[A] MYTHOLOGICAL Interpretation:
We have been hearing various
mythological and legendry versions about the origin of Kayasthas, the two most
widely narrated ones are as follows:
1) The Kayastha trace their
genealogy from Adi Purush Shri Chitraguptaji Maharaj. It is said that after
Lord Brahma had created the four Varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and
Shudras), Yama snonym Dharamraj requested Lord Brahma to help him record the
deeds, good and evil, of men, and administer justice.
Lord Brahma went into meditation for
11000 years and when he opened his eyes he saw a man holding pen and ink-pot in
his hands and a sword girdled to his waist. Lord Brahma spoke: Thou hast been
created from my body (Kaya), therefore shall thy progeny be known as the
Kayasthas. Thou hast been conceived in my mind (Chitra) and in secrecy (gupta),
thy name shall also be Chitragupta. Brahma then enjoined him to dispense
justice and punish those who violated the dharma. Thus, the Kayasthas were
accorded a dual caste, Brahmin/Kshatriya.
2) Sage Parshurama wiped off the
Kshatriyas twentyone times from the face of the world. During his last crusade,
a Kshatriya king named Bhadrasen and his pregnant queen took refuge in the
Ashram of sage Talavaya who took them in his shelter and did not allow
Parshurama to kill them, being his “Sharnagat” guests. An agreement was reached
that a child born to the queen, if male, will not follow the Dharma of a
Kshatriya, give up the sword and take to pen for his livelihood. In course of
time the queen delivered a son and his descendents were called Kayastha.
3) According to a similar version,
while Parshuram extirpated all the Kshatriyas, he spared all the pregnant women
as an act of mercy with a warning that they (now widowed) would not allow their
offspring, if male, to touch sword or act in any way like a Kshatriya. This was
the women’s pledge while the unborn child was still in the mother’s KAYA
(body), i.e., in the womb. So, the unborn child was KAYA-ISTITH, i.e, residing
in the Kaya, (the mother’s body) when the pledge was given These children,
after birth came to be called as “KAYASTH”, a slightly corrupted form of
“Kaya-Isthith”
- In the legends of Shree Chitraguptaji Maharaj, he is
referred to as the greatest King, while the rest are rajakas or little
kings. इद राजा राजका इदन्यके यके सरस्वतीमनु ।चित्र इव ततनद धि वर्ष्ट्या सहस्रमयुता ददत ॥
RIG VEDA 8/21/18पर्जन्य
- In the Garud Puran, Chitragupta is hailed as the first
man to give the script.“Chitragupta namastubhyam vedaksaradatre”(Obeisance
to Chitragupta, the giver of letters)
- The Rig Veda mentions an invocation to be made to
Chitragupta before offering sacrifice. There is also a special invocation
to Chitragupta as Dharmraj (Lord of Justice) to be made at the performance
of shradh or other rituals.“Om tat purushaya vidmahe Chitragupta dhimahi
tena lekha prachodayata.”
- * Vedah.net, which presents a list of the main
sub-divisions of Brahmins, lists the Kayasthas as one of the 31 main
sub-divisions of Brahmins. http://Vedah.net
- Kamat's Potpourri -- The History, Mystery, and Diversity of
India puts forward a comprehensive
list of more than 50 Brahmin Communities in India, the Kayasthas are also
listed. Kamat's Potpourri -- The History, Mystery, and
Diversity of India
- The Sanskrit dictionary at The
Hindu Universe - Hindu Resource Center defines ‘Kayastha’ as
follows: ka_yastha, ka_yata a man belonging to the writer-caste; a tribe
of bra_hman.as
whose employment is writing (Ka.)(Ka.lex.) Sanskrit Dictionary at The
Hindu Universe - Hindu Resource Center
- According to Some historians Kyasthas have been placed
between Brahmin and Kshatriya because if we see the history, they were
Rulers, warriors and also they were highly learned races of ancient and
medival India.
