Agraharam is a name given to the dwelling place of Brahmins in India.
This term is unique especially in South India.
The term Agrahara means Primary Garland.
Aerial View of Madurai,
Agraharam, Brahmins’ Dwelling Place, India,
This might denote the social status accorded to Brahmins because of their character.
Agrahara also means the primary Garland because of the lay out of the ancient indian villages/towns.
Every town /Village had, at its center,a Temple.
The streets were surrounding it in the form of a Garland..
The First street was the Agrahara, inhabited by Brahmins.
Aerial View of Madurai.see the structure of the streets now changed.
This comes after the Sannidhi Street,which contains more Small temples, other than the primary one,.
Then the Mada Veedhis.
This ,again is peculiar to South India.
Madam in Tamil means Balcony.
In ancient days the Mada Veedihs were the prerogative of the Kings.
Exception was Brahmins’ Dwelling Area.
After Mada Veedis came the Agrahara.
Then Mettukudi.
Other names were also used.
This as occupied by people of the other Varnas, loosely defined now as Caste,Kshatriyas, Vaisyas.
Outer most area was occupied by the Sudras.
Shudras were the off springs of Inter caste marriages and those who failed to follow The Vedic Dharma.
This was determined by disposition as well.
With the change in Brahmins vocation and their seeking their livelihood in other professions, this Agrahara has changed, the houses having been sold to other communities.
Curiously enough, it is the Tamil, which is portrayed as anti Sanatana Dharam, which is untrue,that describes the Agrahara in details, not Sanskrit!
‘The houses had in front of them, a shed with short legs to which were tied fat calves; the houses were washed with cowdung and had idols (inside them). Domestic fowl and dogs did not approach them. It was the village of the guardians of the Veda who teach its sounds to the parrots with the bent mouth. If you (bard) reach (the place), fair faced bangled ladies who are as chaste as (Arundhathi) the little star which shines in the north of the bright, broad sky, will after sunset feed you on the well-cooked rice named after the bird (explained by the commentator as the rice called irasanam) along with slices of citron boiled in butter taken, from the buttermilk derived from red cows and scented with the leaves of the karuvembu, and mixed with pepper-powder, and the sweet-smelling tender fruit plucked from the tall mango tree and pickled.’
Agrahara List.
There are a number of places in Southern Karnataka named agrahara. These places might have, probably, originated as Brahmin villages.
Agrahara,(near Baragur) Handikunte post, Sira taluk, Tumkur dist, Karnataka
Agrahara, Arkalgud, in Hassan district of Karnataka state, India
Agrahara, Arsikere, in Hassan district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Channarayapatna, in Hassan district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Chiknayakanhalli, in Tumkur district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Chintamani, in Kolar district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Holalkere, in Chitradurga district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Hosadurga, in Chitradurga district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Hunsur, in Mysore district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Kadur, in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Kanakapura, in Bangalore Rural district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Koratagere, in Tumkur district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Malur, in Kolar district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Sandur, in Bellary district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Shrirangapattana, in Mandya district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Sira, in Tumkur district of Karnataka
Agrahara, Srinivaspur, in Kolar district of Karnataka
Agrahara Bachahalli, in Krishnarajpet taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka
Agrahara Palya, in Bangalore North taluk of Bangalore district, Karnataka
Agrahara Somarasanahalli, in Kola taluk of Kolar district, Karnataka
Agrahara Vaddahalli, in Hosakote taluk of Bangalore Rural district, Karnataka
Agrahara Valagerehalli, in Channapatna taluk of Bangalore Rural district, Karnataka
Konappana Agrahara, town in Anekal taluk adjoining Electronics City.
Rupena Agrahara
Agrahara,(near Baragur) Handikunte post, Sira taluk, Tumkur dist, Karnataka
Tamil Nadu[edit]
Annalagraharam, village in Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district.
Ganapathi Agraharam, village in Thanjavur district
Kondayyampettai Agraharam, a locality in Thiruvanaikaval
Pallipalayam Agraharam, village in Namakkal district
Pudupalaiyam Agraharam, village in Kanniyakumari district.
Kolinjivadi Agraharam, village in Dharapuram taluk of Tiruppur district
Agraharam, village in Denkanikottai Taluk of Krishnagiri District
Kerala
There is a famous Agraharam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala called Valiya Sala which is the lengthiest Agraharam in India.
Agraharams in Palakkad district are around 96. When the count of villages in the municipal area, they are around 18 of them. The concept is similar with houses in row on both sides and a temple at one end. They may differ in shapes – some are in straight line, some are T shaped and few have multiple temples within the village.
There are two main cluster Agraharams in Kottakkakam (Fort) and Karamana in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala State, India. The cluster in Fort is a string of several streets outside the four entrances of the Temple of the presiding deity of Thiruvananthapuram i.e. Sri Padmanabha Swami (Mahavishnu reclining on a serpent floating on ocean (Ksheerasaagaram). South Street, West Street, Ramaswami Kovil Street(North entrance), Pazhavangadi Street(East entrance), Thamman Street, First Puthen Street, Second Puthen Street, Third Puthen Street, Deekshidar Street, Edachery Kotta Street, Chottupura Street, Otta Street etc. are the main Agraharams in Fort cluster. Similarly there are several streets in Karamana Agraharam cluster also.
