- This page deals with the Hindu varnas. For other uses of this word and similar words, see Brahmana, Brahman and Brahman (disambiguation). For the family of moths known as brahmin moths, see Brahmaeidae.
The Sanskrit word Brāhmaṇa denotes the scholar/teacher, priest, caste, class (varṇa), or tribe, that has been traditionally enjoined to live a life of learning, teaching, non-possessivenes and subsistence through alms and gifts from the other castes that have temporal power and financial wherewithal.[1][2][3] The Sanskrit terms Brahman and Brāhman ("belonging to Brahman") are also used.[4] The English word brahmin is an anglicised form of Sanskrit word brāhmana.
Brahmins are also called Vipra "inspired",[5] or Dvija "twice-born".[6]
In 1931 (the last Indian census to record caste), Brahmins accounted for 4.32% of the total population. Brahmins even in Uttar Pradesh, where they were most numerous, constituted just 9% of the recorded population. In Tamil Nadu they formed less than 3% and in Andhra Pradesh, less than 2%.[7] In Kerala Brahmins make up 1.59% of the population.
History
-
The history of the Brahmin community in India begins with the Vedic religion, also known as Sanatana Dharma, in ancient India. The Vedas are the primary source of knowledge for brahmin practices. All the sampradayas of Brahmins take inspiration from the Vedas. According to Brahmin tradition, it is believed that Vedas are apauruṣeya and anādi (beginning-less), but are revealed truths of eternal validity. The Vedas are considered Śruti (that which is heard, signifying the oral tradition). Traditional Brahmin accepts Vedas as apaurusheyam (not man-made), but revealed truths and of eternal validity or relevance and hence the Vedas are considered Srutis that which have been heard and are the paramount source of Brahmin traditions and is believed to be divine. These Srutis include not only the four Vedas (the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda), but also their respective Brahmanas. Brahman and Brahmin are not the same. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self or God of Hindus--the monotheistic God of the Hindus. Brahmin or Brahmana refers to the caste of an individual. The brahmins belong to the priestly class. Additionally, the word Brahma refers to first of the gods but not Brahman, the Supreme God.
Brahmin communities
- See also: Brahmin communities
The Brahmin castes may be broadly divided into two regional groups: Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins as per the shloka,however this sloka is from Rajatarangini of Kalhana which is composed only in 11th CE and many communities find their traces from sages mentioned in, much older VedaS and puranas.
कर्णाटकाश्च तैलंगा द्राविडा महाराष्ट्रकाः,
गुर्जराश्चेति पञ्चैव द्राविडा विन्ध्यदक्षिणे ||
सारस्वताः कान्यकुब्जा गौडा उत्कलमैथिलाः,
पन्चगौडा इति ख्याता विन्ध्स्योत्तरवासि ||[8]
Translation: Karnataka, Telugu (Andhra), Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), Maharashtra and Gujarat are Five Southern (Panch Dravida). Saraswata, Kanyakubja, Gauda, Utkala, Maithili are Five Northern (Pancha Gauda). This classification occurs in Rajatarangini of Kalhana and is mentioned by Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya in "Hindu Castes and Sects." [9]
Pancha Gauda Brahmins
Panch Gaur (the five classes of Northern India): 1) Saraswat, 2) Kanyakubja, 3) Gauḍa brahmins, 4) Utkala Brahmin, and 5) Maithil Brahmin. In addition, for the purpose of giving an account of Northern Brahmins each of the provinces must be considered separately, such as, North Western Provinces and Pakistan, Gandhar, Punjab, Kashmir, Sindh, Rajputana, Kurukshetra, Nepal, ayodhya (Oudh), Central India, Trihoot, Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Assam etc. The originate from south of the (now-extinct) Saraswati River.[10]
In Punjab, they are classified as Saraswat Brahmins.
In Bihar, majority of Brahmins are Bhumihar[citation needed], Kanyakubja Brahmins and Maithil Brahmins with a significant population of Sakaldipi or Shakdweepiya Brahmins.
In Haryana, the brahmin classified in mainly Dahima/Dayama/Dahima brahmin, Gaud brahmin, Khandelwal brahmin.
In Rajasthan, the Brahmins are classified in mainly Dahima/Dayama/Dahima brahmin, Gaud Brahmin, Sri Gaud Brahmin, Khandelwal Brahmin, Gujar-Gaud Brahmins.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Brahmins are classified in mainly Shri Gaud, Sanadya, Gujar-Gaud Brahmins. Majority of Shri Gaud Brahmins are found in the Malwa region (Indore, Ujjain, Dewas).
In Nepal, the Brahmins are classified in mainly Upadhaya Brahmin, Jaisi Brahmin and Kumain Brahmins. Upadhaya Brahmins are supposed to have settled in Nepal long before the other two groups.
In Sindh, the saraswat brahmins from nasarpur of sindh province are called Nasarpuri Sindh Saraswat Brahmin. During the India and Pakistan partition migrated to India from sindh province.