- My Take, Kyasthas are definitely Dwij, who has ruled
the land, So they behaved more like Kshatriya than Brahmin during ancient
time. The reasons are following :
- Shri Chitragupta jee is one of the 14 Yamas. Yama is
God of Dharma. Dharma has to be taken care by Kshatriya Clan.
- They were Ruling Different part of land Since Treta
Yuga.
- The story related to Chandra Seni Kayasthas depict
that later Kyastha were moved to Accounting, Administration as Lord
Parshuram wanted them not to hold Sword. So if we see Prabhus in Konkani
region they as “ChandraSeni Kyasthas” flourished in accounting. And
later part of history, if we see across ancient India, Kyastha were flourished
all over as Accountant, Lawyer, Adminstrator.
- So mostly if we see the ancient History / our
mythology, this community was ruler right from Mathurs in North to
Pandiyans in South. They use to hold high administrative post during
Chandragupta Maurya to Mughals to British to Independent India.
- I say “mostly” because we can see other way around as
well. For example Bhatnagars were more like a Agarwal community they
flourish in Business. So we can say that though we were Kshatriyas but we
were highly adaptive according to the Geo political situations.
- My interpretation is Kyastha are from Kshatriya Clan...Who moved to Accounting, High adminstration or in Business due to Geo Political situation and they were able to adapt themselves in new situation very quickly.
[B] THE FAMILY TREE
Shree Chitraguptaji married Devi
Nandani and Devi Shobhavati and had twelve divine Sons. The 12 Sons started the
12 main branches of Brahma Kayastha.
The 12 clans of Brahma Kayastha:
1) Sons of Mata Shobhavati
- Shree Charu
(Mathur): He was a disciple of
sage Mathure, Rashi name was
Dhurandhar, was married to Devi Pankajakshi and worshipped Devi Durga.
Mathureshwari. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Charu to establish a
Kingdom in the Mathara region (between Mahanadi and Krishna River in
Orissa). His descendants were known as the Mathurs. After defeating the
demons, a term regularly used for the anti-Vedic tribes, they established
the Kingdom of Mathara. This done, they also propagated to other part of
Aryavartha. In the meanwhile they were further divided into 3
sub-divisions
- The Mathurs of Mathara,
- The Pancholi or Panchali of Pnachal Kingdom where in
garwhal hills there is town of Mathara
- The Kacchi of Gujrat.
The Mathurs
seemed to enjoy a long history of ruling many Kingdoms, the most important of
which was Ayodhya, ruled by them before the Raghuvanshis
took the reign. They are divided into 84 Als. They established Pandya Kingdom
covering Madurai Trinivelli etc.[6] They sent an emissary to the Roman EmperorAugustus Ceasar.
- Shree Sucharu
(Gaur): He was a disciple of
sage Vashista, Rashi name was Dharamdutta and worshipped Devi Shakambari.
Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Sucharu to establish a Kingdom in the Gaud
region. Shree Sucharu married Devi Mandhiya, the daughter of Nagaraj
Vasuki. The gaurs are divided into five divisions:
- Khare,
- Doosre,
- Bengali,
- Dehlavi,
- Vadanyuni.
- Gaur Kaystha have been further sub divided in 32 Als.
Bhagdutta of Mahabharat and Rudradutta of Kalinga were famous.
- Shree Chitraksh
(Bhatnagar): He was a disciple
of sage Bhat, was married to Devi Bhadrakalini and worshipped Devi
Jayanti. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Chitraksh to establish a Kingdom
in the region of Bhat river at Bhattdesh and Malwa.They established
Chittor and Chitrakoot He settled then there and his progeny came to be
known as Bhatnagar. They are divided into 84 Als.
