Dear Mr Rajaram,
I read with interest this forward. Especially about iyengar. Will you continue
more about Iyengars in the next posting since what is covered in this forward
appears incomplete?
Gopalakrishnan
On Wednesday, 15 May, 2024 at 07:49:14 am IST, Rajaram Krishnamurthy
<[email protected]> wrote:
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rajaram Krishnamurthy <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 14 May 2024 at 20:44
Subject: PITU GOTRA PART 15 KR IRS 14524 15524 to be contd
To: Ranganathan <[email protected]>, Vanakkam Subbu
<[email protected]>, Chittanandam V R <[email protected]>, YM
<[email protected]>, Dr Sundar <[email protected]>, Venkat Raman
<[email protected]>, Ravi mahajan <[email protected]>, Mani APS
<[email protected]>, Venkat Giri <[email protected]>, SRIRAMAJAYAM
<[email protected]>, Rama <[email protected]>, Rangarajan T.N.C.
<[email protected]>, Mathangi K. Kumar <[email protected]>,
Srinivasan Sridharan <[email protected]>, Gopala Krishnan
<[email protected]>, Kerala Iyer <[email protected]>, Sanathana
group <[email protected]>, thatha patty
<[email protected]>, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]>
PITU GOTRA PART 15 KR IRS 14524 15524 to be contd
i) Niyogi Brahmins : Niyogi Brahmins are those Brahminswho took up various
secular vocations including military activities and gave upreligious vocation,
especially the priesthood. Niyogi Brahmins depend andemphasize on modern
education. They were ministers in the courts of kingsand feudatories. Many of
them were village accountants/clerks, karanams (Andhra)or patwaris (Telangana),
until recently. The Niyogis areconsidered to be eligible for priestly service.
But they will nevereither accept a religious gift or partake of Sraaddha
food(food given to Brahmins duiring the death related rituals). According
toJogendranath Bhattacharya16e,Niyogi name is derived from Yoga, which means
religious contemplation ormeditation, as opposed to Yaga, which means religious
sacrifice. Niyogin inSanskrit also means "employed" or "appointed"
andaccordingly, it is probable that they are so-called because they accept
secularemployment.
They were very rich and influential. Legendary Rayamantri belongs to thisgroup.
Niyogi Brahmins include eminent personalities like VeeresalingamKandukuri,
Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli, Venkatgiri Varahagiri, KL Rao, PrakasamTanguturi,
Venkatanarasimharao Pamulaparti (PV), General K. V. Krishnarao etc. PV was the
only Brahmin Chief Minister (1971-72) of Andhra Pradesh andalso the only Telugu
Brahmin Prime Minister (1991-1996) from South India whoruled the modern Indian
Union. Over the past millennium the Niyogi Brahmins aredivided further into
various groups:
a) Pradhamasakha (First Branch) Niyogi Brahmins
b) Aruvela Niyogi
c) Nandavarika Niyogi
d) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogi
g) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu or Sistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu.
j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi.
a)Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins: This caste belongs to Sukla (white)
YajurvedaSchool, while majority of Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belongto krishna
(black) Yajurveda School. In Maharashtra alsothere is a group of Brahmins
called Pradhamasakha Brahmins. ThePradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins are further
divided intobranches such as Vajasaneyulu, Saivulu, Yajnavalkyulu and Kanvulu.
b) Aruvela Niyogi: AruvelaNiyogi group is the largest Niyogi group. They
belong to KrishnaYajurveda School. According to some, the word "Aruvela"is
derived from 6000 (Aruvelu) villages in velanadu area of AndhraPradesh. Some
believe that Arvelanadu is an alternate name for Velanduand hence the Niyogi
Brahmins of that region are Arvela Niyogis. AruvelaNioyogi Brahmins are
political, worldly-wise, and business minded. Theywere ministers in the courts
of kings and feudatories, and clerks andaccountants (Karanalu). Pamulaparti
family belongs to Aruvela NiyogiBrahmins.
c) Nandavarika Niyogi
d) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogi
g) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu orSistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu: These are teachers,
officials, villageaccountants (karanam). They are mostly located in Ganjam and
Visakhadistricts. Famous poet Krishnamurthy Sistu belongs to this group
ofBrahmins.
