Kayastha

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Kayastha

Maharaj Chitragupt: Progenitor of the Kayasthas

left: Devi Sudakhina and four sons

right: Devi Iravati and eight sons

Languages

Hindi, Assamese, Maithili, Urdu, Bengali,Marathi, and Oriya

Religion

Hinduism

Kāyastha or Kayasth (Hindi: कायसथ) is a caste/ethnic-group of India. They are the only sect who are referred to
as direct descendants of a Vedic God in the religious texts and the only ancestor worshipping sect of Hinduism
also called Chitranshi/Devputra[1]. They are said, in the Vedas and Puranas, to have a dual-caste status
i.e. Brahmin and Kshatriya. They are mainly spread across North India and are a sub-sect of Brahmins whose
ancient profession was writing.[2][3][4][5]

 The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org defines Kayastha as follows:

 ka_yastha, ka_yata a man belonging to the writer-caste; a tribe of
bra_hman.as whose employment is writing (Ka.)(Ka.lex.)[4]

 BRAHMINS by vedah.net[2] is an arcticle on who the brahmins are and

the various sub-groups of Brahmins. The Kayastha Brahmins are
mentioned at sl.no. 15 (in alphabetic order).

 The Brahmins : A List of Brahmin Communities is an extensive list

prepared by Kamat.com[3] of all Brahmin communities in India. Kayastha
Brahmins are mentioned (in alphabetic order).

 Vyoma Samhita quoted in Shabda−Kalpadrum says:

The Kayasthas have sprung from the kaya or body of Lord Brahma. They
are similar in rank to Brahmans.

 Swami Vivekananda speaking on the status of Kayasthas said:

“I am the descendant of that great man at whose feet every Brahmin

bows his head.”

The major differences between this ministerial class and the

proper priestly class, started around 1500 years ago in the
Kingdom of Kashmir, where each accused the other of misusing
their power.[6][7]

Few influential and liberal Kayastha God-men of the 20th century

are Swami Prabhupada(Hare Krishna Movement-
ISKCON), Maharshi Mahesh Yogi(Transcendental
Meditation), Sri Aurobindo(Integral yoga), Paramahansa
Yogananda(:of ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ fame & Kriya Yoga)
and Swami Vivekananda(Vedanta).

Contents
[hide]

• 1 References in Vedic texts

• 2 Types

• 3 Origin

• 4 Temples

• 5 Family tree

○ 5.1 Sons of Devi

 Shobhavati/Iravati

○ 5.2 Sons of Devi

Nandani/Sudakhina

○ 5.3 ALs

• 6 Cultural Aspects

○ 6.1 Marriage Practices

○ 6.2 Distinctive Worship

○ 6.3 Social

○ 6.4 Sense of humour

• 7 History

○ 7.1 Ancient India

○ 7.2 Islamic and Pre-

independence India

○ 7.3 Modern India

• 8 Prominent Personalities

• 9 See also

• 10 References

• 11 External links

References in Vedic texts

Kayastha have been described in the oldest of

the Puranas, Smritis and Shrutis:

 According to the Vedic scriptures, the souls of men after

death receive rewards and punishments according to their
sins and virtues, and hence it is believed that good and bad
deeds of men are not destroyed. The souls of men after
death go to Yamapuri which is presided over by the deities
called Yamas who keep records of men’s actions and
accordingly give them their dues. The principal Yama is
called Yamaraja or Dharamaraja, that is, the ruler of
Yamapuri or the King of Laws.
 The Yama Samhita which is an extract from the 9th Chapter
of Ahilya Kamdhenu, a work of Hindu Law, says that
Dharamaraja complained to Lord Brahma about his
difficulties in performing his most responsible duties of
keeping records of the deeds of men and doing justice to
them. Lord Brahma went into meditation. Shree Chitragupta
sprang from his body and stood before him bearing an inkpot
and a pen. The God Brahma (Creator) said: "Because you
are sprung from my body (kaya), therefore you shall be
called Kayastha and as you existed in my body unseen I give
you the name of Chitragupta." He then assumed charge of
Yamapuri. Dharma Sharma married his daughter Irawati to
Chitragupta and Manuji, son of Surya (the Sun) married his
daughter Sudakhina to him." Chitragupta had eight sons from
the former and. four from the latter and these twelve sons
became the progenitors of the twelve sub−divisions of the
Chitraguptavansi Kayasthas, namely, Mathur, Gaur, Nigam,
Ashthana, Kulshretha, Suryadwaja, Balmika Bhatnagar,
Srivastava,Ambastha, Saxena and Karana.

 In Padma Purana, Uttar Khanda, it says that Shree

Chitragupta had twelve sons by two wives. They were all
invested with the sacred thread and were married to
Nagakanyas. They were the ancestors of the twelve
sub−divisions of the Kayasthas.

