in each
Rishi Gotras, and total gotras are about 84 which were developed by Shri Dharmsi ji at Keradu during the 7th century.
[edit] Jammu and Kashmir
The Brahmins of the mountains and valleys of
Kashmir, north of the
Pir Panjal Range, are called
Kashmiri Pandits. They are a
Dardic community with a very complex and ancient culture. The Brahmins of the
Jammu region, south of the Pir Panjal Range, are known as
Dogra Brahmins. There are also other Brahmin communities in some sectors of the uplands of Jammu and Pir Panjal, including
Kishtwari Brahmins,
Bhaderwahi Brahmins,
Poonchi Brahmins, and
Mirpuri Brahmins.
[edit] Uttar Pradesh
In
Uttar Pradesh from west to east:
Saryupareen Brahmins-(Central, Eastern, Northeast, and Southeast Uttar Pradesh), Kanyakubja (Central Uttar Pradesh), Bhatt(Eastern and Central uttar prdesh) and Maithil (Varanasi and Agra region), Sanadhya, Gauda and Tyagi (
Western Uttar Pradesh),Suryadhwaja Brahmins (Western Uttar Pradesh), Southwestern Uttar Pradesh, i.e. Bundelkhand has a dense population of Jujhotia brahmins (branch of Kanyakubja brahmins:
ref. Between History & Legend: Power & Status in Bundelkhand by Ravindra K Jain). On the Jijhoutia clan of Brahmins, William Crooke writes, "A branch of the Kanaujia Brahmins (
Kanyakubja Brahmins) who take their name from the country of Jajakshuku, which is mentioned in the
Madanpur inscription."
[17] Mathure or mathuria Brahmins 'choubeys' are limited to Mathura area. ))Upreti / Uprety(देवनागरी:उप्रेती),is a highly esteemed community of Brahmins living in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Some branches of Upreti / Uprety brahmins are also found in Uttar Pradesh (mainly in Agra), Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & now in Gujrat, they were originally migrated from Kumaon region. According to their traditions, they are the descendants of the sage Bharadwaj.[1]
According to Pandit Badri Datt Pandey's legendary book History of Kumaon, the Upretis were originally inhabitants of Maharashtra region of western India, or from Kannauj from where they migrated to the hills. They migrated to Nepal along with other Brahmins from Almora under the royal patronage of the Hindu kingdom when the Kumaon region was under the control of the Gurkhas till the early 19th Century.
[edit] Pancha Dravida
The Panch Dravida (the five classes of Southern India) are: 1. Andhra, 2. Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), 3. Karnataka, 4. Maharashtra and Konkon, and 5. Gujarat.
[13]
[edit] Andhra Pradesh
Most of the Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belong to smaarta Brahmin group, i.e., the followers of smritis and followers of Adi Sankaracharya. The smaarta Brahmins follow Apastambasmriti or Apastambasutra (not Manusmriti). Apasthamba (~600 BC) was one of the earliest lawmakers of south India who lived on the banks of River Godavari. Boudhayana, Parasara, Yajnvalkya sutras and other laws were also important in the past, e.g., in the courts of Srikrishnadevaraya. Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins follow Yajnavalkya sutras and Kanva sutras. The smaarta Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh can be grouped into two major divisions formed about a thousand to about 700 years ago (most probably during Kakatiya rule), Niyogi and Vaidiki. However, in addition to smaarta Brahmins, there are other Brahmin groups such as Sri Vaishnavas, Madhavas and Aradhyas.
[18]
Niyogi Brahmins are those brahmins who were mostly scholars and officials under kings of different dynasties in ancient India. While Vaidiki Brahmins are the brahmins who undertook the religious vocation with vedik learning. They are considered to be experts in Sanskrit and Telugu (the state language of
Andhra Pradesh) literature. See
List of Telugu Brahmins and
Telugu Brahmins.
Brahmins are broadly classified into 2 groups:
Vaidiki Brahmins (meaning educated in vedas and performing religious vocations) and
Niyogi (performing only secular vocation). They are further divided into several sub-castes. However, majority of the Brahmins, both Vaidika and Niyogi, perform only secular professions.
[19]
Vaidiki Brahmins are further divided in to Velanadu, Venginadu, Muluknadu, Kosalanadu etc..
[edit] Gujarat
Brahmin communities, sub-castes and families in Gujarat include the following:
Aboti Brahmin •
Anavil Brahmin •
Audichya Brahmin •
Baj Khedawal Brahmins (Khedaval Brahmin) •
Bardai Brahmins . Trivedi Mewada Brahmin• Bhattmewada Brahmins • Chauriyasi Mewada Brahmin • Tapodhan Brahmin •
Modh Brahmins • Nandwana Brahmins • Shrigaud Brahmins •
Nagar Brahmins • Sachora Brahmins •
Sidhra-Rudhra Brahmins •
Shrimali Brahmins • Swarnkar Brahmins • Rajya purohit Brahmins • Sompura Brahmins • Kapil Brahmin (known to be descended from Kapil muni) originally residents of Kavi village in Jambusar Taluka, now most of them residing in Bharuch, Vadodara and Surat • Kanojiya • Kandoliya Brahmin • Unevad Brahmin – and many others including: Chhariya, Nathadiya, Badhiya, Bhaglani, Lakhlani, Bhuvadiya, Kailaya, Sardavarti, Ramani, Pingal, Kutch Bhatt Kanojiya Bramin Mandal, Kutch, Morbi, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Saradiya, Nagalpar and Medhpar-Junagadh • Upreti. Garo,guru,bhrahmin,ratnottar-DANGARVA(MEHSANA) FROM-MAHARSHI TEJANDSWAMI.
[edit] Maharashtra,Goa and Konkan
According to the Census of 1931, the population of the Brahmins in Maharashtra was 781,448, which constituted 2.39% of the total population.
[20] Maharashtra Brahmins have several sub-castes. The Census Report of the Bombay Province of 1911 lists all the sub-castes of the Maharashtra Brahmins, which are as follows:
1.
