DraaviDa Brahatcharanam

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A Note on the DraaviDa Brahatcharana

A particular Community rather a susect of Shaiva Brahmins in Karnataka are called DraviDa Brahatcharana. With a population of some thousands only, they speak a dilect of their own which is nearer to Tamil.Most of them live in the border of KarnaTaka and TamilnaaDu.It is an elite community and has produced profound Sanskrit and KannaDa Scholars of eminence.In fact Dr. D.V.Gundappa, a celebrity of Modern KannaDa literature comes from this lot.Most of them have migrated to Bangalore City and hence have opted to KannaDa as their First Language.

Dr. Hampa.Nagarajaiah

Emeritus Professor

 

 

 

 

 

--- On Tue, 9/12/08, P.K.Ramakrishnan <peekayar wrote:

P.K.Ramakrishnan <peekayarRe: Brahatcharanam From Wikipedia Date: Tuesday, 9 December, 2008, 4:35 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The etymology of this word as given in Wikipedia is wrong. The correct etymology is bhrigu-charanam meaning the followers of bhrigu. There is a place called Broach on the northern bank of river Narmada in Gujarat. Broach is the shortened form of bhirugu-kaccham meaning bhirgu's fold. There is a temple here dedicated to Bhrigumaharshi. This indiactes the place from where they migrated to South India, especially Tamil Nad.------------ --------- --------- -----P.K. Ramakrishnanhttp://peekayar. blogspot. com--- On Sat, 6/12/08, kishore patnaik <kishorepatnaik09@ gmail.com> wrote:

kishore patnaik <kishorepatnaik09@ gmail.com> Brahatcharanam From Wikipedia"" <>, , hinducivilization, akandabaratam, "indiaarchaeology" <IndiaArchaeology>Saturday, 6 December, 2008, 7:44 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brahatcharanam is a Iyer Tamil Brahmin sect. The word brahat in Sanskrit means great or vast or significant and the word charanam refers to feet. The name Brahacharanam can be thus literally translated as the great feet. Their exact origins are not clear but based on indirect evidences in history it can be inferred that their presence in Tamil Nadu extends back to at least 1000 AD. This can also be inferred from the fact that many of the agraharam villages of the Brahacharanam clans have very ancient origins.

They have many subsects among them popular being Kandaramanickam, Pazhamaneri, Mazhanadu, Mangudi, Lohita, etc. Some of them have even spread to Kerala, where they are part of the Palghat Iyer community and in Andhra were they have settled in places like Puduru and called puduru dravidlu.

Some of them along with others joined the Vaishnava movement and became part of Iyengar Community. The evidence to this exists from the Vaishnava literature which records that some of the acharyas in their lineage were Brahacharanam.

They were traditionally priests and Vedic teachers and also performed yagnas. Some of them also seemed to have assumed the title of dikshitar. They have good image within the Iyer community for being well behaved, simple and traditional.

Brahacharanam also consider themselves to be among the first followers of Adi Shankaracharya.

Some famous Brahcaharams from the past are:

1. Manakkal Nambigal, disciple of Uyyakondar an early discple of Nathamuni

2. Vaidyanatha Dikshitar of the 17th century, the renowned author of Vaidhiyanatha Dikishiyam- Smurthi Mukthabhala Nibandana Grandham which laid down the code of conduct for Brahmins.

3. Maha Vaidyanathan Sivan of Vaiyacheri, Tanjore considered by some to be the greatest singer composer after thyagaraja

4. P.S. Sivaswamy Iyer - Advocate General of Madras during British times

5. Mahagnichit, Vajapeyayaji, Srowtha Bhaskara, Srowtha Ratnam, Nalliseri Brahmari N.R. Jambukeswara Srowthigal - One of the renowned Vedic Priests of the present centures

6. Manakkal Rangaraja a renowned Carnatic Musician

7. Kalki Sadasivam - Freedom Fighter and husband of M S Subbulakshmi

 

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