 The same legend with some slight difference is given inmost

of the Puranas.

 Padma Purana after stating the legend says: "Shree

Chitragupta was placed near Dharamaraj to register the good
and evil actions of all sentient beings,that he was possessed
of supernatural wisdom and became the partaker of
sacrifices offered to the gods and fire. It is for this reason that
the twice−born always give him oblations from their food. As
he sprang from the body of Lord Brahma he was called
Kayastha of numerous gotras on the face of the earth."
 In Shristhi Khanda the same Purana says that the sacrificial
rites and study of the Kayasthas should be of the Vedas and
supporting scriptures and their occupation related to writing.

 Bhavishya Purana states that God, the Creator, gave the

name and duties of Chitragupta as follows:

Because you have sprung from my body, therefore, you shall be

called Kayastha and shall be famous in the world by the name of
Chitragupta. Oh my son, let your residence be always in the
region of the god of justice for the purpose of determining the
merits and demerits of men.

 Vignana Tantra says the same thing.

 The same is the enjoinment of Lord Brahma to Shree

Chitragupta according to Brihat Brahma Khanda. He was
named Kayastha having sprung from the body (kaya) of Lord
Brahma. He was directed to perform all sanskars and to have
writing as his profession.

 Garuda Purana describes the imperial throne of Shree

Chitragupta in Yamapuri holding his Court and dispensing
justice according to the deeds of men and maintaining their
record, in the following words:

(There Dharmaraja, Chitragupta, Sravana and others see all sins

and virtues which remain concealed in the bodies of men).

 Similarly, Apastamba Shakha of the Veda quoted in

Shabda−Kalpadrum 2nd part, page 228, Shabda 20,

under Kshatriya, states that Kayasthas are Kshatriyas.

Chitragupta who reigns in heaven and his son Chaitrarath, who
was light of the family, meritorious and of illustrious deads ruled
on earth for a long time as King of Chitrakoot near
Allahabad. Meru Tantra quoted in Shabda−Kalpadrum under the
word ’Kshatriya’ supports the same view.

 The Mahabharata (Anusasan Parva, Chap. 130) recites the

teaching of Shree Chitragupta requiring men to do virtuous
and charitable acts and performing Yagya, saying that men
 are rewarded or punished according to their good or bad
deeds.

 Turning to the Smritis, Vishnu in Chap. VII, verse 3, says that

a document attested by the King is one which is written or
prepared by a Kayastha and stamped with the finger prints of
the head of the department.

 The words are Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra in Chap. X, Sloka

10 says. Kayasthas should be appointed as writers, they
being expert in writing.

 Again in Chap. I, Sloka 235, he says that Danda−dhrita the

Magistrates and Judges of the Courts should be
(dharmagya), persons versed in laws and good
administration, Kayasthas, who are versed in the art of
writing.

 Vyas says that the writer and the accountant should be that
is versed in Mimansa (Srutis) and Vedas (Adhyayana) as
explained by Mitakshara in commenting upon Yajnavalkya,
Chap. II, Sloka 2, which says that the King’s Councillors
should be versed in the sacred books of Mimansa and
Vedas, expert in law, truthful and impartial.

 Similarly, Shukraaiti in Chap. XXXII, Sloka 420, describes

Kayasthas as lekhaks, and in Chap. II, versa 178, says that
the accountant and lekhak knew the Vedas, Smritis and
Puranas.

 Yajnavalkya in Slokas 317 to 320 describes how the edicts of

the king should be written, sealed and promulgated.
Apararka in his commentary upon these Slokas quotes from
Vyas and shows that these edicts should be written by
lekhaks, the ministers of war and peace (sandhi vigraha
kari), and that they should be promulgated to the gentry and
officials among whom Kayasthas have been mentioned.

 Similarly, Vijnanesvara in his Mitākṣarā commenting upon

these Slokas says:
He (King) should cause it to be recorded by that officer of his,
who is in charge of war and peace (i.e. by a Kayastha), and not
by anybody else.

 As says a Shruti: That officer of his, who is sandhi vigraha

kari or the officer in charge of peace and war should be its
writer (lekhak).

 Yajnavalkya uses the word "Kayastha" in Slokas 335 36,

Chap. I. Commenting upon this, Mitakshara says that
Kayasthas are accountants and writers. He makes the word
"Kayasthas synonymous with accountants and writers.
Similarly, Apararka says that Kayasthas were
revenue−collectors (kar−adhi−krita).

 The accountants and scribes constitute one of the ten parts

of a judicial proceeding.

 Brihaspati says the same thing, as quoted in Prasara

Madhava, Vyavahara Kanda.

