About a year back one reader asked me that he was informed by his grandfather that they were the priests of Lord Rama and whether I could provide more information on this.
As far as I knew Vasishta was Ikshvaku Dynasty Guru and there was Viswamitra who took Rama and Lakshmana and initiated the Bala and Adi Bala Mantras.
However I told him that I would check and provide when I get the information.
This is it.
Brahmin is one who has realized the Reality, Brahman.
He is selfless and dedicated to the welfare of others.
This sloka tells us who a Brahmin is.
”
“Adhyaapanam Adhyayanam
Yajanam Yaajanam Tathaa
Daanam Pratigraham Chaiva
Brahmanaanaamakalpayaat”
Adyayanam-Pracctice of reciting the Vedas, with meaning.
Adhyaapnan-Teaching of the Vedas along with the Astras(scientific Arms) and Satras(Ordinary weapons of war)
Yajanam-performance of the Yagnas and Yagas.
Here there is a small difference between a Yagna and Yaaga.
While a Yaaga is performed with a specific wish to be fulfilled, as a Puthra Kameshti for begetting a Good offspring, Yajna is performed expecting no results, performed because it has to be performed as sanctioned by the Vedas.
Dakshina is an offering made by the receiver to Brahmins and they are expected to be contented with what is offered.
With changed economic and social structure this is not in practice and we have Brahmins who demand Dakshina.
Many are disappointed with this attitude.
My view is that what they do now is not correct for Brahmin.
However, if people do not provide them economic security, which was provided in earlier days right from King’s to common Man, how would a Brahmin live?
Worse still why would they let their children become the torch bearers of the Vedas?
So we see Brahmins taking up all professions, including me, fo economic security.
My submission is that we offer fair Dakshina to Brahmins to help them economically secure so that our Culture thrives.
We spend so much for movies and entertainment.
Now to the issue on hand.
There is a group of Brahmins who accepted Dakshina from Lord Rama.
They were the priests who welcomed Lord Rama when he returned to Ayodhya after killing Ravana.
They are Sanadh Brahmins.
‘Just as there are Brahmins whose origins are associated with Rama, such as the Saryuparins that came into being when Rama reached Ayodhya after slaying Ravana, and the Sanadhs, who recall their acceptance of dakshina from Ramchandra on the victory over Ravana, there are also Brahmins that are associated in origin from Ravana, and these include the Daves (of Mudgal gotra) of Rajasthan, as well as Gujarat’s Sachoras, the Kanyakubjas of Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, and the Brahmins of the Kaumara sub-gotra of the Vasistha gotra
‘Sanadya Brahmin or Sanadh Brahmin, or Sanah Brahmin or Sanidya Brahmin are a community of Brahmins. Their main concentration is in Western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh area of India.’ wiki.
The Hindi poet Keshavdas was a Sanadhya, and praised his community in his Ramachandran.
Saryupareen Brahmins.
Saryupareen Brahmins , also known as Sarvarya Brahmins or Saryupariya Brahmins, are North IndianBrahmins residing on the eastern plain of the Sarayu near Ayodhya. Saryupareen families such as the Chaturvedi, Tripathi, Tiwari, Trivedi, Dwivedi, Pandey, Mishra,Shukla, and Dikshit were involved solely in the research and analysis of Vedas and other religious texts, performing yajnas and other religious practices. These families did not perform ‘pujas for benefactors and did not take dakshinas or donations against such prayers. Hence they were considered to be solely devoted to the quest of learning about the Vedas and spreading knowledge rather than benefiting in any way through benefactors. Along with the other Pancha-Gauda Brahmin communities, the Saryupareen traditionally preserve the customs and traditions as prescribed by ancient Hindu canons.
In the 19th (held at Prayag) and 20th (held at Lucknow) national convention of Kanyakubja Brahmins by Kanyakubja Mahati Sabha, in 1926 and 1927 respectively, it appealed for unity among Kanyakubja Brahmins whose different branches included Sanadhya, Pahadi, Jujhoutia, Saryupareen,Chattisgarhi, Bhumihar Brahmins and different Bengali Brahmins.
The Saryupareen generally dwell in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh with a significant amount of them concentrated in the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh known as Purvanchal. There are also minority Saryupareen communities in Mauritius, where Bhojpuri is a commonly spoken language and the Caribbean.
Vanshavali
“Kanyakubj Vanshavali” mentions five branches of Kanyakubja Brahmins as Saryupareen, Sanadhya, Bhumihar, Jujhautiya and Prakrit Kanaujia:
Brahmins a part of Santana Dharma have branches and subcastes.
