RE: Fwd: [Shiva_Sena] Fwd: Fw: Great Discipline of Brahmins vIndia

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Venugopal,

 

Please explain what is unacceptable to you?  Is it the contents

or the words that it was said by God Siva.

 

There are stories which starts with the words that it was said

by God or Goddess.  If you want to probe when was,  where, to whom it was said,

you will not be able to appreciate the subject.  I think the substance should

be more relevant than the form.

 

K G Madhavan

 

 

 

 

On Behalf Of Anandapadmanaban

Subramaniam

Friday, June 12, 2009 6:40 AM

unlisted-recipients:; no To-header on input

Fwd: [shiva_Sena] Fwd: Fw: Great

Discipline of Brahmins vIndia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

surekha tennetivenugopal <sue_venu21

Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 5:35 AM

Re: [shiva_Sena] Fwd: Fw: Great Discipline of Brahmins vIndia

suganth bahu <suganthbahu

Cc: Anandapadmanaban Subramaniam <anantha1946

 

Whom did God Shiva supposed to have spoken all this to ?

 

Shiva is the most sublime, most divine depiction of a Celestial Force

and Being..how can man interpret his wisdom or his tenets through the

immaculate image of God ?

 

Am sorry, but find it unaccepatable..

 

Surekha Tenneti Venugopal

 

--- On Fri, 12/6/09, suganth bahu <suganthbahu

wrote:

 

suganth bahu <suganthbahu

Re: [shiva_Sena] Fwd: Fw: Great Discipline of Brahmins vIndia

Shiva_Sena

Friday, 12 June, 2009, 12:56 AM

 

YAUM NAMAH SHIVAYAY

 

Lord Shiva said:

 

The Farmer, the Merchant, the Warrior, the Priest and the Yogi in

their midst: these five are supporting My Law. They are the five

fingers of My Divine Hand whereby I establish the Holy Dharma on

Earth. Know that Yoga and Dharma are one and the same. He who sees

the two as one, sees things as they are and does not go astray. Let

every man keep within his own fold and not overstep his lawful

boundaries. Let him ever keep to the path of his duty according to My

Command. The Farmer shall till and tend the earth; the Merchant shall

trade in the fruits of the Farmer's labour; the Warrior shall protect

the land; the Priest shall conduct the holy prayers; and the Yogi

shall spread My Word of Truth. This is My Eternal Law.

 

Those who say that the servant is another Caste, are ignorant folk

whose knowledge springs from other men and not from Myself. And some

speak thus to keep other men in servitude and bondage. In so doing

they are committing a sin. Therefore, listen you to the plain Truth.

A servant shall be one who through lowly birth, misfortune or his own

deeds is destitute of possessions and forced to earn his daily

sustenance by serving another man. Since a servant is defined by his

work, he who hires himself out to another man and does the other's

work shall be deemed to belong to that Caste the work of which he

does. If he does a Farmer's work such as tilling the land, gleaning

corn, threshing, cutting wood, tending the cattle, fishing, weaving

and so forth, he shall be deemed a Farmer even if he himself be

landless; if he does a Merchant's work such as carrying, keeping

account of, selling, buying, or lending, goods, he shall be deemed a

Merchant even if himself does not own the merchandise; if he does a

Warrior's work such as carrying weapons, guarding houses or fields,

protecting a person's life, or collecting taxes for the King, he shall

be deemed a Warrior even if himself possesses no weapons and is no

accomplished master in the art of war; if he be employed in the

maintenance of a holy place, procuring materials for the holy rites

and aiding the Priest in conducting the prayers, he shall be deemed a

Priest even if he knows not the Scriptures by heart; and if he does

work in the service of a Yogi, be it gathering food, fetching water,

cooking, protecting his master’s possessions or acting as his

messenger, he shall be deemed as belonging to the Yogis even though he

is not an Awakened One.

 

Verily, as you account a child born into a Caste to belong to that

Caste even though he cannot yet perform all that is required of him

according to his station, even thus a servant shall be accounted to

belong to the Caste whose work he does even though he may not be a

full-blood Farmer, Merchant and so forth. A man who, though born into

the Priestly Caste, has no knowledge of the Scriptures and does a

Farmer's work, cannot be accounted a Priest but only a Farmer.

Verily, Caste is determined by the kind of work a man does. And a

servant is a man who does another's work; he has no work of his own.

Therefore he belongs to that Caste the work of which he does and not

to any other. This shall be a settled matter. He who says otherwise

sins against My Law.

 

The servant shall ever show obedience and respect to his master, for

it is to him that he owes his livelihood. Likewise, let no man look

down upon a servant or treat him with contempt. For on Earth, all men

are My servants: they were sent down into this World to serve Me and

each other. For thus I have declared, He who would be a Master shall

be a servant first. But every man shall be treated according to his

works. It is his work that makes a man and not his birth. A

righteous servant is better than an evil King. Even those that on

account of some abominable deed were enslaved by a righteous King,

shall be freed when their sentence has been served. And their

offspring shall likewise be free. For no child shall be made to pay

for his parents' sins. This is My Eternal Law.

 

The Five Castes are like unto one man. The Yogi is the head; the

Priest is the mouth; the Warrior is the arms; the Merchant is the

thighs; and the Farmer is the feet. Together they are like unto one

body that forms the whole of Humankind. Therefore let every man

conduct himself according to his duty as established at the beginning

of time. And let living in unity with one another be the duty of them

all. He who lives in unity with Mankind lives in unity with Me. And

he alone who lives in Unity with Me is a Yogi and a True Man. Let no

part of the whole swerve from its duty. Let the five parts of Mankind

ever work in unity for the welfare of the whole. And let the whole

work for the good of each part. This is My Divine Command.

 

________________________________

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Krshnamurthi CS <krishee2000@ >

Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 12:41 PM

Fw: Great Discipline of Brahmins in India

anantha1946@ gmail.com, visundaram (AT) gmail (DOT) com,

kavithasubramaniam8 7, kalamegham

Ramaswamy

<kalameghamr@ gmail.com>, " Jayaraman R. " <vu2jn (AT) (DOT)

com>

Cc: sreek_sk , Shreelakshmi Lakshmi <shreelak >

 

“Vasudhaika kutumbakamâ€

 

Great Discipline of Brahmins in India

 

Brahmin is the class of educators, law makers, doctors, scholars and

preachers in Hinduism. It is said to occupy the highest position among

the four varnas of Hinduism.