 According to the Smritis, the officers of the realm, such as,

ministers of peace and war, courtesans and Councillors,
Governors and headmen of villages should be men versed in
the Sastras, valorous and born of noble family, pure,
intelligent, affluent in wealth and of tested virtue and
comprehension: Manu, Chap. VII, Verses 54 to 121
Yajnavalkya, Chap. I, Verse 312.
Types

There are of three kinds of Kayasthas (by blood) and four types
in total:
1. Chitragupta Kayasthas (Brahma Kayashta or Kayastha
Brahman).[8] Caste-Status:Brahmin; usually 'Kayastha' in most
ancient Vedic literature refers to this sect, henceforth Kayastha in
this article would refer to the Chitragupt Kayastha unless
otherwise stated.[2][3]

 BRAHMINS by vedah.net is an arcticle on who the brahmins

are and the various sub-groups of Brahmins. The Kayastha
 Brahmins are mentioned at sl.no. 15 (due to alphabetic
order).

 The Brahmins : A List of Brahmin Communities is an

extensive list prepared by Kamat.com of all Brahmin
communities in India. Kayastha Brahmins are mentioned in
the alphabetic order.

 The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org defines ‘Kayastha’

as follows:

ka_yastha, ka_yata —a man belonging to the writer-caste; a tribe of

bra_hman.as whose employment is writing (Ka.)(Ka.lex.)[9]

2. Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (Rajanya Kshatriya

Kayasthas- from the Haiyaya family) Caste-
Status:Kshatriya,[10]
3. Kayasthas of the mixed blood. Caste-Status:Kshatriya or
others as per the law of Hindu Shastras and
4. Kayasthas by name or virtue of profession (not by blood).
Caste-Status:depends on history of that group and may
vary with regions

Origin

Ancient temple of Shree Chitraguptajee in Khajuraho

Amogst other legends, Kayastha is a mix blood community

formed of mix marriages during the Magadha period. A
progeny of father of vaidya community and wife from
Brahman community formed in Bengal. In north India a
progeny of Sudra mother and Brahman father and in
Maharashtra mostly Kshatrya father and Kshatrya mother
formed this community. The word kayastha means, office
bearer or a clerk[11].

The Kayastha trace their genealogy from Lord Chitragupta.

It is said that after Lord Brahma had created the four
Varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras),
Yama (Dharamraj) requested Lord Brahma to help him
record the deeds, both good and evil, of men and to
administer justice.

According to the scriptures, Lord Brahma went into

meditation for 11,000 years and when he opened his eyes
he saw a man holding a pen and ink-pot in his hands, as
well as a sword girdled to his waist. Lord Brahma spoke:
``Thou hast been created from my body (Kaya); therefore,
shall thy progeny be known as the Kayasthas. Thou hast
been conceived in my mind (Chitra) and in secrecy (gupta);
thy name shall also be Chitragupta. Brahma then enjoined
him to dispense justice and punish those who violated the
dharma. Thus, the Kayasthas were accorded a dual caste,
Brahman/Kshatriya.

In the legends of Chitragupta as well as in the Vedas, he is

referred to as the greatest king, while the rest are
"Rajakas," or little kings.

ििििि िि िििि ििििि ििििििि ििि िििििििििि ि

ििििििि िि िििि िि ििििििििि िििििििििि ििि ि [12]

In the Garud Purana, Chitragupta is hailed as the first man

to give the script.

"Chitragupta namastubhyam vedaksaradatre" (Obeisance

to Chitragupta, the giver of letters)

The Rig Veda mentions an invocation to be made to

Chitragupta before offering sacrifice. There is also a special
invocation to Chitragupta as Dharmraj (Lord of Justice) to
be made at the performance of shradh or other rituals.
"Om tat purushaya vidmahe Chitragupta dhimahi tena
lekha prachodayata."

The priests also pay reverence to Shri Chitragupta :

"Yamam Dharmarajya Chitraguptaya vain namah."

Lord Chitragupta is the Athi Devathai for Kethu, one of the

Navagrahas, and those who worship Chitragupta, would be
bestowed with prosperity. Also the evil effects of Kethu
during its transit period would be mitigated.

The birthday of Shree Chitraguptaji is celebrated on

Yamadwitiya and Chitraguptajayanti Puja is performed on
this day.

The privileges of performing religious duties related to

Yamaraj and Chitraguptaji are reserved by the Kayasthas.
Of these, one of most important is the Chitraguptajayanti
Puja. The greatness of this yajna is that whoever performs
it, is spared the punishments of hell, whatever his records
of deeds be.

