Karuneegar
Encyclopedia
Karuneegar is a caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

 in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Karuneegar Sangams have articles confirming Karuneegar caste's lineage is surya Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

.This caste belongs to both Brahmin and Kshatriya Varna (Hinduism). Their main occupation is Teaching, Administration, Science, Accountancy, Mathematicians etc. http://www.karuneegar.com/aboutkaruneegar.php

Divisions

The Karuneegar caste has the following Subdivisions:
  • Seer Karuneegar
    Seer Karuneegar
    Seer Karuneegar is a subcaste or part of Karuneegar Caste. There are no further divisions of this subcaste. caste belongs to Brahmin Varna -Practices:...


  • Sri Karuneegar

  • Sarattu Karuneegar

  • Kaikatti Karuneegar

  • Madhuvazhi Kanakkar

  • Sozhi Kanakkar

  • Sunnambu Karuneegar

Beliefs

Karuneegars believe that they are descendants of Chitragupta
Chitragupta
Chitragupta is a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth. Upon their death, Chitragupta has the task of deciding heaven or the hell for the humans, depending on their actions on the earth...

 who is the son of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...

http://saivaneri.org/who_are_saiva_vellalars_or_saivapillais.htm. Karuneegars are a part of surya brahmins sect of the vedic tribe. The history of the Karuneegars are recorded in detail in [Karuneegar Puranam] originally written around 1st century A.D in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

 and has been translated to Tamil and Telugu. There is a temple for Chitragupta
Chitragupta
Chitragupta is a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth. Upon their death, Chitragupta has the task of deciding heaven or the hell for the humans, depending on their actions on the earth...

 in the town of Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...

.

Locations

They are mainly concentrated in Tamil Nadu. But they are also located in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

 and other states.

Tamil Nadu: Karuneegar Population varies in different districts of Tamil Nadu. It is believed that Karuneegars are more concentrated in northern districts of Tamil Nadu.

Andhra Pradesh: In Andhra Pradesh, they are called Karanam
Karanam
Karanam or Karana is a community mostly prevalent in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.-Names:In Orissa, this class is referred to as Karana, and in Andhra Pradesh they are also called Sristikaranam, Sistukaranam, Sistakaranam, Sristikaranalu, Sistukaranalu, Sistakaranalu or Karanalu.The Karanam community...

. They speak Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...

 as well as Tamil especially in the Chittoor district
Chittoor district
Chittoor District , also known as Chittur, is a district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. The district headquarters is Chittoor City. The district has a population of 4,170,468 according to 2011 census of India. Chittoor district is famous for the Tirupati, Kanipakam and Sri Kalahasti temples...

.Many people from this Niyogi Brahmin subcaste were government officers, employees, teachers, professors, principals, lawyers, and doctors in Northern Andhra Pradhesh and Orissa border districts.

Karnataka: Some Karuneegars are predominantly found in Southern Districts of Karnataka.

Other States: They also inhibit various parts of India like Mumbai, Delhi and other states of India. They are called as Kayastha
Kayastha
Kayastha or Kayasth or Kayeth is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means "scribe" in Sanskrit, and has traditionally denoted members of the writer caste....

 in most north Indian states.

Karuneegars are called Karano in Orissa. They are called Kulkarni in northern Karnataka and Maharashtra.

World Wide: Numerous Karuneegars live in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and other western countries.

Occupation

Karuneegars traditionally followed accountancy,Teaching, Administration, Science and mathematics. These days they are in different occupations.

Ancestry and caste

The Ancestry is concluded with various perspectives. Different Relationships in different ways.
Related by honorary title name "Pillai". Some part of Karuneegars, basically, shun " meat eating, alcohol, widow remarriage" etc. They practise upanayanam, the ceremony for wearing Upaveetham/poonool. Their wedding traditions are similar to those of the shaivite Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

 community.

