Kayastha
caste
caste_name=Kayasthas | classification=Brahmin/Kshatriya (Administration) | subdivisions=twelve main clans | populated_states=Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Nepal | languages=Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Oriya | religions=Hinduism}}
Kāyastha or Kayasth is a Indo-Aryan clan (Maha-parivar). The clan traces it's origins to the mahajanapadas of ancient India, though the mythological origins cite the clan to be the first humans created in existence from the body of Brahma himself, who later offers the clan a choice of any occupation and role in human history, out of which the worship of knowledge is chosen by Shree Chitraguptaji Maharaj.
= Origins =
The Kayastha trace their geneology from "Adi Purush" Shri Chitraguptaji Maharaj. It is said that after Lord Brahma had created the four Varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras), Yama requested Lord Brahma to help him record the deeds, good and evil, of men, and administer justice.
Lord Brahma went into deep meditation(for 11,000 yrs.) and when he opened his eyes he saw a radiant 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[learned]/Kshatriya[warrior].
In the legends of Shree Chitraguptaji Maharaj,He is reffered to as Kshatriya of great prowess and a king, while the rest are only rajakas or little kings. 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 l invocation to Chitragupta as Dharmraj ( Lord of Justice) to be made at the performance of shradh ot other rituals. "Om tat purushaya vidmahe Chitragupta dhimahi tena lekha prachodayata."Priests also pay reverence to Chitragupta : "Yamam Dharmarajya Chitraguptaya vain namah." Kayasthas down the agesIt is important to note that like Jews in Medieval Europe, 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. The Kayasthas' primary attachment was to their knowledge and not to the dictum of priests. They successfully transformed themselves as support pillars 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. The Kayasthas in these times were seen as being fair and a helpful connection between the ruler and the ruled.Kayasthas in modern IndiaPost independence Kayasthas rose to the highest positions including the first President of India, judges, top civil servants and high ranking officers in the Indian armed forces. Marriage within the community was seen not only as maintaining the lineage but also to expand contacts with other influential Kayastha families. All of this does not mean that there were no lower class or poorer Kayasthas. Kayasthas also emigrated to the West in 1970s and 80s in numbers which were disproportionately high, most of them as knowledge workers in medicine, academia, engineering, computing etc. Their loyalty to their knowledge again helped them to seamlessly assimilate in the host cultures without losing their USPs.
A significant virtue in Kayastha community is the non-reliance on family wealth, this meant that a Kayastha teenager would be coaxed to study and find his/her own calling in whichever emerging career field rather than follow in their parents footsteps or rely on their parents' money. This has helped Kayasthas adapt fast to the global economy.Modern day Kayasthas probably number around 5-7 million. They are subdivided into 12 main sub-castes who are believed to have originated from the 12 sons of king Chitragupta and his two wives, Irawati and Nandini. These 12 subcastes are:
* Ambastha: from the Ambast Kingdom
* Asthana
* Balmik
* Bhatnagar: from the Bhatner area
* Deengar
* Gour
* Karana
* Kulshreshtha
* Mathur: from the Mathura area
* Nigam
* Saxena: from the ancient Gandhar kingdom.
* Shrivastava: from the "Shrawasti" kingdom.
* Sinha
* Suryadhwaja | Kayashtas, like Amitabh Bachchan are worldwide icons |
Some other sub-castes e.g. Khare, Vaidya have also come into picture but they all are derived from the original twelve.EndogamyIn older days, Kayasthas practiced family exogamy and caste endogamy preferring to marry only within their sub-castes. However, things have changed and inter-caste marriages are very common now.Still people prefer to marry in the same caste or sub-caste. It is common though, for a Kayastha to be dominant in the bringing up of children with Kayastha values even in case of an inter-caste marriage.WorshipKayasthas worship Chitragupta and on Bhai-Dooj (two days after Diwali and Holi), they celebrate Kalam-Dawaat Pooja (pen and ink-pot worship), a ritual in which pens, papers and books are worshipped. They devote this day to Chitragupta.Kayasthas live mainly in northern and eastern part of India and in Nepal. There are Kayasthas in :
*Northern India - Ambasth (in Bihar), Asthana, Bhargava, Bhatnagar, Deengar, Kulshreshtha, Mathur, Nigam, Saxena, Sinha, Srivastava.
*Bengal - Bose (Basu), Dutta, Ghosh, Sarkar, Sen, Mitra, Roy (Ray), De (Dey), Biswas, Das, Sinha, Choudhury (Choudhuri).
*Andhra Pradesh - Patnaik, Patro.
*Orissa - Patnaik, Mohanty.
*Assam - Barua, Chaliha.
*Tamil Nadu - Tamil Kayasthas are Karuneegars, who are scribes. The temple for Chitragupta is in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
*They also inhabit Kerala.Kayastha have contributed to the Indian way of life in various fields. This caste is highly respected and wields much influence in India.*Brahma
*Chitragupta
*Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu*"Yama Samhita" : Brahmkayasamudrabhuto kayastho brahmsangyakah
Kalaouhi kshatriyastamsaya jayaeyagayu rajatam
*"Garur Purana" : Dharmraja Chitraguptah shravano bhaskaradayah
Kayastha tatra pashyanti papam punyam cha sarva
*"Yajur Veda, Astambh Shakha, Chaturkhanda, Yama Vichar Prakaran" : Savarochisentare purvam chaitravansam smudbhavah
Suratho nama raja bhutam samaste chitimandale
*"Justice Jawala Prasad and Justice Buckmill" : AIR 1927, Patna 145*www.kayastha.org
*www.kayasthamahasabha.com
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