- Shree Matimaan
(Saxena): He was married to
Devi Kokalesh and worshipped Devi Shakambari. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent
Shree Matimaan to establish a Kingdom in the Shak region. His(Shree
Matimaan’s) son was a great warrior and established His kingdom in the
modern day Kabul-Kandhar and Eurasia region and as they were sakha (
friends Of Sena )the progeny was called Shaksena or Saksena, a part of
modern Iran was under their rule. Today they are abundantly found in the
regions of Kannuaj,Pilibhit, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Badayu, Farrukhabad,
Etta, Mainpuri, Aligarh. They are divided into Khare and Dusare and had
106 main Als at present. According to RC Majumdar, they were kings Shena
of Shakas hence Shakashena which anglicised to Saxena.
- Shree Himvaan
(Ambashth): His Rashi name was
Sarandhar, was married to Devi Bhujangakshi and worshipped Devi Amba-Mata.
Settled in Girnar and kathiawar area called Amba-sthan, hence the name.
Shree Himvaan had five divine sons Shree Nagasen, Shree Gayasen, Shree
Gayadatta, Shree Ratanmool and Shree Devdhar and they married
Gandharvyakanyas. These five Sons settled at different locations and
accordingly their lineage spread their rule over these and were further
divided into: Nagasen: 24 Als, Gayasen: 35 Als , Gayadatta: 85 Als,
Ratanmool: 25 Als, Devdhar: 21 Als. Later they settled in Punjab
- Shree Chitracharu
(Nigam): His Rashi name was
Sumant, was married to Devi Ashgandhmati and worshipped Devi Durga.
Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Chitracharu to establish a Kingdom in the
Mahakoshal and the Nigam region (on the bank of river Saryu). His progeny
were very proficient in the rules laid in Vedas and the Shastras, hence
Nigam. Today they live in Kanpur, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Banda, Jalon,
Mahoba. They are divided into 43 main Als.
- Shree Aruncharu
(Karna): His Rashi name was
Damodar, was married to Devi Kamakala and worshipped Devi Laxmi. They were
Vaishnavites. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Aruncharu to establish a
Kingdom in the Karna region (modern day Karnataka). His progeny slowly
migrated to the Northern Kingdoms and now live abundantly in the present
day Nepal, Orissa and Bihar. The Bihar branch is further divided into two;
namely the ‘Gayaval Karna’ who settled in Gaya and the ‘Maithil-Karna’ who
settled in the Mithila region.Later they adopted Buddhism. They are
divided into an astounding 360 Als; this huge figure is attributed to the
families who migrated in different phases from South. The clan has nothing
to do with Karna of Mahabharata.
- Shree Jitendra
(Kulshreshtha): His Rashi name
is Sadananda, was married to Devi Manjubhashini and worsipped Devi Laxmi.
Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Atiyendriya(also known as Jitendra) to
establish a Kingdom in the Kannauj region. Shree Atiyendriya was one of
the most religious and pious ascetic of the twelve Sons. He was known as
‘Dharmatama’ and ‘Pundit’ and was a master of passions; His progeny came
to be known as Kulshrestha. Today the Kulshreshthas live abundantly in
Mathura, Agra, Fawrookhabad, Etah, Etahwa and Mainpuri.
2) Sons of Mata Nandani
- Shree Shribhanu(Srivastava): His Rashi name was
Dharamdwaj. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Shribhanu to establish a
Kingdom in the Shrivaas(Srinagar)region in Kashmir and Kandhar. He was
married to Nagaraj Vaasuki’s daughter Devi Padmini and two divine sons
named Shree Devdatta and Shree Ghanshyam were born. Shree Devdatta got the
rulership over Kashmir and Shree Ganshyam got the rulership over the banks
of Sindhu river. They were called Srivastava ‘Khare’ born from second wife
Kheri.Two divine sons named Shree Dhanvantari and Shree Sarvagya were
born. They were called Srivastava ‘Doosre’.The Srivastavas are divided
into 65 main Als.
