Saryupareen Brahmins also known as Sarvarya Brahmins or Saryupariya Brahmins are North Indian Brahmins who reside on the eastern plain of the Saryu River in India. The Bhumihar Brahmins, of whom many, though not all, belong to the Saryupareen Brahmin division of Kanyakubja Brahmins.[1] Therefore, there is a lot of brotherhood among these Brahmin sub-castes and Dr. Hazari Prasad Dwivedi has mentioned it in his writings.[2]
In the 19th and 20th national convention of Kanyakubja Brahmins by Kanyakubja Mahati Sabha, in 1926 and 1927 respectively, it reiterated Bhumihar Brahmins to be Kanyakubja Brahmins and appealed for unity among Kanyakubja Brahmins whose different branches included Sanadhya, Pahadi, Jujhoutia, Saryupareen, Chattisgadhi, Bhumihar and different Bengali Brahmins.[3]
[edit] Families & Classification
These Brahmins are divided into three categories—Paitiha also known as Pankti Paavan meaning who sat in a row; Jatiha or Jaati kula also known as Gangaparin; and Tutiha or Truti kula. The Paitihas are classified into 3 plus 13 homes. The home of 3 consists of disciples of three gotras: Gargya, Gautama, and Shandilya; the Garga rishi and his disciples were the first to study the Yajurveda in their ashrams. After that, Gautama rishi and Shandilya rishi also started to study Yajurveda and Samaveda in their ashrams. The home of 3 is the most highly regarded amongst Saryupareen Brahmins. 13 other rishis learnt these and other branches of the Hindu vedas in their ashrams; and they are known as the home of 13. Similarly, Gangaparin are classified into Vashishta, Krishnatraya, Kashyapa and Bharadwaja gotras and the classification of Tutihas are Parashara, Vashishta, Upamanyu, Sankrithi, Agastya, Kaushika, etc. The family tree of Saryupareen Brahmins consists of ten branches Shukul, Mishra, Ojha, Dikshit, Dwivedi or Dubey, Pathak, Tripathi or Tiwari, Pandey, Chaturvedi or Chowbey, and Upadhyaya. The main gotra of Saryupareen Brahmins are 26. Out of these
- Tri (three) gotra
- 1.Garga, 2.Gautama, 3.Sandilya
- Das (ten) gotra
- 1. Kaundilya, 2. Vashista, 3. Udbahu, 4. Upamanyu, 5. Maunas, 6. Karna, 7. Vartatt, 8. Bhrigu, 9. Agastya, 10. Kaumasya and
- Terah (thirteen) gotra
- 1. Parasara, 2. Galava, 3. Kasyapa, 4. Kaushika, 5. Bhargava, 6. Savarnaya, 7. Atri, 8. Katyayana, 9. Angira, 10. Vatsa, 11. Sankritya, 12. Jamadagni, 13. Punah.
Other than above three gotras 1. Krishanatraya, 2. Ghritakausika, 3. Margeya are called mishrit (combined) gotra. However, written proof for 261 gotras are found in Vansavali compiled by Ahitagni Shri Yamuna Prasad Ram Tripathi Chaturmasyaji from where the above have been referred. It is also a saying in villages near Saryu river (especially near Ayodhaya) that after lord Ram came back after killing Ravana (a brahmin) he wanted to hold a brahm bhoj (feeding the brahmins a feast), it was the saryupareen brahmins who accepted the invitation, the kankupji brahmins did not attend the feast. That is why Saryupareen and Kankupji usually avoid marrying each other.
---There is also a saying in villages near Saryu river (especially near Ayodhaya) that after lord Ram came back after killing Ravana (a brahmin) he wanted to hold a brahm bhoj (feeding the brahmins a feast), it was the saryupareen brahmins who accepted the invitation, the kankupji brahmins did not attend the feast. That is why Saryupareen and Kankupji usually avoid marrying each other.
Migration and Influence
Members of this community have migrated towards other parts of India like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, West Bengal, Gujrat, Maharashtra, and even overseas like Surinam, Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Trinidad etc[citation needed].
The community has influential existence in civil services, medical, technology and academic fields. This community is considered to be the most conservative brahmins of north India who still practices all customs and traditions.[citation needed]
Major surnames of Saryupariya Brahmins are Pandey, Sharma, Tiwari, Tripathi, Shukla, Mishra, Dubey(Diwedi), Chaturavedi(Choubey), Upadhyay and Pathak. Saryuparin brahmins are one of the most orthodox brahmins of north INDIA
Satyendra Kumar Shukla