Pancha Dravida Brahmins
Panch Dravida (the five classes of Southern India): 1) Andhra, 2) Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), 3) Karnataka, 4) Maharashtra and Konkon, and 5) Gujarat. They originate from north of the (now-extinct) Saraswati River.[11]
In Andhra Pradesh, Brahmins are broadly classified into 2 groups: Vaidika (meaning educated in vedas and performing religious vocations) and Niyogi (performing only secular vocation), which are further divided into several sub-castes. However, majority of Brahmins, both Vaidika and Niyogi, perform only secular professions. [12]
In Kerala, Brahmins are classified into three groups: Namboothiris, Pottis and Pushpakas. (Pushpakas are commonly clubbed with Ampalavasi community). The major priestly activities are performed by Namboothiris while the other temple related activities known as Kazhakam are performed by Pushpaka Brahmins and other Ampalavasis. Sri Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, a village in Kerala, to a Namboothiri Brahmin couple, Shivaguru and Aryamba and lived for thirty-two years. The Namboothiri Brahmins, Potti Brahmins and Pushpaka Brahmins in Kerala follow the Philosophies of Sri Adi Sankaracharya. The Brahmins migrated to Kerala from Tamil Nadu are known as Pattar in Kerala. They possess almost same status of Potti Brahmins in Kerala.
In Tamil Nadu, Brahmins belong to 2 major groups: Iyer including Shastri, Sharma and gurukkal of Smarthas, the followers of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, Sri-Vaishnavas (Iyengars), who are the followers of Sri Ramanujacharya. The speakers of the Saurashtra language, known as Saurashtrians, maintain a predominant presence in Madurai, a city, also known as 'Temple City' in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Though official figures are hard to come by, it is believed that the Saurashtra population is anywhere between one-fourth and one-fifth of the city's total population. They are also present in significant numbers in Dindigul, Periyakulam, Paramakudi, Erode, Palani, kancheepuram, Rajapalayam, Nilakottai, Salem, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Trichy, Kumbakonam, Thiruvarur, Ayyampettai, Ammapettai,Duhurupadurp,Thirubhuvanam,Ammayappan, Walaja, Arni, Tiruvannamalai, Veeravanaloor Tirunelveli and Kottar in Nagercoil. Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is said to house several Saurashtrian families, known as Pattusali or saurastrian brahmins in local parlance.
In Karnataka, Brahmins belong to 3 major groups: Smarthas, the followers of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, Madhvas (or Vaishnavas) who are the followers of Sri Madhvacharya, and Sri-Vaishnavas (Iyengars), who are the followers of Sri Ramanujacharya and Srimathe Vedanta Desika. Smartha Brahmins of Karnataka include Hoysala Karnataka, Mysore Iyers, Babboor Kammi, Ulucha Kamme, Babboor Kamme, Sankethi, Badaganadu, Mulukanadu, Sthanika Brahmins, Kota and Havyaka Brahmins
In Maharashtra, Brahmins are classified into four groups: Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmins, Deshastha Brahmin and Karhade Brahmin, Devrukhe. As the name indicates, Kokanastha Brahmin are from Konkan area. Deshastha Brahmin are from other plains region of Maharashtra. Karhade Brahmins are perhaps from Karhatak, and an ancient region in India that included present day south Maharashtra and northern Karnataka, Devrukhe Brihamins are from Devrukh near Ratnagiri.
In Gujarat, Brahmins are classified into Eight groups: Anavil Brahmin, Awadhich Brahmins, Bardai Brahmins, Girinarayan Brahmins, Khedaval, Nagar Brahmins, Shrimali Brahmins, Sidhra-Rudhra Brahmins.
Gotras and pravaras
- See also: Classification of Brahmins
In general, gotra denotes any person who traces descent in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as ' apatyam pautraprabh*rti 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. According to the Baudhâyanas'rauta-sûtra Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni, Bharadvâja, Gautama, Atri, Vasishtha, Kashyapa and Agastya are 8 sages; the progeny of these eight sages is declared to be gotras. This enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known to Pānini. The offspring (apatya) of these eight are gotras and others than these are called ' gotrâvayava '. [13]
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 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 putraparampara, marriage is totally unacceptable even if one rishi matches.[14]
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, Brihaspati, Boudhayana, Daksha, Gautam, Harita, Katyayana, Likhita, Manu,[15] 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. [16]
Descendants from rishis
From the Vedic Rishis, many Indians and non-Indians claim descent who are not from the Brahmin caste. For example the Dash and Nagas are said to be the descendants of Kashyapa Muni, the Gotamas (including Lord Buddha apart from the Gautam Brahmins are said to descendants of Gautama Muni. It is also believed that Buddha was a descendant of the Vedic Angirasa Muni.[17]
It is said that an educated person of their caste, named Deben Babu, came to this region from Calcutta about 50 or 60 years ago, and called a convention of all people of that caste at Navaran in Jessore district. At the convention, Deben Babu told them that they were actually the descendants of the ancient Rishis and Munis(sages) who wrote the Vedas and the Puranas, but that they had fallen in Society as a result of their lowly occupation. He called upon them to abandon their dirty occupation and adopt the surname or caste name Rishi.
