Query on familial branches of Brahmans.

[Narayan S. Raja]

On Wed, 6 Sep 1995, Anshuman Pandey wrote:

> Members:
> 
> I am doing some personal research on the Sarjuparia Brahmans and the
> clans to which these Brahmans belong. I am having considerable
> difficulty in my progress because the collection of such topics at
> my university's library is scant. By turning to you, I am hoping
> you will be able to assist me.
> 
> My predicament centers around identifying the branch to which the
> Brahman belong. From what I have read, I have come to the assumption
> that the branch identification may come from the Veda the family studies.
> But is the identification taken from the school to which the family 
> belongs, or from the author of the books the family traditionally
> follows? 
> 
> In his "Hindu Castes and Tribes", Matthew A. Sherring, writes about 
> a system whereby Brahmans are classified as follows:
> 
>      <name> is a Tri-, Panch-, or a Sat- prawa Brahman of the
>      <a> branch of the <b> clan, of the <c> rank, of the <d>
>      gotra, of the <e> division, of the <f> tribe of <g> 
>      Brahmans.
> 
>         An example is:
>         Vishnu Narayana is a Satprawa Brahman of the Apabmasta
>         branch of the Brihadgram clan of the Upadhyay rank, of
>         the Bharadvaj gotra, of the Chitpavam division, of the
>         Maratha tribe of Dravira Brahmans.
> 
> I have been able to find every variable except for the branch. Is 
> there any text, perhaps a Purana, which provides lists of the
> schools, or branches, of the Vedas?


I don't know how it is among
"Sarjuparia" Brahmins (which
part of India are they from?),
but Tamil Brahmin males are
taught to introduce themselves
formally in Sanskrit by reciting
the "AbhivAdayEt," which
supposedly traces your lineage
and affiliations.

If the "Sarjuparia" brahmins 
do the same, it may help
you compile your list.   The
"AbivAdayEt" doesn't seem to
contain all the variables in
your list, though...  E.g., my
Sanskrit intro goes,

   abivAdayEt
   bhArgava
   vItagavya
   sAvEtasa
   traya rishE:
   pravarAnvita
   vAthUla gotra:                 <-----   gotra
   Apastambha sUtra:
   yajus shAkhAdhyAyI             <-----   follower of which Veda
   srI srInivAsa sharmA nAmAham   <-----   name
   asmi bho:

Incidentally, can some erudite
Indologist translate the word
"pravarAnvita" above?  Also,
what is "Apastambha sUtra:"?

Thanks in advance,


Narayan Sriranga Raja  (alias srinivasa sharman  :-)  )