It may be noted that Caste is a loose translation of the Term Varna, which indicates disposition(even this term is not an exact translation)
It has nothing to do with race.
Brahmin Community, India
Brahmins, an essential part of Santana Dharma, were spread throughout India.
Brahmins, as in the case of the other varnas(Castes) were a single community.
However over a period of time, there evolved a division among them based on the Sutras they follow and later Geographical location.
Astasahasram, a Group of eight thousand Families,
Vadama, who settled on the northern banks of River Cauvery,
Vaathimaa, most of this group were engaged in Proestly duties, Purohitham.
Bruhatcharanam. it is believed that long time back a family of Brahmins were accused of Brahmahathi, that of killing a Brahmin.
They were ostracized by the Brahmins.
Then they performed a Yagnya, Bruhat Yagnya, to purify themselves.
Then they were readmitted into the Brahmin -fold and hence the name Bruhtrcharanam , now called Brecharanam.
For example, there are Shaiva Vellalars,Kaar Vellalars,Karai Vellalars in the Vella community.
The term Vellala in Tamil means one who regulated Flood.
One who regulates Flood is Vellala.
Among them who minds the Bund are Karai Vellalas.
Kaar Vellalas are those who regulate the flow of Flood at the time of Rainy seasons,Kaar in Tamil means heavy rains.
Among all these those who do not eat meat are called Shaviva Vellalas.
Similarly those who follow the six duties assigned to Brahmins, are Brahmins.
The six duties.
“Adhyaapanam Adhyayanam
Yajanam Yaajanam Tathaa
Daanam Pratigraham Chaiva
Brahmanaanaamakalpayaat”
Learnng the Vedas,
Teaching the Vedas,
Perfoming the Yagnyas by themselves,
Perfoming Yagnyas for the others,
Accepting Gifts and
Donating the needy.
In addition they must have realized Brahman.
The Vedas contain branches, called Sakhas.
Please read my post on Vedas.
The Veda mantras are , most of them aphorisms, especially in Brahmanas and Upanishads.
While the Upanishads speak about Reality Brahman, the Brahmanas talk about the duties to be performed.
As they are terse, there arose people who explained them.
The aphorisms are the Sutras.
Those who explain them are called the Sutradhaars.
They explain the sutras and as the individuals are different , so are the interpretations.
However the essence, the core message of the Vedas are kept unchanged, certain practices vary.
Later geographical locations were taken as a Yardstick.
Read my post on Brahmins subcastes.
” During the sutra period, roughly between 1000 BC to 200 BC, Brahmins became divided into various Sakhas or branches, based on the adoption of different Vedas and different readings and interpretations of Vedas. Sects or schools for different denominations of the same Veda were formed, under the leadership of distinguished teachers among Brahmins. The teachings of these distinguished rishis are called sutras. Every Veda has its own sutras. The sutras that deal with social, moral and legal precepts are called dharma sutras, whereas those sutras that deal with ceremonials are called Srauta sutras and domestic rituals are called gruhya sutras. sutras are generally written in prose or in mixed prose and verse. These sutras are based on divine Vedas and are manmade and hence are called Smritis, meaning “recollected or remembered.”
There are several Brahmin law givers such as Angirasa, Apasthambha, Atri, Brihaspati, Boudhayana, Daksha, Gautama, Harita, Katyayana, Likhita, Manu, Parasara, Samvarta, Sankha, Satatapa, Usanasa, Vasishta, Vishnu, Vyasa, Yajnavalkya and Yama. These twenty-one rishis were the propounders of Dharma Sastras. There is a lot of contradiction among theseDarmasastas, even within one Smriti. These differences in the rules and rituals resulted in the rigid stratification of subcastes among Brahmins. None of these smritis is supreme and universally applicable throughout the Indian Continent. The oldest among these Dharma Sutras are Apasthambha, Baudhayana, Gautama and Vasishta Sutras.