 

The English word brahmin is an anglicised form of the Sanskrit word

Brahmana (Brahman also refers to a sanskrit word Brahma- meaning

'knowledge', Brahman (noun form) who possesses the 'knowledge.'

Brahmins are also called Vipra " learned " or Dvija

" twice-born " .

 

In Buddhist sources written in Pali and Prakrit, including Ashokan

inscriptions, Brahmins are commonly called Babhans which is the Pali

word for Brahmins.

 

Historically, the rulers acted in close relationship with Brahmins,

and relied on them as their advisors. Gradually, the Brahmins became a

powerful and influential group in India, attracting accusations of

discriminating against 'lower' castes. In modern India, the Brahmins

have complained of reverse discrimination.

 

Brahmin communities

 

The Brahmin castes may be broadly divided into two regional groups:

Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins as per the write up

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.

 

Pancha Gauda Brahmins

 

Pancha Gauda (the five classes of Northern India): (1) Saraswat,(2)

Kanyakubja, (3)Maithil Brahmins (4) Gauda brahmins (including

Sanadhyas)) (5)Utkala Brahmins .

 

Pancha Dravida Brahmins

 

Paara Thrivikraman Namboothiri, Priest of Guruvayoor Temple in Kerala,

1960'sPanch 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.

 

In Haryana, the Brahmin are classified in mainly Dadhich_Brahmin, Gaud

Brahmin, Khandelwal Brahmin. But large proportion of Brahmin in

Haryana are Gaud(about 90%). Approximately all Brahmin in west U P are

adi gaur.

 

In Nepal, the hill 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. Majority of

hill Brahmins are supposed to be of Khasa origin.

 

In Punjab, they are classified as Saraswat Brahmins.

 

In Rajasthan, the Brahmins are classified in mainly Dadhich_Brahmin,

Gaur Brahmin,Sanadhya brahmins, Rajpurohit / Purohit Brahmins, Sri

Gaur Brahmin, Khandelwal Brahmin, Gujar-Gaur Brahmins. Rajpurohit /

Purohit Brahmins are mainly found in Marwar & Godwad region of

Rajasthan. Rajpurohit a Title bestowed upon those learned Brahmins,

who use to perform the rituals and rites for the rulers of some

kingdoms. In the course of their service to the kingdom, according to

ancient traditions, the king use to award a few villages or land known

as Sasan Jagir within his kingdom to their Rajpurohits. These villages

or land were considered to be free from any ruler, and were outside

the ambit of any form of tax. Shakdwipiya Brahmins are also found at

many places in rajasthan they are the major pujari in many temples of

western rajasthan. 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.

 

In Uttar Pradesh, from west to east: Sanadhya, Gauda & Tyagi (western

UP), Kanyakubja( Central UP), Sarayuparin (Central Uttar

Pradesh,Eastern, NE, & SE UP), Bhumihar (Varanasi and other parts of

eastern U.P.) and Maithil(Varanasi) , the South western UP, i.e.

Bundelkhand has thick population of Jujhotia brahmins(branch of

Kanyakubja brahmins:ref. Between History & Legend:Power & Status in

Bundelkhand by Ravindra K Jain). On the Jijhoutia clan of Bhumihar

Brahmins, William Crooke writes, " A branch of the Kanaujia Brahmins

(Kanyakubja Brahmins) who take their name from the country of

Jajakshuku, which is mentioned in the Madanpur inscription. " 33

Mathure or mathuria Brahmins 'choubeys' are limited to Mathura area.

 

In Gujarat, Brahmins are classified into Eight groups: Anavil Brahmin,

Audichya Brahmins, Bardai Brahmins, Girinarayan Brahmins, Khedaval,

Nagar Brahmins, Shrimali Brahmins, Sidhra-Rudhra Brahmins and Modh

Brahmins. The Modh Brahmins worship Matangi Modheshwari mata (Modhera)

and are mostly found in North Gujarat and in the Baroda region.

 

In Maharashtra, Brahmins are classified into five groups: Chitpavan

Konkanastha Brahmins, Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Pareek, Deshastha Brahmin,

Karhade Brahmin, and Devrukhe. As the name indicates, Kokanastha

Brahmin are from Konkan area. Gaud Saraswat Brahmins are from Konkan

region or they may come from Goa or Karnataka, Deshastha Brahmin are

from plains of Maharashtra, Karhade Brahmins are perhaps from Karhatak

(an ancient region in India that included present day south

Maharashtra and northern Karnataka) and Devrukhe Brahmins are from

Devrukh near Ratnagiri.

 

In Madhya Pradesh the descendents of Somnath temple priests, Naramdev

Brahmin, Who migrated from Gujrat to Madhyapradesh after the Mohd.

Ghazni notorious forays in saurashtra and desacration of Somnath, and

sedenterized along the coast of Narmada river hence derived their name

ie Narmdiya brahmin or Naramdevs. Guru of Adi guru Shankaracharya,

shri Govindacharya claimed to belongs to this community who initiated

him in the Omkareshwar in the bank of river Narmada. Naramdevs are in

high concentration in Nimar (Khandwa and Khargone)and Bhuvana region

(Harda) of Madhyapradesh. Here, the Brahmins are classified in mainly

Shri Gaud, Sanadhya brahmin, Gujar-Gaud Brahmins. Majority of Shri

Gaud Brahmins are found in the Malwa region (Indore, Ujjain, Dewas).

Eastern MP has dense population of Sarayuparain Brahmins. Hoshangabad

and Harda Distt. of MP have a considerable population of Jujhotia (a

clan of Bhumihar Brahmins, eg. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati) and

Naremdev Brahmins..

 

In Karnataka, Brahmins are mainly classified into Havyaka speaking

Havigannada, Babbur Kamme, Hoysala Karnataka speaking kannada,

Shivalli and Kota speaking Tulu, Karahada speaking Marathi and have

their own tradition and culture.

 

In Orissa, Utkala Brahmins, also known as Oriya or Orissa Brahmins,

are a Jati (caste) who live mainly in the Indian state of Orissa &

neighbouring states of Chhatishgarh, Northern Andhra Pradesh,West

Bengal & Jharkhand. They constitute farthest branch of the Panch-Gauda

in the east, south of Maithila(present day Bihar).Utkala Brahmins are

mainly classified into Utkala Kulina Brahmins,Utkala Aranyaka

Brahmins,Utkala Halua Brahmins,Utkala Panda Brahmins.

