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Kayastha

Maharaj Chitragupt: Progenitor of the Kayasthas

left: Devi Sudakhina and four sons

right: Devi Iravati and eight sons

Languages

Hindi, Assamese, Maithili, Urdu, Bengali,Marathi, and Oriya

Religion

Hinduism

Kāyastha or Kayasth (Hindi: का�यस्थ) is a caste/ethnic-group of India. They are the only sect who are referred to

as direct descendants of a Vedic God in the religious texts and the only ancestor worshipping sect of Hinduism

also called Chitranshi/Devputra[1]. They are said, in the Vedas and Puranas, to have a dual-caste status

i.e. Brahmin and Kshatriya. They are mainly spread across North India and are a sub-sect of Brahmins whose

ancient profession was writing.[2][3][4][5]

The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org 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.)[4]

BRAHMINS by vedah.net[2] is an arcticle on who the brahmins are and

the various sub-groups of Brahmins. The Kayastha Brahmins are

mentioned at sl.no. 15 (in alphabetic order).

The Brahmins : A List of Brahmin Communities is an extensive list

prepared by Kamat.com[3] of all Brahmin communities in India. Kayastha

Brahmins are mentioned (in alphabetic order).

Vyoma Samhita  quoted in Shabda−Kalpadrum says:

The Kayasthas have sprung from the kaya or body of Lord Brahma. They

are similar in rank to Brahmans.

Swami Vivekananda  speaking on the status of Kayasthas said:

“I am the descendant of that great man at whose feet every Brahmin bows

his head.”

The major differences between this ministerial class and the

proper priestly class, started around 1500 years ago in the

Kingdom of Kashmir, where each accused the other of misusing

their power.[6][7]

Few influential and liberal Kayastha God-men of the 20th century

are Swami Prabhupada(Hare Krishna Movement-

ISKCON), Maharshi Mahesh Yogi(Transcendental

Meditation), Sri Aurobindo(Integral yoga), Paramahansa

Yogananda(:of ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ fame & Kriya Yoga)

and Swami Vivekananda(Vedanta).

Contents

 [hide]

1 References in Vedic texts

2 Types

3 Origin

4 Temples

5 Family tree

o 5.1 Sons of Devi Shobhavati/Iravati

o 5.2 Sons of Devi Nandani/Sudakhina

o 5.3 ALs

6 Cultural Aspects

o 6.1 Marriage Practices

o 6.2 Distinctive Worship

o 6.3 Social

o 6.4 Sense of humour

7 History

o 7.1 Ancient India

o 7.2 Islamic and Pre-independence India

o 7.3 Modern India

8 Prominent Personalities

9 See also

10 References

11 External links

References in Vedic texts

Kayastha have been described in the oldest of

the Puranas, Smritis and Shrutis:

According to the Vedic scriptures, the souls of men after

death receive rewards and punishments according to their

sins and virtues, and hence it is believed that good and bad

deeds of men are not destroyed. The souls of men after

death go to Yamapuri which is presided over by the deities

called Yamas who keep records of men’s actions and

accordingly give them their dues. The principal Yama is

called Yamaraja or Dharamaraja, that is, the ruler of

Yamapuri or the King of Laws.

The Yama Samhita which is an extract from the 9th Chapter

of Ahilya Kamdhenu, a work of Hindu Law, says that

Dharamaraja complained to Lord Brahma about his

difficulties in performing his most responsible duties of

keeping records of the deeds of men and doing justice to

them. Lord Brahma went into meditation. Shree Chitragupta

sprang from his body and stood before him bearing an inkpot

and a pen. The God Brahma (Creator) said: "Because you

are sprung from my body (kaya), therefore you shall be

called Kayastha and as you existed in my body unseen I give

you the name of Chitragupta." He then assumed charge of

Yamapuri. Dharma Sharma married his daughter Irawati to

Chitragupta and Manuji, son of Surya (the Sun) married his

daughter Sudakhina to him." Chitragupta had eight sons from

the former and. four from the latter and these twelve sons

became the progenitors of the twelve sub−divisions of the

Chitraguptavansi Kayasthas, namely, Mathur, Gaur, Nigam,

Ashthana, Kulshretha, Suryadwaja, Balmika Bhatnagar,

Srivastava,Ambastha, Saxena and Karana.