Karhade Brahmin ,2.
Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmins , 3.
Deshastha Brahmins , 4.
Devrukhe , 5.Golak or Gowardha , 6.Jawal or Khot , 7.
Kanva , 8. Kuwant or Kramavant , 9. Maitrayani , 10. Palshikar , 11. Samavedi , 12. Savvashe , 13. Trigul or Trigartha , etc.
55
In
Maharashtra, Panch Dravid Brahmins are dravids from Maharastra. They are classified into five groups:
Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmins,
Deshastha Brahmins,
Karhade Brahmin, and
Devrukhe. As the name indicates, Kokanastha Brahmins are from Konkan area. Deshastha Brahmins are from plains of Maharashtra, Karhade Brahmins are perhaps from Karhatak (an ancient region in India that included present day south Maharashtra and northern Karnataka) and Devrukhe Brahmins are from Devrukh near
Ratnagiri. Gaur Saraswat Brahman though found in Maharashtra belong to Panch Gaur brahman. Their origins are in Saraswat desh identified as Punjab and Kashmir region. The name Saraswat derives from Saraswati river that flowed through Punjab into Rajasthan into Kutch.Unlike other Maharashtra Brahmins, Saraswats traditionally eat fish and meat.Mrs. Irawati Karve has recorded a sub-caste called Charak Brahmins around Nagpur, belonging to the Krishna Yajurved branch. However, these several sub-castes are broadly grouped into three main divisions, namely Deshastha, Konkanastha and Karhade Brahmins. Devarukhe and Kramvant Brahmins inhabit Konkan, but originally they were Deshasthas. They are the priests for the lower castes. The Kramvant Brahmins migrated to Kokan from Paithan in historic times.
Daivadnya is another caste, claiming its descent from
Maga Brahmins, and is found all along the west coast of India. Though
Sringeri Shankaracharya recognizes them as Dravida, this claim is not always accepted by other orthodox creeds.
The Maharashtrian Brahmins are amongst the very few in India who took up military roles and hence, some of them belong to the warrior Brahmin category.
[edit] Tamil Nadu
The brahmins of Tamil Nadu are identified to be having the purest form of vedic knowledge. Although very small in number, they have the most perfect form of Sanskrit pronunciation and still carry out the most elaborate of the vedic rituals. Brahmins form two main groups,
Iyengars - the
vaishnavites who follow the
Visishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) philosophy ,and
Iyers - who follow the
Advaita (non-dualism) philosophy.
The
Iyengars are subdivided into two major subgroups:
1.
Vadakalai Iyengars: This subsect of Iyengars are believed to be an
Indo-Aryan people who once migrated from
North India.
[21][22]
In genetic studies ,the Vadakalai Iyengars have shown a high similarity of gene frequencies with the
Punjabi people of
Pakistan,
[23] and they are devout followers of the
SanskritVedas.
[24]
2.
Thenkalai Iyengars: This subsect of Iyengars are believed to have admixed with the non-brahmins by bringing within its fold many of the low sudra castes.
[21][25][26][27] They are ardent followers of the
Tamil prabhandams.
[24]
The
Iyers are subdivided into four major subgroups:
1.
Vadama Iyers: This subsect of
Iyers are believed to be of Northern origin which is known to be Varanasi and Kashmir. l. Freedom fighter
V.V.S. Aiyer is also known to be a
Vadamal Iyer.
2.
Vathima Iyers: The Vathima are few in number and are confined mostly to eighteen villages in
Thanjavur district.
3.
Brahacharanam Iyers: Brahacharanam are a subsect of Iyers who are more Saivite than Vadamas ,and are known for well travelled people with mostly scientific background.
Sir C.V. Raman and
S. Chandrasekhar are also known to be of this subsect of Tamil Iyers. Their families are also known to give the most respect to the elders of the family.
4.
Ashtasahasram Iyers: They are a subsect of Iyers who are Saivite ,just like the Brahacharanam branch.
In modern age, Tamil brahmins have made a mark in India for their administrative brilliance and globally for their scientific brilliance.
[edit] Karnataka
There are many sub sects among brahmins (Brahmana in Kannada) of
Karnataka state, India. Perhaps it has largest number of subsects in brahmins in India. The main subsects are
Smartha Brahmins ,
Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins ,
Shivalli Brahmins,
Madhva Brahmins,
Daivadnya,
Deshastha Brahmins,
Karhade Brahmin,
Goud Saraswat Brahmin,
Saraswat Brahmin,
Havyaka,
Sthanika,
Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin,
Iyer,
Iyengars and Vishwakarma. Again many subsects have been divided on philosophy like
Dwaita or
Adwaita they follow.
Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins:
Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins are one of the prominent communities of Kannada-speaking Smartha Brahmins. The community has many eminent scholars, musicians, philosophers, generals and religious pontiffs. This sect of Brahmins are spread over the Southern Districts of the Indian state of Karnataka such as Shivamogga, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Chikmagalur, Hassan, Tumkur, Mysore, Mandya, Bangalore and Kolar. Kannada is the mother tongue of Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins.
Contents [hide] 1 Origin of Name 2 Prominent Persons 3 See also 4 External links 5 References
Origin of Name Of the two parts of the name of the community, viz. Hoysala and Karnataka, the second part i.e., Karnataka is derived from the fact that the mother tongue of the community, and the region where the community resides are called, respectively, Kannada, and Karnataka. The first part of the name, Hoysala is derived from the Hoysala empire of Karnataka. The Hoysala dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Karnataka for over three centuries, beginning in 950 A.D. The earliest mention of the name "Hoysala" occurs in an inscription of the middle of the tenth century, and the origin of the family name is given for the first time in an inscription of 1117 A.D as follows: "In the lineage of Yadu there was born a certain Sala. In company with a Jain ascetic, who was versed in all the science of incantation, he was worshipping the goddess Padmavati of Sasakapura with a view to bringing her into their power and so acquiring sovereignty for Sala. A tiger sprang out threatening to interrupt and spoil the efficacy of their rites. On the appeal of the ascetic who cried our `Poy-Sala-`slay, oh Sala`, Sala slew the tiger. And from this exclamation and the slaughter of the tiger he and his descendants acquired the name of Poysala".