 

In West Bengal, the Brahmins are classified in Barendra & Rarhi

corresponding to the ancient Barendrabhumi( North Bengal) and

Rarhdesh(South Bengal) making present day Bangladesh & West Bengal. It

is also said that Barendras are traditional Brahmins who practiced the

art of medicinal science and surgury rather than the traditional

function of being the teacher or the priest, and so many a times they

are not considered true brahmins by the Rarhis, although they are

their own offshoots.

 

The traditional accounts of the origin of Bengali Brahmins are given

in texts termed Kulagranthas (e.g., Kuladipika), composed around the

17th century. They mention a ruler named Adisura who invited five

Brahmins from Kanyakubja, so that he could conduct a yajña, because he

could not find Vedic experts locally. Traditional texts mention that

Adisura was ancestor of Ballal Sena from maternal side and five

Brahmins had been invited in AD 1077. Historians have located a ruler

named Adisura ruling in north Bihar, but not in Bengal. But Ballal

Sena and his predecessors ruled over both Bengal and Mithila (i.e.,

North Bihar). It is unlikely that the Brahmins from Kanyakubja may

have been invited to Mithila for performing a yajña, because Mithila

was a strong base of Brahmins since Vedic age. Another account

mentions a king Shyamal Varma who invited five Brahmins from

Kanyakubja who became the progenitors of the Vaidika Brahmins. A third

account refers to five Brahmins being the ancestors of Varendra

Brahmins as well. From similarity of titles (e.g., upadhyaya), the

first account is most probable.

 

Besides these two major community there are also Utkal Brahmins,

having migrated from present Orissa and Vaidik Brahmins, having

migrated from Western and Northern India.

 

In Andhra Pradesh, Brahmins are broadly classified into 3 groups:

Vaidika (meaning educated in vedas and performing religious

vocations), Niyogi (performing only secular vocation)and Dravidlu(In

the Coastal Andhra Pradesh). They are further divided into several

sub-castes. However, majority of the Brahmins, both Vaidika and

Niyogi, perform only secular professions.

 

In Karnataka, Brahmins are broadly classified into 2 groups: Madhwa

(followers of Shri Madhwacharya) and Smartha (followers of Shri Adi

Sankaracharya) .. They are further divided into several sub-castes.

Other than these groups, there are other brahmin communities viz,

Havyaka, Kota, Shivalli, Saraswata etc. Here, Havyaka speaking

Havigannada, Babbur Kamme, Hoysala Karnataka speaking kannada,

Shivalli and Kota speaking Tulu, Karahada speaking Marathi and have

their own tradition and culture.

 

In Kerala, Brahmins are classified into three groups: Namboothiris,

Pottis and Pushpaka. 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. Nagariks are

the common name for north indian immigrant brahmins The Brahmins who

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 and Iyengar.

Iyers comprise of Smartha and Saivite Brahmins and are broadly

classified into Vadama, Vathima, Brhatcharnam, Ashtasahasram, Sholiyar

and Gurukkal. There are mostly followers of Adi Shankaracharya and

form about three-fourths of Tamil Nadu's Brahmin population. Iyengars

comprise of Vaishnavite Brahmins and are divided into two sects:

Vadakalai and Thenkalai. They are mostly followers of Ramanuja and

make up the remaining one-fourth of the Tamil Brahmin population.

 

In Bihar, majority of Brahmins are Kanyakubja Brahmins, Bhumihar

Brahmins and Maithil Brahmins with a significant population of

Sakaldiwiya or Shakdwipi Brahmins. The Bhumihar Brahmins, of whom

many, though not all, belong to the Saryupareen Brahmin division of

Kanyakubja Brahmins. Therefore, there is a lot of brotherhood among

these Brahmin sub-castes and Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi and Dr. Hazari

Prasad Dwivedi have mentioned it in their writings. On the Jijhoutia

clan of Bhumihar Brahmins (eg. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati), William

Crooke writes, " A branch of the Kanaujia Brahmins (Kanyakubja

Brahmins) who take their name from the country of Jajakshuku, which is

mentioned in the Madanpur inscription. "

 

In the 19th and 20th national convention of Kanyakubja Brahmins by

Kanyakubja Mahati Sabha, in 1926 and 1927 respectively, it reiterated

Bhumihar Brahmins to be Kanyakubja Brahmins and appealed for unity

among Kanyakubja Brahmins whose different branches included Sanadhya,

Pahadi, Jujhoutia, Saryupareen, Chattisgadhi, Bhumihar and different

Bengali Brahmins.

 

With the decline of Mughal Empire, in the area of south of Avadh, in

the fertile rive-rain rice growing areas of Benares, Gorakhpur,

Deoria, Ghazipur, Ballia and Bihar and on the fringes of Bengal, it

was the 'military' or Bhumihar Brahmins who strengthened their sway.

The distinctive 'caste' identity of Bhumihar Brahman emerged largely

through military service, and then confirmed by the forms of

continuous 'social spending' which defined a man and his kin as

superior and lordly. In 19th century, many of the Bhumihar Brahmins

were zamindars. Of the 67000 Hindus in the Bengal Army in 1842, 28000

were identified as Rajputs and 25000 as Brahmins, a category that

included Bhumihar Brahmins. The Brahmin presence in the Bengal Army

was reduced in the late nineteenth century because of their perceived

primary role as mutineers in the Mutiny of 1857, led by Mangal Pandey.

The Kingdom of Kashi belonged to Bhumihar Brahmins and big zamindaris

like Bettiah Raj, Hathwa Raj and Tekari Raj belonged to them.

 

Gotras

 

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 pautraprabhrti gotram', 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 are 8 sages; the progeny of

these eight sages is declared to be gotras:

 

1. Visvamitra,

 

2. Jamadagni,

 

3. Bharadvâja,

 

4. Gautama,

 

5. Atri or Krisnatriya,

 

6. Vasishtha,

 

7. Kashyapa and

 

8. Agastya

 

This enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known to

Panini. These gotras are not directly connected to Prajapathy or

latter brama. The offspring (apatya) of these eight are gotras and

others than these are called ' gotrâvayava '.

 

The gotras are arranged in groups. There are according to the

Âsvalâyana-srautasû tra four subdivisions of the Vasishtha gana, viz.