In Padma Purana, Uttar Khanda, it says that Shree

Chitragupta had twelve sons by two wives. They were all

invested with the sacred thread and were married to

Nagakanyas. They were the ancestors of the twelve

sub−divisions of the Kayasthas.

The same legend with some slight difference is given inmost

of the Puranas.

Padma Purana  after stating the legend says: "Shree

Chitragupta was placed near Dharamaraj to register the good

and evil actions of all sentient beings,that he was possessed

of supernatural wisdom and became the partaker of

sacrifices offered to the gods and fire. It is for this reason that

the twice−born always give him oblations from their food. As

he sprang from the body of Lord Brahma he was called

Kayastha of numerous gotras on the face of the earth."

In Shristhi Khanda the same Purana says that the sacrificial

rites and study of the Kayasthas should be of the Vedas and

supporting scriptures and their occupation related to writing.

Bhavishya Purana  states that God, the Creator, gave the

name and duties of Chitragupta as follows:

Because you have sprung from my body, therefore, you shall be

called Kayastha and shall be famous in the world by the name of

Chitragupta. Oh my son, let your residence be always in the

region of the god of justice for the purpose of determining the

merits and demerits of men.

Vignana Tantra says the same thing.

The same is the enjoinment of Lord Brahma to Shree

Chitragupta according to Brihat Brahma Khanda. He was

named Kayastha having sprung from the body (kaya) of Lord

Brahma. He was directed to perform all sanskars and to have

writing as his profession.

Garuda Purana  describes the imperial throne of Shree

Chitragupta in Yamapuri holding his Court and dispensing

justice according to the deeds of men and maintaining their

record, in the following words:

(There Dharmaraja, Chitragupta, Sravana and others see all sins

and virtues which remain concealed in the bodies of men).

Similarly, Apastamba Shakha of the Veda quoted in

Shabda−Kalpadrum 2nd part, page 228, Shabda 20,

under Kshatriya, states that Kayasthas are Kshatriyas.

Chitragupta who reigns in heaven and his son Chaitrarath, who

was light of the family, meritorious and of illustrious deads ruled

on earth for a long time as King of Chitrakoot near

Allahabad. Meru Tantra quoted in Shabda−Kalpadrum under the

word ’Kshatriya’ supports the same view.

The Mahabharata (Anusasan Parva, Chap. 130) recites the

teaching of Shree Chitragupta requiring men to do virtuous

and charitable acts and performing Yagya, saying that men

are rewarded or punished according to their good or bad

deeds.

Turning to the Smritis, Vishnu in Chap. VII, verse 3, says that

a document attested by the King is one which is written or

prepared by a Kayastha and stamped with the finger prints of

the head of the department.

The words are Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra in Chap. X, Sloka

10 says. Kayasthas should be appointed as writers, they

being expert in writing.

Again in Chap. I, Sloka 235, he says that Danda−dhrita the

Magistrates and Judges of the Courts should be

(dharmagya), persons versed in laws and good

administration, Kayasthas, who are versed in the art of

writing.

Vyas says that the writer and the accountant should be that

is versed in Mimansa (Srutis) and Vedas (Adhyayana) as

explained by Mitakshara in commenting upon Yajnavalkya,

Chap. II, Sloka 2, which says that the King’s Councillors

should be versed in the sacred books of Mimansa and

Vedas, expert in law, truthful and impartial.

Similarly, Shukraaiti in Chap. XXXII, Sloka 420, describes

Kayasthas as lekhaks, and in Chap. II, versa 178, says that

the accountant and lekhak knew the Vedas, Smritis and

Puranas.

Yajnavalkya  in Slokas 317 to 320 describes how the edicts of

the king should be written, sealed and promulgated.

Apararka in his commentary upon these Slokas quotes from

Vyas and shows that these edicts should be written by

lekhaks, the ministers of war and peace (sandhi vigraha

kari), and that they should be promulgated to the gentry and

officials among whom Kayasthas have been mentioned.

Similarly, Vijnanesvara in his Mitākṣarā commenting upon

these Slokas says:

He (King) should cause it to be recorded by that officer of his,

who is in charge of war and peace (i.e. by a Kayastha), and not

by anybody else.

As says a Shruti: That officer of his, who is sandhi vigraha

kari or the officer in charge of peace and war should be its

writer (lekhak).