The Hoysalas rose to power as feudatory of the Chalukyas, and as their subordinates began to rule over a small tract of territory, with their capital first at Sosevur (now Angadi in Mudagere Taluk), then at Belur, and finally at Dwarasamudra (now Halebid) and acquired control over the Talekad region. The Hoysalas continued the tradition of patronage to men of letters etc. Due to the generosity and broad mindedness of these rulers, the area comprised in the former Mysore State became the home of many non-kannada Brahmins such as the Velandus, Mulakanadus, and the Aravelu Niyogis of the Andhra Country, the Karahadis , Konkanansthas and Desasthas of the Maharashtra Country and the Vadamas of the Tamil Country. There were many sub-sects among the Kannada speaking brahmins such as the Badaganadu, the Babbur Kamme sect, the Seeranadu, and Hoysala Karnatakas. The Havyaka, the Kota and the Sivalli sects of Kannada speaking brahmins were localized to the western coastal region. It will be readily seen that these names indicate the geographical divisions from which these people hailed. In order to maintain their own customs, rituals, language (dialectal peculiarities), traditions, and individuality, each sub-sect called itself by a distinctive name, usually a town or geographical division of their origin. (This tendency is not very marked and rigid after the Muslim invasion of the South). Thus the Badagandu Karnatakas came from the northern parts of former Mysore State - Bellary and Anantapur districts; the seeranadu Karnatakas from the region, around Sira in Tumkur district.
As noted above, the sphere of authority of the Hoysalas, when they rose to power, was in the region of their birth place - Sosevur, and expanded to Belur, Dwarasamudra and Talakad, situated in the modern districts of Kadur, Hassan and Mysore respectively. This tract of Karnataka was the home province of the Hoysalas and the Brahmins who were residing in this area were therefore called Hoysala Karnatakas.
[edit] Kerala
The brahmins are
Nambudiri and
Pushpaka brahmins.
[edit] Burma (Myanmar)
Historically, Brahmins, known as
ponna (
ပုဏ္ဏား) in modern-day
Burmese (Until the 1900s,
ponna referred to
Indians who had arrived prior to colonial rule, distinct from the
kala, Indians who arrived during British rule), formed an influential group prior in Burma to British colonialism. During the
Konbaung dynasty, court Brahmins were consulted by kings for moving royal capitals, waging wars, making offerings to Buddhist sites like the
Mahamuni Buddha, and for astrology.
[28] Burmese Brahmins can be divided into four general groups, depending on their origins:
- Manipur Brahmins (Burmese: မုနိပူရဗြာဟ္မဏ) - Brahmins who were sent to Burma after Manipur became a Burmese vassal state in the 1700s and ambassadors from Manipur
- Arakanese Brahmins (Burmese: ရခိုင်ဗြာဟ္မဏ): Brahmins brought to Burma from Arakan after it was conquered by the Konbaung king Bodawpaya
- Sagaing Brahmins: oldest Brahmins in Burmese society, who had consulted the Pyu, Burman and Mon kingdoms prior to the Konbaung dynasty
- Indian Brahmins: Brahmins who arrived with British colonial rule, when Burma became a part of the British Raj
According to Burmese chronicles, brahmins in Burma were subject to the four-
caste system, which included brahmanas (
ဗြာဟ္မဏ), kshatriyas (
ခတ္တိယ), vaishya (
ဝေဿ), and shudra (
သုဒ္ဒ). Because the Burmese monarchy enforced the caste system for Indians, Brahmins who broke caste traditions and laws were subject to punishment. In the Arakanese kingdom, punished Brahmins often became
kyun ponna (
ကျွန်ပုဏ္ဏား), literally 'slave Brahmins', who made flower offerings to Buddha images and performed menial tasks. During the
Konbaung dynasty, caste was indicated by the number of
salwe (threads) worn; brahmins wore nine, while the lowest caste wore none. Brahmins are also fundamental in the Nine-God cult, called the Nine Divinities (
Phaya Ko Su ဘုရားကိုးစု) which is essentially a Burmese
puja (
puzaw in Burmese) of appeasing nine divinities,
Buddha and the eight
arahats, or a group of nine deities, five Hindu gods and four
nats.
[28] This practice continues to be practiced in modern-day Burma.
[edit] Gotras and pravaras
Brahmins classify themselves on the basis of their
patrilineal descent from a notable ancestor. These ancestors are either ancient Indian sages or
kshatriyas (warriors) who chose to become Brahmins. The eight major gotras that trace descent from sages are:
Kanva,
Jamadagni,
Bharadvâja,
Gautama,
Atri,
Vasishtha,
atryasa,
Kashyapa,
Agastya gotra. Two gotras that trace descent from kshatriyas are
Mitra and
Vishvamitra gotra.
In general,
gotra denotes any person who traces descent in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Pāṇini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as 'apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram' (IV. 1. 162), which means: "the word gotra denotes the progeny (of a sage) beginning with the son's son". When a person says, "I am Kashypasa-gotra", he means that he traces his descent from the ancient sage Kashyapa by unbroken male descent. This enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known to
Pāṇini. These gotras are not directly connected to Prajapathy or latter brama. The offspring (apatya) of these Eight are gotras and others than these are called 'gotrâvayava'.
[29]
The gotras are arranged in groups, e. g. there are according to the Âsvalâyana-srautasûtra four subdivisions of the Vasishtha gana, viz. Upamanyu,
Parāshara,
Kundina and
Vasishtha (other than the first three). Each of these four again has numerous sub-sections, each being called gotra. So the arrangement is first into ganas, then into pakshas, then into individual gotras. The first has survived in the
Bhrigu and
Āngirasa gana. According to Baudh., the principal eight gotras were divided into pakshas. The pravara of Upamanyu is
Vasishtha, Bharadvasu, Indrapramada; the pravara of the Parâshara gotra is
Vasishtha, Shâktya, Pârâsharya; the pravara of the Kundina gotra is Vasishtha, Maitrâvaruna, Kaundinya and the pravara of Vasishthas other than these three is simply Vasishtha. It is therefore that some define pravara as the group of sages that distinguishes the founder (lit. the starter) of one gotra from another.
