Mr Rajaram,
95% of the forwarded contents are repeat, perhaps for refreshing. You can read
yourself from the forward, from the medieval India, Brahmins were engaged many
occupations. So your old version has changed gradually.
At one time Brahmins lived with Bhiksha. As times passed Brahmins had many
other occupations than priests.
it is not outof place you must add " forward" with this type of postings, or
in the introductory page mention about the contents.
Nowhere it is told from where you got the forwarded material.
Gopalakrishnan
On Tuesday, 28 May, 2024 at 07:45:33 am IST, Rajaram Krishnamurthy
<[email protected]> wrote:
PITU GOTRA CONTD 27524 28524 K RAJARAM IRS
The gotras are arranged ingroups, e. g. there are according to the
Âsvalâyana-srautasûtra foursubdivisions of the Vasishtha gana, viz. Upamanyu,
Parâshara, Kundina andVasishtha (other than the first three). Each of these
four again has numeroussub-sections, each being called gotra. So the
arrangement is first into ganas,then into pakshas, then into individual gotras.
The first has survived in theBhrigu and Ângirasa gana. According to Baud, the
principal eight gotras weredivided 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
simplyVasishtha. It is therefore that some define pravara as the group of sages
thatdistinguishes the founder (lit. the starter) of one gotra from another.
There are two kinds ofpravaras, 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 distinctpravaras in Andhra Pradesh: one with three sages (triarsheya
pravara) and theother with seven sages (saptarsheya pravara). This pravara may
be eithersishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara or putraparampara. When it
issishya-prasishya-rishi-parampara marriage is not acceptable if half or
morethan half of the rishis are same in both bride and bridegroom gotras. If it
isputra parampara, marriage is totally unacceptable even if one rishi matches.
Due to the diversity inreligious and cultural traditions and practices, and the
Vedic schools whichthey belong to, Brahmins are further divided into various
sub castes.
Sects or schools fordifferent denominations of the same Veda were formed, under
the leadership ofdistinguished teachers among Brahmins. The teachings of these
distinguished rishis are called sutras. EveryVeda has its own sutras. The
sutras that deal with social, moral and legalprecepts are called dharma sutras,
whereas those sutras that deal withceremonials are called Srauta sutras and
domestic rituals are called gruhyasutras. sutras are generally written inprose
or in mixed prose and verse. These sutras are based on divine Vedas andare
manmade and hence are called Smritis, meaning “recollected or remembered.”
There are several Brahmin lawgivers 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-onerishis were the propounders of Dharma
Sastras.
Sherring has also listed somechief 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 theKaushikas, Gritakaushikas, Mudhgalas, Galawas and Vashishts
follow the Atharva.All others follow the Yajur. The Brahmin subcastes are
broadly categorized intotwo great geographical divisions-the north and the
south. The dividing line isthe Narmada River. The gaur (white) subcastes,
according to Sherring, inhabitthe region north of the Narmada and the draviDa
subcastes, the south. The chiefgaur sub castes are Kanakubja, Saraswat, Gaur,
Maithila and Utkala and the chiefdraviDa subcastes are Maharashtra, Tailanga,
Dravida, Karnata and Gurjar. Thenthere 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, manyBrahmins don't know and don't care about these
distinctions, which are now ofhistorical importance only. Intermarriages are
becoming very common among thesegroups, nowadays. As a matterof fact, Brahmins
have been marrying non-Brahmins also.
In the"Yaksa-prasna" of the Mahabharata the simple life of Brahmin isreferred
to:
pancame' hani saste va sakampacati svegrhe
Anrni ca' pravasi ca savaricara modate
If daytime is divided intoeight parts, the Brahmin may have his food only in
the fifth or sixth partafter performing all his rites. Before that he has
neither any breakfast norany snacks. And what does he eat? Not any rich food,
no sweets like almondscrushed in sweetened milk. "Sakam pacati" - the Brahmin
eats leafyvegetables 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 forthe 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 alife of luxury. Poverty and non-acquisitiveness (aparigraha) are his
ideals. ABrahmin ought not to keep even a blade of grass in excess of his
needs. ...