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.[18]
Dadheech Brahmins/dayama brahmin trace their roots from Dadhichi Rishi. Many Jats clans claim to descend from Dadhichi Rishi while the Dudi Jats claim to be in the linear of Duda Rishi.
Lord Buddha of course, was a descendant of Angirasa through Gautama. There too were Kshatiryas of other clans to whom members descend from Angirasa, to fulfill a childless king's wish.[19]
The backward-caste Matangs claim to descend from Matang Muni, who became a Brahmin by his karma.
The nomadic tribe of Kerala, the Kakkarissi according to one legend are derived from the mouth of Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, and came out Brahmin.[20]
The Sikhwal (also known as Sukhwal or Shringi) Brahmins of Rajasthan claim descent from Ṛṣyaśṛńga.[citation needed]
Brahmins taking up other duties
Brahmins in history have taken on many professions - from being priests, ascetics and scholars to becoming warriors and even businesspeople. Brahmins with the qualities of Kshatriyas are known as 'Brahmkshatriyas'. An example is the avatara Parshurama who destroyed the entire Haiheyas 21 times. Not only did Sage Parashurama have warrior skills but they were so powerful that He could even fight without the use of any weapons and trained others to fight without weapons. The Pallavas were an example of Brahmakshatiryas as that is what they called themselves. King Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir ruled all of India and even Central Asia according to many historians.
Today are is the caste Brahmakhatris, who are a clan of the Khatris, however this is suspicious since Khatris are a business caste/community of Punjab and belong to the Vaishya caste. Khatri has often been misinterpreted as a variation of the word Kshatriya, meaning warrior, however there are no records of any Khatri kingdoms or empires in Indian history and this claim to Kshatriya is a recent one made in the 20th century.
Perhaps the word Brahma-kshatriya refers to a person belonging to the heritage of both castes.[21] However, among the Royal Rajput households, brahmins who became the personal teachers and protectors of the Royal princes rose to the status of Raj-Purohit 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.[22]
The Suta caste are charioters descended from a Kshatriya father and Brahmin mother.[23]
King Rudravarma of Champa (Vietnam) of 657 A.D. was the son of a Brahmin father. [24]
King Jayavarma I of Kambuja (Kampuchea) of 781 A.D. was a Brahma-kshatriya. [25]
Brahmins with the qualities of a Vaisya or merchant are known as 'Brahmvyasya'. An example of such persons are people of the Ambastha[26] caste, which exist in places like South India and Bengal. They perform medical work - they have from ancient times practiced the Ayurveda and have been Vaidyas (or doctors).
The saddle-workering Jingar caste (of the Sangar tribe) claim to be Brahmins.[27]
Many Pallis of South India claim to be Brahmins (while others claim to be Agnikula Kshatriyas.)[28] Kulaman Pallis are nicknamed by outsiders as Kulaman Brahmans.[29]
Practices
Brahmins adhere to the principles of Brahmanism or Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism, such as acceptance of the Vedas with reverence, adherence to the position that the means or ways to salvation and realization of the ultimate truth are diverse, that God is one, but has innumerable names and forms to chant and worship due to our varied perceptions, cultures and languages. Brahmins believe in Sarvejanāssukhinobhavaṃtu — Let the entire society be happy and prosperous and Vasudhaika kuṭuṃbakaṃ — the whole world is one family. Most Brahmins practice vegetarianism or lacto-vegetarianism. However, some may follow veganism or ovo-lacto-vegetarianism or pescetarianism. There are some Brahmins who do practice a non-vegetarian diet, mainly the Brahmins of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Nepal, however no Brahmin ever consumes beef or any beef by-products, because this is against Hindu code.
Traditional duties
The six duties of Brahmin are given as per the Sloka
adhyāpanam adhyāyānam
yajanam yajanam tathā
dānam pratigraham caiva
brahmanānāmakalpayāt[citation needed]
Teaching, study (svādhyāya), performing Yajna, make performing Yajna, accept Daana, and give Daana are the six duties of a Brahmin.
samodamastapah saucham
kshanthirārjavamevaca
jnanam vijnānamāstikyam
brahmakarma svabhavajam[citation needed]
The Brahmins are expected to have control of their emotions, control of senses, purity, truthfulness, tolerance, simplicity, renounce material wealth and have sustenance from other community, belief in God, and studying and teaching of sacred scriptures.
The daily routine[30] includes performing
The last two named Yajnas are performed in only a few households today. Brahmacharis perform Agnikaryam instead of Agnihotra or Aupasana. The other rituals followed include Amavasya tarpanam and Shraddha.
See also: Nitya karma and Kaamya karma
Samskaras
-
Brahmins also perform sixteen major Samskaras (rites) during the course of their lifetime.[31]
- In the pre-natal stage,
- Garbhadharana (conception),
- Pumsavana (rite for consecrating a male child in the womb) and
- Simantonnayana (rite for parting the hair of a pregnant woman) are performed.
