Brahacharanam is a sub-sect of the
Iyer
Iyers (also spelt as Ayyar, Aiyar, Ayer, or Aiyer) are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Brahmin, Hindu Brahmins. Most Iyers are followers of the ''Advaita Vedanta, Advaita'' philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara and adhere to the ...
community of
Tamil Brahmins
Tamil Brahmins are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, predominantly living in Tamil Nadu, though they number significantly in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, in addition to other regions of India, as wel ...
. The word "Brahacharanam" is a corruption of the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
word Brhatcharanam ( sa, बृहत्चरणम्). Many Brahacharanam follow the ''
Advaita Vedanta
''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hinduism, Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the Āstika and nāstika, orthodox Hindu school Ved ...
'' philosophy propounded by
Adi Sankaracharya
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
. However, some Brahacharanam are staunchly Saivite unlike followers of Adi Sankaracharya, or else adhere to "Sivadvaita" so to speak. The Brahacharanams, along with the Vadamas, form the major portion of the
Kerala Iyer
Kerala Iyers, Pattars or Bhattars, are Tamil Brahmins of the Indian state of Kerala — people who were residents in the Kerala region, and also people who migrated from present day Tamil Nadu in different waves from the time of the Chera ...
community.
Etymology
The word ''bruhat'' in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
means "great", "vast" or "significant" and the word ''charanam'' refers to feet. The name Brahacharanam can be thus literally translated as "feet of the greats" referring to the status of a Guru, and the Brahacharanam being those who follow in the footsteps of the Greats.
Another interpretation for Brahacharanam provided by K.A Nilakanta Sastri in his 'History of South India' is the 'Great Migration'. Sastri notes that this could be taken as evidence of one of the earliest migrations of people from North India into South, especially given that many Brahacharanam sub-sects have names such as Satyamangalam, Mangudi etc. - all names of villages hugging Western Ghats, and thereby denoting the route taken from North to South. It is to be noted however that Sastri considers this interpretation to be too speculative, given there is no direct evidence for the same.
Origins
Their exact origins are not clear but their presence in the
Tamil Kingdoms extends back at least to the reign of
Parantaka Chola II
Parantaka Chola II (Tamil: இரண்டாம் பராந்தக சோழன்) (r. 958 – 973 CE) was a Chola emperor. He is also known as Sundara Chola as he was considered an epitome of male beauty.''Early Chola temples:Parantak ...
, who is said to have ''brahmarayars'' as ministers. Many of the agraharam villages of the Brahacharanam also have very ancient origins.
According to some, they made their way into the Tamil country through the
Satyamangalam
Sathyamangalam (also known as Sathy) is a town and municipality in Erode district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. 8 th century Town. It lies on the banks of the River Bhavani, a tributary of the River Cauvery in the foothills of the Weste ...
Pass.
Sub-groups
The Brahacharanam are divided into the following subgroups:
*
Kandiramanickam ( A village in Tiruvarur district,near Kodavasal,in Nachiyar kovil to Nannilam road)
* Milaganur ( A village in Sivagangai district)
* Mangudi ( Village in Tanjore district near Kumbakonam)
* Malanadu ( Village in Trichy)
*
Pazhamaneri ( A village in Tanjore district)
* Musanadu
* Kolathur ( A village in Kanchipuram district)
* Marudancheri ( A village in Sivagangai district)
* Rajagambiram ( A village in Sivagangai district near Manamadurai town )
* Ilanji ( a village in Tirunelveli district)
* Mazhavanattu
* Sathyamangalam (Erode district)
* Puduru Dravida (In Andhra Pradesh)
*
A significant number of Brahacharanams have migrated to
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, where they are part of the Kerala Iyer community. They have also migrated in large numbers to
Puuru (meaning new town/village /place) in
between nellore and Chennai, Andhra Pradesh where they form the Puduru Dravida community.
