The Saraswat Brahmins are aHindu Brahmin subcaste, who are spread from Kashmir in the North India to Konkan in the West India to Kanara (coastal region of Karnataka) and Kerala in South India. The word Saraswat is derived from the Rigvedic Sarasvati River.
Contents
- Classification
- History
- Philosophy and literature
- Millitary & administration
- Society and culture
- Marriages
- Diet
- Notable people
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
Classification
Saraswats Brahmins fall under the Pancha Gauda Brahminclassification of the Brahmin community in India.
In Western and South India, Along with the Chitpavan, Karhades(including Padhyes, Bhatt Prabhus), and Daivadnya Brahmins, Konkani-speaking Saraswat Brahmins are referred to as Konkani Brahmins, which denotes those Brahmin sub-castes of the Konkancoast which have a regional significance in Maharashtra and Goa.Here the Saraswat Brahmins are divided into three sub-groups, they are, Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins. Vaishnavas among them are followers of Kashi Math and Gokarna Math, while the Smarthas are followers of Kavale Math and Chitrapur Math.
- Based on Veda and Vedanta
In Western and South India, The Saraswat Brahmins are Rigvedi Brahmins and they follow Ashwalayana Sutra and are of Shakala Shaka Saraswat Brahmins are divided into two groups based on the Vedanta they follow, the first of which follows the Dvaita Vedanta of Madhvacharya and second group are followers of Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankara.
In Karnataka and Kerala, Majority of Gaud Saraswat Brahmins are followers of Madhvacharya, while the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins are Smarthas, followers of Adi Shankara. Writer Chandrakant Keniand former I.C.S officer V. N. Kudva says, “The majority of the Saraswats, including those in Goa, are now Vaishnavas”.
History
In Kalhana’s Rajatarangini (12th century CE), the Saraswats are mentioned as one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities residing to the north of the Vindhyas. They were spread over a wide area in northern part of the Indian subcontinent. One group lived in coastal Sindh and Gujarat, this group migrated to Bombay State after the partition of India in 1947. One group was found in pre-partition Punjab and Kashmir most of these migrated away from Pakistan after 1947. Another branch known as Dakshinatraya Saraswat Brahmin are now found along the western coast of India.
Philosophy and literature
Saraswats have contributed to the fields of Sanskrit, Konkani, Marathi and Kannada literature and philosophy. All the mathadhipathi’s of Kashi Math, Gokarna Math, Kavale Math and Chitrapur Math without a single exception are from the Saraswat Brahmin community. The 17th century Madhva Saraswat scholar, Sagara Ramacharya, the author of Konkanabhyudhaya, the 19th century Konkani scholar Shenoi Goembab, and the 20th century multi-faceted Marathi scholar Purushottam Laxman Deshpande are some of the prominent scholars from the Saraswat Brahmin community.
Advaita saints such as Gaudapada, grand-teacher of the philosopher Shankaracharya, Sureśvara, the first peetadhipathi of Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Mandana Mishra, and Parijnanashram I, the first peetadhipathi of Chitrapur Math; the Vaishnava saints such as Surdas, Narayana Tirtha, the first peetadhipathi of Gokarna Mathand Yadavendra Tirtha, the first peetadhipathi of Kashi Math, are some of the prominent saints from the Saraswat Brahmin community.
Millitary & administration
Historically, in Maharashtra, Saraswats had served as low and medium level administrators under the Deccan Sultanates for generations. In 18th century, the quasi-independent Shinde and the Holkar rulers of Malwa recruited Saraswats to fill their administrative positions.This made them wealthy holder of rights both in Maharashtra and Malwa during the eighteenth century. During the same period in Peshwa ruled areas, there was a continuation of filling of small number of administration post by the Saraswats. During the rule of the Chitpavan Brahmin Peshwas in the 18th century, Saraswat Brahmins was one of the communities against whom the Chitpavans conducted a social war which led to Gramanya (inter-caste dispute).
After the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule in 1961, many Goan Saraswats opposed merger of Goa into Maharashtra.
Society and culture
- Northern and Eastern India
According to M. K. Kaw (2001), Kashmiri Pandits, a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community hold the highest social status in Kashmir.
Based on the calendar used, they divided into two groups-Malmasi (who remained in the valley despite religious persecution) and Banmasi(who are said to have immigrated or re-immigrated under King Zain ul Abidin in the fifteenth century)
The former follow the lunar calendar while latter who are in the majority follow the solar calendar.
Walter Lawrence states ,that the Kashmiri Pandit community to be divided into the following classes- the Jotish (astrologer),the priestly class Guru or Bachabat and the Karkun(working class) that was employed in government service.
- Western and Southern India
The majority of Saraswats speak Konkani, one of the languages of the Indo-Aryan language family. The major dialects of Konkani used by Saraswats are Goan Konkani, Maharashtrian Konkani and Canarese Konkani.
Rivalry between the Saraswat Brahmins and the other Brahmins such as the Chitpavans led to conflicts over ritual status During Shivaji’s coronation, the ritual status of the Saraswats to be Brahmins was supported by Gaga Bhat a leading Brahmin from Benares.
Anthropologist Karen Michaelson states that even after Independence, Saraswats of Bombay, are not considered part of the Brahmin community and thus ritually lower than the Brahmins. She gives that as the reason for the Brahmins to not eat cooked food from the Saraswat household.
Similarly, Saraswats of the Western Indian Konkan belt historically had no knowledge of vedas, no priesthood, and even ate non-vegetarian food, according to Sociologist S.D.Pillai, based on the studies by G. S. Ghurye. Claim of Brahminhood by communities such as these groups demonstrates that the Brahmin claim was available on other grounds and using legends to justify Brahmin origins. But the non-vegetarian tradition did not apply to Saraswats of the south.
As per sociologist R.Bairy “Saraswat claim to Brahminhood is still strongly under dispute, particularly in the coastal districts of Karnataka”.
Marriages
The Saraswat Brahmins are divided into various territorial endogamous groups, who at one time did not intermarry. According to the sociologist, Gopa Sabharwal (2006), marriages between Saraswat and non-Saraswat Brahmins are on the increase though they were unheard of before, mainly because the Saraswats eat fish and occasionally meat, while all other Brahmins in that region are vegetarians.
Diet
- North India
Kashmiri Pandits eat mutton and fish, but obey restrictions laid down by the shastras of not eating the meat of forbidden animals. Professor Frederick J. Simoons says according to some reports, Saraswat Brahmins from northern India also consume fish as part of their diet.
- Western and South India
In Goa and Konkan region, Saraswat Brahmins have both vegetariansand pescetarians among them, while in Maharashtra they are pescetarians.
In Karnataka, Saraswat Brahmins are mainly concentrated in the coastal Kanara region. The sub-groups among Saraswats are Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins are largely vegetarians.
In Gujarat, Saraswat Brahmins are pure vegetarians and do not even consume masur dal and garlic. They chiefly live on Bajri (millet), wheat roti (unleavened bread) with rice during the lunch and Khichdi (a mixture of rice and pulse) in the Dinner.
In Kerala, Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins are pure vegetarians and mainly consume rice as staple food, while Gaud Saraswat Brahmins have both vegetarians and pescetarians among them .