There are two kinds of pravaras, 1) sishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara, and 2) putrparampara. Gotrapravaras can be ekarsheya, dwarsheya, triarsheya, pancharsheya, saptarsheya, and up to 19 rishis. Kashyapasa gotra has at least two distinct pravaras in Andhra Pradesh: one with three sages (triarsheya pravara) and the other with seven sages (saptarsheya pravara). This pravara may be either sishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara or putraparampara. Similarly, Srivatsasa gotra has five sages or is called Pancharsheya and are the descendants of Jamadagni. When it is sishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara marriage is not acceptable if half or more than half of the rishis are same in both bride and bridegroom gotras. If it is putraparampara, marriage is totally unacceptable even if one rishi matches.
[30]
[edit] Sects and Rishis
Due to the diversity in religious and cultural traditions and practices, and the
Vedic schools which they belong to,
Brahmins are further divided into various subcastes. During the sutra period, roughly between 1000 BCE to 200 BCE, Brahmins became divided into various
Shakhas (branches), based on the adoption of different
Vedas and different rescension
Vedas. Sects for different denominations of the same branch of the Vedas were formed, under the leadership of distinguished teachers among Brahmins.
There are several Brahmin law givers, such as
Angirasa,
Apasthambha,
Atri,
Bhrigu,
Brihaspati,
Boudhayana,
Daksha,
Gautama,
Harita,
Katyayana,
Likhita,
Manu,
[31] Parasara,
Samvarta,
Shankha,
Shatatapa,
Ushanasa,
Vashishta,
Vishnu,
Vyasa,
Yajnavalkya and
Yama. These twenty-one rishis were the propounders of
Smritis. The oldest among these smritis are Apastamba, Baudhayana, Gautama, and Vasishta
Sutras.
[32]
[edit] Descendants of the Brahmins
Many
Indians and non-Indians claim descent from the Vedic Rishis of both Brahmin and non-Brahmin descent. For example, the
Dash and
Nagas are said to be the descendants of
Kashyapa Muni.
Vishwakarmas are the descendants of Pancha Rishis or Brahmarishies. According to
Yajurveda and
Brahmanda purana, they are Sanagha, Sanathana, Abhuvanasa, Prajnasa, and Suparnasa. The
Kani tribe of
South India claim to descend from
Agastya Muni.
The Gondhali, Kanet, Bhot, Lohar, Dagi, and Hessis claim to be from
Renuka Devi.
The Kasi Kapadi Sudras claim to originate from the
Brahmin Sukradeva. Their duty was to transfer water to the sacred city of
Kashi.
[33]
Dadheech Brahmins/dayama brahmin trace their roots from
Dadhichi Rishi. Many
Jat clans claim to descend from
Dadhichi Rishi while the
Dudi Jats claim to be in the linear of Duda Rishi.
Lord Buddha was a descendant of
Angirasa through
Gautama. There too were
Kshatriyas of other clans to whom members descend from
Angirasa, to fulfill a childless king's wish.
[34]
The backward-caste
Matangs claim to descend from
Matang Muni, who became a Brahmin by his
karma.
According to one legend, the nomadic tribe of
Kerala, the
Kakkarissi, are derived from the mouth of
Garuda, the vehicle of
Lord Vishnu, and came out a Brahmin.
[35]
historian Udai Narain Roy endorses the suggestion that the imperial Guptas were Brahmins.
[edit] Brahmins taking up other duties
Brahmins have taken on many professions - from being priests, ascetics and scholars to warriors and business people, as is attested for example in Kalhana's Rajatarangini. Brahmins with the qualities of Kshatriyas are known as '
Brahmakshatriyas'. An example is the
avatara Parashurama who is considered an
avatara of
Vishnu. Sage Parashurama was a powerful warrior who had defeated the Haiheya kshatriyas twenty one times, was an expert in the use of weapons, and trained others to fight without weapons. After Sage Parshuram destroyed the Kshatriya race, he was excluded by other Brahmin communities and denied to perform any religious ceremonies for him. At the coast of
Arabian sea i.e. the
Western Ghats he decided to create a new brahmin community where he found dead bodies of people came out floating from the sea. He purified them with
Agni and brought back to life. Then he taught them all the veda's, weapons, religious knowledge and made the Brahmin known as
Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmins. Chitapavan means Chit + Pavan the Brahmins whose chit/soul was purified,
Konkanastha means belong to
Konkan region. Chitapavan Konkanastha Brahmin's did not had their own land hence were insulted by other rulers & Brahmins. Hence Sage Parshurama asked the Sea Lord to go back and give some land which he denied. Sage Parshurama got angry and made ready the
Brahmastra to destroy the Sea Lord. Sea Lord frightned and asked to forgive him. Sage Parshurama said that as he has made Brahmhaastra on the arrow ready to launch he cannot return the arrow backwards but he will remove the Brahmaastra and wherever the arrow will land till that point sea will leave the Land for his followers
Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmins. The place from where Sage Parshurama released the arrow is there in Konkan area known as
Lote Parshuram and has a temple of Sage Parshuram. The
Bhumihar Brahmins were established when
Parashurama destroyed the Kshatriya race, and he set up in their place the descendants of Brahmins, who, after a time, having mostly abandoned their priestly functions (although some still perform), took to land-owning.
[36] Many brahmins took up the profession of medicine. They are Vaidya brahmins called Baidya Brahmins of
Bengal [gupta, dasgupta and senguptas] are descendants of Dhanavantari, the god of medicine and father of Ayurveda.
The
Brahmakhatris caste, descendants of the
Khatris, however, are a business caste/community of Punjab and belong to the Kshatriya caste.