Apasthambha: Apasthambha, a native of Andhra Country, belonged to Krishnayajurveda School. He belonged to fifth century BC. Apasthambha’s teachings are called Apasthambhasutra orApasthambhasmriti. Baudhayana: Baudhayana also belonged to Krishnayajurveda School and was an inhabitant of Andhra Country. Baudhayana’s teachings are called Baudhayanasutra or Baudhayanasmriti. Brihaspati: Brihaspati was probably the first jurist to make a clear distinction between civil and criminal justice. Yajnavalkya referred to Brihaspati. However, Brihaspati is considered to belong to 200-400 AD. Brihaspatismriti has a lot of similarities with Dhammathats of Myanmar (Burma). Gautama: Gautama was the most ancient sage of all Brahmin lawgivers. He was quoted by Baudhayana and belonged to Samaveda School. Gautama’s teachings are called Gautamasutra orGautamasmriti. Harita: Baudhayana and Vasishta in their Dharmasutras quote Harita. Haritasmriti or Haritasutra is an extensive work. Katyayana: Yajnavalkya mentions Katyayana. Katyayanasmriti is quoted in several works of Viswarupa, Mitramisra etc. Smriti Chandrika cites 600 verses of Katyayanasutras. He may belong to the same period as Narada and Brihaspati. Manu: Manu is a mythical personality and is the ancestor of the entire humankind. Manu received the code from Brahma, and communicated it to ten sages and requested Bhrigu rishi to repeat it to the other nine. This code of conduct recited by Bhrigu is called Manusmriti. For convenience, the British took Manusmriti as the paramount law of the Indian Continent.Manudharma is not only revered by Brahmins and Hindus, but also by Buddhists in Java, Siam and Myanamar. Manusmriti was composed around 200 BC, around which time a revival of Brahminism took place under the rule Sungas in the North India. Narada: Sage Narada was probably a native of Nepal around first century AD. Naradasmriti is the first legal code unhampered by the mass of religious and moral teachings. Some authors think that Narada belonged to Gupta period when there was a distinct revival of Brahminism and Sanskrit literature. Vasishta: Vasishta belonged to 3rd century BC and a native of North India. Vasishta’s teachings are called Vasishtasutra or Vasishtasmriti. Vishnu: Vishnu belonged to 1st or 2nd century AD. Vishnu’s teachings are called Vishnusutra or Vishnusmriti. Yajnavalkya: Yajnavalkya belonged to Suklayajurveda School12. He was a native of Mithila City in North Bihar and probably lived anywhere from few centuries before Christ to 200 AD. However, some scholars think he belonged to first or second century AD. Yajnavalkya Dharmasmriti has been subject of numerous commentaries. The most celebrated of all the commentaries ofYajnavlkyasmriti is Mitakshara and is practically the beginning of the Brahmin law and the so-called Hindu law. Passages from Mitakshara have been found practically in every part of the Indian Continent and became an authority. The Yajnavlkyasmriti is concise, more systematic and better arranged than the Manusmriti. From early times, commentators like Viswarupa, Vijnaneswara, Apararka, Sulapani, Mitramisra etc., from every part of India selected the Yajnavalkyasmriti as the basis of their commentaries. Passages from Yajnavalkyasmiriti appeared in Panchatantra.
Other important Brahmins who gave smritis/sutras/laws are: Angirasa, Atri, Daksha, Devala, Laugakshi, Prajapati, Pitamaha, Pulatsya, Yama, Vyasa, Samvarta and Satatapa. Prominent smriti writers of later age include, Devanabhatta or Devanandabhatta of Madras province, who belonged to ~1200 AD and wrote Smritichandrika, and Madhavacharya or Vidyaranya, who was the Prime Minister of Vijayanagara dynasty and pontiff for some time of the celebrated mutth at Sringeri in Mysore province. He wrote Parasaramadhaviya, which is a commentary onParasarasmriti.
Despite being Vaidikas, those who follow the Vedas,there are subtle differnces in Brahmin practices among Brahmins , though the essence remains the same.
I had posted an article on Who are South Indian Brahmins? and another History of Brahmins.
Brahmins in Indian Cricket.
My view is that Brahmins, being an integral part of Sanathana Dharma, were present in the North and the South right from the earlier ages.
And Lord Rama’s ancestor Satyavrata Manu migrated from the South to the North and his offspring established the Ikshvahu dynasty.
However evidence suggests that the Brahmins initially settled around the Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu, which was ruled by the Chola dynasty whose ancestors were the Surya Dynasty, and the Cholas belong to Kasyapa Gotra.
Please read my post on this.
In ancient times, there was no division of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh ;it was Dakshina Pada,south of Vindhyas.
I have used the present political names to enable the reader to understand.
No regional connotations are intended.
Brahmins migrated , for unknown reasons to Andhra Pradesh, around 1400AD.
“There are two major divisions among Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh: Niyogi and Vaidiki, and the Vaidiki Brahmin division is further divided into several groups, one of which is Dravida Brahmin group that arrived in Andhra via Tamil or Dravida (draaviDa) country.
A group of Brahmins migrated approximately 600 years ago (~1300-1400 AD) from Saurashtra(2) towards south of Vindhyas and settled on the banks of River Kaveri in Tamilnadu and adopted Tamil language. These Brahmins are related to the Ayyars of Tamilnadu. Later, some of these Brahmins migrated northward towards coastal Andhra to the River Godavari basin and henceforth are called Dravida Brahmins.