- Shree Vibhanu
(Suryadhwaj): His Rashi name
was Shyamsunder, was married to Devi Malti. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent
Shree Vibhanu to establish the Kingdom in northern parts of the Kashmir
region. Since Mother Dakshina was the daughter of Suryadev, the progeny of
Shree Vibhanu carried the emblem of the Sun God on their flags and were
called Suryadhwaj.Jarasandha of Mahabharat and Jamnaya of Taxila were well
known.Later they settled at Magadh
- Shree Vishwabhanu
(Valmiki): His Rashi name was
Deendayal and worshipped Devi Shakumbhari. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree
Vishwabhanu to establish a Kingdom in Valmiki region near Chirakoot and
Narmada. Shree Vishwabhanu was married to Nagakanya Devi Bimbvati. He’s
known to have spend a great part of his life practicing intense
meditation(Tapasya) on the banks of river Narmada, when covered with the
leaves of creeper Valmiki.His progeny were known as Valmiki.They became
Vallabhpanthi. His son Shree Chandrakant settled in Gujarat while the
other Sons migrated with their families to the North, near river Ganga and
the Himalayas. Today they live in Gujarat and Maharashtra. They are also
known as ‘Vallabhi Kayastha’ in Gujarat.
- Shree Viryabhanu
(Asthana): His Rashi name
Madhavrao, was married to Devi Singhdwani. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree
Viryabhanu to establish a Kingdom in Adhisthana. His progeny came to be
known as Asthana as Ramnagar-Varanasi's king bestowed them with eight
jewels.Some say that they had no fixed sthan, hence the name. Today the
Asthanas live abundantly in various districts of U.P. In Bihar they live
in Saran, Sivaan, Champaran, Mujjafarpur, Sitamadhi, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur
regions. Their population is also notable in U.P.’s neighboring state M.P.
They are divided into 5 main Als.
ALs These twelve sub-castes are
further divided into ALs. A Vansh originates from a King,
a Rishi or a Deity and as it grows it
divides itself in to several branches. The descendents start to build their own
sub-Vansh depending upon the places and situations met, at the same time
acknowledging their submission to the MOOLVansh. These sub-Vansh add
specific nouns to their names which in case of the Chirtagupta
Vansha(Chitranshi) are called the Als (Kindly be clear upon the point
that the 12 main sub-castes are acknowledged divisions based on the family of
the 12 Sons, they are not called Als, their further divisions are whatAls
are) One has to be careful to avoid confusing them with Gotra. Gotra
goes after the name of a Vedic Rishi, who was either a Guru, RajGuru or
Progenitor of that Vansh. The gotra for a MOOL Vansh is always the same. It is Kashayap
for the Kayasthas. Thus, a Vanshaz can be known from his Gotra and Al
(The term Kul is often used for Al, though the former has a much
broader meaning).The Als can be thousands in number and must be added to
the name in conjunction with one of the 12 main sub-castes. The ignorance of
this law is precisely the reason why so many can not find their surnames
mentioned amongst the 12 main sub-castes.
[C] WORSHIP
Kayasthas worship Chitraguptaji and
on Bhai-Dooj, they celebrate Kalam-Dawaat Pooja (pen, ink-pot and sword
worship), a ritual in which pens, papers and books are worshipped.
This is the day when Shree
Chitraguptji was created by Lord Bramha and Yamaraj got relieved of His duties
and used this leave to visit His sister Devi Yamuna; hence the whole world
celebrates Bhaiya dooj on this day and the Kayastha celebrate
ShreeChitraguptajayanti, i.e. the ‘Birthday’ of their progenitor.
Chitraguptji guided his sons to
worship Mahishmardini. In present day they worship Gods as per their Geo ,
Social & family influence. And it is quite diversified when we travel one
part of India to other Part.
[D] FOOD
Unlike most Baniya (Vaishya) or
Brahmins, Kayasthas eat onions, garlic, meats like mutton and chicken, fish and
eggs, though a large number are also vegetarians.
of holy towns like Prayag, Mathura,
Varanasi, etc. are purely vegetarians, while in other areas they may be mixed.