- During infancy,
- Jatakarma (birth ceremony),
- Namakarana (naming ceremony),
- Nishkarmana (first outing),
- Annaprasana (first feeding solid food),
- Choodakarana (first tonsure) and
- Karnavedha (ear piercing) are performed.
- During childhood and adolescence of the child,
- Vidhyarambha (starting of education),
- Upanayanam (thread ceremony- initiation),
- Vedarambha (starting of the study of the Vedas),
- Keshanta or Godana (first shaving of the beard) and
- Samavartanam or Snaana (ending of studentship) are performed.
- During adulthood,
- Vivaha (marriage)
- Nisheka (first sexual intercourse, 4 days after marriage) and
- Antyesti (funeral rites) are the main ceremonies.
Sampradayas
The three sampradayas (traditions) of Brahmins, especially in South India are the Smarta sampradaya, the Srivaishnava sampradaya and the Madhva sampradaya.
Vaishnavism
Srivaishnava sampradaya and the Madhva sampradaya are the two major Vaishnavite sects. From these two were influenced several other Vaishnavite sects such as the Ramananda Sampraday, and Ramdassi Sampraday. The chief propounder of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya was Ramanuja while Madhava was the founder of the Madhav Sampraday. The Pushtimarg Sampraday, founded by Vallabh Acharya is yet another sect influenced by the other two major Vaishnavite sect.
Vaishnavism included many sect such as the Swaminarayan Sampraday.
There are many members of the Swaminarayan Sampraday founded by Bhagwan Swaminarayan, born as Ghanshyam Pande a Vaishnavite Brahmin of present-day Uttar Pradesh. He later settled in Gujarat, wherein the highest density of sampraday members live. This is a Vaishnavite sect. This sect was founded in the latter part of the 18th century.
There is also the Varkari Sampraday, which worships Sri Krishna as "Vithal". The word "Varkari" means travelers because members of this sect travel from their home towns on a pilgrimage to Pandharpur, almost always on foot! Important saints of this movement were the Brahmins Dnyaneshwar, Muktabai as well as several non-Brahmin icons.
There is also the Mahanubhava sampraday founded by King Cakradhara, known popularly to members as Sri Chakradhar Swami, in the 12th century. The members of this sect worship Lord Vishnu in His five forms; Lord Krishna, Lord Sri Dattatreya, Lord Sri Chakrapani, Lord Sri Govindaprabhu, and Lord Cakradhara (the founder Himself).
Shaivism
The Shaiva Brahmins have important icons such as, Basava Swami of Karnataka, Kungiliya Kalaya Nayanar or Tamil Nadu, and Lakulisa of Gujarat.
Other 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.[32] 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.[33] This sampradaya was founded in the latter part of the 18th century.[34]
There is also the Avadhoot Panth, wherein Lord Dattertaya 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.
Brahmins in Buddhism
Brahmins feature extensively in Buddhist canonical texts i.e. the Tripitaka, and are found among the chief disciples of the Buddha. The Brahmana Varga (section on Brahmins) contained in the Dharmapada lists down the Buddha's views on Brahmins[35]
Brahmin bhikshus
- Abhaya Raja (built Mahabouddha temple with his descendants in Patan, Nepal in year 1604)[36]
- Asvaghosa (wrote the 'Buddhacharita' and is considered along with Nagarjuna to have founded the Mahayana). His philosophy was favored in the court of King Kanishka.
- Atapa
- Bakula[37]
- Bhitka (Buddha's fifth successor)
- Cuda Panthaka[38]
- Dignaga
- Gopaka[39]
- Guhyashila[40]
- Harita[41] (wrote the "Harita Dharmasutra")
- Humkara[42]
- Jnanadharma[43]
- Kacanna[44]
- Kamashila (Kashmiri Pandit)
- Kalika[45]
- Kumarajiva (was imprisoned in China for spreading Buddhism)
- Kanaka (Yamantaka Tantra)
- Kukuraja[46]
- Manjushri (The mentor of Asoka)[47]
- Padma (woman)
- Palden Dekyong[48]
- Pingala-Koccha (preached to the Buddha the Cūlasāropama Sutta, after which he became a dedicated student of the Buddha)
- Radhasvami (another mentor of Asoka)[49]
- Majnushrimitra[50]
- Nagasena[51]
- Narpola (student of Tipola)
- Sahara (master of Tipola)
- Sariputra
- Shantideva
- Shantarakshita (Kashmiri Pandit)
- Subha
- Subhadra
- Subrahman (coming father of Bodhisattva Maitreya)
- Tipola (Mahasiddha, from modern-day Bangladesh)
- Vakkali
- Vanavasi[52]
Brahmin Bodhisattvas
Aryadeva (successor of Nagarjuna) Asangha (from Hinayana sect and Peshwar city founded the Yogacarya and established the Classical age of Buddhism)
Scriptures dedicated to Brahmin bhikkus
Because of the aim of the Brahmins, and the Buddha following on their path, several Buddhist texts have been dedicated to them.[53]
- Annatara Brahmana Sutta: To a Brahmin
- Aññatra Sutta: To a certain Brahman (SN XII.46)
- Brahmana Sutta 1: To Unnabha the Brahman
- Cankii Sutta: To the Brahmin Cankii
- Esukaari Sutta: To the Brahmin Esukari
- Janussoni Brahmana Sutta: To the Brahmin Janussoni
- Ganakamoggallaanasuttam B: To the Brahmin Ganakamoggallaana
- Paccha-bhumika Sutta: To Brahmins of the Western Land (SN XLII.6)
- Saleyyaka Sutta A: The Brahmins of Sela
- Saleyyaka Sutta B: The Brahmans of Salahar"
In kingdoms
There have been Brahmin Buddhists too in Buddhist kingdoms.