There are indirect conclusions which can be drawn based on certain references. The Karuneegars are known as Karnams in Andhra Pradesh. There is a caste named Karanam
Karanam
Karanam or Karana is a community mostly prevalent in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.-Names:In Orissa, this class is referred to as Karana, and in Andhra Pradesh they are also called Sristikaranam, Sistukaranam, Sistakaranam, Sristikaranalu, Sistukaranalu, Sistakaranalu or Karanalu.The Karanam community...

 or Karana
Karana
Karana may refer to:*Karana dance, poses in classical Indian dance*Karana, the main character in Scott O'Dell's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, who is based on the historical Juana Maria*Karrana, a village in Bahrain...

 in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa whose primary jobs are village head or village accountants. This Karana
Karana
Karana may refer to:*Karana dance, poses in classical Indian dance*Karana, the main character in Scott O'Dell's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, who is based on the historical Juana Maria*Karrana, a village in Bahrain...

 is a profession name. Probably the Tamil word Kanaka may have derived from the term Ganaka.Though generally, the Sanskrit name Ganaka stands for astrologer,It has other meaning as well ( Kanakku means Mathematics ). This Kanaka class was created during Chola dynasty known for village administration. The main framework of administration stemmed from Arthasastra of Kautilya, Brahaspati and other famous thinkers. But, the traditional astrologers community Ganak
Ganak
Ganak is a caste of traditional astrologers from Assam, India. They are also known as Ganak Brahmins, Acharya, and Graha Bipra. They claim that they are descendants of Sakaldwipiya Brahmins, but other Brahmin clans consider them to be a lower rank....

 is a different class of people who are degraded section of sarcedotal brahmins inhabiting at various states of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 with different regional names such as Ganaka, Joshi
Joshi
Joshi is a family name common in India and Nepal. Whereas the Joshi's of India are of Brahmin origin, the Joshi's of Nepal are either Newars or Khas-Brahmin...

, Acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...

, Asan
Asan
Asan is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at , bordering the Seoul Metropolitan Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 250,000.Asan is known for its hot springs and is a city of spas....

, Kaniyar
Kaniyar
Kaniyar are a caste of India with origins in the states of Kerala and Karnataka. There are regional variations in the name used to define them. The Kerala Public Service Commission considers Kaniyar Panicker to be one group in their list of designated Other Backward Classes, and Kalari...

, Nakshatra Brahmin, Graha Bipra  etc. The relation to Chitragupta is a virtual concept in the sense that Chitragupta maintains the detailed deeds of all humans on this earth and reports to Lord Yamadharmaraja, similarly, Kanaka (Karunnegar) maintains the detailed accounts of all inhabitants of a village or a region and reports to King or Kshetrapala or Mandaladisha or Mahamandaleshar etc. in olden days. This 2500 years old vamsaparamparya tradition and system was replaced recentely.

Pillai, Karuneegar & Kayastha:

It is said that pillai itself a part of Kayastha which is questionable to some people. Pillai started as title but it became a separate community. There are controversies whether whole pillai community is part of kayastha. Karuneegar puranam verifies that only karuneegar is part of kayastha which received 'pillai' title (the honorary title) name in old times resulting as a community name 'Karuneegar Pillai'.

Mystery:

Karuneegars falls under 'Dravidians' and the Kayasthas falls under 'Aryans'.So Karuneegars may not be related with Kayasthas as Dravidians are the ancestors of South India (Even India).

Kayastha's lineage with all Pillai community

According to Kayastha
Kayastha
Kayastha or Kayasth or Kayeth is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means "scribe" in Sanskrit, and has traditionally denoted members of the writer caste....

, which recognizes the communities by surname mistakenly considers people with pillai surname as Kayastha. This confusion comes because castes are recognized by surnames in North India. So Kayastha mistakenly considers people with pillai as Kayastha. However the system in Southern India is different. The explanation for this confusion is given below.

Vellalars have Pillai as their surnames for centuries. According to old Hindu and Tamil texts, the Vellalar were warriors from the Yadu Kshatriya clan Vellalar
Vellalar
Vellalars were, originally, an elite caste of Tamil agricultural landlords in Tamil Nadu, Kerala states in India and in neighbouring Sri Lanka; they were the nobility, aristocracy of the ancient Tamil order and had close relations with the different royal dynasties...