Yajnavalkya  uses the word "Kayastha" in Slokas 335 36,

Chap. I. Commenting upon this, Mitakshara says that

Kayasthas are accountants and writers. He makes the word

"Kayasthas synonymous with accountants and writers.

Similarly, Apararka says that Kayasthas were

revenue−collectors (kar−adhi−krita).

The accountants and scribes constitute one of the ten parts

of a judicial proceeding.

Brihaspati says the same thing, as quoted in Prasara

Madhava, Vyavahara Kanda.

According to the Smritis, the officers of the realm, such as,

ministers of peace and war, courtesans and Councillors,

Governors and headmen of villages should be men versed in

the Sastras, valorous and born of noble family, pure,

intelligent, affluent in wealth and of tested virtue and

comprehension: Manu, Chap. VII, Verses 54 to 121

Yajnavalkya, Chap. I, Verse 312.

Types

There are of three kinds of Kayasthas (by blood) and four types

in total:

1. Chitragupta Kayasthas (Brahma Kayashta or Kayastha

Brahman).[8] Caste-Status:Brahmin; usually 'Kayastha' in most

ancient Vedic literature refers to this sect, henceforth Kayastha in

this article would refer to the Chitragupt Kayastha unless

otherwise stated.[2][3]

BRAHMINS by vedah.net is an arcticle on who the brahmins

are and the various sub-groups of Brahmins. The Kayastha

Brahmins are mentioned at sl.no. 15 (due to alphabetic

order).

The Brahmins : A List of Brahmin Communities is an

extensive list prepared by Kamat.com of all Brahmin

communities in India. Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned in

the alphabetic order.

The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org 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.)[9]

2. Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (Rajanya Kshatriya

Kayasthas- from the Haiyaya family) Caste-

Status:Kshatriya,[10]

3. Kayasthas of the mixed blood. Caste-Status:Kshatriya or

others as per the law of Hindu Shastras and

4. Kayasthas by name or virtue of profession (not by blood).

Caste-Status:depends on history of that group and may

vary with regions

Origin

Ancient temple of Shree Chitraguptajee in Khajuraho

Amogst other legends, Kayastha is a mix blood community

formed of mix marriages during the Magadha period. A

progeny of father of vaidya community and wife from

Brahman community formed in Bengal. In north India a

progeny of Sudra mother and Brahman father and in

Maharashtra mostly Kshatrya father and Kshatrya mother

formed this community. The word kayastha means, office

bearer or a clerk[11].

The Kayastha trace their genealogy from Lord Chitragupta.

It is said that after Lord Brahma had created the four

Varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras),

Yama (Dharamraj) requested Lord Brahma to help him

record the deeds, both good and evil, of men and to

administer justice.

According to the scriptures, Lord Brahma went into

meditation for 11,000 years and when he opened his eyes

he saw a man holding a pen and ink-pot in his hands, as

well as 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,

Brahman/Kshatriya.

In the legends of Chitragupta as well as in the Vedas, he is

referred to as the greatest king, while the rest are

"Rajakas," or little kings.

चि�त्र इद रा�जा� रा�जाका� इदन्यका यका सरास्वती�मनु� ।पजा�न्य इव तीतीनुद धि� वर्ष्ट्या�� सहस्रमय�ती� ददती ॥ [12]

In the Garud Purana, 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."

The priests also pay reverence to Shri Chitragupta :

"Yamam Dharmarajya Chitraguptaya vain namah."

Lord Chitragupta is the Athi Devathai for Kethu, one of the

Navagrahas, and those who worship Chitragupta, would be

bestowed with prosperity. Also the evil effects of Kethu

during its transit period would be mitigated.

The birthday of Shree Chitraguptaji is celebrated on

Yamadwitiya and Chitraguptajayanti Puja is performed on

this day.

The privileges of performing religious duties related to

Yamaraj and Chitraguptaji are reserved by the Kayasthas.

Of these, one of most important is the Chitraguptajayanti

Puja. The greatness of this yajna is that whoever performs

it, is spared the punishments of hell, whatever his records

of deeds be.

The ancient story/Katha related to this is now told[13]. There

was a mighty king, who had subjugated the whole world by

his ambition to be the supreme King of Kings. The stories of

his cruel deeds had spread to all the corners of the world.