It is possible that Dravida Brahmins migrated to Andhra around 400 years ago(3) from Tamilnadu. The Dravida Brahmin group continued the migration deep into north coastal Andhra, settling at various places of their convenience and based on the locations they settled in, further divided into:
Aaraamadravidas
Divili Brahmins
Dravidas or suddha dravidas
Perurudravidas
Pudurudravidas
Ryalidravidas
Tummagunta Brahmins
Aaraamadravidas are those Brahmins who settled and lived in gardens (aaraamas) initially. They are also called thota aravalu (thota = garden, aravulu = Tamils or Dravids). Some Dravida Brahmins settled in the villages and are identified by the area or the name of the village in which they settled down. For example, the Brahmins who settled in the town Peruru near Amalarpuram came to be known asPerurudraavidulu. Similarly, the Brahmins settled in the towns of Ryali, Divili, Puduru and Tummagunta came to be known as Ryalidraavidulu, Divili Brahmins, Pudurudraavidulu, Tummagunta Brahmins, respectively. In addition, there is another branch called dravidulu or suddha dravidulu.
The Dravida Brahmins included 6 jaatis (tribes), 6 vamshams (stock or clan), 18 pakshams (parts) and 18 gotrams (lineage) and several family names(4). Due to their expertise and learning, the rulers ofCoastal Andhra(5) gave not only refuge, but also gifts and rewards of lands and agrahaaras (villages) to the migrated Brahmins. Dravida Brahmins continued their migrations in search of opportunities and are found in several states in the Indian Union, especially in the cosmopolitan cities like Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc., and also in the New World.
Dravida brahmins such as perurudaravidas, dhimiladaravidas, Dravidas etc. are very much into vedic rituals like yajnas and yagas. Aaraamadravidas are not big on perfoming yajna and yaagas like others Dravida Brahmins, but excelled in vedic studies, poetry and literature, medicine, music, astrology etc. As the Indian society has changed from Islamic rule to Christian rule to independence and democracy, Brahmins have lost, to a large extent, their traditional life style and religious vocations, and are left with secular vocations in competition with rich, powerful forward castes and privileged SC, ST and BC communities everywhere in India.”
Brahmins Surnames, Andhra Pradesh.
The earliest Brahmins to arrive in Andhra were most probably sage Viswamitra’s students and progeny around 1200 BC. South Indian kings showed respect and patronage for Brahmins and Brahminism since ancient times, e.g., Satavahana dynasty that ruled for five centuries and extended over Andhra and central India, founded by Srimukha (221-198 BC), supported Brahminism and Vedic tradition (History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh, Rao PR, pp.viii and 8-22). One of the most important features of Satavahana dynasty was granting land to Brahmins. (History of India, Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, p. 102). Sangam era of Chera, Chola and Pandya kings in Deep South also used to grant lands to Brahmins (History of India, Herman Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, p. 104). Similarly there have been Brahmin migrations back and forth that continue even today. Due to these waves of Brahmin migrations, we see today various sub-castes and traditions among Brahmins.
One of those Brahmin migrations pertinent to Dravida Brahmins was from Saurashtra to the south to River Kaveri. It is not clear why this particular group of Brahmins migrated to Tamil country in 13th and 14th centuries. However, the period in which the Dravida Brahmins migrated was full of strife and destruction due to Islamic incursions in the Northwestern Indian Continent (current Afghanistan, Pakistan and present Western India), including Gujarat. Saurashtra forms part of the area where the ancient Saraswati river existed. Saurashtra is also known as Soruth and Sorath, a former state in the Indian continent, located on the Kathiawar peninsula of western India, which is now part of the Indian State of Gujarat. The Rig-Veda refers to the River Saraswati as a mighty river flowing from the mountains to the sea and was adored as the nurturing mother of a civilization, which drew its life sustenance on the banks of the river. It is not clear if the southward-migrated Brahmins are related to Saraswat Brahmins of this region who migrated to other parts of the Indian continent.
From the River Kaveri region, they migrated to various other parts of Tamilanadu and up north into Andhra Pradesh somewhere between 600 to 300 years ago. Some of the Aaraamadravida Brahmin families have migrated from Kumbhakonam, an ancient temple town in Tamilnadu on the banks of river Kaveri, 194 miles away by train from Chennai. Kumbhakonam has mythical connections – visit Kanchi Kamakoti peetham site.
