CLASSES OF NAMBOOTHIRIS- FORWARD
FunctionalClassification: Namboothiris are classified into tensects. The classification was solely based on the jobs entrusted to (oropted by) the respective family. Later, two moreclasses have been added, one due to a new profession and another as aspecial group. All membersof a family were supposed to do the jobs entrusted to (or opted by) thatfamily, which was assigned corresponding rights too. Though this classification methodology later turned out to be aranking system of the families depending on the vocation entrusted to them, all Namboothiris were urged bytheir supreme authority to respect each other's profession, and hence to respect every other Namboothiri. Also, therewas a special clause that if three successive generations in any Namboothirifamily could not perform the job entrusted to them, the whole family will bedenied that job. Also the family will be reverted to the previous class. TABLE: Rights and Duties of the Ten DifferentClasses Rights /Specification area Aadu Edu Bhiksha Picha Othu Saanthi Adukkala Arangu Panthi Kadavu 1 Yaagam (Yaagadhikaaram) –Aadu yes All othersno 2 Bhattavruthi (Higher studies) - Aadu Eduyes All others no 3 Sainthood (Samnyaasam) - Aadu Edu Bhikshayes Allothers no 4 Othikkan (Practitioner of Vedams) - AaduEdu Bhiksha Picha yes All others no 5 Study and Teach Vedam Aadu Edu BhikshaPicha Othu yes All others no 6 Temple Priesthood - area Aadu Edu Bhiksha Picha Othu Saanthi yes All others no 7 Large-scale Cooking and Catering- Aadu Edu Bhiksha Picha Othu Saanthi Adukkala yes All othersno 8 Military and Panemkali - Aadu Edu Bhiksha Picha Othu Saanthi Adukkala Arangu yes All others no 9 Dining with other Namboothiris -- Aadu Edu Bhiksha Picha Othu Saanthi Adukkala Arangu panthi yes All others no 10 Bathing withother Namboothiris- all yes 1. Aadu (Literallymeaning goat, essential in Yaagam): They are specialised in Yaagam, andhave Yaagaadhikaaram or the right to perform Yaagam. 2. Edu (a page ina book, symbolising knowledge): They have the right to acquireknowledge and teach Sanskrit, Vedam, Linguistics, Astronomy, Astrology,Architecture and so on. 3. Bhiksha (alms,symbolising a saint or a samnyaasi): They have the right tobecome a saint (or samnyaasi). 4. Picha (alsomeans alms, in crude form): They are Othikkans, helping otherNamboothiris to perform rituals. There are several Othikkan families throughoutKerala. Each Namboothiri family (even if it belongs to Aadu class) has anOthikkan family associated with it. All major rituals in a family are performed only after consulting thefamily's Othikkan. 5. Othu (Spiritualhymns): This class of Namboothiris was basically teachers ofOthu (Vedam). Even boys of families belonging to Aadu class are sent to suchteachers to study Othu though their parents were experts in it. 6. Saanthi (templepriesthood): These Namboothiris are priests in temples. Even todaymany such Namboothiri families keep this tradition at least one member of thefamily regularly attend the temple rituals (pooja, etc). A temple priest is called a Saanthi orSaanthikkaaran. Families belonging to even Aadu class do not poke their noseinto the affairs of a Saanthikkaaran's power inside the sanctum sanctorum. They are consideredinefficient in Othu because, since templerituals and Vedic classes are usully performed during the same time, theycannot attend Vedic classes. Also, due to hectic schedules in temples,they could not practice Samhita (Vedic text), Braahmanam, Aaranyakam andUpanishad. However,after Upanayanam, the Aachaaryan chants and advises Othu (Vedam) to boys ofthis class. They need not study Braahmanam, Aaranyakam and Upanishads. Wheneverthey need Othu (Vedam), Namboothiris of theabove class chant it on their behalf. For the same reason, the classes mentioned below (7 to10) also lost the right to study, teach and practise Othu or Vedam. Moreover,while chanting Manthrams for offering oblations to the deity, priests take outthe Braahmana energy from own soul and integrate it into the deity. My note- I recollect a TV interview with Thanthri ofSabarimalai, where he was telling not knowing Vedam. I wondered on that day,Now I am clear. Thus, it isbelieved that priests run short of Braahmana energy, which they shouldcompensate for by chanting Gaayathri Manthram several thousand times, daily.Since priests do not always find time for this, they are again consideredexcluded from Othu (Vedam). 7. Adukkala (kitchen,symbolising cooking): These Namboothiri families werespecialists in large-scale cooking and catering. Afamily belonging to this group has to be consulted on all catering-relatedissues including for Yaagam. 8. Arangu (stage): This special group ofNamboothiris, called Chaathira Namboothiris, was a military group. Theirevening entertainment was Panemkali (Sanghakkali). (To know more about it,Click here ). 9. Panthi (diningstructure): Namboothiris like Graamani,Thangal, Vaal-Nambi and Ashtavaidyans (all Mooss families except Vaidhyamadham)belong to this category. Vaidhyamadham, though an Ashtavaidyan, belongs toAadu class, as they are the Vaidyans in theYaagasaala (the hall where Yaagam is performed). Moossfamilies are not included in the eight classes as these physicians performsurgery. Graamani Namboothiris, Thangal Namboothiris and VaalNambis are Namboothiris performing village administration and hence excludedfrom the above eight classes. 