Is a Brahmin who lends money, to be considered of the Vaishya varna? By making jati hereditary, these problems were resolved. While all Brahmins belong to the same varna, they certainly do not belong to the same jati.
Brahmins were divided into numerous communities, of variable hierarchy, who did not intermarry. The earliest division was on the basis of which Veda they were responsible for memorising. Within each branch were sub-branches shakha, gotra. Vedic Brahmins who performed yagnas distinguished themselves from Puranic Agama Brahmins, who worshipped images in temples. Later, Brahmins were distinguished based on the deity they worshipped Shaiva, Vaishnava and further on the grounds of the scriptures they followed Vaikhanasa, Madhwa, Smarta.
There were local divisions, too. Each group has its own deity, its own rituals, even different ways of eating food that helped members identify each other and distinguish outsiders. Another belief is that Brahmins are considered to be vegetarians. The truth is that they are not all vegetarians. The Buddhist scriptures refer to many stories where Brahmins indulge in meat-eating, though contemporary Brahmins may argue that this is mere sectarian propaganda.
But Brahmins in Mithila, as well as those from the coastal regions of Odisha, Bengal and the Konkan, do eat fish. Kashmiri Pandits eat mutton. Historians propose that Brahmins in North India adopted strict vegetarianism to distinguish themselves from Muslims, Rajputs and Kayastha communities during Mughal rule, much as many Punjabis did in the 19th century under the influence of the Arya Samaj.
People think Brahmin power came from spirituality. But in fact it came from politics. The greatest power of the Brahmins was to legitimise kingship. It is a power they have had since the Vedic times when they conducted the Ashwamedha yagna or when they prepared genealogies of kings, connecting ambitious warlords to the Surya-vamsa or the Chandra-vamsa.
The history of Brahmadeya land-grants to migrating Brahmins also reveals this power. It was last evident in the much-debated histories of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 17th century Maharashtra. This power was taken away from the Brahmins only partly by the Muslim rulers; in a much greater measure by the British; and eventually, entirely by the democratic republic of India.
And that remains a wound that has still not healed. Devdutt Pattanaik writes a fortnightly column that filters the voices on all sides Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's own From the same author: -Why is there no judgment day in Hinduism? Is Lanka located in Madhya Pradesh?
Read 0 Comment post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. It is the duty of the rest of the world to uplift and maintain the Brahmin community to show the the new generation the values of humanity, integrity knoledge and wisdom. Really,a treasure I found,what ever the questions came or comes in mind are beautifully defined here.
This topics is so nicely prepared that due to absense of this systematised prepared knowledge the burning problems of castism can never be uprooted. We should puiblish such matter widely as possible as large even in daily newspaper so that common public could get the reply of such technical religious questions for clearing their confusion and stood against common beliefs propagated by oppertunist who already ruined our society and country since century after century.
The seven Brahminical qualities are- 1. Truthfuness 2. Self-control 3. Purity 4. Full knowledge 7. Engagement in devotional service. Thanks for explaining this important issue.
Vedas tells us the truth. We are one big family Vasudeva Kutum Bakam. By the above mentioned standards,in the present day you will not find one single person a brahmin.
Be a Brahmin of Satya Yugha. The bad and the ugly thing is that ,when some one try to justify the outdated cast system as a noble of life. What a shame, wake up. If the above said theory is true then I think These clearly show how superior Hinduism really is. Then only our country will prosper.
Reservation in the name of caste, minority etc. When I asked my mother about my ancestry, she denied any knowledge of it. She earned a livelihood in her youth by doing menial works at various households.
She is a Jabala and I am her son Satyakama. She advised me to declare my name as Satyakama Jabala, which will suffice. Go and collect firewood from the woods. I have accepted you as my disciple. You have not transgressed a little from truth. The Sudra who can hold steadfast in spiritual practices such as integrity, forbearance, justice and the like can reach brahminhood, says Mahabharata. What all these things emphasize is that there is an immeasurable gap between a true Brahmana and the present-day selfstyled caste of Brahmins.
Who are these people specified as Brahmins? It is believed that a majority of them are not Brahmins in its original sense! The views expressed in this article are personal. Disclaimer : We respect your thoughts and views! But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments.
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