Tamil Brahmin

Tamil Brahmins are Brahmins of Tamil origin primarily living in Tamil Nadu , although a few of them have settled in other states like, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. They can be broadly divided into three religious groups, Gurukkals who follow Saivism, Iyers who follow the Smarthas tradition and Iyengars who follow Sri Vaishnavism. Today Brahmins form 2.75% of Tamil Nadus population.

Origins

Brahmins have had a continuous presence in Tamil Nadu from the Sangam period (600 BCE-300 CE). The 2nd century CE literary work Paṭṭiṉappālai written by the Brahmin poet Uruttirangannanar (Kannan, son of Rudra) records the presence of Brahmins and Vedic rites in Karikala Chola's kingdom. Similarly, other literary works of the Sangam period like the Silappatikaram, Manimekalai and Kuṟuntokai also allude to the presence of Brahmins in the Tamil country.

During the early medieval period, when Ramanuja founded Vaishnavism many Iyers adopted the new philosophical affiliation and were called Iyengars. According to Hindu legend, the sage Agastya is believed to be the first Vishnu worshipping Brahmin to settle in South India. Agastya is believed to have set up his abode on Podhigai hill near Nagercoil, thereby becoming Tamil Brahmin.

Brahmin

Brahmin is a varna (caste) in Hinduism specialising as priests, teachers (acharya) and protectors of sacred learning across generations.

Brahmins traditionally were responsible for religious rituals in temples, as intermediaries between temple deities and devotees, as well as rite of passage rituals such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers. However, Indian texts suggest that Brahmins were often agriculturalists and warriors in ancient and medieval India.

Vedic sources

It must be emphasised that attempts to interpolate references from the Rigveda with contemporary social groups that identify as "Brahmin" is entirely speculative.

Purusha Sukta

The earliest inferred reference to "Brahmin" as a possible social class is in the Rigveda, occurs once, and the hymn is called Purusha Sukta. According to this hymn in Mandala 10, Brahmins are described as having emerged from the mouth of Purusha, being that part of the body from which words emerge.

मुखं किमस्य कौ बाहू का ऊरू पादा उच्येते
बराह्मणो अस्य मुखमासीद बाहू राजन्यः कर्तः
ऊरूतदस्य यद वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत

Brahmin (disambiguation)

Brahmin are traditional Hindu societies of India, Nepal and The Far East.

Brahmin may also refer to:

See also

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