Upamanyu, Parashara, 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 Angirasa

gana. According to Baudh., 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.

 

Pravaras

 

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.

 

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 (also sometimes more realized as Krishnatriya) , Brihaspati,

Boudhayana, Daksha, Gautam, Harita, Katyayana, Likhita, Manu,

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.

 

Descendants from Brahmins

 

· Many Indians claim descent from the Vedic

Rishis of both

Brahmin and non-Brahmin descent.

 

· For example the Dash and Nagas are said

to be the descendants

of Kashyapa Muni.

 

· The Rajput gothras which correspond to

the name of the Rishis

mean that they employ(ed) (and protect) Brahmin priest of that

gothras.

 

· Visvakarmas are the descendants of Pancha

Rishis or Brahmarshies.

 

· According to Yajurveda and brahmanda

purana They are Sanagha,

Sanathana, Abhuvanasa, Prajnasa, Suparnasa.

 

· 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.

 

· 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.

 

· 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.

 

Brahmins taking up other duties Brahmins have taken on many

professions - from being priests, ascetics and scholars to warriors

and business people, as is attested for example in Kalhana's

Rajatarangini.

 

Two of the largest empires in India were established and ruled by

Brahmins. When the Kshatriyas failed to conduct their duties, Brahmins

have become warriors and eventually restored law and order.

 

Brahmins according to Dharma should assume a ruling position because

they are the law-makers and preservers of Dharma.. However, whenever

there have been incidents in the history, where the rulers have failed

to live up to Dharma, Brahmins have assume power to restore proper law

and order.

 

First, instance is Chanakya (a brahmin) created the Maurya Empire.

Maurya empire was the largest empire in India. Second, the Peshwas

(Brahmins) ruled almost all of greater India, starting from Mysore to

Afghanistan.

 

Brahmins with the qualities of Kshatriyas are known as

'Brahmakshatriyas' . An example is the avatara Parshurama who

destroyed the entire Haiheyas 21 times. Not only did Sage Parashurama

have warrior skills but he was so powerful that he could even fight

without the use of any weapons and trained others to fight without

weapons.

 

The Bhumihar Brahmins were established when Parashurama destroyed the

Kshatriya race, and he set up in their place the descendants of

Brahmins, who, after a time, having mostly abandoned their priestly

functions (although some still perform), took to land-owning.

 

Today there is a caste, Brahmakhatris, who are a clan of the Khatris.

 

Perhaps the word Brahma-kshatriya refers to a person belonging to the

heritage of both castes. However, among the Royal Rajput households,

brahmins who became the personal teachers and protectors of the Royal

princes rose to the status of Rajpurohit 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.

 

The Pallavas were an example of Brahmakshatriyas as that is what they

called themselves. King Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir ruled all of

India and even Central Asia.

 

King Rudravarma of Champa (Vietnam) of 657 A.D. was the son of a Brahmin

father.

 

King Jayavarma I of Kambuja (Kampuchea) of 781 A.D. was a Brahma-kshatriya.

 

Brahmins with the qualities of a Vaisya or merchant are known as

'Brahmvyasya' . An example of such persons are people of the Ambastha

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).

 

Many Pallis of South India claim to be Brahmins (while others claim to

be Agnikula Kshatriyas.) Kulaman Pallis are nicknamed by outsiders as

Kulaman Brahmans. Hemu from Rewari ,Haryana was also a Brahmin by

birth.

 

Duties

 

Brahmanas have six occupational duties, of which three are compulsory

— namely, studying the Vedas, worshiping the Deity and giving charity.

By teaching, by inducing others to worship the Deity, and by accepting

gifts, the brahma?as receive the necessities of life.

 

Of the six occupational duties of the brahmanas, three are compulsory

— namely, worship of the Deity, study of the Vedas and the giving of

charity. In exchange, a brahmiin should receive charity, and this

should be his means of livelihood. A brahmiin cannot take up any

professional occupational duty for his livelihood.

 

The sastras especially stress that if one claims to be a brahmana.

Brahmins believe in Sarvejanassukhinobh avantu — Let the entire

society be happy and prosperous and Vasudhaika kutumbakam — the whole

world is one family. Many Brahmins are reformers.

 

Most Brahmins today practice vegetarianism or lacto-vegetarianism .

There are some Brahmins who are non-vegetarians, mainly the Brahmins

of cold mountain areas like Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Nepal, and

coastal areas like Bengal, who are fish eaters. However, even the meat

eating Brahmins shun beef.

 

..

 

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every member should mention from where he has taken the matter only then it should be posted/approved if reference is not given it shoild not be approved no body has authority to write anything against any religionor God

mggarga--- On Fri, 6/12/09, Anandapadmanaban Subramaniam <anantha1946 wrote:

Anandapadmanaban Subramaniam <anantha1946 Fwd: [shiva_Sena] Fwd: Fw: Great Discipline of Brahmins vIndiaFriday, June 12, 2009, 6:39 AM

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------surekha tennetivenugopal <sue_venu21 (AT) (DOT) co.uk>Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 5:35 AMRe: [shiva_Sena] Fwd: Fw: Great Discipline of Brahmins vIndiasuganth bahu <suganthbahu@ >Cc: Anandapadmanaban Subramaniam <anantha1946@ gmail.com>Whom did God Shiva supposed to have spoken all this to ?Shiva is the most sublime, most divine depiction of a Celestial Forceand Being..how can man

interpret his wisdom or his tenets through theimmaculate image of God ?Am sorry, but find it unaccepatable. .Surekha Tenneti Venugopal--- On Fri, 12/6/09, suganth bahu <suganthbahu@ > wrote:suganth bahu <suganthbahu@ >Re: [shiva_Sena] Fwd: Fw: Great Discipline of Brahmins vIndiaShiva_Sena@gro ups.comFriday, 12 June, 2009, 12:56 AMYAUM NAMAH SHIVAYAYLord Shiva

said: The Farmer, the Merchant, the Warrior, the Priest and the Yogi intheir midst: these five are supporting My Law. They are the fivefingers of My Divine Hand whereby I establish the Holy Dharma onEarth. Know that Yoga and Dharma are one and the same. He who seesthe two as one, sees things as they are and does not go astray. Letevery man keep within his own fold and not overstep his lawfulboundaries. Let him ever keep to the path of his duty according to MyCommand. The Farmer shall till and tend the earth; the Merchant shalltrade in the fruits of the Farmer's labour; the Warrior shall protectthe land; the Priest shall conduct the holy prayers; and the Yogishall spread My Word of Truth. This is My Eternal Law. Those who say that the servant is another Caste, are ignorant folkwhose knowledge springs from other men and not from Myself.