His name was uttered only with great respect and a greater

fear at heart, for everyone knew that his deeds were vile

and extreme. His name was Sudass, the King of Saurastra,

his capital, from where he ruled his vast empire with an iron

fist. He was known to be one of most ‘Adharmi’ (nearest

meaning: ‘irreligious and one who crosses the threshold of

Dharma’) and perpetrator of ‘Paap’ (nearest meaning:

‘sins’). All through his extensive kingdom, it was known that

their king had never ever done a ‘Punya’ in his evil life. This

King was fond of hunting, and once on a hunting spree, was

lost in the jungle. Unable to find his way out, and unknown

to fears of any kind, he decided to see what his jungles

were like. He went on exploring the jungles when he heard

the sound certain ‘Mantras’ coming from North. He headed

for the place where the mantras where being chanted.

There he found a few Brahmins performing a yajna and few

common people sitting to witness this. The king lost his cool

on seeing a puja being performed without his consent. He

thus spoke with thunder in his voice:

“I am King Sudass, the King of Kings. Salute me you foolish

men. Who are you and what are you doing here? I demand

an answer.”

The group of priests kept on chanting their mantra and paid

no heed to the angry king, all the while people sitting at

some distance and witnessing the yajna being performed

kept mum, being afraid of the king. On being so ignored the

king lost his cool and raised his sword to hit the head priest.

Seeing this, the youngest of the priests stood up and spoke

thus:

“Stop! King Sudass, stop! Don’t turn this opportunity into a

disaster. You have been sent here not to be condemned

but saved.”

On hearing these words the King became interested and

said, “You, young boy, have great courage and knowledge

for your age. Will you elaborate on what you have just

said?”

The young priest said to the King, “O Sudass, you call

yourself the King of Kings: how mistaken you are! When

you die you would be subjugated to such punishments that

your pride will vanish in thin air. You want to know who

these men are and what are they doing and what is the

purport of my speech. Then listen:

We are the sons of Lord Chitragupta, whom the great

Rigveda call the true King of Kings, and whose title you are

not worth stealing. We are Kayasthas and we are

performing yajna to our Lord Yamaraj and our progenitor

Maharaj Chitrgupta on this great day of Yamadwitiya. O

King Sudass, whoever performs this puja is spared the

punishments of hell. You can be free from hell if you will

only submit to Yamaraj and Chitraguptaji, who has the

record of all the sins that you have done in your vile life!

Nothing in this world is hidden from Him and only He could

save you. On one hand is salvation and on the other is hell.

Come, join us or kill us all.”

The king was left dumbfounded and followed the young

priest as if in a trance. He then performed the puja with full

devotion and the exact procedure. Thereafter he took the

‘prasaad’ and went back to his kingdom with the other men.

With the passage of time there came the day when the

Yamadoots came to take him away with them, to the

Yamaloka. The Yamadoots tied the king's soul in chains

and pulled it to the court of Yamaraja. When the bleeding

and dilapidated King reached the court of Yamaraj, Lord

Chitragupta opened the book of his deeds and thus spoke

to Yamaraj. “O great Yamaraj, I can only see a life full of

sins in his case, yet this king did perform our yajna in his life

time? He performed the puja on Karthik shukla dwitiya and

with full devotion and the right procedure. He performed our

and your ‘vrat’ on that day. Thereby, all his ‘paaps’ have

been nullified and according to the rules of Dharma, he

cannot be sent to hell.” Thus the king was saved from hell

and till this day whoever performs the Chitraguptajayannti

puja is spared the punishments of hell.

Temples

There are several temples in India, particularly in South

India, enshrining the Lord Chitragupta. The most famous of

them is located at Kanchipuram [3], Tamilnadu state, India.

One of the ancient temples of Chitraguptaji is situated in

Khajuraho. Pictures of this temple can be found

at http://chitraguptvanshi.wetpaint.com .

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:

Mathur

Gaur/Gour

Bhatnagar

Saxena

Ambashtha

Nigam

Karna

Kulshreshtha

Srivastava  or Shrivastava

Surdhwaja

Valmiki

Asthana

Khare

Sons of Devi Shobhavati/Iravati

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 1.The Mathurs of Mathara,

2.The Pancholi or Panchali of Pnachal Kingdom where

in garwhal hills there is town of Mathara 3.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.[14] They sent an emissary to the Roman

Emperor Augustus Ceasar.