- In Cambodia (Sanskrit Kambhoja) there is an edict saying that King Jayavarman and his son Rudravarman build a monument in dedication of Lord Buddha and appointed a Brahmin to protect it.[54]
- In Sri Lanka, Maha Adigar was the first Buddhist emperor of Sri Lanka, converting many to Buddhism.[55]
- In 120 BC, the Indo-Greek King Milinda converted to Buddhism under sage Nagasena.
- The Shunga Dynasty is thought by neo-Buddhists as an anti-Buddhist dynasty but the Shungas themselves built a stupa dedicated to the Buddha at Baharut.
Brahmins in 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.[56]
- 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.
In kingdoms
- The Jain Acharya Bhadrabahu of Pundravardhana is said to be the preceptor of Chandragupta Maurya of the Mauryan dynasty, grandfather of Ashoka the Buddhist ruler.
- A copperplate grant from the Gupta period found in the vincity of Somapura mentioned a Brahmin donating land to a Jain vihara at Vatagohali.
- A Brahmin general by the name of Vasudeva in the army of Kamadeva in the Vijayaditya dynasty had built a temple to Lord Parshvanath.
- The Kadamba kings of Palasika were Jain Brahmins who supported Jainism and gave land grants and erected many temples and hence, patronised Jainism. This supports the view that Jainism entered South India through the West and perhaps from Ujjayini itself.
- King Mrigesavarman of the Kadamba dynasty of palasika further went on to give grants to Yapaniyas, Nigranthas and Kurchakas.
- The Brahmin Haribhadra was a pupil of Jinabhadra (or Jinabhata) and Jinadatta and later received the title of "Suri" (an honorable epithet of learning Jain monks.)
Brahmins in Sikhism
Sikhism recognized the three main bhagats before the life of Guru Nanak; they are Bhagat Ramananda, Bhagat Surdas, Bhagat Jayadeva.
Many of the other icons of Sikhism are disciple of Brahmins such as Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Dhanna, Bhagat Ravidas, Bhaga Pipa, Bhagat Sain. The writings and sayings of these icons are preserved in the Sikh text, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Many writers of the Guru Granth Sahib are of the Bhatt surname.[57] 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.
Brahmins in Islam
Apart from figures in the Dharmic religions, there have also existed Brahmins in the religion of Islam.
The group known as "Hussaini Brahmins" are the disciples of Imam Hussian, grandson of the Muslim prophet Mohammad.
One of the most important events in early Muslim history was the battle of Karbala fought in 680 CE in which Imam Hussain, grandson of the Prophet through his daughter Fatima and her husband Imam Ali, was slaughtered along with a small band of disciples in a bloody battle against Yazid, a tyrant who had usurped the Muslim caliphate. The slaughter of Ali is one of the pivotal events that led to a divide between the ‘mainstream’ Sunni and Shi’ite communities, with the latter ascribing special importance to the family of Ali. This event occurred in the Islamic month of Muharram, and it is for this reason that this month is observed with great solemnity in many parts of the Muslim world.
What is particularly striking about the observances of the month of Muharram in India is the prom-inent participation of Hindus in the rituals. This has been a feature of popular religion for centuries in large parts of India, and continues even today, albeit on a smaller scale. In towns and villages all over the country, Hindus join Muslims in lamenting the death of Hussain, by sponsoring or taking part in lamen-tation rituals and tazia processions. In Lucknow, seat of the Shia na-wabs of Awadh, prominent Hindu noblemen like Raja Tikait Rai and Raja Bilas Rai built Imambaras to house alams, standards represent-ing the Karbala event. The non-Muslim tribal Lambadi community in Andhra Pradesh have their own genre of Muharram lamentation songs in Telugu. Among certain Hindu castes in Rajasthan, the Karbala battle is recounted by staging plays in which the death of Imam Hussain is enacted, after which the women of the village come out in a procession, crying and cursing Yazid for his cruelty. This custom is known as pitna dalna. In large parts of north India, Hindus believe that if barren women slip under an alam moving in a procession they will be blessed with a child.
