PITU GOTRA CONTD 27524 28524 K RAJARAM IRS
The gotras are arranged in groups, e. g. there are according to the
Âsvalâyana-srautasûtra four subdivisions of the Vasishtha gana, viz.
Upamanyu, Parâshara, 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 Ângirasa gana.
According to Baud, 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. 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 putra parampara, marriage is totally
unacceptable even if one rishi matches.
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 sub castes.
Sects or schools for different denominations of the same Veda were formed,
under the leadership of distinguished teachers among Brahmins. The
teachings of these distinguished rishis are called sutras. Every Veda has
its own sutras. The sutras that deal with social, moral and legal precepts
are called dharma sutras, whereas those sutras that deal with ceremonials
are called Srauta sutras and domestic rituals are called gruhya sutras.
sutras are generally written in prose or in mixed prose and verse. These
sutras are based on divine Vedas and are manmade and hence are called
Smritis, meaning “recollected or remembered.”
There are several Brahmin law givers such as Angirasa, Apasthambha, Atri,
Brihaspati, Boudhayana, Daksha, Gautama, Harita, Katyayana, Likhita, Manu,
Parasara, Samvarta, Sankha, Satatapa, Usanasa, Vasishta, Vishnu, Vyasa,
Yajnavalkya and Yama. These twenty-one rishis were the propounders of
Dharma Sastras.
Sherring has also listed some chief gotras according to the Veda each one
observes. Thus the Bhargaus, Sankritas, Gargs (Chandras), Bhrigus and
Saunaks follow the Rig. The Kasyaps, Kaasyaps, Vatsas, Sandilas and
Dhananjays follow the Sama. The Bharadwajs, Bhaaradwajs, Angirahs, Gautams
and Upamanyus observe the Yajur; and the Kaushikas, Gritakaushikas,
Mudhgalas, Galawas and Vashishts follow the Atharva. All others follow the
Yajur. The Brahmin subcastes are broadly categorized into two great
geographical divisions-the north and the south. The dividing line is the
Narmada River. The gaur (white) subcastes, according to Sherring, inhabit
the region north of the Narmada and the draviDa subcastes, the south. The
chief gaur sub castes are Kanakubja, Saraswat, Gaur, Maithila and Utkala
and the chief draviDa subcastes are Maharashtra, Tailanga, Dravida, Karnata
and Gurjar. Then there are supplementary subcastes like Mathur (from
Mathura), Magadh, Malwa, Kurmachali, Naipali (from Nepal), Kashmiri,
Sapt-Shati, Shenevi, Palashe, Sengardaro, Sankahar, Thatiya, Ahwasi
(Haiwasi), Byas, Bilwar, Lrikhishwar, Agachi, Bagaria (Parchuniya),
Unwariya, Golapurab, Lyariya, Nade, Myale, Dasadwipi, Dehra-dun, the names
largely indicating their habitat. Today, many Brahmins don't know and don't
care about these distinctions, which are now of historical importance only.
Intermarriages are becoming very common among these groups, nowadays. As a
matter of fact, Brahmins have been marrying non-Brahmins also.
In the "Yaksa-prasna" of the Mahabharata the simple life of Brahmin is
referred to:
pancame' hani saste va sakam pacati svegrhe
Anrni ca' pravasi ca sa varicara modate
If daytime is divided into eight parts, the Brahmin may have his food only
in the fifth or sixth part after performing all his rites. Before that he
has neither any breakfast nor any snacks. And what does he eat? Not any
rich food, no sweets like almonds crushed in sweetened milk. "Sakam pacati"
- the Brahmin eats leafy vegetables growing on the banks of rivers, such
areas being no one's property. Why is he asked to live by the river side?
It is for his frequent baths and for the leafy vegetables growing free
there and for which he does not have to beg. He should not borrow money:
that is the meaning of the word "anrni", because if he developed the habit
of borrowing he would be 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 of his needs. ...
The Brahmin must be conversant with the fourteen branches of the Vedic
lore. He must be proficient even in Gandharva-veda or music and must be
acquainted with agricultural science, construction of houses, etc. At the
same time he must give instructions in these subjects to pupils from the
appropriate castes. His own vocation is the study of the Vedas and he must
have no other source of income. ...
If the Brahmin is asked, "Do you know how to wield a knife? " he must be
able to answer, "Yes, I know". If he is asked, "Do you know how to draw and
paint" again he must (be able to) say, "Yes". But he cannot wield a knife
or become an artist to earn his livelihood. All he can do is to learn these
arts and teach others the same according to their caste. He is permitted to
receive a daksina to maintain himself and he must be content with it
however small the sum may be. The Brahmin's specialty is his true vocation
is Vedic learning.