Sucharu (Gaur) गौ�ड़ : He was a disciple of sage

Vasishtha, 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: 1.Khare, 2.Doosre, 3.Bengali,

4.Dehlavi, 5.Vadanyuni. Gour Kaystha have been

further sub divided in 32 Als. Bhagdutta of Mahabharat

and Rudradutta of Kalinga were famous.

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.

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.

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 after their defeat

by Alexander's general and then by Chandragupt

Maurya.

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.

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.

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.A few are

in Nandigaon ,Benga. Like Shree Shekhar

kulsreshtha[15] and Sugam Kulshreshtha as in Jalesar

( Etah ) Both of them were renowed writer.

Sons of Devi Nandani/Sudakhina

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.

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.

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 is known to have spent 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.

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 Mool(main) Vansh.

These sub-Vansh add specific nouns to their names which

in case of the Chirtagupta Vansha(Chitranshi) are called

the Als (Note: 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 what Als are).

Al must not be confused 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 vansh is always

the same. It is Kashayapfor the Kayasthas. Thus, a Vanshaj

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. Lack of awareness of this law is the reason why

so many can not find their surnames mentioned amongst

the 12 main sub-castes.

Cultural Aspects

This section does not cite any references or sources.Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

Marriage Practices

Kayasthas practice family exogamy and

caste endogamy preferring to marry within specific sub-

castes. The individuals of same AL (see a definition of AL

above) cannot intermarry, while those of same caste and

different ALs can. To illustrate, individuals from

the Srivastava sub-caste and the Pandey AL do not marry

another Pandey of the Srivastava sub-caste, but may marry

individuals belonging to another AL of the Srivastava sub-

caste.

Distinctive Worship

Kayasthas are unique from other Hindu castes in their

worship of an ancestor, Shree Chitraguptaji and the

practice of Kalam-Dawaat Pooja, a ritual in which pens,

papers and books are worshiped. Both these rituals are

performed on the Yama Dwitiya, 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. Kayasthas have the singular distinction of being

the only "Ancestor-worshipping" sect of Hinduism.

Social

Of all the other castes in India, Kayasthas are the easiest to

mingle with other castes. They did this when the Muslims

came to India, and modern examples of this are Kayasthas

outside India where they mingle with other castes more

than they mingle among themselves. This cosmopolitan

outlook distinguishes members of this caste, and along with

the great emphasis on education, is to a large extent

responsible for their success in changing times.[citation needed]

Sense of humour

Kayastha are known for their sense of humour and wit.

Whatever be the reason the Kayastha just can’t live without

a good laugh. Many funny men and class clowns often turn

out to be Kayasthas on closer examination. Others take

their revenge, Kayastha are the subject of a series of jokes

known as ‘Lalaji jokes’ in UP and Bihar. Unlike Punjab and

NCR, the word "Lalaji" is exclusively used for the Kayasthas

in UP and Bihar. The Lalaji is characterized with a sharp

wit, ever hungry desire to grab and total abstinence from

violence. The jokes usually feature other characters like

gupta, pande, gajodhar. Often the crow, for whatever

reasons, is also involved in such jokes.

Example: Lalaji falls in a ditch. Gupta was passing by and

saw lalaji, said "Lalaji hath dijiye"(Give me your hand).

Lalaji stood still. Then came Pande, said "Areey gupta, hath

dijiye nahi hath lijiye bolo"(Don't tell him to give his hand,

ask him to take yours).

Another: A Kayastha caught a crow and was about to bite

its neck. The crow asked him 'whats your caste' thinking all

the while that the Kayastha would have to open his mouth

to say "Kaa_yasth". The Kayastha said 'lala'.

History

Ancient India

Kayastha ministers find mention in Hindu mythology. Prior

to the Raghuvanshis, Ayodhya was ruled by Mathur Rulers,

progeny of Chitragupta.

The Kayastha who are represented by the "Kayath" or the

hereditary caste of the scribes of the present day, formed

originally a sub-military class.[13] The Anthropological

Survey of India conducted a survey 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 [16] (ref.

Rajatarangini).In these and contemporary Sanskrit literature

we come across the Kayasthas being described as kings,

financiers and advisers. King Lalitaditya Muktpida was one

glorious King of a Kayastha dynasty of Kashmir.

The various scripts used by the Kayastha during most of

the Ancient period can only be conjectured,

but Brahmi certainly was extensively used and often

praised as the scrit of the Vedas given by Bhagvaan

Chitragupt himself.