3) Although it is not clear when Dravida Brahmins migrated to Andhra, according to Anamtapadmanaabham Dvivedula (ref 1), about 300 years ago they adopted Telugu language and integrated with Telugu speaking people. If we consider the studies on language adoption in the US, the immigrants (first generation of immigrants) and their offspring (second generation immigrants) continue to speak their native tongue as well as the language of the land. The third generation of immigrants forget their ancestral language or only a small minority in that group maintains bilingualism. Speaking only English is the predominant pattern by the third generation in the US. Thus, by extrapolation, we may assume Dravida Brahmins began migrating to Andhra around 400 years ago, which is, of course, an assumption. It could be 600 years ago!
Usually, Telugu Brahmin family names are based on their vocation, villages, awards, recognition etc. Family names like Kuchibhatlu, Nagabhatlu, Bhairavabhatlu, Raghavabhatlu, etc. are names based on “battir“, Tamil word for pundit. Some say that Bhattu is a derivative of bhata, which means a person who works for hire and as these Brahmins were hired by kings for various priestly duties, they are calledbhat-lu. It is also said that Brahmins who considered themselves as bhattus (servants) of their family God (kula-daivam) gave their family name as bhattu or bhatla of their family God. For example,Nagahatlu means bhattus of Naga or snake God. Raghavabhatlu means bhattu of Lord Raghava or Rama. Pamtulu, Madhurapamtulu, etc. based on their recognition as pamtulu, which means pundit or guru or teacher. Ponnapalli, Marepalli, Kolluru, Addanki, etc are based on village names. Vedulavaru, Dvi-vedulavaru, etc. based on their learning in vedas and others like soamayaajula are based on ancestral achievements, jobs and deeds.
I published a Post on the Surnames of Brahmin Community.
I had in my mind to publish a complete list of Brahmin Gotras.
I promptly forgot about it.
Couple of Days ago when I received an alliance proposal for my brother’s Grandson, I was unable to check the Gotra, whether it belongs to the Brahmin Community.
Later I checked it out and it was a Gotra of Brahmin Community.
I am posting a list from the available resources and people may also contribute with authentication to make this List a Comprehensive one.
Each gotra takes the name of a famous Rishi or sage.
Gotra is a concept of patrilineal classification, which identifies the families of a caste.
The original rishis after whom the gotras were named were just Seven in number .
Gotras were further subdivided into ganas and sub ganas.
Another concept is that of Pravara of Rishis who were a few of the most learned and capable sages belonging to that gotra.
Each Brahmin was thus known by his gotra, pravar, sutra and shakha.
There are exceptions to the rule too. For example the descendents of Maharishis Bhrigu and Angirasa cannot marry, because of the same Pravara Rishis, which are common to the two individuals.
The weddings in India are fixed as per the Gotra of the bride and groom.
Gotra matching is one of the most important concerns in North indian Hindu matrimony.
Wedding in similar Gotra is strictly prohibited.
A Gotra has three Rishis.
This indicates the fact some of the Rishis had more than one wife, at different times , for example Parasara.
I that case the male offspring from each of the Wives are added and the third if there are any more differentiation.
Readers may contribute in this area.
Another instance is when a Rishi changes his Varna.
Viswamitra was a Kshatriya and his original name was Kausika.
Later he became a Brahmin after he reealized Brahma Gnana.
Then he was called a Barhmin and his Gotra was changed from Kausika to Viswamitra.
Read the Lines below the image., How merit is questioned
The difference between theOIdisha Bengali Brahmins is very thin.
However, Odisha Brahmins have a distinct identity and Rituals.
But the original Character of the Brahmins throughout the World remains the same.
he Utkala Kingdom was located in the eastern portion of the modern-day Indian state of Orissa. This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, with the names Utkala , Utpala , Odra Desha, Oddyana and Okkali. The name of Utkal is mentioned in the Puranas, Epics and different religious text book. According to Skanda Purana, the land of Utkala is the holy land in Bharata Varsha where Purusottama Kshetra is situated. It is mentioned in India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. The Utkala Kingdom was also known as Kalinga, Kangoda, Odra Desha, Odra Vishaya, Oddiyana, Mahakantara, Attabhika, Matsa Desa, Dakhina Koshala, Dandabhukti, Odabadi, Yajanagar, Uddisa Subah etc. in different time period of. The boundary of Utkala region was from mouth of river Ganges in the north to river Godavari in the south and Amarkantak hills in the west to Bay of Bengal in the east. Suryavanshi emperor of Orissa Gajapti Kapilendra Dev renamed his kingdom from Utkala to Orissa Rastra.
Translation: The Karnātakas, Tailangas, Dravidas, Mahārāshtrakās and Gurjaras; these five types who live south of Vindhya mountains are called “five Dravidas” Brahmins.