And somespeak thus to keep other men in servitude and bondage. In so doingthey are committing a sin. Therefore, listen you to the plain Truth.A servant shall be one who through lowly birth, misfortune or his owndeeds is destitute of possessions and forced to earn his dailysustenance by serving another man. Since a servant is defined by hiswork, he who hires himself out to another man and does the other'swork shall be deemed to belong to that Caste the work of which hedoes. If he does a Farmer's work such as tilling the land, gleaningcorn, threshing, cutting wood, tending the cattle, fishing, weavingand so forth, he shall be deemed a Farmer even if he himself belandless; if he does a Merchant's work such as carrying, keepingaccount of, selling, buying, or lending, goods, he shall be deemed aMerchant even if himself does not own the merchandise; if he does aWarrior's work such

as carrying weapons, guarding houses or fields,protecting a person's life, or collecting taxes for the King, he shallbe deemed a Warrior even if himself possesses no weapons and is noaccomplished master in the art of war; if he be employed in themaintenance of a holy place, procuring materials for the holy ritesand aiding the Priest in conducting the prayers, he shall be deemed aPriest even if he knows not the Scriptures by heart; and if he doeswork in the service of a Yogi, be it gathering food, fetching water,cooking, protecting his master’s possessions or acting as hismessenger, he shall be deemed as belonging to the Yogis even though heis not an Awakened One. Verily, as you account a child born into a Caste to belong to thatCaste even though he cannot yet perform all that is required of himaccording to his station, even thus a servant shall be accounted tobelong to the Caste whose

work he does even though he may not be afull-blood Farmer, Merchant and so forth. A man who, though born intothe Priestly Caste, has no knowledge of the Scriptures and does aFarmer's work, cannot be accounted a Priest but only a Farmer.Verily, Caste is determined by the kind of work a man does. And aservant is a man who does another's work; he has no work of his own.Therefore he belongs to that Caste the work of which he does and notto any other. This shall be a settled matter. He who says otherwisesins against My Law. The servant shall ever show obedience and respect to his master, forit is to him that he owes his livelihood. Likewise, let no man lookdown upon a servant or treat him with contempt. For on Earth, all menare My servants: they were sent down into this World to serve Me andeach other. For thus I have declared, He who would be a Master

shallbe a servant first. But every man shall be treated according to hisworks. It is his work that makes a man and not his birth. Arighteous servant is better than an evil King. Even those that onaccount of some abominable deed were enslaved by a righteous King,shall be freed when their sentence has been served. And theiroffspring shall likewise be free. For no child shall be made to payfor his parents' sins. This is My Eternal Law. The Five Castes are like unto one man. The Yogi is the head; thePriest is the mouth; the Warrior is the arms; the Merchant is thethighs; and the Farmer is the feet. Together they are like unto onebody that forms the whole of Humankind. Therefore let every manconduct himself according to his duty as established at the beginningof time. And let living in unity with one another be the duty of

themall. He who lives in unity with Mankind lives in unity with Me. Andhe alone who lives in Unity with Me is a Yogi and a True Man. Let nopart of the whole swerve from its duty. Let the five parts of Mankindever work in unity for the welfare of the whole. And let the wholework for the good of each part. This is My Divine Command.____________ _________ _________ __---------- Forwarded message ----------Krshnamurthi CS <krishee2000@ >Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 12:41 PMFw: Great Discipline of Brahmins in Indiaanantha1946@ gmail.com, visundaram (AT) gmail (DOT) com,kavithasubramaniam8 7, kalamegham Ramaswamy<kalameghamr@ gmail.com>, "Jayaraman R." <vu2jn >Cc:

sreek_sk , Shreelakshmi Lakshmi <shreelak > “Vasudhaika kutumbakamâ€Great Discipline of Brahmins in IndiaBrahmin is the class of educators, law makers, doctors, scholars andpreachers in Hinduism. It is said to occupy the highest position amongthe four varnas of Hinduism.The English word brahmin is an anglicised form of the Sanskrit wordBrahmana (Brahman also refers to a sanskrit word Brahma- meaning'knowledge', Brahman (noun form) who possesses the 'knowledge.'Brahmins are also called Vipra "learned" or Dvija "twice-born" .In Buddhist sources written in Pali and Prakrit, including Ashokaninscriptions, Brahmins are commonly called Babhans which is the Paliword for Brahmins.Historically, the rulers acted in close relationship with Brahmins,and relied on them as their advisors. Gradually, the Brahmins became apowerful and influential group

in India, attracting accusations ofdiscriminating against 'lower' castes. In modern India, the Brahminshave complained of reverse discrimination.Brahmin communitiesThe Brahmin castes may be broadly divided into two regional groups:Pancha-Gauda Brahmins and Pancha-Dravida Brahmins as per the write upis from Rajatarangini of Kalhana which is composed only in 11th CE andmany communities find their traces from sages mentioned in much olderVedas and puranas.Pancha Gauda BrahminsPancha Gauda (the five classes of Northern India): (1) Saraswat,(2)Kanyakubja, (3)Maithil Brahmins (4) Gauda brahmins (includingSanadhyas)) (5)Utkala Brahmins .Pancha Dravida BrahminsPaara Thrivikraman Namboothiri, Priest of Guruvayoor Temple in Kerala,1960'sPanch Dravida (the five classes of Southern India): 1) Andhra,2) Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), 3) Karnataka, 4) Maharashtra andKonkon, and

