Enge Brahmanan ?
I am starting with this title fully aware of the fact that this is a title of a serial in Jaya TV which is popular among Brahmins. The first part of the serial ended with a message that Brahmins are no where to be found in this world. This was the only conclusions possible for such a question.. But for some obscure reason , the second part started. This does not even try to remotely answer the question asked. An attempt so far is being made to show that a Brahmachari who follows Vedic rituals is the only Brahmin. Taking in to account the fact that Grahasthas(house holders) are the back bone of the Brahmin society feeding both the Brahmacharis and the Sanyasins, this seems to be a wrong conclusion. In my own way I would like to answer this question.
1. There is a great Upanishad called Vajra Suchi Upanishad which tried to answer this question. The author concluded based on available evidence that a man does not become a Brahmin based on parentage. He quoted umpteen examples , of Brahmins in Puranas, whose mother was not a Brahmin (Veda Vyasa for example) , father was not a Brahmin and either parent was not Brahmins.(For e.g. Agasthya who was born out of a pot) . He concluded that a person becomes a Brahmin only by realization of Brahmam and by his seeking salvation.
2. Manu as well as Chanakya in their well known treatises, tell of several circumstances when a Brahmin becomes a non Brahmin.
3. I have the good fortune to translate the prescribed Aacharas of Brahmins (http://brahminrituals.blogspot.com/ ) . Here one can find a very detailed list of rituals and Aacharas which a Brahmin has to follow. These are extremely difficult to follow even if one devotes all his 24 hours and all the assets to this purpose. But most of us have to earn money to make both ends meet. This is definitely not banned in the Puranas and Vedas. We , in Puranic and Vedic times find Brahmins whose job was not studying Vedas. There were doctors, astrologers . Astronomers, mathematicians , warriors etc among them. Possibly these hobbies(?) were done after they learnt the Vedas by heart. It is interesting to note that learning Vedas by heart and teaching what you have learnt to others was the only thing expected out of a Brahmin. It was not compulsory for them to learn the meaning of Vedas. There were another group of special Brahmins called Sages who were supposed to do this and educate people as to what is written in Vedas. The greatest of them was Veda Vyasa, the Son of Parasra who was born to a Brahmin father and fisher woman mother. These sages were living universities. They were the people who taught economics, warfare , architecture etc to other people. I am sure we do have people who learn Vedas by heart even today as a means of making both ends meet. Most of them do not know anything of the meaning of all that they know by heart. Most of them (I am talking about our Acharyas) have good knowledge of rituals (performance which is their livelihood ) as prescribed in Gruhya Suthras . I have also seen many priests even do not know manthras for some rare Karmas . For example the priest who conducts Avani Avittam, every year , prefers to read the manthra from a book, rather than tell the manthras by heart.
4. All Brahmin grahasthas are supposed to maintain the fire they light on the day of marriage, till their death. In fact their funeral pyre is to be lighted out of this fire. I am not an expert but I feel that as on today, not even one Brahmin among the million Brahmins maintain this type of fire. Then they are supposed to do Agni hothram and worship at dawn, noon and dusk (Sandhya Vandanam). People who do not have father are supposed to do 96 tharpanas in a year,. These tharpanas are supposed to be done after performing Madhayhneeka which is to be performed at noon. At least I do not know any one among my acquaintances who do all these things.
5. There are several taints due to birth and death to be observed in our clan. With scattering of the clan, all over the world and the phenomenal increase in members of the clan, I am not sure whether we ever hear about the birth and deaths in our clan and later observe the taint period. After the purificatory bath of the taint, it is necessary to change the Yagnopaveetha and sprinkle Punyaham in our homes.
6. With family definition becoming as husband and wife and their children and added to the fact that both husband and wife have to be employed to have a fairly decent living, It is almost impossible for the lady of the house not to cook during five days in a month and follow the rules and regulations during the period.. I agree that the percentage who observe this is in the lower end of the two digit figures.
7. I am of the strong opinion that observing rituals is not the sine qua non of a Brahmin. There were many great sages in India who opposed this tooth and nail. According to me , a Brahmin should be a gentleman human being whose heart is full of mercy to all living beings in the world. Apart from this he should make serious attempts to become one with God by methods mentioned in several of the Upanishads. He should eat soft food without Masalas . He should never get angry . He should not have an ego and should not be proud. I am sure such Brahmins exist in this world even today.