Culture
Most Brahacharanam are worshippers of Shiva, and they cover their forehead with
sacred ashes. Some used to wear Vibhuti in the Shape of the
Sivalinga
A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...
on their foreheads due their strong adherence to Lord Siva and no other. However, the Sathyamangalam group have some members who wear the
vaishnava
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
mark.
Women also dress like other Iyers. In the ancient times, the cloth worn by the women used to be of little more than a knee's length. Among the Milaganur Brahacharanam, the Adrishya Pondugal ceremony is celebrated in which four women, a widow and a bachelor are invited to a feast. This was done in order to propitiate four women who disappeared due to the ill treatment of their mothers in law.
It has been documented that some Bracharanam who lived in places like Mangudi were such rigid Saivites that they would not even utter Govinda's name and lived a life of stern austerity.
Traditional role
The traditional function of Brahacharanams is to study and impart Vedic knowledge or officiate as priests in religious functions. However, there is evidence that in ancient times, they might have also served in the army or in civil and administrative services. During the Chola period, members of the community (especially the Pazhamaneri Brahacharanam) even served as army commanders. Senapathi
Krishnan Raman
Krishnan Raman (c. 11th century AD) was an officer in the Chola army who served as the Commander-in-chief of the Chola forces under Rajaraja Chola I. He held the title ''Mummadi Brahmarayar Niyomanam''.
Origin
Krishnan Raman Tamil shavite Bra ...
was the Commander-in-chief of the Imperial Chola army of
Rajendra Chola I
Rajendra Chola I (; Middle Tamil: Rājēntira Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Rājēndradēva Cōla; Old Malay: ''Raja Suran''; c. 971 CE – 1044 CE), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, and also known as Gangaikonda Chola (Middle Tami ...
.
Brahacharanam also consider themselves to be among the first followers of
Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
.
Notable people
Some notable Brahacharanams are:
Chandrasekhar family (Mangudi sub-group)
* Sir
C.V.Raman,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner in
Physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
*
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (; ) (19 October 1910 – 21 August 1995) was an Indian-American theoretical physicist who spent his professional life in the United States. He shared the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics with William A. Fowler for "... ...
, Nobel Prize winner in Physics from India, nephew of C.V.Raman
Others
*
Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer
Vaidyanatha Sivan (1844 - 1893) ( ta, மஹா வைத்யநாத சிவன்) was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music. He was a great exponent of extemporaneous singing. He also composed a ''ragamalika'' (garland of ragas - a s ...
, a Carnatic vocalist
*
D. V. Gundappa
Devanahalli Venkataramanaiah Gundappa (17 March 1887 – 7 October 1975), popularly known as DVG, was an Indian writer, poet and philosopher in Kannada-language. He is one of the stalwarts of modern Kannada literature. His most notable work is th ...
, a writer, poet and philosopher
Lalgudi G Jayaraman, legendary carnatic musician, and Violinist
*
Actor Sri Jaishankar, legendary Tamil movie actor, and philanthropist
* Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan (Famous Violinist)
* Natesa Sastri ( Indian Polyglot)
* Subrahmanya Siva ( Freedom Fighter and tamil writer)
* P.S Sivaswamy Iyer ( Famous lawyer during British times )
* Mahakavi C Subramania Bharathi ( famous tamil writer)
* V Balakumaran (tamil writer and novelist)
* V.S Ramachandran ( Indian neuroscientist)
* Justice T Paramasiva Iyer ( Sessions Judge of Bengaluru)
* Sir T Sadasiva Iyer ( Indian Judge)
* T.P Kailasam ( Kannada writer and son of Paramasiva Iyer )
* Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer (former member of constituent assembly of India )
* Alladi Ramakrishnan ( founder of Matscience India , son of Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer )
* Alladi Kuppusamy ( prominent jurist , son of Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, brother of Alladi Ramakrishnan)
* M.R Jambunathan ( Vedic scholar who translated the four Vedas into tamil )
* Krishnan Raman Brahmarayar ( commander - in - chief of the chola army)
Notes
{{Reflist
Tamil Brahmins
Smarta tradition