5) Gujarat. They originate from north of the (now-extinct)Saraswati River.In Haryana, the Brahmin are classified in mainly Dadhich_Brahmin, GaudBrahmin, Khandelwal Brahmin. But large proportion of Brahmin inHaryana are Gaud(about 90%). Approximately all Brahmin in west U P areadi gaur.In Nepal, the hill Brahmins are classified in mainly Upadhaya Brahmin,Jaisi Brahmin and Kumain Brahmins. Upadhaya Brahmins are supposed tohave settled in Nepal long before the other two groups. Majority ofhill Brahmins are supposed to be of Khasa origin.In Punjab, they are classified as Saraswat Brahmins.In Rajasthan, the Brahmins are classified in mainly Dadhich_Brahmin,Gaur Brahmin,Sanadhya brahmins, Rajpurohit / Purohit Brahmins, SriGaur Brahmin, Khandelwal Brahmin, Gujar-Gaur Brahmins. Rajpurohit /Purohit Brahmins are mainly found in Marwar & Godwad region ofRajasthan. Rajpurohit a Title

bestowed upon those learned Brahmins,who use to perform the rituals and rites for the rulers of somekingdoms. In the course of their service to the kingdom, according toancient traditions, the king use to award a few villages or land knownas Sasan Jagir within his kingdom to their Rajpurohits. These villagesor land were considered to be free from any ruler, and were outsidethe ambit of any form of tax. Shakdwipiya Brahmins are also found atmany places in rajasthan they are the major pujari in many temples ofwestern rajasthan. In Sindh, the saraswat Brahmins from Nasarpur ofSindh province are called Nasarpuri Sindh Saraswat Brahmin. During theIndia and Pakistan partition migrated to India from sindh province.In Uttar Pradesh, from west to east: Sanadhya, Gauda & Tyagi (westernUP), Kanyakubja( Central UP), Sarayuparin (Central UttarPradesh,Eastern, NE, & SE UP), Bhumihar (Varanasi and other

parts ofeastern U.P.) and Maithil(Varanasi) , the South western UP, i.e.Bundelkhand has thick population of Jujhotia brahmins(branch ofKanyakubja brahmins:ref. Between History & Legend:Power & Status inBundelkhand by Ravindra K Jain). On the Jijhoutia clan of BhumiharBrahmins, William Crooke writes, "A branch of the Kanaujia Brahmins(Kanyakubja Brahmins) who take their name from the country ofJajakshuku, which is mentioned in the Madanpur inscription. "33Mathure or mathuria Brahmins 'choubeys' are limited to Mathura area.In Gujarat, Brahmins are classified into Eight groups: Anavil Brahmin,Audichya Brahmins, Bardai Brahmins, Girinarayan Brahmins, Khedaval,Nagar Brahmins, Shrimali Brahmins, Sidhra-Rudhra Brahmins and ModhBrahmins. The Modh Brahmins worship Matangi Modheshwari mata (Modhera)and are mostly found in North Gujarat and in the Baroda region.In Maharashtra, Brahmins are

classified into five groups: ChitpavanKonkanastha Brahmins, Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Pareek, Deshastha Brahmin,Karhade Brahmin, and Devrukhe. As the name indicates, KokanasthaBrahmin are from Konkan area. Gaud Saraswat Brahmins are from Konkanregion or they may come from Goa or Karnataka, Deshastha Brahmin arefrom plains of Maharashtra, Karhade Brahmins are perhaps from Karhatak(an ancient region in India that included present day southMaharashtra and northern Karnataka) and Devrukhe Brahmins are fromDevrukh near Ratnagiri.In Madhya Pradesh the descendents of Somnath temple priests, NaramdevBrahmin, Who migrated from Gujrat to Madhyapradesh after the Mohd.Ghazni notorious forays in saurashtra and desacration of Somnath, andsedenterized along the coast of Narmada river hence derived their nameie Narmdiya brahmin or Naramdevs. Guru of Adi guru Shankaracharya,shri Govindacharya claimed to belongs to

this community who initiatedhim in the Omkareshwar in the bank of river Narmada. Naramdevs are inhigh concentration in Nimar (Khandwa and Khargone)and Bhuvana region(Harda) of Madhyapradesh. Here, the Brahmins are classified in mainlyShri Gaud, Sanadhya brahmin, Gujar-Gaud Brahmins. Majority of ShriGaud Brahmins are found in the Malwa region (Indore, Ujjain, Dewas).Eastern MP has dense population of Sarayuparain Brahmins. Hoshangabadand Harda Distt. of MP have a considerable population of Jujhotia (aclan of Bhumihar Brahmins, eg. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati) andNaremdev Brahmins..In Karnataka, Brahmins are mainly classified into Havyaka speakingHavigannada, Babbur Kamme, Hoysala Karnataka speaking kannada,Shivalli and Kota speaking Tulu, Karahada speaking Marathi and havetheir own tradition and culture.In Orissa, Utkala Brahmins, also known as Oriya or Orissa Brahmins,are a Jati (caste)

who live mainly in the Indian state of Orissa & neighbouring states of Chhatishgarh, Northern Andhra Pradesh,WestBengal & Jharkhand. They constitute farthest branch of the Panch-Gaudain the east, south of Maithila(present day Bihar).Utkala Brahmins aremainly classified into Utkala Kulina Brahmins,Utkala AranyakaBrahmins,Utkala Halua Brahmins,Utkala Panda Brahmins.In West Bengal, the Brahmins are classified in Barendra & Rarhicorresponding to the ancient Barendrabhumi( North Bengal) andRarhdesh(South Bengal) making present day Bangladesh & West Bengal. Itis also said that Barendras are traditional Brahmins who practiced theart of medicinal science and surgury rather than the traditionalfunction of being the teacher or the priest, and so many a times theyare not considered true brahmins by the Rarhis, although they aretheir own offshoots.The traditional accounts of the origin

of Bengali Brahmins are givenin texts termed Kulagranthas (e.g., Kuladipika), composed around the17th century. They mention a ruler named Adisura who invited fiveBrahmins from Kanyakubja, so that he could conduct a yajña, because hecould not find Vedic experts locally. Traditional texts mention thatAdisura was ancestor of Ballal Sena from maternal side and fiveBrahmins had been invited in AD 1077. Historians have located a rulernamed Adisura ruling in north Bihar, but not in Bengal. But BallalSena and his predecessors ruled over both Bengal and Mithila (i.e.,North Bihar). It is unlikely that the Brahmins from Kanyakubja mayhave been invited to Mithila for performing a yajña, because Mithilawas a strong base of Brahmins since Vedic age. Another accountmentions a king Shyamal Varma who invited five Brahmins fromKanyakubja who became the progenitors of the Vaidika Brahmins. A thirdaccount refers to