List of Kerla Agraharams.
The agraharams were constructed according to its own principles of architecture. Each house opened out into the street and each had a vasal-thinnai, which led to the ul-thinnai, rezhi, thazhvaram, adukkalai and kottil. Many of the agraharams had small inner courtyards, which provided adequate daylight to the rooms. Some of the agraharams are;
Manusmriti provides exhaustive details on the modes of Dress,the Staff(Danda) a Brahmin is expected to carry, The process of preparing the Upaveeda How to drink water and how to eat, for Brahmins.
The rules as is the norm are very stringent.
Here they are.
Naming the Brahmin.
Dress code Manusmiti.
31. Let (the first part of) a Brahmana’s name (denote something) auspicious, a Kshatriya’s be connected with power, and a Vaisya’s with wealth, but a Sudra’s (express something) contemptible.
32. (The second part of) a Brahmana’s (name) shall be (a word) implying happiness, of a Kshatriya’s (a word) implying protection, of a Vaisya’s (a term) expressive of thriving, and of a Sudra’s (an expression) denoting service.
33. The names of women should be easy to pronounce, not imply anything dreadful, possess a plain meaning, be pleasing and auspicious, end in long vowels, and contain a word of benediction.
34. In the fourth month the Nishkramana (the first leaving of the house) of the child should be performed, in the sixth month the Annaprasana (first feeding with rice), and optionally (any other) auspicious ceremony required by (the custom of) the family.
35. According to the teaching of the revealed texts, the Kudakarman (tonsure) must be performed, for the sake of spiritual merit, by all twice-born men in the first or third year.
36. In the eighth year after conception, one should perform the initiation (upanayana) of a Brahmana, in the eleventh after conception (that) of a Kshatriya, but in the twelfth that of a Vaisya.
37. (The initiation) of a Brahmana who desires proficiency in sacred learning should take place in the fifth (year after conception), (that) of a Kshatriya who wishes to become powerful in the sixth, (and that) of a Vaisya who longs for (success in his) business in the eighth.
38. The (time for the) Savitri (initiation) of a Brahmana does not pass until the completion of the sixteenth year (after conception), of a Kshatriya until the completion of the twenty-second, and of a Vaisya until the completion of the twenty-fourth.
39. After those (periods men of) these three (castes) who have not received the sacrament at the proper time, become Vratyas (outcasts), excluded from the Savitri (initiation) and despised by the Aryans.
Dress,Staff,Seat,Upaveeda.
41. Let students, according to the order (of their castes), wear (as upper dresses) the skins of black antelopes, spotted deer, and he-goats, and (lower garments) made of hemp, flax or wool.
42. The girdle of a Brahmana shall consist of a of a triple cord of Munga grass, smooth and soft; (that) of a Kshatriya, of a bowstring, made of Murvafibres; (that) of a Vaisya, of hempen threads.
43. If Munga grass (and so forth) be not procurable, (the girdles) may be made of Kusa, Asmantaka, and Balbaga (fibres), with a single three fold knot, or with three or five (knots according to the custom of the family).
44. The sacrificial string of a Brahmana shall be made of cotton, (shall be) twisted to the right, (and consist) of three threads, that of a Kshatriya of hempen threads, (and) that of a Vaisya of woolen threads.
45. A Brahmana shall (carry), ac cording to the sacred law, a staff of Bilva or Palasa; a Kshatriya, of Vata or Khadira; (and) a Vaisya, of Pilu or Udumbara.
46. The staff of a Brahmana shall be made of such length as to reach the end of his hair; that of a Kshatriya, to reach his forehead; (and) that of a Vaisya, to reach (the tip of his) nose.
47. Let all the staves be straight, without a blemish, handsome to look at, not likely to terrify men, with their bark perfect, unhurt by fire.
48. Having taken a staff according to his choice, having worshipped the sun and walked round the fire, turning his right hand towards it, (the student) should beg alms according to the prescribed rule.
49. An initiated Brahmana should beg, beginning (his request with the word) lady (bhavati); a Kshatriya, placing (the word) lady in the middle, but a Vaisya, placing it at the end (of the formula).
50. Let him first beg food of his mother, or of his sister, or of his own maternal aunt, or of (some other) female who will not disgrace him (by a refusal).
Procuring Food and Eating Procedure.
51. Having collected as much food as is required (from several persons), and having announced it without guile to his teacher, let him eat, turning his face towards the east, and having purified himself by sipping water.
52. (His meal will procure) long life, if he eats facing the east; fame, if he turns to the south; prosperity, if he turns to the west; truthfulness, if he faces the east.
53. Let a twice-born man always eat his food with concentrated mind, after performing an ablution; and after he has eaten, let him duly cleanse himself with water and sprinkle the cavities (of his head).