Perhaps the word Brahma-kshatriya refers to a person belonging to the heritage of both castes.
[37] However, among the Royal Rajput households, brahmins who became the personal teachers and protectors of the royal princes rose to the status of
Rajpurohit and taught the princes everything including martial arts. They would also become the keepers of the Royal lineage and its history. They would also be the protectors of the throne in case the regent was orphaned and a minor.
Kshatriyan Brahmin is a term associated with people of both caste's components.
[38]
The
Pallavas were an example of Brahmakshatriyas as that is what they called themselves.
King Lalitaditya Muktapida of
Kashmir ruled all of India and even Central Asia.
King
Rudravarma of
Champa (Vietnam) of 657 A.D. was the son of a Brahmin father.
[37]
King Jayavarma I of
Kambuja (Kampuchea) of 781 A.D. was a Brahma-kshatriya.
[37]
Brahmins with the qualities of a
Vaisya or merchant are known as 'Brahmvyasya'. An example of such persons are people of the Ambastha
[39] caste, which exist in places like South India. They perform medical work - that is from ancient times have practiced the
Ayurveda and have been
Vaidyas (or doctors) as have been claimed by these people during the British rule when the Govt. expressed the will to promote cast mobilisation , thence from they started bearing the thread also , but neither the Govt. nor the Hindu oligarchs , none expressed any such sanction .
Many Pallis of South India claim to be Brahmins (while others claim to be
Agnikula Kshatriyas.)
[40] Kulaman Pallis are nicknamed by outsiders as Kulaman Brahmans.
[40] Hemu from
Rewari,
Haryana was also a Brahmin by birth.
[edit] Practices
Brahmins, adhere to the principles of the
Vedas,
Manu Smriti,
Sanatana Dharma, and can be found in any of the different religions of
Hinduism, such as acceptance of the
Vedas.
Brāhmaṇas have six occupational duties, of which three are compulsory—namely, studying the Vedas, worshiping the Deity and giving charity. By teaching, by inducing others to worship the Deity, and by accepting charity back, the
brāhmaṇas receive the necessities of life. This is also confirmed in the
Manu-saḿhitā:
ṣaṇṇāḿ tu karmaṇām asya
trīṇi karmāṇi jīvikā
yajanādhyāpane caiva
viśuddhāc ca pratigrahaḥ
A
brāhmaṇa cannot take up any professional occupational duty for his livelihood. The
śāstras especially stress this, if one claims to be a
brāhmaṇa.
[41] Brahmins believe in
Sarvejanāssukhinobhavaṃtu—Let the entire society be happy and prosperous and
Vasudhaiva kuṭuṃbakaṃ—the whole world is one family. Many Brahmins are reformers. Brahmins practice
vegetarianism or
lacto-vegetarianism which has been a custom since several centuries dating back to
B.C. Following this custom is mandatory in brahmin culture. However, some among the Brahmins inhabiting cold regions of
Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and
Nepal, and coastal areas like
Bengal etc., eat fish and other locally available non-vegetarian foods and hence are
pesco-vegetarians.
Brahmins have a "choti", a braid that was grown on the back of their heads- the main purpose of this was to help differentiate Brahmins from other Hindu Castes, as well as to show that they possess sacred knowledge, unlike others. As a result of this, modern Bhramins often have no choti, or a seriously shortened one, and go on performing their duties as such, showing an inclined respect towards other people.
[edit] Sampradayas
The three
sampradayas (traditions) of Brahmins, especially in
South India are the
Smarta sampradaya, the
Srivaishnava sampradaya and the
Madhva sampradaya.
[edit] Smartism
Smartism (or
Smarta Sampradaya,
Smarta Tradition, as it is termed in
Sanskrit) is a liberal or nonsectarian
denomination of the
Hindu religion who accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one
Brahman in contrast to
Vaishnavism, for example. The term
Smarta refers to adherents who follow the
Vedas and
Shastras.
[edit] Vaishnavism
In south India Srivaishnava sampradayam was propagated by Srimad Ramanjuacharya Which has Given as bhakti marga by azhwar saints.
[edit] Shaivism
Saivism (sometimes called
Shivaism) is a belief system where
Lord Shiva is worshipped as the Supreme Lord. It is a derivative faith of the core Vedic tradition.
Saiva sects contains many sub-sects, such as Rudrasaivas, Veerasiavas, Paramasaivas, etc.
Ravana the Ruler of
Lanka in the Hindu Epic
Ramayana was a Devgan Brahmin Grand son of Sage Pulastya & So of Sage Visharva
[edit] Miscellaneous sects
There are additional sampradayas as well which are not as widely followed as the rest.
The
Mahima Dharma or
"Satya Mahima Alekha Dharma" was founded by the Brahmin Mukanda Das of present-day Orissa, popularly know by followers as Mahima Swami according to the
Bhima Bhoi text.
[42] He was born in the last part of 18th century in Baudh ex-state as a son of Ananta Mishra. He was Brahmin by caste as mentioned in Mahima Vinod of
Bhima Bhoi in Vol.11. This sampradaya is similar to Vaishnavism. Although the members of this sect do not worship
Lord Vishnu as their
Ishta-Deva, they believe that the
Srimad Bhagavatam is sacred. The founder of this sect was a Vaishnavite before founding the new order.
[42] This sampradaya was founded in the latter part of the 18th century.
[42]
There is also the
Avadhoot Panth, wherein
Lord Dattatreya and his forms such as
Narasimha Saraswati and
Sai Baba of Shirdi are worshiped. Lord Dattatreya is worshiped by many as the Hindu trinity -
Brahma,
Vishnu and
Shiva in one divine entity. Many even worship Dattatreya as an
avatar of Vishnu or of
Shiva.