Islamic and Pre-independence India

The Kayastha caste's affinity for learning and socio-

economic status, both enabled and dictated that the

community develop expertise in the changing administrative

policies and official languages, as different empires were

established in India. The community learned and adapted

terminology to Persian, Turkish, Arabic and

later Urdu in Islamic India. Importantly, the community

created, maintained and developed empire-wide

administrative practices in monetary policy, jurisprudence

and taxation.

The script used during this period was majorly Perso-Arabic

script.

Notable example include Raja Todar Mal [17]  who translated

the ‘Bhagwat Purana’ into Persian [18]. Raja Todarmal was

one of the `Nav Ratans' of Emperor Akbar who founded

and gave proper shape to `Revenue System' during Mughal

Empire[19].

These roles continued into the colonial era, where many

Kayasthas were the first to learn English and become civil

servants, tax officers, junior administrators, teachers, legal

helpers and barristers. During this period, Kayastha

community members were more likely (than other

communities) to undertake academic training in England

and often rose to the highest positions accessible to natives

inBritish India. As a consequence of their relatively large

proportion amongst Indian students abroad, and because

many hit ceilings of progression because of racial status,

community members played pivotal roles in the early

political groups that questioned British rule in India.

The script used during this period was Kaithi. The name

makes a very clear reference to the creators, the Kaystha

are often referred as "Kayath" in middle ages. Kayasthas

have a unique distinction of having a script - Kaithi -

associated with their name. Kaithi (also known earlier as

Kayati, Kayathi or Kayasthi), similar to Dev Nagri, was used

mainly by Kayasthas in northern India. It has its own

Unicode now and was the major contender in the race to

become national script but was left behind due to being not

known to masses.

Modern India

Many Kayasthas were successful in adapting to post-

independence India, becoming civil servants, bureaucrats

and lawyers. The community's traditional association with

higher education also led to heavy immigration to the west

in the 1970s and 1980s as community members sought

increased educational and research opportunities. Notable

examples include the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra

Prasad, the third Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, social

and religious reformer Swami Vivekananda, freedom

fighter Subhash Chandra Bose and film-star Amitabh

Bachchan.

Prominent Personalities

Main article: List of Kayasthas

Dr Rajendra Prasad rose to become the first President of

the Republic of India. Dr. Ganesh Prasad [20] (15 November

1876 at Ballia, U.P. He belonged to a well-to-do

Shrivastava Kayasth family. DrSampurnanand was the first

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, Satyendra

Nath Bose and Jagdish Chandra Bose were eminent

scientists. Munshi Prem Chand, Harivansh Rai

Bachchan, Satyendra Chandra Mitra a freedom fighter,

Raghupat Sahai "Firaque" Gorakhpuri, Dr Vrindavan Lal

Verma, Dr. Ram Kumar Verma, Mahadevi Varma, Kamla

Chaudhury, Dr Dharm Vir Bharti and Bhagavati Charan

Verma have been men of letters.

Swami Vivekanand and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi were

philosophers. Alakh Kumar Sinha was the first Indian

Inspector-General of Police.[21], S.K. Sinha, PVSM, has

served as Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Governor of Assam

and Governor of Jammu & Kashmir.[22] Amitabh

Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha have excelled in the film

world, Raju Srivastava have done best in the field of

Comedy, Mukesh, Sonu Nigam in the world of music,

and Nirmala Srivastava (She was born on March 21, 1923

to a Christian family and marrid to Sir C. P. Srivastava. She

is known as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi) is the founder

of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement, Ambarish

Srivastava [23]  is a prominent architectural engineer as well

as a prominent poet[24], Vikas Swarup, the author

of Q&A(adapted as the Oscar winning film "Slumdog

Millionaire") and Six Suspects, and a career Indian

Diplomat, is from a prominent Kayastha family of Allahabad.

See also

Kayasth

(Muslim)

Kaithi

Forward Castes

Sena dynasty

Patnaik

Ghosh

Basu

Mitra

Guha

De/Dey/Dev

Shrivastava

Saxena

Brahma

Chitragupta

Chandraseniya

Kayastha Prabhu

Mathur, Kayastha

Bhatnagar

Karanam

Karuneegar

Mohanty

Roy

Saran

References

1. ̂  Customs of the Kayastha: ShriChitragupt Puja and

the related legend

2. ^ a b c Vepachedu, Sreenivasarao. "Brahmins".

vedah.net. Retrieved 2009-07-18.