54. Let him always worship his food, and eat it without contempt; when he sees it, let him rejoice, show a pleased face, and pray that he may always obtain it.
55. Food, that is always worshipped, gives strength and manly vigour; but eaten irreverently, it destroys them both.
56. Let him not give to any man what he leaves, and beware of eating between (the two meal-times); let him not over-eat himself, nor go anywhere without having purified him- self (after his meal).
57. Excessive eating is prejudicial to health, to fame, and to (bliss in) heaven; it prevents (the acquisition of) spiritual merit, and is odious among men; one ought, for these reasons, to avoid it carefully.
58. Let a Brahmana always sip water out of the part of the hand (tirtha) sacred to Brahman, or out of that sacred to Ka (Pragapati), or out of (that) sacred to the gods, never out of that sacred to the manes.
59. They call (the part) at the root of the thumb the tirtha sacred to Brahman, that at the root of the (little) finger (the tirtha) sacred to Ka (Pragapati), (that) at the tips (of the fingers, the tirtha) sacred to the gods, and that below (between the index and the thumb, the tirtha) sacred to the manes.
60. Let him first sip water thrice; next twice wipe his mouth; and, lastly, touch with water the cavities (of the head), (the seat of) the soul and the head.
61. He who knows the sacred law and seeks purity shall always perform the rite of sipping with water neither hot nor frothy, with the (prescribed) tirtha, in a lonely place, and turning to the east or to the north.
62. A Brahmana is purified by water that reaches his heart, a Kshatriya by water reaching his throat, a Vaisya by water taken into his mouth, (and) a Sudra by water touched with the extremity (of his lips).
63. A twice-born man is called upavitin when his right arm is raised (and the sacrificial string or the dress, passed under it, rests on the left shoulder); (when his) left (arm) is raised (and the string, or the dress, passed under it, rests on the right shoulder, he is called) prakinavitin; and nivitin when it hangs down (straight) from the neck.
64. His girdle, the skin (which serves as his upper garment), his staff, his sacrificial thread, (and) his water-pot he must throw into water, when they have been damaged, and take others, reciting sacred formulas.
65. (The ceremony called) Kesanta (clipping the hair) is ordained for a Brahmana in the sixteenth year (from conception); for a Kshatriya, in the twenty-second; and for a Vaisya, two (years) later than that.
66. This whole series (of ceremonies) must be performed for females (also), in order to sanctify the body, at the proper time and in the proper order, but without (the recitation of) sacred texts.
67. The nuptial ceremony is stated to be the Vedic sacrament for women (and to be equal to the initiation), serving the husband (equivalent to) the residence in (the house of the) teacher, and the household duties (the same) as the (daily) worship of the sacred fire.
68. Thus has been described the rule for the initiation of the twice-born, which indicates a (new) birth, and sanctifies; learn (now) to what duties they must afterwards apply themselves.
69. Having performed the (rite of) initiation, the teacher must first instruct the (pupil) in (the rules of) personal purification, of conduct, of the fire-worship, and of the twilight devotions.
70. But (a student) who is about to begin the Study (of the Veda), shall receive instruction, after he has sipped water in accordance with the Institutes (of the sacred law), has made the Brahmangali, (has put on) a clean dress, and has brought his organs under due control.
### मनुस्मृति में आदर्श वस्त्र, ब्राह्मण के स्टाफ (दंड), उपवीत तैयार करने की प्रक्रिया, पानी पीने तथा भोजन करने के तरीके के बारे में विस्तृत विवरण दिया गया है।
नियमों को निभाना सामान्य होता है।
यहां वे हैं।
ब्राह्मण का नामकरण
> 31. ब्राह्मण के (नाम के) पहले हिस्से में मंगल, क्षत्रिय का शक्ति, और वैश्य का धन का संबंध होना चाहिए, लेकिन शूद्र का (कुछ) निन्दनीय द्वारकर्ता होना चाहिए।
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> 32. (ब्राह्मण के नाम के दूसरे हिस्से में) खुशहाली का (शब्द) होना चाहिए, क्षत्रिय के (शक्ति का शब्द), वैश्य के (सम्रिद्धि का शब्द), और शूद्र के (सेवा का शब्द)।
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> 33. महिलाओं के नाम उच्चारण में सरल होने चाहिए, कोई भी भयानक नहीं होना चाहिए, सादा अर्थवाला होना चाहिए, आकर्षक और शुभ होना चाहिए, लम्बी स्वर वाला होना चाहिए, और आशीर्वाद का शब्द होना चाहिए।