Pillai was also the honorary title conferred by the kings as a means of recognition of an individual's services. Other articles mentions that Karuneegars had linkage with Vellalars as other part of Vellalar community as Karuneega Vellalars. Also, seer karuneegars are worshipers and staunch devotees of Vigneshwar or Ganesha who is also called Pillaiyar in Tamil. The foremost and first daily duty of Sri Karuneegars is to perform puja to Pillaiyar and shall start his worldly activities, "Avignam vinayakam", as he is going to perform Kings assigned duties throughout the day, he should be unbiased, take a detached third party view while dealing the public. The surname Pillai also originated as the title for the excellence in the courts of kings. Sometime, it could be argued that the surname pillai was adopted due to the nature of their profession, Ganesha worship and not due to communal purposes (All the communities are classified with their profession, so this argument is not merely true). Karuneegar puranam does mention the usage of Pillai only as honorary title to Karuneegars but even Karuneegars has an implicit linkage with Karkathars according to some archeology sources.

The Puranam clarifies that all Karuneegars are descendants of Chitragupta
Chitragupta
Chitragupta is a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth. Upon their death, Chitragupta has the task of deciding heaven or the hell for the humans, depending on their actions on the earth...

 who was the accountant for Lord yama
Yama
Yama , also known as Yamarāja in India and Nepal, Shinje in Tibet, Yanluowang or simply Yan in China, Yeomla Daewang in South Korea and Enma Dai-Ō in Japan, is the lord of death, in Hinduism and then adopted into Buddhism and then further into Chinese mythology and Japanese mythology. First...

. Karuneegars usage of pillai is merely due to the honorary title conferred by the kings.

Moreover only Karuneegars have the Vedic tradition and beliefs in marriages, birth ceremonies and deaths. The other pillai communities don't worship Chitragupta. The Karuneegars' closest professional relatives are Karanam
Karanam
Karanam or Karana is a community mostly prevalent in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.-Names:In Orissa, this class is referred to as Karana, and in Andhra Pradesh they are also called Sristikaranam, Sistukaranam, Sistakaranam, Sristikaranalu, Sistukaranalu, Sistakaranalu or Karanalu.The Karanam community...

 who are related to kayastha
Kayastha
Kayastha or Kayasth or Kayeth is a caste or community of Hindus originating in India. Kayastha means "scribe" in Sanskrit, and has traditionally denoted members of the writer caste....

 as well. So Karuneegars have a separate Vedic lineage and also not related to Vellalar or other divisions of Pillai.

Sutramulu and gothras

The information regarding Sutramulu/Sutras, the Vedas they followed and the number of Gothras in each Sutram is given below. There are six Sutras.
  1. Aapasthamba Sutram, the Veda is Krishna Yajurvedam and number of Gothras are 10.
  2. Asvalayana Sutram, the Veda is Rugvedam and the number of Gothras are 11.
  3. Thrahyayana Sutram, the Veda is Adarvana Vedam and the number of Gothras are 11.
  4. Kathyayana Sutram, the Veda is Adarvana Vedam and the number of Gothras are 11.
  5. Bodhayana Sutram, the Veda is Samavedam and the number of Gothras are 11.
  6. Vaikhanasa Sutram,the Veda is Krishna Yajurvedam and the number of Gothras 10. (Ref: Vaikhanasa.com)

  • There are 64 Gothras in Seer Karuneegar caste.
  • Each Sutra contains 11 or 10 Gothras and also mentions the Vedas they followed.
  • There is also mention of 5.5 or 6.0 Pangu or Bagamulu(Divisions) related to Gothras.
  • All the Gothras in Sutras: Thrahyayan, Kathyayana and Bodhayana belong to 5.5. Pangu
  • All the Gothras in Sutras: Aapasthamba, Asvalayana and Vaikhanasa belong to 6.0 Pangu.


The number of Gothras in each Sutra are listed below.