... The goal of Vedic works is the happiness of all mankind, indeed the
happiness of all the worlds ("Lokah samastah sukino bhavanthu"). The sound
of the Vedas creates universal well-being, so too Vedic sacrifices. …
Brahmins would be committing a sin if they gave up Vedic rituals and earned
money by doing other types of work.
HOW ENTRY OF GOTRAS SPREAD AS SEEN FROM THE PROFESSION OF BRAHMINS OTHER
THAN VEDA RECITALS
Gaudapadacharya, a proponent of Advaita Vedanta, was born into a Brahmin
family. His disciple, Adi Shankara, is credited with unifying and
establishing the main currents of thought in Hinduism.
Historical records, state scholars, suggest that Brahmin varna was not
limited to a particular status or priest and the teaching profession.
Chanakya, a Brahmin born in 375 BCE, was an ancient Indian polymath who was
active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist,
royal advisor, who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya
in his rise to power and is widely credited for having played an important
role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire. Historical records from mid
1st millennium CE and later, suggest Brahmins were agriculturalists and
warriors in medieval India, quite often instead of as exception. Donkin and
other scholars state that Hoysala Empire records frequently mention Brahmin
merchants "carried on trade in horses, elephants and pearls" and
transported goods throughout medieval India before the 14th-century
*The Pāli Canon* depicts Brahmins as the most prestigious and elite
non-Buddhist figures. They mention them parading their learning. The Pali
Canon and other Buddhist texts such as the Jataka Tales also record
the livelihood
of Brahmins to have included being farmers, handicraft workers and artisans
such as carpentry and architecture. Buddhist sources extensively attest, state
Greg Bailey and Ian Mabbett, that Brahmins were "supporting themselves not
by religious practice, but employment in all manner of secular occupations",
in the classical period of India. Some of the Brahmin occupations mentioned
in the Buddhist texts such as Jatakas and Sutta Nipata are very *lowly*.
The Dharmasutras too mention Brahmin farmers.
According to Haidar and Sardar, unlike the Mughal Empire in Northern
India, Brahmins figured prominently in the administration of Deccan
sultanates. Under Golconda Sultanate Telugu Niyogi Brahmins served in many
different roles such as accountants, ministers, revenue administration and
in judicial service. The Deccan sultanates also heavily recruited Marathi
Brahmins at different levels of their administration. During the days of
Maratha Empire in the 17th and 18th century, the occupation of Marathi
Brahmins ranged from being state administrators, warriors to being de facto
rulers as Peshwa. After the collapse of the Maratha empire, Brahmins in
the Maharashtra region were quick to take advantage of opportunities opened
up by the new British rulers. They were the first community to take up
Western education and therefore dominated lower level of British
administration in the 19th century. Similarly, the Tamil Brahmins were also
quick to take up English education during British colonial rule and
dominate government service and law.
Eric Bellman states that during the Islamic Mughal Empire era Brahmins
served as advisers to the Mughals, later to the British Raj. The East India
Company also recruited sepoys (soldiers) from the Brahmin communities of
Bihar and Awadh (in the present day Uttar Pradesh) for the Bengal army. Many
Brahmins, in other parts of South Asia lived like other varna, engaged in
all sorts of professions. Among Nepalese Hindus, for example, Niels Gutschow
and Axel Michaels report the actual observed professions of Brahmins from
18th- to early 20th-century included being temple priests, minister,
merchants, farmers, potters, masons, carpenters, coppersmiths*, stone
workers, barbers, gardeners* among others.
Other 20th-century surveys, such as in the state of Uttar Pradesh, recorded
that the primary occupation of almost all Brahmin families surveyed was
neither priestly nor Vedas-related, but like other varnas, ranged from crop
farming (80 per cent of Brahmins), dairy, service, labour such as cooking,
and other occupations. The survey reported that the Brahmin families
involved in agriculture as their primary occupation in modern times plough
the land themselves, many supplementing their income by selling their
labour services to other farmers.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, a Brahmin, who founded Brahmo Samaj
Many of the prominent thinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti
movement were Brahmins, a movement that encouraged a direct relationship of
an individual with a personal god. Among the many Brahmins who nurtured the
Bhakti movement were Ramanuja, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Madhvacharya of
Vaishnavism,Ramananda, another devotional poet sant. Born in a Brahmin
family, Ramananda welcomed everyone to spiritual pursuits without
discriminating anyone by gender, class, caste or religion (such as
Muslims). He composed his spiritual message in poems, using widely spoken
vernacular language rather than Sanskrit, to make it widely accessible. The
Hindu tradition recognises him as the founder of the Hindu Ramanandi
Sampradaya, the largest monastic renunciant community in Asia in modern
times.