Perhaps the most intriguing case of Hindu veneration of Imam Hus-sain is to be found among the small Hussaini Brahmin sect, located mostly in Punjab, also known as Dutts or Mohiyals. Unlike other Brahmin clans, the Hussaini Brah-mins have had a long martial trad-ition, which they trace back to the event of Karbala. They believe that an ancestor named Rahab traveled all the way from Punjab to Arabia and there developed close relations with Imam Hussain. In the battle of Karbala, Rahab fought in the army of the Imam against Yazid. His sons, too, joined him, and most of them were killed. The Imam, seeing Rahab’s love for him, bestowed upon him the title of sultan or king, and told him to go back to India. It is because of this close bond between their ancestor Rahab and Imam Hussain that the Hussaini Brah-mins got their name.
After Rahab and those of his sons who survived the battle of Karbala reached India, they settled down in the western Punjab and gradually a community grew aro-und them. This sect, the Hussaini Brahmins, practised an intriguing blend of Islamic and Hindu prac-tices, because of which they were commonly known as ‘half Hindu, half Muslim’. A popular saying about the Hussainis has it thus:
Wah Dutt Sultan, Hindu ka dharm Musalman ka iman, Adha Hindu adha Musalman (Oh! Dutt the king With the religion of the Hindu And the faith of the Muslim Half Hindu, half Muslim) Dutt = Hussaini Brahmin
But there is also another version of how the Dutts of Punjab came to be known as Hussaini Brahmins. One of the wives of Imam Hussain, the Persian princess Shahr Banu, was the sister of Chandra Lekha or Mehr Banu, the wife of an Indian king called Chandragupta. When it became clear that Yazid was adamant on wiping out the Imam, the Imam’s son Ali ibn Hussain rushed off a letter to Chandragupta asking him for help against Yazid. When Chandragupta received the letter, he dispatched a large army to Iraq to assist the Imam. By the time they arrived, however, the Imam had been slain. In the town of Kufa, in present-day Iraq, they met with one Mukhtar Saqaffi, a disciple of the Imam, who arranged for them to stay in a special part of the town, which even today is known by the name of Dair-i-Hindiya or ‘the Indian quarter’.
Some Dutt Brahmins, under the leadership of one Bhurya Dutt, got together with Mukhtar Saqaffi to avenge the death of the Imam. They stayed behind in Kufa, while the rest returned to India. Here they built up a community of their own, calling themselves Hussaini Brahmins, and although they did not convert to Islam they kept alive the memory of their links with Imam Hussain.
The Hussaini Brahmins believe that Krishna had foretold the event of the Imam’s death at Karbala in the Gita. According to them, the Kalanki Purana, the last of eighteen Puranas, as well as the Atharva Veda, the fourth Veda, refer to Imam Hussain as the divine incarnation or avatar of the Kali Yug, the present age. They hold Imam Ali, Imam Hussain’s father, and son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet Muham-mad, in particular reverence, refer-ring to him with the honorific title of Om Murti.
It is also said that the Husaini Brahmin are easily identifiable for a cut mark on their throat. This cut mark is deliberately created by cutting the skin on the throat of every child born to a Husaini Brahmin. This is done both to re-emphasise their association with Hazrat Imam Husain and to commemorate the sacrifice of the sons of Rahab Dutt. This is known as 'Moondaan'
The Hussaini Brahmins, along with other Hindu devotees of the Muslim Imam, are today a rapidly vanishing community. The younger generation abandoning their an-cestral heritage, often now seen as embarrassingly deviant. No longer, it seems, can a comfortable limin-ality be sustained, and ambiguous identities seem crushed under the relentless pressure to conform to the logic of neatly demarcated ‘Hindu’ and ‘Muslim’ communities. And so, these and scores of other religious communities that once straddled the frontier between Hinduism and Islam seem destined for perdition, or else to folkloric curiosities that tell of a bygone age, when it was truly possible to be both Hindu as well as Muslim at the same time.
This group applies the tilak on their forehead just like many other Hindus.[58] They have also maintained the shrine of the Sufi saint Mu‘inu’d-din Chishti in Ajmer.
Contributions to modern India
Brahmins have immensely contributed to the making of modern India and to the world in fields such as literature, science and technology, politics, culture, and religion.
Brahmins traditionally played an extraordinary role in the spread of knowledge,sustaining the culture and revitalizing the Indian society for millennia. Recently, in the freedom movement and national reformation movements they proved their mettle by playing their traditional role as usual. Brahmins' contribution in fighting against the British imperialism was immense.
Their role and participation was great in various legislative bodies. During the Indian independence movement, many Brahmins, including Mangal Pandey, Nana Sahib, Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, Tatya Tope,Chandrashekar Azad, WC Bonarjee,Balgangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Shahid Rajguru,Ramprasad Bismil,Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, C. Rajagopalachari, Gobind Vallabh Pant, Kamlapati Tripathi, Ravishankar Shukla,DP Misra,Shyama Prasad Mukherji,Kailashnath Katju,C.Subramaniam to name just a few, were at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and later Indian politics. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, Jawaharlal Nehru,the first Prime Minister of India and Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan,the first Vice President of India, were all Brahmins.