Ramachander
I am starting with this title fully aware of the fact that this is a title of a serial in Jaya TV which is popular among Brahmins. The first part of the serial ended with a message that Brahmins are no where to be found in this world. This was the only conclusions possible for such a question.. But for some obscure reason , the second part started. This does not even try to remotely answer the question asked. An attempt so far is being made to show that a Brahmachari who follows Vedic rituals is the only Brahmin. Taking in to account the fact that Grahasthas(house holders) are the back bone of the Brahmin society feeding both the Brahmacharis and the Sanyasins, this seems to be a wrong conclusion. In my own way I would like to answer this question.
1. There is a great Upanishad called Vajra Suchi Upanishad which tried to answer this question. The author concluded based on available evidence that a man does not become a Brahmin based on parentage. He quoted umpteen examples , of Brahmins in Puranas, whose mother was not a Brahmin (Veda Vyasa for example) , father was not a Brahmin and either parent was not Brahmins.(For e.g. Agasthya who was born out of a pot) . He concluded that a person becomes a Brahmin only by realization of Brahmam and by his seeking salvation.
2. Manu as well as Chanakya in their well known treatises, tell of several circumstances when a Brahmin becomes a non Brahmin.
3. I have the good fortune to translate the prescribed Aacharas of Brahmins (http://brahminrituals.blogspot.com/ ) . Here one can find a very detailed list of rituals and Aacharas which a Brahmin has to follow. These are extremely difficult to follow even if one devotes all his 24 hours and all the assets to this purpose. But most of us have to earn money to make both ends meet. This is definitely not banned in the Puranas and Vedas. We , in Puranic and Vedic times find Brahmins whose job was not studying Vedas. There were doctors, astrologers . Astronomers, mathematicians , warriors etc among them. Possibly these hobbies(?) were done after they learnt the Vedas by heart. It is interesting to note that learning Vedas by heart and teaching what you have learnt to others was the only thing expected out of a Brahmin. It was not compulsory for them to learn the meaning of Vedas. There were another group of special Brahmins called Sages who were supposed to do this and educate people as to what is written in Vedas. The greatest of them was Veda Vyasa, the Son of Parasra who was born to a Brahmin father and fisher woman mother. These sages were living universities. They were the people who taught economics, warfare , architecture etc to other people. I am sure we do have people who learn Vedas by heart even today as a means of making both ends meet. Most of them do not know anything of the meaning of all that they know by heart. Most of them (I am talking about our Acharyas) have good knowledge of rituals (performance which is their livelihood ) as prescribed in Gruhya Suthras . I have also seen many priests even do not know manthras for some rare Karmas . For example the priest who conducts Avani Avittam, every year , prefers to read the manthra from a book, rather than tell the manthras by heart.
4. All Brahmin grahasthas are supposed to maintain the fire they light on the day of marriage, till their death. In fact their funeral pyre is to be lighted out of this fire. I am not an expert but I feel that as on today, not even one Brahmin among the million Brahmins maintain this type of fire. Then they are supposed to do Agni hothram and worship at dawn, noon and dusk (Sandhya Vandanam). People who do not have father are supposed to do 96 tharpanas in a year,. These tharpanas are supposed to be done after performing Madhayhneeka which is to be performed at noon. At least I do not know any one among my acquaintances who do all these things.
5. There are several taints due to birth and death to be observed in our clan. With scattering of the clan, all over the world and the phenomenal increase in members of the clan, I am not sure whether we ever hear about the birth and deaths in our clan and later observe the taint period. After the purificatory bath of the taint, it is necessary to change the Yagnopaveetha and sprinkle Punyaham in our homes.
6. With family definition becoming as husband and wife and their children and added to the fact that both husband and wife have to be employed to have a fairly decent living, It is almost impossible for the lady of the house not to cook during five days in a month and follow the rules and regulations during the period.. I agree that the percentage who observe this is in the lower end of the two digit figures.
7. I am of the strong opinion that observing rituals is not the sine qua non of a Brahmin. There were many great sages in India who opposed this tooth and nail. According to me , a Brahmin should be a gentleman human being whose heart is full of mercy to all living beings in the world. Apart from this he should make serious attempts to become one with God by methods mentioned in several of the Upanishads. He should eat soft food without Masalas . He should never get angry . He should not have an ego and should not be proud. I am sure such Brahmins exist in this world even today.
Ramachander