five Brahmins being the ancestors of VarendraBrahmins as well. From similarity of titles (e.g., upadhyaya), thefirst account is most probable.Besides these two major community there are also Utkal Brahmins,having migrated from present Orissa and Vaidik Brahmins, havingmigrated from Western and Northern India.In Andhra Pradesh, Brahmins are broadly classified into 3 groups:Vaidika (meaning educated in vedas and performing religiousvocations), Niyogi (performing only secular vocation)and Dravidlu(Inthe Coastal Andhra Pradesh). They are further divided into severalsub-castes. However, majority of the Brahmins, both Vaidika andNiyogi, perform only secular professions.In Karnataka, Brahmins are broadly classified into 2 groups: Madhwa(followers of Shri Madhwacharya) and Smartha (followers of Shri AdiSankaracharya) .. They are further divided into several sub-castes.Other than these

groups, there are other brahmin communities viz,Havyaka, Kota, Shivalli, Saraswata etc. Here, Havyaka speakingHavigannada, Babbur Kamme, Hoysala Karnataka speaking kannada,Shivalli and Kota speaking Tulu, Karahada speaking Marathi and havetheir own tradition and culture.In Kerala, Brahmins are classified into three groups: Namboothiris,Pottis and Pushpaka. The major priestly activities are performed byNamboothiris while the other temple related activities known asKazhakam are performed by Pushpaka Brahmins and other Ampalavasis. SriAdi Shankara was born in Kalady, a village in Kerala, to a NamboothiriBrahmin couple, Shivaguru and Aryamba, and lived for thirty-two years.The Namboothiri Brahmins, Potti Brahmins and Pushpaka Brahmins inKerala follow the Philosophies of Sri Adi Sankaracharya. Nagariks arethe common name for north indian immigrant brahmins The Brahmins whomigrated to Kerala from

Tamil Nadu are known as Pattar in Kerala. Theypossess almost same status of Potti Brahmins in Kerala.In Tamil Nadu, Brahmins belong to 2 major groups: Iyer and Iyengar.Iyers comprise of Smartha and Saivite Brahmins and are broadlyclassified into Vadama, Vathima, Brhatcharnam, Ashtasahasram, Sholiyarand Gurukkal. There are mostly followers of Adi Shankaracharya andform about three-fourths of Tamil Nadu's Brahmin population. Iyengarscomprise of Vaishnavite Brahmins and are divided into two sects:Vadakalai and Thenkalai. They are mostly followers of Ramanuja andmake up the remaining one-fourth of the Tamil Brahmin population.In Bihar, majority of Brahmins are Kanyakubja Brahmins, BhumiharBrahmins and Maithil Brahmins with a significant population ofSakaldiwiya or Shakdwipi Brahmins. The Bhumihar Brahmins, of whommany, though not all, belong to the Saryupareen Brahmin division ofKanyakubja

Brahmins. Therefore, there is a lot of brotherhood amongthese Brahmin sub-castes and Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi and Dr. HazariPrasad Dwivedi have mentioned it in their writings. On the Jijhoutiaclan of Bhumihar Brahmins (eg. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati), WilliamCrooke writes, "A branch of the Kanaujia Brahmins (KanyakubjaBrahmins) who take their name from the country of Jajakshuku, which ismentioned in the Madanpur inscription. "In the 19th and 20th national convention of Kanyakubja Brahmins byKanyakubja Mahati Sabha, in 1926 and 1927 respectively, it reiteratedBhumihar Brahmins to be Kanyakubja Brahmins and appealed for unityamong Kanyakubja Brahmins whose different branches included Sanadhya,Pahadi, Jujhoutia, Saryupareen, Chattisgadhi, Bhumihar and differentBengali Brahmins.With the decline of Mughal Empire, in the area of south of Avadh, inthe fertile rive-rain rice growing areas of Benares,

Gorakhpur,Deoria, Ghazipur, Ballia and Bihar and on the fringes of Bengal, itwas the 'military' or Bhumihar Brahmins who strengthened their sway.The distinctive 'caste' identity of Bhumihar Brahman emerged largelythrough military service, and then confirmed by the forms ofcontinuous 'social spending' which defined a man and his kin assuperior and lordly. In 19th century, many of the Bhumihar Brahminswere zamindars. Of the 67000 Hindus in the Bengal Army in 1842, 28000were identified as Rajputs and 25000 as Brahmins, a category thatincluded Bhumihar Brahmins. The Brahmin presence in the Bengal Armywas reduced in the late nineteenth century because of their perceivedprimary role as mutineers in the Mutiny of 1857, led by Mangal Pandey.The Kingdom of Kashi belonged to Bhumihar Brahmins and big zamindarislike Bettiah Raj, Hathwa Raj and Tekari Raj belonged to them.GotrasIn general, gotra

denotes any person who traces descent in an unbrokenmale line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra forgrammatical purposes as ' apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram', which means'the word gotra denotes the progeny (of a sage) beginning with theson's son. When a person says ' I am Kashypasa-gotra' he means that hetraces his descent from the ancient sage Kashyapa by unbroken maledescent..According to the Baudhâyanas'rauta- sûtra are 8 sages; the progeny ofthese eight sages is declared to be gotras:1. Visvamitra,2. Jamadagni,3. Bharadvâja,4. Gautama,5. Atri or Krisnatriya,6. Vasishtha,7. Kashyapa and8. AgastyaThis enumeration of eight primary gotras seems to have been known toPanini. These gotras are not directly connected to Prajapathy

orlatter brama. The offspring (apatya) of these eight are gotras andothers than these are called ' gotrâvayava '.The gotras are arranged in groups. There are according to theÂsvalâyana-srautasû tra four subdivisions of the Vasishtha gana, viz.Upamanyu, Parashara, Kundina and Vasishtha (other than the firstthree). Each of these four again has numerous sub-sections, each beingcalled gotra.So the arrangement is first into ganas, then into pakshas, then intoindividual gotras. The first has survived in the Bhrigu and Angirasagana. According to Baudh., the principal eight gotras were dividedinto 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 thatdistinguishes the founder (lit. the starter) of one gotra fromanother.PravarasThere are two kinds of pravaras.1) Sishya-prasishya- rishi-parampara, and2) 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 sevensages (saptarsheya pravara). This pravara may be eithersishya-prasishya- rishi-parampara or putraparampara.When it is sishya-prasishya- rishi-parampara marriage is notacceptable if half or more than half of the rishis are same in

bothbride and bridegroom gotras. If it is putraparampara, marriage istotally unacceptable even if one rishi matches.Sects and rishisDue to the diversity in religious and cultural traditions andpractices, and the Vedic schools which they belong to, Brahmins arefurther divided into various subcastes.During the sutra period, roughly between 1000 BCE to 200 BCE, Brahminsbecame divided into various Shakhas (branches), based on the adoptionof different Vedas and different rescension Vedas. Sects for differentdenominations of the same branch of the Vedas were formed, under theleadership of distinguished teachers among Brahmins.There are several Brahmin law givers such as Angirasa, Apasthambha,Atri (also sometimes more realized as Krishnatriya) , Brihaspati,Boudhayana, Daksha, Gautam, Harita, Katyayana, Likhita, Manu,Parasara, Samvarta, Shankha, Shatatapa, Ushanasa, Vashishta,

