Bairagi
Swami • Vaishnav • Mahant
A portrait of a Bairagi Mahant (Ramanandi ascetic) worshipping Sita and Rama in Mandi in the first half off the 19th century
ClassificationRamanandi Sampradaya • Nimbarka Sampradaya • Vishnuswami Sampradaya • Madhvacharya Sampradaya[1]
Kuladevta (male)Rama • Krishna • Satyanarayana • (Avatars of Vishnu) • Hanuman
Kuladevi (female)Sita • Radha • Rukmini • Tulsi • (Avatars of Lakshmi)
GuruRamananda • Tulsidas • Nabha Dass • Ramanuja
NishanKapidhwaj (Hanuman on Flag)
Religions Hinduism
LanguagesHindi • Awadhi • Bhojpuri • Assamese • Braj Bhasha • Maithili • Magahi • Angika • Bajjika • Nagpuri • Bagheli • Bundeli • Kannauji • Kauravi • Haryanvi • Bagri• Punjabi • Rajasthani • Chhattisgarhi • Odia • Bengali • Marathi • Tamil
CountryIndia • Nepal
Populated statesIndia
Uttar Pradesh • Bihar • Jharkhand • Madhya Pradesh • Himachal Pradesh • Uttarakhand • Rajasthan • Punjab • Maharastra • Chhattisgarh • Odisha • West Bengal • Haryana • Tamil Nadu • Tripura
Nepal
Madhesh
Feudal titleMahant/Swami/Bawa
ColorSaffron, red, yellow, or white
Historical groupingBrahmin (especially Saryupareen and Kanyakubja Brahmins)
StatusMonasterial Community

Bairagi Brahmin or Vaishnav Bairagi or Vaishnav Brahmin is a Hindu caste. They are sedentary rasik (temple dwelling or temple priest) Brahmin members of the Vaishnava sampradayas, especially the Ramanandi Sampradaya.[2] Surnames include Swami, Goswami, Gosains, Bairagi, Mahanta, Das, Adhikary, Vaishnav, and Vairagi. They are Vaishnav, and wear the sacred thread. A majority of Bairagi Brahmins are found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha. Bairagi are considered as part of the 'upper castes' of Bengal.[3]

Bairagi Sect and Bairagi Brahmin Caste

Bairagi Sect

Members of vaishnava sampradayas are called Bairagi or Vairagi. And these members are divided into three categories – renunciant (Virakt), warrior (Naga) and temple-dwelling (temple priest) ascetics. The most of renunciant and warrior are unmarried ascetics. Anyone can be member of these communities.[4] But there are evidences of different meetings of vaishnava mahants who have decided that member of anyone caste could not be member of the community.

"Decision was taken by all the vaishnava mahants that no one would be member of the community except Brahmin and Kshatriya. And other castes excluded from the community." – Galta Temple Meeting, 1713.[5]

Another case was of Maharaja Jai Singh II, king of Jaipur State held a meeting with all Vaishnavas mahants.

"Decision was taken that other castes would not be part of bairagis except Brahmin and Kshatriya." – Meeting of Maharaja Jai Singh II with Ramanandi mahants and other vaishnava to maintain strict caste rules, 1720.[6]

Maharaja Jai Singh II obtained pledges from Ramanandi mahants and other vaishnava to maintain strict caste rules.

Senugupta describes them as a High caste group.[7] William Pinch believes that the Bairagi branch of Vaishnavas is the result of the Bhakti Movement in 1000th CE.[8]

Bairagi Class or sect in bengal is formed of by all Classes and Castes in Bramha or Gaudiya Sampradaya.

Bairagi Brahmin Caste

Bairagi Brahmin caste is formed of sedentary rasik (temple dwelling or temple priest) Brahmin members of the vaishnava sampradayas especially the Ramanandi Sampradaya. They are the members of vaishnava sampradayas. They are married and they have families. And rights of priesthood pass to their descendants. It is found that Bairagi Brahmins are priest in the most of villages and cities.[9]

According to Mayer, Status of Bairagis is equal with other Brahmins.[10]