Other Brahmins who became prime ministers of India are Indira Gandhi,Morarji Desai, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Among the great Brahmin scholars and writers are Nobel laureates Rabindranath Tagore and V. S. Naipaul and others like Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, Hazariprasad Dwivedi,Sumitranandan Pant,Subramanya Bharathy, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Srilal Shukla and Manohar Shyam Joshi.
Great Brahmin scientists include Nobel Laureate Sir C.V.Raman and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan and great Brahmin mathematicians include Srinivasa Ramanujan and C. P. Ramanujam.
See also
Notes
- ^ For definition of the noun ब्राह्मणः brāhmaṇaḥ as "1. A man belonging to the first of the four classes (varṇas instead of castes in Apte's Skt-Hindi dictionary) of the Hindus, a Brāhmaṇa(priest) (born from the mouth of the Purusha)"; and the adjective ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇa as "a. 1. Belonging to a Brāhmaṇa", and other meanings, see: Apte 1965, p. 707 ,Apte 1966, p. 724-25 ; on p.901 of the latter, Apte gave one of the meanings of varṇa as caste but qualified it with a statement :"mainly people of four varṇas of brāhmaṇa (scholars,priests), kṣatriya (warriors), vaiśya (merchants), śudra (artisans)", and did not permit use of the term varṇa for any caste other than these four.
- ^ For definition of ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇa, with last syllable showing a Vedic accent, used as a noun as "m. (having to do with Brahman or divine knowledge), one learned in the Veda, theologian, priest, Brāhman, man of the first four castes"; and definition of ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇa, with only first syllable showing a Vedic accent, used as an adjective as "a. (i) belonging to a Brāhman, Brāhmanic", see: Macdonell 1924, p. 199.
- ^ For definition of brāhmaṇa, with last syllable showing Vedic accents, as a noun, "m., one who has divine knowledge, a Brāhman. a man belonging to the 1st of the 3 twice-born classes and of the 4 original divisions of the Hindū body", and the adjective brāhmaṇa, with first syllable showing a Vedic accent, as "relating to or given by a Brāhman, befitting or becoming a Br., Brāhmanical", see: Monier-Williams, p. 741, middle column. Cf. Rgveda, Pune Edition, vol-5 (index), p.408 in which all occurrences of brāhmaṇa as first person singular show anudātta (absence of accent) on first two syllables.
- ^ For definition of the neuter noun brahman (with Vedic accent on first syllable) as "n. the class of men who are the repositories and communicators of sacred knowledge, the Bramānical caste as a body (rarely an individual Brāhman)"; and the masuline noun brahman (with Vedic accent on final syllable) as "one who prays, a devout or religious man, a Brāhman who is a knower of Vedic texts or spells, one versed in sacred knowledge", see: MW, pp. 737-738.
- ^ Monier-Williams : inspired, inwardly stirred, wise, learned, etc.
- ^ 'Dvija was used more frequently for Brahmins, but it also included Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas who were "reborn through investiture with the sacred thread" - Monier-Williams.
- ^ A detailed article on Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation[1]
- ^ Brāhmanotpatti Martanda, cf. Dorilal Sharma, p.41-42
- ^ A detailed article on various castes and groups of Brahmins at www.vedah.net[2]
- ^ P. 849 Gujarat State Gazetteers By Gujarat (India), 1984
- ^ P. 849 Gujarat State Gazetteers By Gujarat (India), 1984
- ^ A detailed article on Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh at Vepachedu Educational Foundation[3]
- ^ A detailed article on Gotras of Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation[4]
- ^ A detailed article on Gotras and pravaras of Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation [5]
- ^ Manu Smriti on learning of the Vedas
- ^ A detailed article on various sects and rishis of Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation [6]
- ^ The Life of Buddha as Legend and History, by Edward Joseph Thomas
- ^ (Bhanu, B. V., P. 948, People of India)
- ^ P. 17 Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature By John Dowson
- ^ (P. 227 History of Indian Theatre By Manohar Laxman Varadpande)
- ^ P. 201, Professor A.L. Basham, My Guruji and Problems and Perspectives of Ancient ...By Sachindra Kumar Maity
- ^ P. 29 Cultural History from the Matsyapurāṇa By Sureshachandra Govindlal Kantawala
- ^ P. 587 Agni Purāṇam By Manmatha Nath Dutt
- ^ P. 201, Professor A.L. Basham, My Guruji and Problems and Perspectives of Ancient ...By Sachindra Kumar Maity