Keshari dynasty established massive Brahmin Bhatta-Agrahara and Bhatta-Grama around Jajpur and Vaitarani River tributary. Huen Tsang also wrote about massive Yajnas and the holy smoke coming from villages nearby Vaitarani River, when he visited the monasteries in Kalinga. Following 8th century many Brahmins ( Dikshit (Dixit), , Mishra, , Chaturvedi, Tripathy, , Dwivedi, Trivedi, Upadhyaya, , sharma, along with some Mahant now mahanty. (belonging to Kashyapa: gotra), )from Hastigrama, Takari of Magadha and upper gangetic plain also migrated to coastal districts. Finally the Eastern Ganga dynasty brought more number of Brahmins from all over North India, esp Kannauj, Ujjain and Ahichatra. As Orissa or then Utkala grew to a effluent kingdom, many Brahmins of Godavari delta region also migrated to settle in Mahanadi basin. Still the Paippalada shakhins of Atharvaveda claim to belong to upper Mahanadi and Narmada basin, and migrated to Orissa during late 11th century.
In the phylogenetic tree, the Orissa Brahmins showed close affinity to populations of North India. They occupy 9% of the total Oriya speaking population of Orissa[3]
The Sanskrit textBrāhmaṇotpatti-Mārtaṇḍa by Pt. Harikrishna Śāstri mentions according to which a king named Utkala invited Brahmins from Gangetic Valley for performing a yajna in Jagannath–Puri; when the yajna ended the invited Brahmins laid the foundation of the Lord Jagannath there and settled there for serving the Lord.[4]
Another Sanskrit text mentions ślokas which say a king named Sudyumna was born of King Ila in the Ikṣvāku dynasty ; Sudyumna had three sons who founded independent kingdoms : one son Utkala founded the state Utkala with capital at Puri, another son Gaya founded Gayā in Bihar and third son Haritāśca went to south.[5] The King Utkala Deva invited Brahmins from Gangetic velly and settlled them in his kingdom.
Brahminism seems to have flourished in Orissa under the Mathara rulers between the 4th and 5th century AD. The Sailodbhava rulers made arrangements for the study of Vedic wisdom and anAshwamedha sacrifice was performed by King Madhav Varman in 7th century. In the time of Keshari rulers, Shaivism gained importance. In 9th century Utkalaadhipati Yajati Keshari, to preserve the sancity & purity of Brahminism, brought 10,000 Brahmins from gangetic valley and Kannauj and settled them in his capital Yajati Nagar or Yajna pura(modern day Jajpur). The Jajpur area was once famous for organising Somayajna, Shrauta karma. Its a famous site for the performance of ancestral rites, known as Nabhi Gaya.
Utkala Brahmins are responsible for priestly and related functions at the Jagannath Temple in Puri (also known as Jagannath Puri) and other temples in earstwhile Orissa rulers and their feudatories. Puri where famous Jagannath deity is installed and one of the four holiest religious place of Hindus. They are responsible for priestly functions of other religious places of the state of Orissa and of neighbouring states.
In 11th century AD Ganga Vamsi King Chodaganga Dev renovated the existing Jagannath temple at Puri. He established Brahmin villages around Puri which are known as “Sashan” and bestowed them with land and other endowments for living a dignified life and dedicated to ritualistic responsibility. Six categories of duties were assigned to them—study, teaching, performing, Yagna and help in organizing Yagna, donate and to receive the donation (Adhyayana, Adhyapana, Yajna, Yaajana, Dana and Pratigraha).
Several Brahmin villages established by the Surya Vamsi king of Orissa, Gajapapati Kapilendra, in the 15th century A. D.. Each village devoted to a hundred Brahmin families with adequate tax free land.
Sevayata/Purohita Brahmin or Sarua(:ସେବାୟତ/ସାରୁଆ।)(सेवायत/सारुआ)
Halua Brahmin.(:ହଳୁଆ।)(हळुआ)
Again there are sub-classes in these three classes:
1.“Shrotriya Brahmins”:The Brahmins following Shrauta tradition, have right to read and teach Vedas and hence are known as Vedic Brahmins or Namaskaraniya. They do Yajna, Yaajana, Adhyayana, Adhyapana, Daana, Pratigraha. They are also known as Kulina, Vaidika, Danua etc. They give more importance to Veda, daily upasana and agnihotra. Only These group of brahmins have right to conduct Yaagas and teach Vedas along with Daana, Pratigraha.
Sub classes:
a)Kalinga Shrauta Brahmins:The Brahmins who have come from undivided regions of previous Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Cuttack, Puri and Ganjam. They follow the samanta panjika or SriJagannathpanjika. They stay south of Brahmani River, hence their name.They marry among themselves or to there relatives.Others brahmins avoid to marry them.They generally do Bhikhya(Begging) to maintain there livelyhood.
b)Jajpuria Shrauta Brahmins:the sub-class which has come from Jajpur and north Orissa area. They follow Sri Virajapanjika. They stay north of Brahmani River. First settled in areas aroundBaitarani River.