[edit] Brahmins in other religions
[edit] Buddhism
Brahmins were treated with the greatest veneration in the time of the Buddha and there are countless references to Brahmins throughout all of the Buddhist scriptures. Furthermore, most of the major Buddhist founders were Brahmins. They include
Sariputra,
Maudgalyayana,
Mahakashyapa,
Bodhi Dharma,
Nagarjuna,
Asvaghosha,
Padmasambhava,
Shantarakshita,
Nagasena,
Kumarajiva and
Shantideva all of whom have always been referred to their titles as Brahmins in all scriptures. The word Brahmin was not redefined by the Buddha and it continued to be used alongside
Arahant in separate capacities. For example, in the
Ambattha Sutra, we find the Buddha debated a Brahmin who was clearly not an Arahat. Also, in many important
dharanis, Brahmins are mentioned in an entirely different capacity to Arahats and therefore there is a marked difference. The Buddha however insisted that Brahmins had to live up to their great legacy and could not be by birth alone but also had to have the meritorious acts. In the
Dhammapada, the Buddha mentions Brahmins and Arahats in very different capacities and dedicates an entire chapter to what it means to be a real Brahmin called the Brahmana-vagga.
[43] The Buddha did not believe in caste discrimination but he did endorse a fair division of labour based on merit. Brahmins were not to discriminate against lower castes but were to serve them wholeheartedly. Many sutras believe that the Buddha himself was a Brahmin in a previous life and due to his good merit as a Brahmin, he was re-born as the Buddha.
[44] Other experts believe the Buddha descended from Brahmin sage
Angiras whose descendants like
Dronacharya were Shatra Brahmins or warrior Brahmins that eventually became Kshatriya warriors.
The notion of ritual purity provided a conceptual foundation for the caste system, by identifying occupations and duties associated with impure or taboo objects as being themselves impure. Regulations imposing such a system of ritual purity and taboos are absent from the Buddhist monastic code, and not generally regarded as being part of Buddhist teachings
[45] To the contrary, the early Buddhist scriptures defined purity as determined by one's state of mind, and refer to anyone who behaves unethically, of whatever caste, as "rotting within", or "a rubbish heap of impurity".
[46]
There are many places in which the Buddha explains his use of the word
brahman. At
Sutta Nipata 1.7
Vasala Sutta, verse 12, he states: "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a brahman. By deed one becomes an outcast, by deed one becomes a brahman."
[47]
[edit] Jainism
- The first convert of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism was Indrabhuti (aka Gautamswami) the Brahmin, who headed a group of other Brahmins and converted them to Jainism. He was from the village Gobbar (also called Govarya) near Rajgriha. It is said that at the sight of Gautama, the tapsas who were competing with him to reach the top of a hill once, by seeing the winner Gautama at the top, achieved moksha.[48]
- Sajjambhava was another born from Rajgriha and was elected the head of the Jain temple. He is famous for his composition of the "Dasavaikalika Sutra."
- Acharya Vidyanand is a Brahmin of the Dhigambar Jain sect and compiled in the Sanskrit language, "Ashta Shahastri" with eight thousand verses.
- Acharya Shushil Kumar, known better to Jains as "Guruji", was born a Vaidik in the Shakarpur village of the Haryana province. At the age of 15, he took Diksha (became a sanyassin) into the Sthanakvasi, a Swhetambara sub-sect.
- There is also a story about a wealthy Brahmin named Dhangiri in the town of Tumbhivan, who, when heard the sermons of the Jain Acharya Sinhgiri, while he regularly listened to but later lost his interest in wealth and decided to take the Diksha.
- Umasvati was a composer who was so loved by Jains that he is considered by the Dhigambar sect to be a Dhigambar member and the Svetambara sect to be a Svetambara member.
[edit] Sikhism
Many writers of the Guru Granth Sahib are of the
Bhatt surname.
[49] The Sikh composed Mathura Bhatt's fourteen verses are seven each in praise of Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan.
There are also several
Mohyals (Brahmin warriors) in the Sikh community.
[edit] Brahma Kumaris
All students of
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University call also themselves "brahmin" even if they are not
caste born. Only they are
topknot souls of humanity, all other religions are now
shudra. The
Brahma Kumaris and
Prajapita Brahma Kumaris are true brahmins, all other brahmins are just memorials.
[edit] Contributions to society
[edit] Politics
During the
Indian independence movement, many Brahmins were at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and later Indian politics, some of the popular ones are:
Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya(
Hemu),
Mangal Pandey,
Nana Sahib Peshwa,
Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi,
Tatya Tope,
Baikuntha Shukla,
Chandrashekar Azad,
Yogendra Shukla,
Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee,
Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, Adyakrantikarak
Vasudev Balwant Phadke,
Chapekar brothers, Anant Kanhere, Vinayak Deshapande, Vishwanath Vaishampayan,Sri Satyanarayana Shukla,
Basawon Singh (Sinha), Pandit Bhola Shukla,
Balgangadhar Tilak,
Gopal Krishna Gokhale,
Madan Mohan Malaviya,
Surendranath Banerjee,
Mahadev Govind Ranade,
Rajguru,
Ramprasad Bismil,
Vanchinathan,
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar,Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, Prativadi Bhayankara Venkatacharya ("Bhayankarachari"),
Mahavir Tyagi,anand sharma,
Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu,
S. Srinivasa Iyengar,
C. Rajagopalachari,
Pattabhi Sitaramayya,
P. V. Narasimha Rao, R.V.Krishna Iyer,
Laxmi Raman Acharya,
Sri Krishna Sinha,
Gobind Ballabh Pant,
Kamalapati Tripathi,
Sheel Bhadra Yajee,
Ravishankar Shukla,
Kailashnath Katju, Sir
Tej Bahadur Sapru,
Motilal Nehru,
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee,
E. M. S. Namboodiripad, Hiren Mukherjee,
S. A. Dange,
P. C. Joshi, Acharya P. K. Atre,
Baba Amte and
Vinoba Bhave Gangadharrao Deshpande - Lion of Karnataka
Present Brahmins in Indian politics:
Brahmins who became Prime Ministers of India include:
Brahmin Presidents of India include:
Pakistani politician
Mahesh Kumar Malani, a Member of the
National Assembly of Pakistan from the
Pakistan Peoples Party, is also Brahmin.