Structure of Bairagi Brahmins

Bairagi brahmins are divided into four Sampradayas - often referred to collectively as the 'Chatur-Sampradaya'. 1. Rudra Sampradaya (Vishnuswami), 2. Sri Sampradaya (Ramanandi), 3. Nimbarka Sampradaya and 4. Brahma Sampradaya (Madhvacharya).[11]

Dynasties

Nandgaon

The first ruler Mahant Ghasi Das of Nandgaon State, was recognized as a feudal chief by the British government in 1865 and was granted a sanad of adoption. Later the British conferred the title of raja on the ruling mahant.[12][13]

Chhuikhadan

The chiefs of Chhuikhadan State were originally under the Bhonsles of Nagpur, the first Chief being Mahant Rup Das in 1750. However, after defeat of Marathas, they were recognized by British as feudatory chiefs in 1865 conferring the title and sanad to Mahant Laxman Das.[14]

Akharas

There are three prominent Bairagi (Vaishnav) Akharas:[15][16]

Hanuman Garhi Temple, a major site of Ramanandi Bairagis in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

Mahabharat

The Mahabharata says that once, after Babruvahana dug a dry pond, a Bairagi Brahmin reached the centre of pond and instantly water came out of the pond with a thunderous noise.[18]

References

  1. ^ Pinch, William R. (1996). Peasants and monks in British India. University of California Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-520-20061-6.
  2. ^ Arik Moran (2013), Toward a history of devotional Vaishnavism in the West Himalayas: Kullu and the Ramanandis, c. 1500–1800, pp. 21–22, Vol. 50, Issue 1, The Indian Economic & Social History Review
  3. ^ Nirmal Kumar Bose, Some Aspects of Caste in Bengal, p. 399, Vol. 71, No. 281, Traditional India: Structure and Change, American Folklore Society
  4. ^ Arik Moran (2013), Toward a history of devotional Vaishnavism in the West Himalayas: Kullu and the Ramanandis, c. 1500–1800, p. 13, Vol. 50, Issue 1, The Indian Economic & Social History Review
  5. ^ Pinch, William R. (1996). Peasants and monks in British India. University of California Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-520-20061-6.
  6. ^ Pinch, William R. (1996). Peasants and monks in British India. University of California Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-520-20061-6.
  7. ^ Senugupta, Parna (2011). Pedagogy for Religion: Missionary Education and the Fashioning of Hindus and Muslims in Bengal. University of California Press. pp. 104, 112.
  8. ^ Choubey, Devendra. Sahitya Ka Naya Soundaryashastra (in Hindi). Kitabghar Prakashan. p. 282. ISBN 978-81-89859-11-4.
  9. ^ Arik Moran (2013), Toward a history of devotional Vaishnavism in the West Himalayas: Kullu and the Ramanandis, c. 1500–1800, pp. 21–22, Vol. 50, Issue 1, The Indian Economic & Social History Review
  10. ^ Mayer, Adrian C. (1960). Caste and Kinship in Central India. Routledge. pp. 28–29. 36–39.
  11. ^ Pinch, William R. (1996). Peasants and monks in British India. University of California Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-520-20061-6.
  12. ^ Chhattisgarh ki Riyaste/Princely stastes aur Jamindariyaa. Raipur: Vaibhav Prakashan. 2011. ISBN 978-81-89244-96-5.
  13. ^ Chhattisgarh ki Janjaatiyaa/Tribes aur Jatiyaa/Castes. Delhi: Mansi publication. 2011. ISBN 978-81-89559-32-8.
  14. ^ Princely states of India: a guide to chronology and rulers by David P. Henige - 2004 - Page 48
  15. ^ [South Asian Religions on Display: Religious Processions in South Asia and in the Diaspora, Knut A. Jacobsen, ISBN hardback 978-0-415-4373-3, ISBN ebook ISBN hardback 978-0-203-93059-5]
  16. ^ Jāyasavāla, Akhileśa (1991). 18vīṃ śatābdī meṃ Avadha ke samāja evaṃ saṃskr̥ti ke katipaya paksha: śodha prabandha (in Hindi). Śāradā Pustaka Bhavana.
  17. ^ "बाकी अखाड़ों से अलग कैसे है 'दिगंबर अखाड़ा'?". News18 India. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  18. ^ Makhan Jha (1998), India and Nepal : Sacred Centres and Anthropological Researches, p. 100, ISBN 81-7533-081-3
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