Other medieval era Brahmins who led spiritual movement without social
or gender discrimination included Andal (9th-century female poet), Basava
(12th-century Lingayatism), Dnyaneshwar (13th-century Bhakti poet),
Vallabha Acharya (16th-century Vaishnava poet), Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu(14th-century Vaishnava saint) were among others.
Many 18th and 19th century Brahmins are credited with religious movements
that criticised idolatry. For example, the Brahmins Raja Ram Mohan Roy led
Brahmo Samaj and Dayananda Saraswati led the Arya Samaj.
Among the Hindus of Bali, Indonesia, Brahmins are called Pedandas.
The role of Brahmin priests, called Sulinggih, has been open to both
genders since medieval times. A Hindu Brahmin priestess is shown in the
paintings of Bali Island features. .
Some Brahmins formed an influential group in Burmese Buddhist kingdoms
in 18th- and 19th-century. The court Brahmins were locally called Punna.
During the Konbaung dynasty, Buddhist kings relied on their court Brahmins
to consecrate them to kingship in elaborate ceremonies, and to help resolve
political questions. This role of Hindu Brahmins in a Buddhist kingdom,
states Leider, may have been because Hindu texts provide guidelines for
such social rituals and political ceremonies, while Buddhist texts do not.
The Brahmins were also consulted in the transmission, development and
maintenance of law and justice system outside India. Hindu Dharma sastras,
particularly Manusmrithi written by the Prajapati Manu, states Anthony Reid,
were "greatly honoured in Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Cambodia and
Java-Bali (Indonesia) as the defining documents of law and order, which
kings were obliged to uphold. They were copied, translated and incorporated
into local law code, with strict adherence to the original text in Burma
and Siam, and a stronger tendency to adapt to local needs in Java
(Indonesia)".
The mythical origins of Cambodia are credited to a Brahmin prince named
Kaundinya, who arrived by sea, married a Naga princess living in the
flooded lands. Kaudinya founded Kambuja-desa, or Kambuja (transliterated to
Kampuchea or Cambodia). Kaundinya introduced Hinduism, particularly Brahma,
Vishnu, Shiva and Harihara (half Vishnu, half Shiva), and these ideas grew
in southeast Asia in the 1st millennium CE. The Chams Balamon (Hindu
Brahmin Chams) form a majority of the Cham population in Vietnam.
Brahmins have been part of the Royal tradition of Thailand,
particularly for the consecration and to mark annual land fertility rituals
of Buddhist kings. A small Brahmanical temple Devasathan, established in
1784 by King Rama I of Thailand, has been managed by ethnically Thai
Brahmins ever since. The temple hosts Phra Phikhanesuan (Ganesha), Phra
Narai (Narayana, Vishnu), Phra Itsuan (Shiva), Uma, Brahma, Indra (Sakka) and
other Hindu deities. The tradition asserts that the Thai Brahmins have
roots in Hindu holy city of Varanasi and southern state of Tamil Nadu, go
by the title Pandita, and the various annual rites and state ceremonies
they conduct has been a blend of Buddhist and Hindu rituals. The coronation
ceremony of the Thai king is almost entirely conducted by the royal Brahmins
.
New Perspectives on Diaspora, , page 105, Quote: "In other words,
according to Adi Shankara's argument, the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta
stood over and above all other forms of Hinduism and encapsulated them.
This then united Hinduism; (...) Another of Adi Shankara's important
undertakings which contributed to the unification of Hinduism was his
founding of a number of monastic centres." The vast expansion of the
brilliance by the smallest numbers on the earth, spread the wings of varna
faculty, which attracted many, other than, into that cult of Gotras of the
Gurus and many more diversities. The intention fabricated scientifically by
Angirasa, the Agni, changed the tracks as an identification. Hence my
comment.
K Rajaram IRS 27524 28524 to be contd
--
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/CAL5XZopDrFSyWkxiXmVFj4XcV7fd_7%3DeWEVMJ90G7d8E7DjOAA%40mail.gmail.com.