3. ^ a b c Kamat, Vikas (April 01,2003). "A List of

Brahmin Communities". kamat.com. Retrieved 2009-

07-18.

4. ^ a b Sanskrit Dictionary at Hindunet.org

5. ̂  [1] Ethnographical notes on Chandraseniya

Kayastha Prabhu], Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu

Social Club, Poona. 1904.

6. ̂  Colonial translation of Kalhana's Rajatarangini: A

Chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir: By M.A. Stein.

WARNING: HIGHLY NEGATIVE TREATMENT OF

THE CHARACTER OF KAYASTHAS.

7. ̂  The great divide: between the Kayasthas and the

Kashmiri Pandits.

8. ̂  Extensive study by Kayastha Research

Wing http://chitraguptvanshi.wetpaint.com

9. ̂  "Sanskrit Dictionary at Hindunet.org". Hindunet.org.

Retrieved 2009-07-18.

10. ̂  Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu

11. ̂  Jati Vivek

12. ̂  RIG VEDA Book 8/ Hymn 21/ Stanza 18

13. ̂  The Legend of Bhagvaan Chitragupt VratKatha in

Hindi

14. ̂  Madan Kosh by Madanlal Tiwari of Etawah, p.220

15. ̂  Shekhar Kulshreshtha

16. ̂  Colonial translation of Kalhana's Rajatarangini

17. ̂  "Kayastha". Retrieved 26 February 2010.

18. ̂  Encyclopaedia of Historiography By M.M. Rahman.

Retrieved 26 February 2010.

19. ̂  "Kayasth charitable trust". Retrieved 26 February

2010.

20. ̂  [2]

21. ̂  "www.a2a.org.uk/search/records.asp?cat=059-

msseur_11&cid=11-8-23".

22. ̂  "Jammu & Kashmir government website".

23. ̂  "Ambarish Indira Gamdhi Priyadarshini Award se

Sammanit [Ambarish honored to Indira Gandhi

Priyadarshini Award]" (in Hindi). Dainik

Jagran (Lucknow): p. 04. 2007-12-07.

24. ̂  . India: Pankhee prakashan Delhi 110032. 2010.

p. 18. ISBN 978-81-908347-3-5.

Rig Veda

Vyoma Samhita

Yama Samhita

Padma Purana

Bhavishya Purana

Garuda Purana

Vignana Tantra

Brihat Brahma Khanda

Apastamba

Meru Tantra

The Mahabharata

Sruti

Smriti

Chitraguptvanshi Kayastha and their Chandraseniya

Prabhu brothers

Vedah.net Vedah.net

Kamat.com Kamat.com

The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org Sanskrit

Dictionary at Hindunet.org

Maithili Karna Kayasthak Panjik Sarvekshan  by Binod

Bihari Verma, A Survey of Panjis of Maithil Karna

Kayasthas.

"The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of

India: Volume III ", by R V Russel (Superintendent of

Ethnography) and Rai Bahadur Hiralal, Publisher:

Macmillan and Co. Limited, London, pages 404-422,

1916 [4].

"The Tribes And Castes Of West Bengal", by A. Mitra

(Indian Civil Service, Superintendent of Census

Operations), Publisher: West Bengal Government

Press, 1954 [5].

Colonial Perceptions of Indian Society and the

Emergence of Caste(s) Associations Lucy Carroll, The

Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 37, No. 2 (Feb., 1978),

pp. 233–250.

External links

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive and inappropriate external links. (May 2010)

A hangout place for all kayasthas

Most comprehensive website on Kayastha community

Brides and Grooms

Portal for Kayastha community for free matrimonial

services

Most comprehensive website on Kayastha Community

Most comprehensive website on Kayastha Community

Matrimonial

Chitragupt Samaj, United Kingdom

KayasthaIndia.com

Vedah.net

Kamat.com

Sanskrit Dictionary at Hindunet.org

Kayastha.in

Kayastha Marriage Profile from all over the world

09350546867(Delhi, India)

Kayastha Matrimonials and Marriage

Categories: Indian castes | Telugu

society | Kayastha | Social groups of Uttar Pradesh | Social

groups of Bihar

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