- ^ P. 201, Professor A.L. Basham, My Guruji and Problems and Perspectives of Ancient ...By Sachindra Kumar Maity
- ^ P. 37 Asian Medical Systems: A Comparative Study By Charles Leslie
- ^ Enthoven, Reginald Edward, P. 454 Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency
- ^ P. 13 Castes And Tribes Of Southern India By Edgar Thurston, K. Rangachari
- ^ P. 13 Castes And Tribes Of Southern India By Edgar Thurston, K. Rangachari
- ^ A day in the life of a Brahmin
- ^ The Forty Samskaras
- ^ "Mahima Dharma, Bhima Bhoi and Biswanathbaba"
- ^ "Mahima Dharma, Bhima Bhoi and Biswanathbaba"
- ^ "Mahima Dharma, Bhima Bhoi and Biswanathbaba"
- ^ http://www.serve.com/cmtan/Dhammapada/holyman.html
- ^ http://www.catmando.com/casinosnepal/july/buddhist.htm Mahabouddha temple
- ^ http://www.luxlapis.co.za/arahats.htm Arhants
- ^ http://www.luxlapis.co.za/arahats.htm
- ^ http://www.luxlapis.co.za/arahats.htm
- ^ http://www.cipa.emory.edu/pdf/TibetanResearch_Mull.pdf
- ^ http://teozofija.info/Blavatsky_Hindustan_Chapter_III.htm
- ^ http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/Glossary_from_The_Great_Image
- ^ http://www.khandro.net/deity_Manjushri.htm
- ^ http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocument?urn_nbn_se_vxu_diva-488-2__fulltext.pdf
- ^ http://www.luxlapis.co.za/arahats.htm
- ^ http://www.khandro.net/animal_dog.htm
- ^ http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/f/fa-hien/f15l/chapter27.html
- ^ shambhala.com
- ^ http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/f/fa-hien/f15l/chapter27.html
- ^ http://www.keithdowman.net/lineage/dzokchen_masters.htm#Manjushrimitra:
- ^ http://www.newsfinder.org/site/comments/nagasena
- ^ http://www.luxlapis.co.za/arahats.htm
- ^ http://www.buddhistinformation.com/ida_b_wells_memorial_sutra_library/
- ^ http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/Mar272005/ac2.asp
- ^ http://www.mysrilanka.com/travel/lanka/people/ehelepola.htm
- ^ P.21 Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana =: Jaina Iconography By Umakant Premanand Shah
- ^ Bards/Bhatts in Adi Granth: Bhatt Mathura
- ^ P. 270, "THE MUSLIM WORLD", HINDU-MUSLIM INTERCOURSE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHRISTIANITY
References
- Apte, Vaman Shivram (1965), The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary (Fourth Revised and Enlarged ed.), New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0567-4.
- Apte, Vaman Shivram (1966), Sanskrit-Hindi Koṣa (Reprint 1997 ed.), New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
- Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1924), A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary (1966 ed.), New Delhi: Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., ISBN 81-215-0715-4.
- Monier-Williams, Monier (1899), A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, <http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/mw/>.
- Sontakke, N. S., ed. (1972), Rgveda-Samhitā: Śrimat-Sāyanāchārya virachita-bhāṣya-sametā (First ed.), Pune: Vaidika Samśodhana Maṇḍala. The Editorial Board for the First Edition included N. S. Sontakke (Managing Editor), V. K. Rājvade, M. M. Vāsudevaśāstri, and T. S. Varadarājaśarmā. This work is entirely in Sanskrit.
- A History of Brahmin Clans (Brāhmaṇa Vaṃshõ kā Itihāsa) in Hindi, by Dorilāl Śarmā,published by Rāśtriya Brāhamana Mahāsabhā, Vimal Building, Jamirābād, Mitranagar, Masūdābād,Aligarh-1, 2nd ed-1998. (This Hindi book contains the most exhaustive list of Brahmana gotras and pravaras together their real and mythological histories).
- Mayne's "Treatise on Hindu Law and Usage.
- Kane, Pandurang Vaman, "History of dharmasastra" (ancient and mediæval religious and civil law in India)
- Hindu Castes and Sects Jogendranath Bhattacharya.
- Andhra Viprula Gotramulu, Indla Perlu, Sakhalu by Emmesroy Sastri.
- History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh Rao PR.
- History of India Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund.
- Acharalu sastriyata Narayanareddi Patil.
- Hindu Manners, Customs, and Ceremonies Abbe J. A. Dubois
- (Manusmriti) :Translation by G. Bühler (1886). Sacred Books of the East: The Laws of Manu (Vol. XXV). Oxford. Available online as The Laws of Manu
External links
da:Brahmin de:Brahmane et:Braahman es:Brahmán (casta) fr:Brahmane hi:ब्राह्मण id:Brahmana is:Brahmani it:Brahmana ka:ბრაჰმანი (ვარნა) lt:Brahmanas nl:Brahmaan new:ब्राह्मण ja:バラモン pl:Bramin pt:Brâmane ru:Брахманы (варна) simple:Brahmin sv:Brahmin th:พราหมณ์ vi:Bà-la-môn uk:Брахмани ur:برہمن
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