Here Point to be mentioned that
Chitraguptji has told their sons to live like vaishnavites but during medival
period due to social influence they may have started eating meats.
[E] HISTORY
Kayastha ministers find mention in
Hindu mythology. Prior to the Raghuvanshis, Ayodhya was ruled by Mathur Rulers,
progeny of Shree Chitraguptaji.
The Kayastha who are represented by
the “Kayats” or the hereditary caste of the scribes of the present day, formed
originally a sub-military class. The Anthropological Survey of India conducted
a survery during the British Raj which concluded that the Kayastha community
were also influential during the Mauryan period as administrators.
Also, many proof have been found
that the Hindu Kings used to grant lands to the Kayasthas, a practise enjoyed only
by a particular caste. Also, it is but logical to consider the status of the
Kayasthas when Sanskrit was the state language under the Hindu Kings.
The Kayastha were one of the most
influential Caste in Kashmiri politics around 7th century. The economic status
of the Kayastha community bettered than that of other castes when the Muslims
conquered India.
Other Indian castes would typically
not find employment under the Muslim rulers, as they could not learn the Muslim
languages of Persian and Arabic. On the other hand, the Kayastha community as a
whole traditionally put a lot of emphasis on education and prospered during the
Islamic period of India.
[F] KAYASTHA DOWN THE AGES
Kayasthas were valued in the second
millennia by most kingdoms and princely states as desired citizens or
immigrants within India. They were
treated more as a race rather than a caste because they developed expertise
in Persian (the state language in Islamic India), learnt Turkish and Arabic,
economics, administration and taxation.
This gave them an edge over the
Brahmins (the priestly caste), who traditionally had reserved the study of
Sanskrit shastras to themselves. They successfully adapted themselves as
scribes and functionaries under Islamic rule and later on under the British. Their
secular viewpoint to life, adaptability and lifestyle was an asset which
allowed them to succeed.
The Kayastha community also adapted
to changes, such as the advent of the British rule in India. They learnt
English, the more affluent ones sent their children to England, they became
civil servants, tax officers, junior administrators, teachers, legal helpers
and barristers. They rose to the highest positions accessible to natives in
British India.
[G] KAYASTHA IN MODERN INDIA
Post independence Kayasthas rose to
the highest positions including the first President of India , Dr. Rajendra
Prasad,third Prime Minister of India , Lal Bahadur Shastri , judges, top civil
servants and high ranking officers in the Indian armed forces. Kayasthas also
emigrated to the West in the 1970s and 80s, most of them as knowledge workers
in medicine, academia, engineering, computing etc.
[H] PROMINENT KAYASTHAS
With the passing of time, the
Kayasthas have surged ahead. They have broken new grounds in vocations other
than those relating to writing and record-keeping, and excelled in them. Thus,
in public life, Dr Rajendra Prasad rose to become the first President of the
Republic of India, whereas Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru as
the Prime Minister. Dr Sampuranand was the Chief Minister of U.P. and Governor
of Rajasthan, besides being a literary figure.
Jayaprakash Narayan brought down
Indira Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose fought the British rule militarily. Shanti
Swarup Bhatnagar, and Jagdish Chandra Bose were eminent scientists. Munshi Prem
Chand, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Raghupat Sahai “Firaque” Gorakhpuri, Dr
Vrindavan Lal Verma, Dr Ram Kumar Verma and Dr Dharm Vir Bharti have been men
of letters.
Swami Vivekanand and Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi were philosophers. Alakh Kumar Sinha, C.I.E, O.B.E, was the first
Indian Inspector-General of Police. Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha have
excelled in the film world, Mukesh and Sonu Nigam in the world of music.
REFERENCES
It’s a compilation work from various
sources on internet and the books / ancient scripture