The Brahmin must beconversant with the fourteen branches of the Vedic lore. He
must be proficienteven in Gandharva-veda or music and must be acquainted with
agriculturalscience, construction of houses, etc. At the same time he must
giveinstructions in these subjects to pupils from the appropriate castes. His
ownvocation 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 andpaint" again
he must (be able to) say, "Yes". But he cannotwield a knife or become an artist
to earn his livelihood. All he can do is tolearn these arts and teach others
the same according to their caste. He ispermitted to receive a daksina to
maintain himself and he must be contentwith it however small the sum may be.
The Brahmin's specialty is his truevocation is Vedic learning.
... The goal of Vedic worksis the happiness of all mankind, indeed the
happiness of all the worlds("Lokah samastah sukino bhavanthu"). The sound of
the Vedas createsuniversal well-being, so too Vedic sacrifices. … Brahmins
would be committing asin if they gave up Vedic rituals and earned money by
doing other types ofwork.
HOW ENTRY OF GOTRAS SPREAD AS SEEN FROM THE PROFESSION OF BRAHMINS OTHERTHAN
VEDA RECITALS
Gaudapadacharya, a proponent of Advaita Vedanta, wasborn into a Brahmin family.
His disciple, Adi Shankara, is credited withunifying and establishing the main
currents of thought in Hinduism.
Historical records, statescholars, suggest that Brahmin varna was not limited
to a particular status orpriest and the teaching profession. Chanakya, a
Brahmin born in 375 BCE, was anancient Indian polymath who was active as a
teacher, author, strategist,philosopher, economist, jurist, royal advisor, who
assisted the first Mauryan emperorChandragupta Maurya in his rise to power and
is widely credited for havingplayed an important role in the establishment of
the Maurya Empire. Historicalrecords from mid 1st millennium CE and later,
suggest Brahmins were agriculturalists and warriors inmedieval India, quite
often instead of as exception. Donkin and other scholars state that Hoysala
Empirerecords frequently mention Brahminmerchants "carried ontrade in horses,
elephants and pearls" and transported goodsthroughout medieval India before the
14th-century
The Pāli Canon depicts Brahmins as the most prestigious andelite non-Buddhist
figures. They mention them parading their learning. The Pali Canon and
otherBuddhist 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
Baileyand Ian Mabbett, that Brahmins were "supporting themselves not by
religious practice, butemployment in all manner of secular occupations", in the
classicalperiod of India. Some of the Brahmin occupations mentioned in the
Buddhisttexts such as Jatakas andSutta Nipata are very lowly. The Dharmasutras
too mention Brahmin farmers.
According to Haidar and Sardar, unlike the Mughal Empire in NorthernIndia,
Brahmins figuredprominently in the administration of Deccan sultanates. Under
Golconda Sultanate TeluguNiyogi Brahmins served in many different roles such as
accountants,ministers, revenue administration and in judicial service. The
Deccansultanates also heavily recruitedMarathi Brahmins at different levels of
their administration. During thedays of Maratha Empire in the 17th and 18th
century, the occupation of MarathiBrahmins ranged from beingstate
administrators, warriors to being de facto rulers as Peshwa. After the collapse
of the Maratha empire, Brahmins in the Maharashtra region werequick to take
advantage of opportunities opened up by the new British rulers.They were the
first community to take up Westerneducation and therefore dominatedlower level
of British administration in the 19th century. Similarly,the Tamil Brahmins
were also quick to take up English education during Britishcolonial rule and
dominate government service and law.