10.Kadavu (bathing points in the pond): Elayathu and Adikal are Namboothiris belonging to this category. Elayathu andAdikal are not included in the above nine classes because Elayathu helps members of other castes to perform theirrituals, while Adikal uses meat and blood to perform temple rituals. Lateron, an eleventh class of Namboothiris was formed when therewas a need to settle disputes on the methods and structure of Pooja (offeringor oblation) in temples and to form temple policies. A familyspecialised in such activities became known as Thanthri. Now there is aThanthri (family)associated with every temple in Kerala. Thanthris were drawn from almost all the classes ofNamboothiris narrated above. GeneralClassification:Yet another method of classification evolved later. Based on this, the aboveten types of Namboothiris were generally classifiedinto three, which are as follows. It has to be noted that historicalmanuscripts do not give any proper basis for Aadhyan-Aasyan classification. Aadhyan Namboothiris: Aadhyan Namboothiris aregenerally considered as elite, though there is no known basis other than abelief in the form of a story. Aadhyan Namboothirigroup is a special group of Aadu class. Aasyan Namboothiris: Non-Aadhyan Namboothirisof Aadu class and families belonging to Edu, Bhiksha, Picha and Othu classes are generally considered as AasyanNamboothiris. Othillaatha Namboothiris (Namboothiris withoutOthu, or excluded from Vedam): Namboothiris belongingto the last five classes are generally called "Othillaatha"Namboothiris, as they did not have theright to study, teach and practice Othu. In the fifthcentury AD, as the story goes, members of eight Namboothiri families led by Mezhathol Agnihothri, took apledge to perform 100 Yagams. When theycompleted 99 Yagams, Lord Indran feared that his power would be lost to theYajamaanan (leader) of this Yaagam. Indran andother Devans personally arrived in the 99th Yaagasaala to accept the oblationsmeant for each of them. Indran then pleaded to Agnihothri to stop performingthe 100th Yaagam. The leaderdeclined the request of saying that he was performing it not for his own betterposition but for retaining the culture of Yaagam among Braahmanans. Indran then offered Agnihothri hisequal status. Agnihothridemanded conceding of this status to the other seven participant families also.(Seventeen experts are needed to perform Yaagam. For the 99Yaagams, Agnihothri had drawn the experts from seven families). Indran acceptedthe demand and blessed them. Theybecame known as "Ashtagrihathil Aadhyanmaar" (eight elite families). He also went to the extent of blessing them thattheir successors need not perform Yaagam. Though it isjust a folklore, it could be believed that by conducting 99 Yaagams, members ofthese eight Namboothiri families have become experts in almost all the aspectsof Vedam. Looking fromthat angle, the efforts of Mezhathol Agnihothri andseven other families to preserve the Vedic tradition of Namboothiris are to beappreciated. These eightfamilies (given as a kind of synonymt, Kala-me-ma-kulu-chem-pa-muri-vella) arethe Grihams of Kala (Kalankandathur), Me (Mezhathol), Ma (Mathur), Kulu(Kulukkamillavoor or Kulukkalloor), Chem (Chemmangad), Pa (Pazhoor), Muri(Muringoth) and Vella (Vella). Their successor families are detailed later. Allthese Namboothiris became known as Namboothiripads or Bhattathiripads. Femalemembers of these eight families had shown off their elite status by changingtheir style of wearing costumes, ornaments and certain rituals, with no properand authentic defenition attached to these changes. It is a factthat by looking at a Namboothiri male, it is very difficult to identify whetherhe is an Aadhyan or Aasyan. Butby looking at a married Namboothiri lady's Thaali (wedding gold locket), onecan easily identify whether she (or rather her husband) is Aadhyan or Aasyan. Aadhyanshave "Kamazhthithaali" (convex wedding gold locket) while Aasyanshave "Malathithaali" (flat wedding gold locket). Old AadhyanNamboothiri ladies were concerned about wearing costumes and specially designedtypical ornaments in Aadhyan style. Other than these, there is no specialmeaning attached to Aadhyan-Aasyan differentiation. It is a factthat not all the Namboothiripad and Bhattathiripad families are members orsuccessors of these eight families. Except thefamilies mentioned below, all Namboothiripad and Bhattathiripad familiesoriginally had the surname Namboothiri and Bhattathiri respectively. Some of themjust added the "pad" though they continued to use Aasyan costumes,ornaments and Malathithali. Some others went to the extent of changing thosetoo to the Aadhyan style. Yetanother group of today's Namboothiripad and Bhattathiripad families attainedthat status by affiliating themselves to one of these 8 families by adopting amember from it. Such was thecraze for being an Aadhyan Namboothiri. To summerise, the Aadhyan-Aasyandifferentiation is more of a show off than with any concrete base. I will continue in next posting. Reference- Nampoothiri.com.Stored long back in my computer. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/782538712.4983340.1625367428284%40mail.yahoo.com.