Gothras of Aapasthamba Sutram

  • Atri
    Atri
    This article is about the sage named Attri. See also the gotra named Atri. For the Italian city, see Atri, AbruzzoIn Hinduism, Attri or Atri is a legendary bard and scholar and was one of 9 Prajapatis, and a son of Brahma, said to be ancestor of some Brahmin, Prajapatis, kshatriya and Vaishya...

     Maharshi
  • Alachala Maharshi
  • Kathaka Maharshi
  • Niranga Maharshi
  • Anjali Maharshi
  • Agasthya Maharshi
  • Kurava Maharshi
  • Vakrutha Maharshi
  • Angidha Maharshi
  • Ashtakona Maharshi


Traditionally, those in 6.0 pangu are considered as 'pangaligal' or cousins within the gothrams and marriage from one gothram to another within 6.o pangu is taboo. So also is the case with 5.5 pangu. However, of late people do not strictly follow the gothram and cross marriage within the two groups became common, especially in Tamil Nadu.

Gothras of Asvalayana Sutram

  • Vyaghra Maharshi
  • Vamadeva
    Vamadeva
    In Hinduism, Vamadeva is the name of the preserving aspect of the God Siva, one of five aspects of the universe he embodies. On a panchamukha Sivalingam, Vamadeva appears on the right hand side...

     Maharshi
  • Bhrigu Maharshi
  • Sprugu Maharshi
  • Gouthama Maharshi
  • Aurulala Maharshi
  • Dhunmuka Maharshi
  • Parasara Maharshi
  • Sthula Maharshi
  • Adhimuni Maharshi
  • Dhurvasa Maharshi

Gothras of Thrahyayana Sutram

  • Vedavyasa Maharshi
  • Padhalochana Maharshi
  • Jamadagni
    Jamadagni
    Jamadagni is one of the Saptarishis in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara. He was a descendant of the sage Bhrigu, one of the Prajapatis created by Brahma, the God of Creation...

     maharshi
  • Salya Maharshi
  • Divyanga Maharshi
  • Seera Maharshi
  • Jaya Maharshi
  • Kalaba Maharshi
  • Gowda Maharshi
  • Pathanjali Maharshi
  • Sanathkumara Maharshi

Gothras of Kathyayana Sutram

  • Kapila Maharshi
  • Kanva Maharshi
  • Raada Maharshi
  • Pushpaka Maharshi
  • Rishyashruanga Maharshi
  • Sathya Maharshi
  • Bhugala Maharshi
  • Priyavakya Maharshi
  • Roma Maharshi
  • Shivamitra Maharshi
  • Kamandala Maharshi

Gothras of Bodhayana Sutram

  • Bharadhwaja Maharshi
  • Viswamitra
    Viswamitra
    Brahmarshi Vishvamitra is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient times in India. He is also credited as the author of most of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mantra. The Puranas mention that only 24 rishis since antiquity have understood the whole meaning of, and...

     Maharshi
  • Munjakesha Maharshi
  • Shivayoga Maharshi
  • Shuka Maharshi
  • Bhujanga Maharshi
  • Kashyapa Maharshi
  • Sutha Maharshi
  • Gomuni Maharshi
  • Naradha Maharshi
  • Meenava Maharshi

Gothras of Vaikhanasa Sutram

  • Janaka Maharshi
  • Pararuchi Maharshi
  • Madhava Maharshi
  • Vindu Maharshi
  • Vashishta Maharshi
  • Markanda Maharshi
  • Manu Maharshi
  • Valmiki
    Valmiki
    Valmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...

     Maharshi
  • Deva Maharshi
  • Marichi
    Marichi
    Rishi Marichi or Mareechi or Marishi is the son of Brahma, the cosmic creator, and also one of the Saptarshi , in the First Manvantara, with others being Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha .Before the creation started, Lord Brahma needed a few people who can be held responsible...

    Maharshi

Books & Magazines

  • [Karuneegar Puranams]
  • Karuneega Mithiran (monthly)
  • Karuneega Nalavazhvu (monthly)
  • Karuneeka Jyothi (Printed in Bangalore)
  • Karuneegar Murasu (Monthly)
  • Karuneegar kural(Monthly)
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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