[edit] Military
- Chanakya was the chief architect of the Maurya empire of Chandragupta Maurya and later his mentor, adviser and strategist. His masterpiece was Arthasastra, one of the greatest treatises on economics, politics, foreign affairs, administration, military arts, war and religion ever produced in India.
- Ramchandra Pant Amatya, called as one of the six pillars of the Maratha empire by none other than Shivaji himself, and later Peshwa Baji Rao I who led the Marathi army to 41 battle victories, without ever losing one, contributed greatly to the Maratha empire's stability and expansion.
- Birbal,[50] the most trusted, admired and loved minister of Akbar, and the incharge of the military and administration, was a Brahmin.
[edit] Scholars and writers
Brahmin scholars and writers include
Pāṇini,
Satyabrata Nath,
Patanjali,
Kalidas,
Satya Sandhani Haridutta Dash,Chandrasekhar pranava (Indian yoga Mentore)
Chanakya,
Banabhatta,
Goswami Tulsidas,
Sur Das, Keshav das, Behari
Saint Dnyaneshwar,
Eknath,
Samarth Ramdas.
Nobel laureate
Rabindranath Tagore,
Prativadi Bhayankara Annangaracharya (Sanskrit scholar and composer of the Suprabhatam in the mid-1400s),
Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri,
Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan,
Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar',
Jiddu Krishnamurthy,
Hazariprasad Dwivedi,
Sumitranandan Pant,
Subramanya Bharathy,
Tarashankar Bandopadhyay,
Ramvriksh Benipuri,
chatanya Mahaprabhu,
Suryakant Tripathi Nirala,
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay,
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee,
Srilal Shukla and
Manohar Shyam Joshi. Other Brahmin scholars include
Pandurang Vaman Kane,
Ram Sharan Sharma and
Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya. Modern writers include
R. K. Narayan,
Chandramani Brahmdutt, cartoonist
R. K. Laxman, Sanskrit scholar
Kundalam Rangachariar, Yoga exponent
B.K.S. Iyengar, journalist
Indra Kant Mishra, and traditional Vedic astrologer
Srirangam Ramesh Guru.
There have been many eminent scholars and writers like
Maasti Venkatesh Iyengar and
Viswanatha Satyanarayana and
Sitakant Mahapatra who produced great literary master pieces in their local languages and won the highest literary award of India, the
Jnanapith award.
[edit] Sciences
Scientists from the Brahmin fold include
Varahamihira,
Brahmagupta,
Aryabhatta,
Bhaskaracharya,
Madhava of Sangamagrama,
Neelakanta Somayaji,
Paramesvara and others of
Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics whose findings and discoveries predated those of many eminent European scientists and mathematicians like Newton by centuries,
[51] Nobel laureates Sir
C. V. Raman and his nephew
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, agricultural scientist
M. S. Swaminathan,
Prof. A. K. Joshi, (molecular plant breeder), ethno-sociologist
M. N. Srinivas, the most talented legendary mathematician
Srinivasa Ramanujan, eminent physicist
Suri Bhagavantam, eminent engineer
M. Visvesvarayya (whose birthday is celebrated as Engineers' day in India), eminent chemist and material scientist
C.N.R. Rao, Nobel laureate
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan,
C. P. Ramanujam and
Shakuntala Devi.
Raja Ramanna, who was instrumental in making India a nuclear weapons state,
P. K. Iyengar,
Vulimiri Ramalingaswami, who served as the director of
AIIMS and later as director general
Indian Council of Medical Research,
U. R. Rao and
K. Kasturirangan, former chairmen of
ISRO,
Prem Chand Pandey and
Narendra Karmarkar. There were/have been many directors, distinguished world renowned faculty members, students and alumni like for instance A.Narasimhachari
[52] and his elder brother A.Raghavachari (topper of IITJEE 88) etc. who have contributed and continuing to contribute immensely to the world wide esteem of premier Indian institutes like
IITs,
IIMs,
AIIMS and
IISc. They (brahmins) also hold many academic, scientific, R&D and industry positions in prestigious establishments in India and abroad, like for example the 2007 "
mathematician's Nobel prize" laureate
S.R. Srinivasa Varadhan of
NYU. Unfortunately because of the socio political and economic challenges they are confronting in the country, India is unable to fully utilize the talents and services of the younger generations of brahmins, who are preferring to migrate away in large numbers in pursuit of better opportunities and recognition outside the country leading to a massive brain drain.
PVN Acharya(1924–1993), of the Prativadi Bhayankara family, received his PhD in Biochemistry with highest honors from the University of Paris-Sorbonne, and published papers with his professor, the famous French scientist Edgar Lederer. As a student in Paris and later as a biochemist in Madison, Wisconsin, PV Narasimh Acharya conducted groundbreaking work in
tuberculosis and was the first scientist to discover that "irreparable DNA damage" is caused by low-dose ionizing radiation, environmental pollutants and the food additives nitrites and nitrates, and that such damage to the DNA is a causal factor in premature aging and cancer.
[53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61] Prior to pursuing his doctorates at the Sorbonne, PVN Acharya graduated from Benares Hindu University, where he studied Oil Technology, and worked at the Shri Ram Institute for Industrial Research and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (New Delhi), where he developed commercial applications for
castor oil including detergents and synthetic materials, including Nylon products.
[edit] Sports
In cricket, major names include
Sunil Manohar Gavaskar,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Rahul Dravid,
Sourav Ganguly,
Dilip Balwanth Vengsarkar,
Ajit Wadekar,
Srinivas Venkatraghavan,
E. A. S. Prasanna, Bagawath Subramania Chandrashekhar, Gundappa Vishwanath,M.L.Jaisimha,
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan,
Chetan Sharma, Parthasarathy Sharma,
Ravi Shastri,
Krishnamachari Srikkanth,
Anjali Vedpathak,
Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman,
Anil Kumble,
Javagal Srinath,
Venkatesh Prasad,
Ajay Sharma,
Dinesh Karthik,
Murali Kartik,
Rohit Sharma,
Ishant Sharma,
Amit Mishra, Subramaniam Badrinath,
Suresh Raina, Maneesh Pandey,
Sadagoppan Ramesh,
Ajit Agarkar,
Hrishikesh Kanitkar,
Sunil Joshi and many more. Other sports names include the world chess champion
Vishwanathan Anand, Kirti Azad (cricketer and M.P.), and 1890s national tennis champion Narumanchi Narayanamurthy from Tenali, Andhra Pradesh.