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> 34. चौथे महीने में निष्क्रामण (घर से पहला निकलना), छठे महीने में अन्नप्राशन (चावल से पहला खिलाना), और परिवार की परंपरा के अनुसार कोई भी शुभ कार्य संपादनीय है।
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> 35. प्रकट के ग्रंथों के अध्ययन के अनुसार, द्विजाति के सभी पुरुषों को प्रथम या तृतीय वर्ष में होने वाला कुंडली शुल्का करण जरूरी है, आध्यात्मिक पुण्य के लिए।
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> 36. गर्भावस्था के आठवें वर्ष में एक का ब्राह्मण का उपनयन, ग्यारहवें वर्ष में क्षत्रिय का, और बारहवें वर्ष में वैश्य का करना चाहिए।
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> 37. शिक्षा में प्रवीण ब्राह्मण के लिए पांचवे वर्ष में, शक्तिशाली बनने के लिए क्षत्रिय के लिए छठे में, और व्यावसायिक अपूर्वता के लिए आठवें वर्ष में उपनयन करना चाहिए।
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> 38. एक ब्राह्मण की सावित्री की शुल्का करण का आवश्यक उपयोग 16 वर्ष (गर्भावस्था) के पूर्ण होने तक होता है, क्षत्रिय के लिए 22 वर्ष के पूर्ण होने तक, और वैश्य के लिए 24 वर्ष के पूर्ण होने तक।
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> 39. इन सभी (अवधियों के बाद) उन तीन वर्णों के लोग जो सही समय पर इस संस्कार को नहीं प्राप्त करते, व्रात्य हो जाते हैं, सावित्री की शुल्का करण से बाहर और आर्यों द्वारा अनादर की दृष्टि से दूर होते हैं।
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> पहनावा, छड़ी, बैठने की व्यवस्था, उपवीत, उपनयन।
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> 41. अनुयायी अनुसार, छात्रों को काले हिरण, चीतल और बकरे की त्वचा (ऊपरी पहनावा में), और शांण के, सन के या ऊन के कपड़े (निचले पहनावा में) पहनने चाहिए।
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> 42. ब्राह्मण की कमरबंध मिश्री की त्रिविंग तार होनी चाहिए, क्षत्रिय की धनुष की तार, मूर्वा की ऊंची उत्तरा बाण की तार, और वैश्य की ईन की तार।
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> 43. अगर मिश्री (और ग्रास) नहीं प्राप्त होती (तो तार) कुस, अस्मन्तक और बलबग से बनाई जा सकती है, एकतारी (तारण) या त्रिविंग अनुसार।
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> 44. ब्राह्मण का यज्ञीय तार कपास की चीर से बनी हो, (आदान-प्रदान) के लिए दायां तिरिया हो, और तीन तारों की रची हो, क्षत्रिय की हेम की तारें, (और) वैश्य की ऊन की तारें।
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> 45. ब्राह्मण के परिधान का छड़ी बिलव या पलाश के से होनी चाहिए; क्षत्रिय की वट या खदिर के से; (और) वैश्य की पीलू या उदुम्बर की से होनी चाहिए।
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> 46. ब्राह्मण की छड़ी का ऐसी लम्बाई तक होना चाहिए कि वह उसके बालों के छोटि तक पहुंचे; क्षत्रिय की, उसके माथे तक पहुंचे; (और) वैश्य की, (उसके) नाक के अन्त तक पहुंचे।
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> 47. सभी छड़ियां सीधी, किसी दोष से रहित, देखने में सुंदर, लोगों को भयानक न करने वाली, नरम, और अग्नि से अच्छी तरह से सुरभि हुई होनी चाहिए।
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> 48. अपनी पसंद के अनुसार छड़ी को धारण कर, सूर्य का पूजन किया और अग्नि के चारों ओर चलते हुए उसके दाहिने हाथ को आगे बधा कर उनके आज्ञानुसार भिक्षा लेनी चाहिए।
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> 49. एक प्रारम्भित ब्राह्मण को "महारानी" (भवति) शब्द का उपयोग करके भिक्षा मांगनी चाहिए; एक क्षत्रिय, "महारानी" शब्द को मध्य में रखकर, लेकिन एक वैश्य, उसे अंत में रखकर (भिक्षा मांगनी चाहिए)।
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> 50. पहले उसे अपनी माँ, या अपनी बहन, या अपनी मामकी बहन, या (किसी और) महिला से (जो उसकी अपमान करने की संकोच न करे) भोजन के लिए भिक्षा मांगते हुए, अनिवार्य रूप से, जितना खाना चाहिए, उसका इकट्ठा कर, और बिना कोई छलल के अपने गुरु को सूचित करके, पूर्णत: शुद्ध होकर, पूरब दिशा की ओर मुख करके खाना चाहिए।
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> 51. उसका भोजन, पुरब दिशा की ओर मुख करके करने से बहुमारी मिलती है; यश मिलता है अगर वह दक्षिण की ओर मुख करके खा; वृद्धि समृद्धि मिलती है यदि वह पश्चिम की ओर मुख करके खा; सत्य बोलनी क्षमता मिलती है अगर वह उत्तर की ओर मुख करके खा।
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> 52. द्विजाति के पुरुष को सदैव उदासीन मनोभाव रखकर खाना चाहिए, शुद्धकरण के बाद; और जब भोजन कर लिया तो, उसे उचित रूप से जल से शुद्ध करना चाहिए और सिर की भवों तथा शीर्ष पर जल चिड़कनी चाहिए।
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> 53. उसे हमेशा अपने भोजन को पूजन करते देख, और उसे घृणा के साथ न काम करना चाहिए; जब वह उसे देखता है, तो उसे प्रसन्नता होती है, उसके चेहरे पर आनंद दिखता है, और प्रार्थना करता है कि वह हमेशा उसे प्राप्त कर सके।
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> 54. हमेशा पूज्य भोजन, शक्ति और पुरुषार्थ क
The much maligned Manusmriti reserves the strictest sanctions for Brahmins.