Eric Bellman statesthat during the Islamic MughalEmpire era Brahmins
served as advisers to the Mughals, later to the British Raj.The East India
Company alsorecruited sepoys (soldiers) from the Brahmin communities of Bihar
and Awadh (inthe present day Uttar Pradesh) for the Bengal army. Many Brahmins,
in otherparts of South Asia lived like other varna, engaged in all sorts of
professions.Among Nepalese Hindus, for example, Niels Gutschow andAxel Michaels
report the actual observed professions of Brahmins from18th- to early
20th-century includedbeing 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 Brahminfamilies surveyed was neither
priestly nor Vedas-related, but like othervarnas, ranged from crop farming (80
per cent of Brahmins), dairy, service,labour such as cooking, and other
occupations. The survey reported that theBrahmin families involved in
agriculture as their primary occupation in moderntimes plough the land
themselves, many supplementing their income by sellingtheir labour services to
other farmers.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, aBrahmin, who founded Brahmo Samaj
Many of the prominentthinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti movement
were Brahmins, amovement that encouraged a direct relationship of an individual
with a personalgod. Among the many Brahmins who nurtured the Bhakti movement
were Ramanuja,Nimbarka, Vallabha and Madhvacharya of Vaishnavism,Ramananda,
anotherdevotional poet sant. Born in a Brahmin family, Ramananda welcomed
everyone tospiritual pursuits without discriminating anyone by gender, class,
caste orreligion (such as Muslims). He composed his spiritual message in poems,
usingwidely spoken vernacular language rather than Sanskrit, to make it
widelyaccessible. The Hindu tradition recognises him as the founder of the
Hindu Ramanandi Sampradaya, the largest monasticrenunciant community in Asia in
modern times.
Other medieval era Brahmins who ledspiritual 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 centuryBrahmins are credited with religious movements that
criticised idolatry. Forexample, the Brahmins Raja Ram Mohan Roy led Brahmo
Samaj and DayanandaSaraswati 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 ofBali
Island features. .
Some Brahmins formed an influential group in Burmese Buddhist kingdoms
in18th- and 19th-century. The court Brahmins were locally called Punna. During
the Konbaung dynasty, Buddhist kings relied on their courtBrahmins to
consecrate them to kingship in elaborate ceremonies, and tohelp resolve
political questions. This role of Hindu Brahmins in a Buddhistkingdom, states
Leider, may have been becauseHindu texts provide guidelines for such social
rituals and politicalceremonies, 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 definingdocuments of law and order, which kings
were obliged to uphold. They were copied, translated and incorporated into
local lawcode, with strict adherence to the original text in Burma and Siam,
anda stronger tendency to adapt to local needs in Java (Indonesia)".
The mythical origins of Cambodia arecredited to a Brahmin prince named
Kaundinya, who arrived by sea, married a Naga princess living inthe flooded
lands. Kaudinya founded Kambuja-desa, orKambuja (transliterated to Kampuchea or
Cambodia). Kaundinya introducedHinduism, particularly Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and
Harihara (half Vishnu, halfShiva), and these ideas grew in southeast Asia in
the 1st millennium CE. The Chams Balamon (Hindu BrahminChams) form a majority
of the Cham population in Vietnam.
Brahmins have been part of the Royaltradition of Thailand, particularly for
the consecration and to mark annual land fertility ritualsof 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 Hindudeities. The tradition
asserts that the Thai Brahminshave roots in Hindu holy city of Varanasi and
southern state of Tamil Nadu, goby the title Pandita, and the various annual
rites and state ceremoniesthey conduct has been a blend of Buddhist and Hindu
rituals. The coronation ceremony of the Thaiking is almost entirely conducted
by the royal Brahmins.
New Perspectives on Diaspora, , page105, Quote: "In other words,
according to Adi Shankara's argument, thephilosophy of Advaita Vedanta stood
over and above all other forms of Hinduismand encapsulated them. This then
united Hinduism; (...) Another of AdiShankara's important undertakings which
contributed to the unification ofHinduism was his founding of a number of
monastic centres." The vastexpansion of the brilliance by the smallest numbers
on the earth, spread thewings of varna faculty, which attracted many, other
than, into that cult ofGotras of the Gurus and many more diversities. The
intention fabricatedscientifically by Angirasa, the Agni, changed the tracks as
an identification.Hence my comment.
K Rajaram IRS 27524 28524 to be contd
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