These above two sub-classes are eligible to perform Shrauta rites, they abstain from doing temple services and they seldom intermarry with other brahmins.
2.“Sevayata Brahmins” or Saruaa:They are also known as Sevaka, Sarua, Purohita or Pushpalaka Brahmins, they follow the Karmakanda and sometimes act as priests for social as well for some temple functions. They give more importance to temple worship, and priesthood. They don’t have right to organise Yaaga, or take Daana(alms). They can read Veda and teach it. Some of them follow Agama also. The Sevayata(Ashrauta) section of Brahmins are divided into three sub-classes as follows:
a)Devalaka(Deyulia)Brahmins: Surnames Badapanda, Pujapanda etc. Their chief occupation is the service of the temple Gods and Goddesses. Many of them expertise in VedicKarmakanda(rites for marriage, upanayan etc) as well as Agama(temple worship). Most of the Daitapati sevayatas of Jagannath Temple, Puri and Lingaraj Temple belong to this sub class. Most of the temple in Orissa have this sub class of Brahmins as chief priests..They marry among themselves or to there relatives.Others brahmins avoid to marry them.They generally do Bhikhya(Begging) to maintain there livelyhood.
b)Paniyari(Panda)Brahmins: Surnames majorly Panda. They also form the priestly section, for some rites and some do temple services. some of them are cooks in temples and even in private houses , and travel all around India for pilgrims to visit the temples of Jagannāth. Some of them are engaged in business and trade of Agricultural products. They have high percentage of population among all Oriya Brahmins.They populate very fast and spread everywhere.They have right to bhikhya and dana.
c)Aranyaka(Jhadua)Brahmins:Also known as Panchadesi and Jhadua.They constitute good population of brahmins in odisha.They are migrants of north india and calcutta.
3.“Halua Brahmins”:These are similar to Bhumihar in north India and Niyogis of Andhra Pradesh. They are also known as Balaramgotri or Mahasthana Brahmins. History says, These are the village leaders, administrators of brahmin ancestry so they were included themselves as a brahmin but they have not the brahmin characteristics. Generally with surname ‘Thakur’,’Naik’,’Grampradhan’,’Choudhury’,’Sahu’,’Samantray’,’Sabat’, ‘Dalbehera’. Once they enjoyed same status as above brahmins but later they accepted vocational jobs for livelihood and gave up their sacred duty of Shrauta and Smriti. These are engaged in agriculture or agriculture related business. Some of them are allowed to do Shraadh and associate in temples and religious functions. They are never allowed for any Vedic rites or Yajna. Most of them are business- oriented, also do cultivation of lands granted during Eastern Ganga dynasty but have entirely lost their sacerdital rites and living in and around South Orissa. For the purchase of the land many of them migrated to other country. There is also a significant migrant population of Haluas in Mauritius, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and others.
Russel noted one exceptional feature at Jagannātha Temple of Puri : “All castes now eat the rice cooked at the temple of Jagannath together without defilement, and friendships are cemented by eating of little of this rice together as sacred bond.”.[6]
The vaidika shakha may vary family to family in all of the above Shrotriyas and Sevayatas. Majority of them follow Kaanva Shakha(କାଣ୍ବ ଶାଖା) of Shukla Yajurveda or Kauthuma(କୌଥୁମ ଶାଖା) shakha of Samaveda. Whereas Brahmins belonging Shakala shakha of Rigveda and Paippalada shakha of Atharvaveda are less. It is thought that Rigveda Brahmins exist due to Govardhana matha of Adi Shankara.
The Paippalada Shakha of Atharvaveda in Orissa should be noted for its existence till now, although by few scholars. They trace their origin from Narmada basin, supposed that they migrated during Eastern Ganga Dynasty. Many Brahmins having surname Upadhyaya and Acharya have Paippalada shaakha as their family Shakha.