Vishnu,Vyasa, Yajnavalkya and Yama.These twenty-one rishis were the propounders of Smritis. The oldestamong these smritis are Apastamba, Baudhayana, Gautama, and VasishtaSutras.Descendants from Brahmins· Many Indians claim descent from the Vedic Rishis of bothBrahmin and non-Brahmin descent.· For example the Dash and Nagas are said to be the descendantsof Kashyapa Muni.· The Rajput gothras which correspond to the name of the Rishismean that they employ(ed) (and protect) Brahmin priest of thatgothras.· Visvakarmas are the descendants of Pancha Rishis or Brahmarshies.· According to Yajurveda and brahmanda purana They are Sanagha,Sanathana, Abhuvanasa, Prajnasa,

Suparnasa.· The Kani tribe of South India claim to descend from Agastya Muni.· The Gondhali, Kanet, Bhot, Lohar, Dagi, and Hessis claim to befrom Renuka Devi.· The Kasi Kapadi Sudras claim to originate from the BrahminSukradeva.. Their duty was to transfer water to the sacred city ofKashi.· Dadheech Brahmins/dayama brahmin trace their roots fromDadhichi Rishi. Many Jats clans claim to descend from Dadhichi Rishiwhile the Dudi Jats claim to be in the linear of Duda Rishi.· Lord Buddha of course, was a descendant of Angirasa throughGautama. There too were Kshatiryas of other clans to whom membersdescend from Angirasa, to fulfill a childless king's wish.· 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 onelegend are derived from the mouth of Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu,and came out Brahmin.Brahmins taking up other duties Brahmins have taken on manyprofessions - from being priests, ascetics and scholars to warriorsand business people, as is attested for example in Kalhana'sRajatarangini.Two of the largest empires in India were established and ruled byBrahmins. When the Kshatriyas failed to conduct their duties, Brahminshave become warriors and eventually restored law and order.Brahmins according to Dharma should assume a ruling position becausethey are the law-makers and preservers of Dharma.. However, wheneverthere have been incidents in the history, where the rulers have failedto live up to

Dharma, Brahmins have assume power to restore proper lawand order.First, instance is Chanakya (a brahmin) created the Maurya Empire.Maurya empire was the largest empire in India. Second, the Peshwas(Brahmins) ruled almost all of greater India, starting from Mysore toAfghanistan.Brahmins with the qualities of Kshatriyas are known as'Brahmakshatriyas' . An example is the avatara Parshurama whodestroyed the entire Haiheyas 21 times. Not only did Sage Parashuramahave warrior skills but he was so powerful that he could even fightwithout the use of any weapons and trained others to fight withoutweapons.The Bhumihar Brahmins were established when Parashurama destroyed theKshatriya race, and he set up in their place the descendants ofBrahmins, who, after a time, having mostly abandoned their priestlyfunctions (although some still perform), took to land-owning.Today there is a caste,

Brahmakhatris, who are a clan of the Khatris.Perhaps the word Brahma-kshatriya refers to a person belonging to theheritage of both castes. However, among the Royal Rajput households,brahmins who became the personal teachers and protectors of the Royalprinces rose to the status of Rajpurohit and taught the princeseverything including martial arts. They would also become the keepersof the Royal lineage and its history. They would also be theprotectors 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.The Pallavas were an example of Brahmakshatriyas as that is what theycalled themselves. King Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir ruled all ofIndia and even Central Asia.King Rudravarma of Champa (Vietnam) of 657 A.D. was the son of a Brahmin father.King Jayavarma I of Kambuja (Kampuchea) of 781 A.D. was a

Brahma-kshatriya.Brahmins with the qualities of a Vaisya or merchant are known as'Brahmvyasya' . An example of such persons are people of the Ambasthacaste, which exist in places like South India and Bengal. They performmedical work - they have from ancient times practiced the Ayurveda andhave been Vaidyas (or doctors).Many Pallis of South India claim to be Brahmins (while others claim tobe Agnikula Kshatriyas.) Kulaman Pallis are nicknamed by outsiders asKulaman Brahmans. Hemu from Rewari ,Haryana was also a Brahmin bybirth.DutiesBrahmanas have six occupational duties, of which three are compulsory— namely, studying the Vedas, worshiping the Deity and giving charity.By teaching, by inducing others to worship the Deity, and by acceptinggifts, the brahma?as receive the necessities of life.Of the six occupational duties of the brahmanas, three are compulsory— namely,

worship of the Deity, study of the Vedas and the giving ofcharity. In exchange, a brahmiin should receive charity, and thisshould be his means of livelihood. A brahmiin cannot take up anyprofessional occupational duty for his livelihood.The sastras especially stress that if one claims to be a brahmana.Brahmins believe in Sarvejanassukhinobh avantu — Let the entiresociety be happy and prosperous and Vasudhaika kutumbakam — the wholeworld is one family. Many Brahmins are reformers.Most Brahmins today practice vegetarianism or lacto-vegetarianism .There are some Brahmins who are non-vegetarians, mainly the Brahminsof cold mountain areas like Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Nepal, andcoastal areas like Bengal, who are fish eaters. However, even the meateating Brahmins shun beef..____________ _________ _________ __--VijendranNo virus found in this incoming

message.Checked by AVG - www.avg.comVersion: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.53/2155 - Release Date:06/04/09 17:55:00____________ _________ _________ __Get an email ID as yourname (AT) ymail (DOT) .com or yourname@rocketmail .com. ----The people who make a differencein your life are not the ones -with the most credentials,the most money,or the most awards.They are the ones who care for you.Only those who care, make a difference.To make a difference to others,Care for them.== Subramanyam