There are many citations in the Manu Smriti where these are mentioned.
In general, punishment for a Brahmin is thousand fold for an offense than what is being sanctioned for a Sudra.
Manusmriti,Laws of Manu.jpg
In this article we shall see how a Brahmin is declared as an Outcast in one instance, which is very serious.
That instance is Upanayana, wearing of the Sacred Thread)Ceremony)
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36. In the eighth year after conception, one should perform the initiation (upanayana) of a Brahmana, in the eleventh after conception (that) of a Kshatriya, but in the twelfth that of a Vaisya.
37. (The initiation) of a Brahmana who desires proficiency in sacred learning should take place in the fifth (year after conception), (that) of a Kshatriya who wishes to become powerful in the sixth, (and that) of a Vaisya who longs for (success in his) business in the eighth.
38. The (time for the) Savitri (initiation) of a Brahmana does not pass until the completion of the sixteenth year (after conception), of a Kshatriya until the completion of the twenty-second, and of a Vaisya until the completion of the twenty-fourth.
39. After those (periods men of) these three (castes) who have not received the sacrament at the proper time, become Vratyas (outcasts), excluded from the Savitri (initiation) and despised by the Aryans.
40. With such men, if they have not been purified ac cording to the rule, let no Brahmana ever, even in times of distress, form a connexion either through the Veda or by marriage. “
One of the most controversial topics is whether the Aryans invaded India and later settled here and if so from where did they come from?
I have already posted a blog .The Myth called Aryan Invasion’
The scientific research proves that there is no Aryan Invasion at all.
I will be adding some more points to disprove this Myth and before that there are some questions to be answered ,the questions arising out of Ramayana.
Rama and the others ; hailing from the Northerner part of India and if the Ramayana is a fact,which it is( I have posts on this under Hinduism),Lord Rama and others should have been fair-skinned,
But the description of Rama is Blue Black.
This is based on the conception of Lord Vishnu as Black in color.while Lakshmi is Golden (Hiranya varnaam(Sri Suktham), Lord Shiva of Reddish Hue,Parvati of greenish hue, as per the Purana.
But based on geographical origin and the present people living in North India Rama should have been fair-skinned.
We have two options.
1.Ramayana was a fiction.
This is incorrect as the Astronomical data provided in the Ramayana and other Purana stand the test of Science.
Ramayana is a fact.
So we are left with the other option that there have been other skinned people in India before Ramayana and there has been an a mix of various groups having different racial characteristics.
Lord Rama could have been an exception as far as color is concerned.
Others in the Ramayana were not of the same hue as Rama.
Sita was fair-skinned.
Against this Ravana was not described as dark-skinned and he is the brother of Kubera who is fair-skinned and Ravana is a Brahmin though he is described as a Dravidian!
Therefore logic forces one to conclude that there were more races in India than one homogeneous Race in India which included Sri Lanka.
Again if one refers to any of the Eighteen Purana, one would find descriptions of people both black and fair-skinned.
And not all Brahmins were fair-skinned.
For example, Aurava and you can find Brahmins of Dark hue in South India.
The Indian Society expanded outwards, not from outwards.
This is why one finds remnants of Hindu Thoughts in all the continents more specifically Egypt, central America , Australia and the Middle East.
The early Indian Society was based on disposition, Varna, Brahmanas, Kshatriya , Vaishya and Sudras.
Therefore the Brahmins did not come from any where to India and were a part of India Society.
There is a school of thought which establishes that the Dravidian were living South of the Vindhya range and later they mixed with the people from the South.
Sage Viswamitra banished his sons to the South and they intermingled with the Dravidians.
Sage Apasthamba came from this mixed race and he composed the Apasthamba Sutra of the Vedas and it is being followed by the Brahmins of South India even today.
Some more objections to Aryan Invasion of India.
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1) If the ‘light skinned and mostly blonde haired and blue eyed’ Aryans had really invaded India and settled here thereafter, then why are such people with pure Caucasian features rarely found in India now? If it is because of centuries of racial intermixing, then how come one can still find some quite dark skinned people in India but not central Asian/ European type ‘white’ skinned people in India? Even the light brown skinned people found in the far north of India in places like Kashmir aren’t as fair as the ‘Aryans’ are considered to be.