The sutra of different shakha people are
Rigveda:Ashwalayana Shrauta and Grihya Sutra(Shakal Shakha)
Shukla Yajurveda:Katyayana Shrauta and Paraskara Grihya(Kaanva Shakha)
Samaveda:Drahyayana Shrauta and Gobhilya grihya (Kauthuma Shakha)
Atharvaveda: Vaitana Shrauta and Kaushika grihya(Paippalada Shakha)
he Utkala or Oriya Brahmin Surnames are Acharya, chaulia, Dikshit (Dixit), Debta or Devata, Dash or Dash sharma, Mishra, Dhar, Sharma, Chaturvedi, Nath, Kar, Tripathy, Bhatt-Mishra, Nanda,Guru, Rajguru, Rayguru, Mahapatra, Bishi, Patra, Panigrahi, Mohapatra(some of them), Rath & Rath Sharma (belonging to Atreya gotra), Patri, Satapathy, Sadangi or Sarangi, Bahinipati, Bastia, Thakur, Chaini (found mostly in Kalahandi and Sambalpur), Pati, Vedi, Dwivedi, Trivedi, Upadhyaya, Palo (Pala or Pal in OrissaOrissa), Pattajoshi, Joshi, Nayak, Panda, BadaPanda,Mallia, Barpanda, Muni, PujaPanda, Praharaj, Padhi, Pani, Paathi, Purohit, Pujari, Behera (found mostly in Kalahandi and Sambalpur), Sar, Sabat, Gantayat, Suara, Mahasuara, Garabadu, Sabata, Choudhury, Sahu, Samantray, Boxi, Boxi-patra, Bakshi, Nepak, Khadanga, Devasharma, Udgata, Hota, Otta, Bebarta.According to Pundit Narayana Shiromani,(late 18th century) the gotra decides the surname. He mentions that Gautama gotra have surname DharaSharma, Bharadwaja gotra have KaraSharma,Kashyapa gotra people should keep Nanda or AnandaSharma, Atreya gotra people should keep RathSharma, Kaushika and Vatsa gotra have DashShrama. These above gotra Brahmins are considered as topmost among Utkal Brahmins. Rest all are Sharma or Devasharmas.
In certain areas Utkal Brahmin surnames are unique and are similar to the surnames of Vaishya, Kshatriya and Shudras. These surnames were given to the Brahmins either by Gajapati King or by his fuedotory kings as punishment or reward. In course of time this title became the surname, and the subsequent generations inherited it. E. g. Behera (found mostly in Kalahandi and Sambalpur, their surnames were changed ) from Mishra or Dash to Behera, Bahinipati, Senapati, Pradhan, Swain, jena, Mohapatra, Mohanty etc. Some people with ‘Mohapatra’ title are Brahmins and others are Karanas or belong to lower castes.
UTKAL BRAHMIN IN BENGAL During the reign of Gajapati empire the Utkal Brahmins were migrated to Bankura Purulia, Midnapore, & Hoogly districts of West Bengal as representative of the Gajapati King under leadership of Nakurtanga and Sripati Mahapatra, since then those areas were under the monarch of Orissa. Their surnames are Singhababu, Singhamahapatra or Sinhamahapatra, Mahanty, Pathak, Panda, Pati, Patra, Padhi, Kar, Das, Dandapath Satapathi, Sannigrahi Hota, Mishra, Goswami Praharaj, Pyne, Tewary, Pani, Nayek, Layek,Tripathi etc.
Please read this in conjunction with my post of Bengali Brahmins.
The Utkala Brahmins are of two classes 1) Shrotriya (vaidika) and 2) Sevaka (doing accessory rites) Brahmin. Again, there are many sub-classes in these two classes.
1) Shrotriyas are mainly adherents of Vedas, especially:
2) Sevakas generally belong to brahmins doing accessory rites like cooking in temples, helping in procession of temple deity. They generally follow any of the Veda of their choice for family rites but they cannot perform Vedic sacrifices.
Utkala or Oriya Brahmin surnames include: Acharya, Mishra, BhattaMishra, Tripathi, Dash, DashSharma, Dwivedi, Udgata or udgātṛ, Hota or Hotṛ, Dikshit, Satapathy, Chaturvedi, Debata (Devta), Kar, Bishi, Suara, Mahasuara, Garabadu, Sharma, Nath, Choudhury, Sahu, Dyansamantray, Panigrahi, Guru, Rajguru, Rayguru, Mahapatra, Pani, Mohapatra (some of them), Rath, RathSharma, Sharma, Patra, Sadangi, Pani, Thakur (found mostly in Kalahandi and Sambalpur), Pati, Bahinipati, Vedi, Trivedi, Sarangi, Pattajoshi, Joshi, Gantayat, Behera (found mostly in Kalahandi and Sambalpur), Sar (Found mostly in Hindol, Dhenkanal), Sabat, Swain (some of them), Shukla, Pandaor Pandit, BadaPanda, PujaPanda, Sabata, Nanda, Purohit, Pujari, Padhiary, Pathi, Nepak, Devasharma, Praharaj, Padhi, Otta, Khadenga, and Pradhan (some of them)senapati.
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