j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi
ii) Vaidikulu (Vaidiki Brahmins): Vaidiki Brahmins are thoseBrahmins who
practice mainly religious vocation performing various religiousactivities, in
addition to other mainstream secular vocations like agriculture,cooking,
teaching, clerical, management, administration, architecture, scienceetc. They
perform various religious activities including performingrituals and prayers to
please Gods, planets and stars as priests for bothBrahmins and non-Brahmins, at
homes and in temples. However, they are notthe priests for many Hindu temples
in which animal sacrifices are common. The priests in such Hindu temples are
non-Brahmins. Vaidikis also performrituals for every occasion in life such as
birth, giving solid food to theinfant for the first time (annapraasanamu),
initiation into education (upanyanamu),female puberty, marriage, consummation
of marriage, several stages ofpregnancy, death, carrying the dead bodies,
cremating the dead, etc. Manyof these rituals are very important and limited
to Brahmins, except a fewceremonies like marriage. They also take up even
begging asascetics. This ascetic life of Brahmins was theinspiration for the
Buddhist ascetics.
The majority of Vaidikulubelongs to krishna Yajurveda school. However, there
are Rigvedis, Samavedis etc.also. Some Brahmins had proficiency in several
Vedas, e.g.,Dvivedi is one who has proficiency in 2 Vedas, Trivedi in 3 vedas
andChaturvedi in 4 vedas and are known by those titles as such. However,these
titles became family names, even though the family members may not knowany Veda
at all today. While Niyogis embraced western education,Vaidikulu had shunned
Western education and as a consequence many Vaidikulu arepoor and not well
educated in Western education. According to SriSri Sri Chandrasekharendra
Saraswathi MahaSwamiji, theBrahmins who perform priestly duties and other
religious activities shouldfollow certain rules:
The Brahmin has to wake up at four in the morning and bathe in cold water,rain
or shine, warm or cold. Then, without a break, he has to perform one riteafter
another: sandhyavandana, Brahmayajna, aupasana, puja, vaisvadeva and oneof the
21 sacrifices. If you sit before sacrificial fire for four days you willrealise
how difficult it is with all the heat and smoke. How many are the vowsand the
fasts the Brahmin has to keep and how many are the ritual baths....
.... Other castes do not have to go through such hardships. A Brahmin cannoteat
"cold rice"in the morning like a peasant - he has no"right" to it. The
dharmasastras are not created for his convenienceor benefit, nor to ensure that
he has a comfortable life. He would not haveotherwise imposed on himself the
performance of so many rites and a life ofsuch rigorous discipline. When he has
his daytime meal it will be 1 or 2. (Onthe day of a sraddha it will be three or
four). This is the time the peasantwill have his rest after his meal under a
tree out in the field where he works.And the Brahmin's meal, mind you, is as
simple as the peasant's. There is nodifference between the humble dwelling of
the peasant and that of the Brahmin.Both alike wear cotton. The peasant may
save money for the future but not theBrahmin. He has no right either to borrow
money or to live in style. ...
In the "Yaksa-prasna" of the Mahabharata the simple life of Brahminis referred
to:
pancame' hani saste vasakam pacati svegrhe
Anrni ca' pravasi ca sa varicara modate
If daytime is divided into eight parts, the Brahmin may have his foodonly in
the fifth or sixth part after performing all his rites. Before that hehas
neither any breakfast nor any snacks. And what does he eat? Not any rich food,
nosweets like almonds crushed in sweetened milk. "Sakam pacati" - theBrahmin
eats leafy vegetables growing on the banks of rivers, such areas beingno one's
property. Why is he asked to live by the river side? It is for hisfrequent
baths and for the leafy vegetables growing free there and for which hedoes not
have to beg. He should not borrow money: that is the meaning of theword
"anrni", because if he developed the habit of borrowing he wouldbe tempted to
lead a life of luxury. Poverty and non-acquisitiveness (aparigraha)are his
ideals. A Brahmin ought not to keep even a blade of grass in excess ofhis
needs.
The Brahmin must be conversant with thefourteen branches of the Vedic lore. He
must be proficient even inGandharva-veda or music and must be acquainted with
agricultural science,construction of houses, etc. At the same time he must give
instructions inthese subjects to pupils from the appropriate castes. His own
vocation is thestudy of the Vedas and he must have no other source of income.
...
If the Brahmin is asked, "Do you know to wield a knife? " he must beable to
answer, "Yes, I know". If he is asked, "Do you know todraw and paint" again he
must (be able to) say, "Yes". But hecannot wield a knife or become an artist to
earn his livelihood. All he can dois to learn these arts and teach others the
same according to their caste. Heis permitted to receive a daksina to maintain
himself and he must be contentedwith it however small the sum may be. The
Brahmin's specialty is his truevocation is Vedic learning.