2) The Aryans divided themselves into 3 classes. The fourth class was the lowly ‘Shudra’ class, explained by the European historians as the Aryan conquered Dravidians’ class. By this logic, all the high castes, esp. the Brahmins had to be white/ light brown skinned and the people belonging to the ‘Shudra’ class had to be dark brown skinned. And yet, many dark skinned Brahmins and light skinned ‘Shudras‘ can easily be found in India – both in north as well as south. And upon that, inter-caste marriages, esp. high and low caste ones, are still uncommon in almost all parts of India. Another point regarding castes is that – Valmiki, the writer of the great Indian epic ‘Ramayana’, was born a Shudra, but ultimately, by attaining the Brahminical aspect of knowledge earning, spiritual understanding and noble mannerisms, became a Brahmin. ‘Ramayana’ is the story (does not matter if it was factual or myth) of a Kshtriya (Aryan) prince of North India – Lord Rama, who at the climax of the story defeats and kills the demonic king of Sri Lanka (south of India) – Ravana. Now, even though Ravana was a Brahmin (Aryan) by caste, he is considered, in the Indian spiritual folklore, as an UnArya or a non-Aryan, on account of his demonic deeds. This all suggests that caste system, originally, was not rigid, and that, ‘Aryan’ was an open, attainable socio-spiritual status.
3) How come almost all the light brown skinned people in India (considered to be the descedants of the original Aryans) belong to the cold climate locations of India like Kashmir and Himachal and the dark brown skinned (considered to be the Dravidians themselves) belong to the warm climate locations? This suggests that skin colour in India has more do do with the climate and atmosphere of a particular region in India.
4) If the Aryans were outsiders in India, then why do their spiritual-cultural-social compilation ‘The Vedas’ do not mention any outside cities, rivers and mountains? Why do they only mention the places that are found in India, as their sacred most? Why not some place in Caucasus or Iran? Why don’t the Vedas, which contain references to many battles, contain no reference to an ‘invasion’ of the land of Indus-Saraswati (India)? How come the modern descendants of Aryans in India have no recollection of their foreign origins? How come the descendants of Shudras (so called Dasas or Dasyus or Dravidians or indigenous race of India) have no recollection of an Aryan invasion of their land and their subsequent subjugation because of a defeat at the hands of the Aryans?
5) If the Dravidians’ Indus valley civilization met its end at the hands of the invading Aryans, then how come no horse remains, broken chariots and burned buildings were discovered in and around the valley.
I am posting excerpts(some) relating to the Duties of a Brahmin and on the Vedas.
Here one finds that the Duties prescribed for the Brahmins are tough and unrelenting.
Manu offers greater respect and status to Brahmins – the educated ones. Dwijas or twice born or those who completed their education are provided heightened standing in society so far they conduct noble deeds. But when it comes to crimes, they also have to face more severe punishments. With greater potentials, come greater responsibilities and stricter punishments when one fails to fulfill those responsibilities.
One may also note that in the vent of a conflict between Vedas and Smriti(Tradition) what is to be practiced.
For more follow the Link;
The whole Veda is the (first) source of the sacred law, next the tradition and the virtuous conduct of those who know the (Veda further), also the customs of holy men, and (finally) self-satisfaction…
Whatever law has been ordained for any (person) by Manu, that has been fully declared in the Veda: for that (sage was) omniscient.
8. But a learned man after fully scrutinising all this with the eye of knowledge, should, in accordance with the authority of the revealed texts, be intent on (the performance of) his duties.
9. For that man who obeys the law prescribed in the revealed texts and in the sacred tradition, gains fame in this (world) and after death unsurpassable bliss.
10. But by Sruti (revelation) is meant the Veda, and by Smriti (tradition) the Institutes of the sacred law: those two must not be called into question in any matter, since from those two the sacred law shone forth.
11. Every twice-born man, who, relying on the Institutes of dialectics, treats with contempt those two sources (of the law), must be cast out by the virtuous, as an atheist and a scorner of the Veda.
12. The Veda, the sacred tradition, the customs of virtuous men, and one’s own pleasure, they declare to be visibly the fourfold means of defining the sacred law.
13. The knowledge of the sacred law is prescribed for those who are not given to the acquisition of wealth and to the gratification of their desires; to those who seek the knowledge of the sacred law the supreme authority is the revelation (Sruti).
14. But when two sacred texts (Sruti) are conflicting, both are held to be law; for both are pronounced by the wise (to be) valid law.
Let twice-born men seek to dwell in those (above-mentioned countries); but a Sudra, distressed for subsistence, may reside anywhere.
25. Thus has the origin of the sacred law been succinctly described to you and the origin of this universe; learn (now) the duties of the castes (varna).
26. With holy rites, prescribed by the Veda, must the ceremony on conception and other sacraments be performed for twice-born men, which sanctify the body and purify (from sin) in this (life) and after death.
27. By burnt oblations during (the mother’s) pregnancy, by the Gatakarman (the ceremony after birth), the Kauda (tonsure), and the Maungibandhana (the tying of the sacred girdle of Munga grass) is the taint, derived from both parents, removed from twice-born men.
28. By the study of the Veda, by vows, by burnt oblations, by (the recitation of) sacred texts, by the (acquisition of the) threefold sacred science, by offering (to the gods, Rishis, and manes), by (the procreation of) sons, by the great sacrifices, and by (Srauta) rites this (human) body is made fit for (union with) Brahman.