Saint musicians include
Thyagaraja,
Vyasatirtha,
Raghavendra Swami,
Muthuswami Dikshitar and
Shyama Sastri. Several notable names in
Indian classical music belong to the Brahmin community, such as
Mysore Vasudevacharya,
Bhimsen Joshi,
Gangubai Hangal,
M S Subbulakshmi,
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer,
Pandit Ravi Shankar, Veena
Doraiswamy Iyengar,
Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna,
Pandit Jasraj,
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and
Shivkumar Sharma.
In entertainment, prominent names include
Puttanna Kanagal,
Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao,
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Ghazal Srinivas
Vishnuvardhan,
Srinath,
Usha Uthup,
Mithun Chakraborty,
Kavita Krishnamurthy,
Hrishikesh Mukherjee,
Vyjayantimala,
Hema Malini,
Basu Chatterjee,
Sudhir Phadke,
Balgandharva,
Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande,
Ashok Kumar,
Kishore Kumar, Mukesh,
Shreya Ghoshal,
Udit Narayan,
Shantanu Mukherjee,
Abhijeet,
Kumar Sanu,
Alka Yagnik,
Madhuri Dixit,
Ajay Devgn,
Amrita Rao,
Sharmila Tagore,
Aditi Govitrikar,
Gayatri Joshi,
Sonali Bendre,
Rani Mukherjee,
Kajol,
Vidya Balan,
Sonali Kulkarni and
Deepika Padukone.
Tansen,
Baiju Bawra the musician of
Akbar's court was born a Brahmin.
Rati Agnihotri,
Apurva Agnihotri,
Sunil Dutt,
Sanjay Dutt,
Kamal Hassan,
Suhasini,
Moushumi Chatterjee,
Chunky Pandey,
Rekha,
Hrithik Roshan,
Arjun Rampal,
Shankar Mahadevan,
Hariharan,
Mani Sharma,
Shruti Hassan,
Meenakshi Sheshadri, [Indian Idol winners
Sandeep Acharya,
Sreeram chandra and finalist
N.C. Karunya are also Brahmins.
[edit] Hindu Saints
Brahmin saints include
Adi Shankara,
Ramanuja,
Madhwacharya,
Mandana Mishra,
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
Goswami Tulsidas,
Surdas,
Vallabhacharya,
Dnyaneshwar,
Samarth Ramdas ,
Ramakrishna Paramhansa,
Ramana Maharshi,
Rameshbhai Oza and
Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.
[edit] Hindu avatarams
Some incarnations (
avatarams) of Lord Vishnu were Brahmins.
Parashurama, the son of sage Jamadagni, is considered a redeemer of virtue and set the stage for nobility to manifest as Lord
Rama, the divine king, by ridding the world of unscrupulous and unjust rulers - Haiheyas. As
Vamana, a dwarf Bramhin,
Vishnu who vanquished
Bali, an ancient king of Kerala who became more powerful than the
Devas
[edit] Business
T.T. Krishnamachari, TTK group,
T. V. Sundaram Iyengar, TVS and sons, Sundram Fastners,
Arun Pudur of
Celframe , Infosys,
N. R. Narayana Murthy, SHREE BINDUKSHINI Advisory Services(www.bindukshini.com), Nitin Omprakash Bohra, UB Group
Vijay Mallya,Dr. Gururaj "Desh"
Deshpande, the founder of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT, Jaypee group, The Cognizant,Atre Group,Garware Industries,Kingfisher,Airdeccan,Deccan Aviations,Amrutanjan LTD,Baidyanath,Vicco,Sahara Group,L&T,Amalagamations,TAFE tractors,TIME Institutes,ICFAI institutes,Manipal Institutes,Ashida Electronics,Agri gold,India Cements,Sanmar Group,Kirloskar,Shriram chits,AXIS Bank,ICICI bank,Dhanalaxmi Bank,Karnataka bank pvt ltd,Indus Airways,The Hindu,Seshasayee group,Sankhya Infotech,United Infotech,Gammon Infratech,Camlin Products,Uninor,Vilas rao deshmukh,Jaypee Group,Malladi Pharmaceuticals,Orchid Pharmaceuticals,Orchid hotels,Kamat Hotels,Kohinoor Group,Colorchips animations,
Indra Nooyi, C.E.O. of Pepsico,
C. K. Prahalad,
Nandan Nilekani,Dyaneshwar of ITC,Kiran Majumdar of Biocon etc.
[edit] Social/Public Service
Dhondo Keshav Karve, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (RSS founder), Shri. M.S.Golwalkar (Guruji),
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar,
Kandukuri Veeresalingam,
Durgabai Deshmukh,
Baba Amte,
Pandurang Shastri Athavale,
Sudha Murthy/Infosys Foundation are some of the well known social reformers/activists.& Dr Chandramani Brahmdutt is Chairman and Shri Dev Dutt Sharma is Secretary of INTERNATIONAL BRAHMIN COUNCIL.
Most of India's Chief Justices are Brahmins to name few
Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah, etc.,
C.D. Deshmukh,
H.V.R. Iyengar,
C. Rangarajan,
C.R. Krishna Swamy Rao,
T.N. Seshan,
T.N. Chaturvedi,
B. K. Chaturvedi,
Raju Narayanaswamy and many distinguished civil servants of India who rose to the highest positions of Chiefs of Indian civil services/Cabinet Secretaries of India,
[62] comptroller and auditor generals of India, principal secretaries of various ministries of the Union government and chief secretaries of many Indian student.