... The goal of Vedic works is the happiness of all mankind, indeed
thehappiness of all the worlds ("Lokah samastah sukino bhavanthu"). Thesound of
the Vedas creates universal well-being, so too Vedic sacrifices. …Brahmins
would be committing a sin if they gave up Vedic rituals and earnedmoney by
doing other types of work.
There are many subcastes in Vaidiki Brahmins as well:
l) Vaishnava
m) Draavidulu
n) Madhvulu
o) Velanati Vaidikulu
p) Telaganyulu or Telaganadu Vaidikis
q) Venginati Vaidikulu
r) Kasalnati Vaidikulu
s) Muraknati Vaidikulu
u) Adisaivulu
v) Saivulu
l) Vaishnava: Pancharatraand Vaikhanasa Brahmanulu: Among the
Vaishnavities, the strictvegetarians and highly educated people also are given
the approximate status ofbrahmins in Andhra Pradesh. They adhere to either the
medieval Tenkalai orVadakalai and Agaama scriptures. One section follows
Vaikhanasa scripturesand other the Pancharaatra, dealing mainly with temple
ritual. Theyrun large temple establishments very efficiently. They rose to
prominenceduring Vijayanagar times. They are followers panchasamskara,
ekayanayajus sakha and katyayana sutra. TheseVaishnavite Brahmins are spread
mainly in Karnataka and Andhra, and to someextent in Tamil Nadu also.
Vaikanasa subcaste belongs to this group. The great Vaishnavite reformers like
Ramanujacharya, Ramananda (northIndia), Madhva (all over south India), Vallabh
Acharya (found among vela Nadu, Gujarat,Rajasthan and UP), Nimbaarka, etc. Not
all the followers of theseVaishnavite reformers are Brahmins. Some of these
Vaishnavite includeAcharis, Iyengar and vela Nādu vaideekulu. These Vaishnavas
are also knownas Andhra Vaishnava.
Theyrely on the doctrines laid down in the medieval scriptures (agamas).
Many ofthe famous temple establishments like Tirupati and Ahobilam are run
pervaishnavite agamic canons. The big hearted Raamanuja fought against caste
distinctionsand gathered under his doctrine, people from all walks of life and
caste andreligion and occupation and said henceforth they shall be known as
onecommunity. Thus he created the Iyengar community, and told them to always
workfor reform of society. Some of the earlier vaishnava and bhagaavata
adherentsalso merged into the iyengars. Later there was a large immigration
ofRamaanandi vaishnavas from north India and another large migration
fromGujarat. While they too merged, slight differences arose.
The great Raamanujaspecifically included among his followers sc's, tribals,
immigrant foreignsoldiers, arabs and turks, destitutes women, jains, etc.
Raamanuja's effortsare glossed over bymodern pseudo-secular writers. Ramanuja
and his laterdisciples running the movement, certainly saw to it that there was
no moreexclusivism of caste groups inside the community. All the same it
appears theymade sure that the brightest were selected as iyengars,
evangelizers ofvaishnavism, without any regard to their former caste or other
origins. It ishowever true, after some centuries this reformist movement became
just anothercaste, not quite sure about its place in the hierarchy.
The immense and lastinginfluence of Raamanuja is probably not realised by many
Indians. Here are somedirect and indirect descendants of his thought: ---the
entire actual livevaishnava tradition of today, and including offshoots and
modifications and themovements heavily influenced like those of Raamananda
Kabir Ravidas NanakTulsidas Vallabhacharya Nimbaarka Madhvacharya Raghavendra
Chaitanya Ramdas....even recent reformers like Phule and isckon and others
One characteristic method usedby the gurus was community dinners, where
everybody sat together withoutdistinction. This went a long way towards
reduction of old discriminations. Asa consequence there are expert cooks who
easily handle very large scale cookingamong them. Old tribal cult spots and
medieval pilgrimage centers like theVaraaha shrine at Tirupati were modernised,
along with the new scriptures andnew rituals invented by Ramanujacharya to
foster a cooperative spirit. He alsokept in mind the weaning away of simple
tribal people from bloodsacrifices. It seems many jains also merged with
vaishnavites, just like in anearlier era buddhists shifted to various sects of
saivism. His followers alsotook up the spread of education, whose effect which
lasts to this day. Thevaishnavite communities in Andhra Pradesh have a marked
bent towards education,literature and performing arts like music and dance.
PITU GOTRA PART 15 KR IRS 1452415524 to be contd
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