29. Before the navel-string is cut, the Gatakarman (birth-rite) must be performed for a male (child); and while sacred formulas are being recited, he must be fed with gold, honey, and butter.
30. But let (the father perform or) cause to be performed the Namadheya (the rite of naming the child), on the tenth or twelfth (day after birth), or on a lucky lunar day, in a lucky muhurta, under an auspicious constellation.
31. Let (the first part of) a Brahmana‘s name (denote something) auspicious, a Kshatriya‘s be connected with power, and a Vaisya‘s with wealth, but a Sudra’s (express something) contemptible.
32. (The second part of) a Brahmana’s (name) shall be (a word) implying happiness, of a Kshatriya’s (a word) implying protection, of a Vaisya’s (a term) expressive of thriving, and of a Sudra’s (an expression) denoting service.
33. The names of women should be easy to pronounce, not imply anything dreadful, possess a plain meaning, be pleasing and auspicious, end in long vowels, and contain a word of benediction.
34. In the fourth month the Nishkramana (the first leaving of the house) of the child should be performed, in the sixth month the Annaprasana (first feeding with rice), and optionally (any other) auspicious ceremony required by (the custom of) the family.
35. According to the teaching of the revealed texts, the Kudakarman (tonsure) must be performed, for the sake of spiritual merit, by all twice-born men in the first or third year.
36. In the eighth year after conception, one should perform the initiation (upanayana) of a Brahmana, in the eleventh after conception (that) of a Kshatriya, but in the twelfth that of a Vaisya.
37. (The initiation) of a Brahmana who desires proficiency in sacred learning should take place in the fifth (year after conception), (that) of a Kshatriya who wishes to become powerful in the sixth, (and that) of a Vaisya who longs for (success in his) business in the eighth.
38. The (time for the) Savitri (initiation) of a Brahmana does not pass until the completion of the sixteenth year (after conception), of a Kshatriya until the completion of the twenty-second, and of a Vaisya until the completion of the twenty-fourth.
39. After those (periods men of) these three (castes) who have not received the sacrament at the proper time, become Vratyas (outcasts), excluded from the Savitri (initiation) and despised by the Aryans.
40. With such men, if they have not been purified according to the rule, let no Brahmana ever, even in times of distress, form a connexion either through the Veda or by marriage.
41. Let students, according to the order (of their castes), wear (as upper dresses) the skins of black antelopes, spotted deer, and he-goats, and (lower garments) made of hemp, flax or wool.
42. The girdle of a Brahmana shall consist of a of a triple cord of Munga grass, smooth and soft; (that) of a Kshatriya, of a bowstring, made of Murva fibres; (that) of a Vaisya, of hempen threads.
43. If Munga grass (and so forth) be not procurable, (the girdles) may be made of Kusa, Asmantaka, and Balbaga (fibres), with a single threefold knot, or with three or five (knots according to the custom of the family).
44. The sacrificial string of a Brahmana shall be made of cotton, (shall be) twisted to the right, (and consist) of three threads, that of a Kshatriya of hempen threads, (and) that of a Vaisya of woollen threads.
45. A Brahmana shall (carry), according to the sacred law, a staff of Bilva or Palasa; a Kshatriya, of Vata or Khadira; (and) a Vaisya, of Pilu or Udumbara.
46. The staff of a Brahmana shall be made of such length as to reach the end of his hair; that of a Kshatriya, to reach his forehead;
(and) that of a Vaisya, to reach (the tip of his) nose.
47. Let all the staves be straight, without a blemish, handsome to look at, not likely to terrify men, with their bark perfect, unhurt by fire.
48. Having taken a staff according to his choice, having worshipped the sun and walked round the fire, turning his right hand towards it, (the student) should beg alms according to the prescribed rule.
49. An initiated Brahmana should beg, beginning (his request with the word) lady (bhavati); a Kshatriya, placing (the word) lady in the middle, but a Vaisya, placing it at the end (of the formula).
50. Let him first beg food of his mother, or of his sister, or of his own maternal aunt, or of (some other) female who will not disgrace him (by a refusal).
51. Having collected as much food as is required (from several persons), and having announced it without guile to his teacher, let him eat, turning his face towards the east, and having purified himself by sipping water.
52. (His meal will procure) long life, if he eats facing the east; fame, if he turns to the south; prosperity, if he turns to the west; truthfulness, if he faces the east.
53. Let a twice-born man always eat his food with concentrated mind, after performing an ablution; and after he has eaten, let him duly cleanse himself with water and sprinkle the cavities (of his head).
54. Let him always worship his food, and eat it without contempt; when he sees it, let him rejoice, show a pleased face, and pray that he may always obtain it.
55. Food, that is always worshipped, gives strength and manly vigour; but eaten irreverently, it destroys them both.
56. Let him not give to any man what he leaves, and beware of eating between (the two meal-times); let him not over-eat himself, nor go anywhere without having purified himself (after his meal).
57. Excessive eating is prejudicial to health, to fame, and to (bliss in) heaven; it prevents (the acquisition of) spiritual merit, and is odious among men; one ought, for these reasons, to avoid it carefully.
