KOCHI: A book on Brahmins, by a Brahmin, for all those who want to know something about Brahmins who have made Kerala their ‘illam’, ‘mana’ or ‘agraharam’ — that is ‘Kerala Brahmins in Brief (Namboothiri, Tamil, Konkana and Tulu)’ by G H Ananthanarayanan.
True to a pukka Brahmin’s character, the book is simple. It provides a fine window on the Brahmins of Kerala over ages. In eight chapters, on 90 pages, the 80-year-old author also tries to unravel the mystique which often envelops their lifestyles.
No Brahmin now in Kerala originally belonged to this ‘bitter gourd like’ geographical terminus. History and legends have many stories to tell on their arrival and its purpose. You may believe them or not. But there are some common denominators: The majority of Brahmins, perhaps with the exception of Namboothiris, came here on their own in search of a decent livelihood. They found this place a haven, away from their persecutors. Some others were brought here by the ruling kings as pujaris and were also employed as teachers to their wards.
‘Nambuka’, in Malayalam, means ‘to trust’, ‘rely upon’. ‘Thiri’ is an honorific suffix. ‘One who is trustworthy and reliable’ was called a ‘Namboothiri’. Namboothiris (Malayala Brahmins, having Malayalam as their mother tongue) were (and mostly are) introverts, honest, conservative in outlook and least money-conscious. They were at home more among the gods and unseen forces.
Their deep faith in God and their spiritual bent helped them remain unflappable in life’s crises. They could laugh at others and laugh with them in circumstances where others would fall flat. They were good scholars with a penchant for learning, teaching and writing. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, Poonthanam, E.M.S.Namboodiripad, et al belong to this category of Brahmins.
Konkani Brahmins (Gowda Saraswata Brahmins) are the most persecuted lot in India, N.V.Krishna Warrier once wrote in an editorial in Mathrubhumi daily. They started their ‘dakshinayanam’ (southward exodus) from the banks of the mythical Saraswati river, and ended up in Kerala via Bengal, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. In Kerala they got royal protection from religious and other tormentors. Their business acumen is unparalleled. Scrupulous in observing religious rituals, this group speaks Konkani. Seshagiri Prabhu and Dr K.N.Pai were GSBs.
Tamil Brahmins who migrated from Tamil Nadu at different periods in history have Tamil as their mother tongue. They are more astute, adjustable and accommodating and are ready to swim with the tide, compared to Malayala Brahmins (Namboothiris). They were the first among the lot to jump on the government jobs bandwagon. Ulloor S.Parameswara Iyer, Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer and M.S.Swaminathan belong to the Tamil Brahmin community.
Tulu Brahmins share a lot of commonalities with Namboothiris. Most of them migrated to Kerala from South Karnataka and took up jobs as pujaris in temples. They are famous in hotel business also. Their mother tongue is Tulu.
The author of this book doesn’t make any tall claims in his preface. He says: ‘‘...this is only an outline history of Brahmins. If it induces the reader to delve deep into the subject, the purpose of this synoptic view of Brahmins would have been served.’’ His purpose can be said to have been served.
More pictures, short, interesting stories and better English (there are many avoidable language mistakes) would have made the book much more readable. These can be taken care of in the next edition.
True to a pukka Brahmin’s character, the book is simple. It provides a fine window on the Brahmins of Kerala over ages. In eight chapters, on 90 pages, the 80-year-old author also tries to unravel the mystique which often envelops their lifestyles.
No Brahmin now in Kerala originally belonged to this ‘bitter gourd like’ geographical terminus. History and legends have many stories to tell on their arrival and its purpose. You may believe them or not. But there are some common denominators: The majority of Brahmins, perhaps with the exception of Namboothiris, came here on their own in search of a decent livelihood. They found this place a haven, away from their persecutors. Some others were brought here by the ruling kings as pujaris and were also employed as teachers to their wards.
‘Nambuka’, in Malayalam, means ‘to trust’, ‘rely upon’. ‘Thiri’ is an honorific suffix. ‘One who is trustworthy and reliable’ was called a ‘Namboothiri’. Namboothiris (Malayala Brahmins, having Malayalam as their mother tongue) were (and mostly are) introverts, honest, conservative in outlook and least money-conscious. They were at home more among the gods and unseen forces.
Their deep faith in God and their spiritual bent helped them remain unflappable in life’s crises. They could laugh at others and laugh with them in circumstances where others would fall flat. They were good scholars with a penchant for learning, teaching and writing. Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, Poonthanam, E.M.S.Namboodiripad, et al belong to this category of Brahmins.
Konkani Brahmins (Gowda Saraswata Brahmins) are the most persecuted lot in India, N.V.Krishna Warrier once wrote in an editorial in Mathrubhumi daily. They started their ‘dakshinayanam’ (southward exodus) from the banks of the mythical Saraswati river, and ended up in Kerala via Bengal, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. In Kerala they got royal protection from religious and other tormentors. Their business acumen is unparalleled. Scrupulous in observing religious rituals, this group speaks Konkani. Seshagiri Prabhu and Dr K.N.Pai were GSBs.
Tamil Brahmins who migrated from Tamil Nadu at different periods in history have Tamil as their mother tongue. They are more astute, adjustable and accommodating and are ready to swim with the tide, compared to Malayala Brahmins (Namboothiris). They were the first among the lot to jump on the government jobs bandwagon. Ulloor S.Parameswara Iyer, Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer and M.S.Swaminathan belong to the Tamil Brahmin community.
Tulu Brahmins share a lot of commonalities with Namboothiris. Most of them migrated to Kerala from South Karnataka and took up jobs as pujaris in temples. They are famous in hotel business also. Their mother tongue is Tulu.
The author of this book doesn’t make any tall claims in his preface. He says: ‘‘...this is only an outline history of Brahmins. If it induces the reader to delve deep into the subject, the purpose of this synoptic view of Brahmins would have been served.’’ His purpose can be said to have been served.
More pictures, short, interesting stories and better English (there are many avoidable language mistakes) would have made the book much more readable. These can be taken care of in the next edition.
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