58. Let a Brahmana always sip water out of the part of the hand (tirtha) sacred to Brahman, or out of that sacred to Ka (Pragapati), or out of (that) sacred to the gods, never out of that sacred to the manes.
59. They call (the part) at the root of the thumb the tirtha sacred to Brahman, that at the root of the (little) finger (the tirtha) sacred to Ka (Pragapati), (that) at the tips (of the fingers, the tirtha) sacred to the gods, and that below (between the index and the thumb, the tirtha) sacred to the manes.
60. Let him first sip water thrice; next twice wipe his mouth; and, lastly, touch with water the cavities (of the head), (the seat of) the soul and the head.
61. He who knows the sacred law and seeks purity shall always perform the rite of sipping with water neither hot nor frothy, with the (prescribed) tirtha, in a lonely place, and turning to the east or to the north.
62. A Brahmana is purified by water that reaches his heart, a Kshatriya by water reaching his throat, a Vaisya by water taken into his mouth, (and) a Sudra by water touched with the extremity (of his lips).
63. A twice-born man is called upavitin when his right arm is raised (and the sacrificial string or the dress, passed under it, rests on the left shoulder); (when his) left (arm) is raised (and the string, or the dress, passed under it, rests on the right shoulder, he is called) prakinavitin; and nivitin when it hangs down (straight) from the neck.
64. His girdle, the skin (which serves as his upper garment), his staff, his sacrificial thread, (and) his water-pot he must throw into water, when they have been damaged, and take others, reciting sacred formulas.
65. (The ceremony called) Kesanta (clipping the hair) is ordained for a Brahmana in the sixteenth year (from conception); for a Kshatriya, in the twenty-second; and for a Vaisya, two (years) later than that.
66. This whole series (of ceremonies) must be performed for females (also), in order to sanctify the body, at the proper time and in the proper order, but without (the recitation of) sacred texts.
67. The nuptial ceremony is stated to be the Vedic sacrament for women (and to be equal to the initiation), serving the husband (equivalent to) the residence in (the house of the) teacher, and the household duties (the same) as the (daily) worship of the sacred fire.
68. Thus has been described the rule for the initiation of the twice-born, which indicates a (new) birth, and sanctifies; learn (now) to what duties they must afterwards apply themselves.
69. Having performed the (rite of) initiation, the teacher must first instruct the (pupil) in (the rules of) personal purification, of conduct, of the fire-worship, and of the twilight devotions.
70. But (a student) who is about to begin the Study (of the Veda), shall receive instruction, after he has sipped water in accordance with the Institutes (of the sacred law), has made the Brahmangali, (has put on) a clean dress, and has brought his organs under due control.
71. At the beginning and at the end of (a lesson in the) Veda he must always clasp both the feet of his teacher, (and) he must study, joining his hands; that is called the Brahmangali (joining the palms for the sake of the Veda).
72. With crossed hands he must clasp (the feet) of the teacher, and touch the left (foot) with his left (hand), the right (foot) with his right (hand).
73. But to him who is about to begin studying, the teacher always unwearied, must say: Ho, recite! He shall leave off (when the teacher says): Let a stoppage take place!
A Brahmana, learned in the Veda, who recites during both twilights that syllable and that (verse), preceded by the Vyahritis, gains the (whole) merit which (the recitation of) the Vedas confers.
79. A twice-born man who (daily) repeats those three one thousand times outside (the village), will be freed after a month even from great guilt, as a snake from its slough.
80. The Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya who neglect (the recitation of) that Rik-verse and the timely (performance of the) rites (prescribed for) them, will be blamed among virtuous men.
81. Know that the three imperishable Mahavyahritis, preceded by the syllable Om, and (followed) by the three-footed Savitri are the portal of the Veda and the gate leading (to union with) Brahman.
82. He who daily recites that (verse), untired, during three years, will enter (after death) the highest Brahman, move as free as air, and assume an ethereal form.
83. The monosyllable (Om) is the highest Brahman, (three) suppressions of the breath are the best (form of) austerity, but nothing surpasses the Savitri truthfulness is better than silence.
84. All rites ordained in the Veda, burnt oblations and (other) sacrifices, pass away; but know that the syllable (Om) is imperishable, and (it is) Brahman, (and) the Lord of creatures (Pragapati).
85. An offering, consisting of muttered prayers, is ten times more efficacious than a sacrifice performed according to the rules (of the Veda); a (prayer) which is inaudible (to others) surpasses it a hundred times, and the mental (recitation of sacred texts) a thousand times.
86. The four Pakayagnas and those sacrifices which are enjoined by the rules (of the Veda) are all together not equal in value to a sixteenth part of the sacrifice consisting of muttered prayers.
87. But, undoubtedly, a Brahmana reaches the highest goal by muttering prayers only; (whether) he perform other (rites) or neglect them, he who befriends (all creatures) is declared (to be) a (true) Brahmana.
Aerial View of Madurai.see the structure of the streets now changed.
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