The ancient story/Katha related to this is now told[13]. There

was a mighty king, who had subjugated the whole world by
his ambition to be the supreme King of Kings. The stories of
his cruel deeds had spread to all the corners of the world.
His name was uttered only with great respect and a greater
fear at heart, for everyone knew that his deeds were vile
and extreme. His name was Sudass, the King of Saurastra,
his capital, from where he ruled his vast empire with an iron
fist. He was known to be one of most ‘Adharmi’ (nearest
meaning: ‘irreligious and one who crosses the threshold of
Dharma’) and perpetrator of ‘Paap’ (nearest meaning:
‘sins’). All through his extensive kingdom, it was known that
their king had never ever done a ‘Punya’ in his evil life. This
King was fond of hunting, and once on a hunting spree, was
lost in the jungle. Unable to find his way out, and unknown
to fears of any kind, he decided to see what his jungles
were like. He went on exploring the jungles when he heard
the sound certain ‘Mantras’ coming from North. He headed
for the place where the mantras where being chanted.
There he found a few Brahmins performing a yajna and few
common people sitting to witness this. The king lost his cool
on seeing a puja being performed without his consent. He
thus spoke with thunder in his voice:

“I am King Sudass, the King of Kings. Salute me you foolish

men. Who are you and what are you doing here? I demand
an answer.”

The group of priests kept on chanting their mantra and paid

no heed to the angry king, all the while people sitting at
some distance and witnessing the yajna being performed
kept mum, being afraid of the king. On being so ignored the
king lost his cool and raised his sword to hit the head priest.
Seeing this, the youngest of the priests stood up and spoke
thus:

“Stop! King Sudass, stop! Don’t turn this opportunity into a

disaster. You have been sent here not to be condemned
but saved.”

On hearing these words the King became interested and

said, “You, young boy, have great courage and knowledge
for your age. Will you elaborate on what you have just
said?”

The young priest said to the King, “O Sudass, you call

yourself the King of Kings: how mistaken you are! When
you die you would be subjugated to such punishments that
your pride will vanish in thin air. You want to know who
these men are and what are they doing and what is the
purport of my speech. Then listen:

We are the sons of Lord Chitragupta, whom the great

Rigveda call the true King of Kings, and whose title you are
not worth stealing. We are Kayasthas and we are
performing yajna to our Lord Yamaraj and our progenitor
Maharaj Chitrgupta on this great day of Yamadwitiya. O
King Sudass, whoever performs this puja is spared the
punishments of hell. You can be free from hell if you will
only submit to Yamaraj and Chitraguptaji, who has the
record of all the sins that you have done in your vile life!
Nothing in this world is hidden from Him and only He could
save you. On one hand is salvation and on the other is hell.
Come, join us or kill us all.”

The king was left dumbfounded and followed the young

priest as if in a trance. He then performed the puja with full
devotion and the exact procedure. Thereafter he took the
‘prasaad’ and went back to his kingdom with the other men.

With the passage of time there came the day when the
Yamadoots came to take him away with them, to the
Yamaloka. The Yamadoots tied the king's soul in chains
and pulled it to the court of Yamaraja. When the bleeding
and dilapidated King reached the court of Yamaraj, Lord
Chitragupta opened the book of his deeds and thus spoke
to Yamaraj. “O great Yamaraj, I can only see a life full of
sins in his case, yet this king did perform our yajna in his life
time? He performed the puja on Karthik shukla dwitiya and
with full devotion and the right procedure. He performed our
and your ‘vrat’ on that day. Thereby, all his ‘paaps’ have
been nullified and according to the rules of Dharma, he
cannot be sent to hell.” Thus the king was saved from hell
and till this day whoever performs the Chitraguptajayannti
puja is spared the punishments of hell.

Temples

There are several temples in India, particularly in South

India, enshrining the Lord Chitragupta. The most famous of
them is located at Kanchipuram [3], Tamilnadu state, India.

One of the ancient temples of Chitraguptaji is situated in

Khajuraho. Pictures of this temple can be found
at http://chitraguptvanshi.wetpaint.com .
Family tree

Shree Chitraguptaji married Devi Nandani and Devi

Shobhavati and had twelve divine Sons. The 12 Sons
started the 12 main branches of Brahma Kayastha.

The 12 clans of Brahma Kayastha:

 Mathur

 Gaur/Gour

 Bhatnagar

 Saxena

 Ambashtha

 Nigam

 Karna

 Kulshreshtha

 Srivastava or Shrivastava

 Surdhwaja

 Valmiki

 Asthana

 Khare
Sons of Devi Shobhavati/Iravati
 Charu (Mathur): He was a disciple of sage
Mathure, Rashi name was Dhurandhar, was married to
Devi Pankajakshi and worshipped Devi Durga.
Mathureshwari. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Charu
to establish a Kingdom in the Mathara region (between
Mahanadi and Krishna River in Orissa). His
descendants were known as the Mathurs. After
defeating the demons, a term regularly used for the
anti-Vedic tribes, they established the Kingdom of
Mathara. This done, they also propagated to other part
of Aryavartha. In the meanwhile they were further
divided into 3 sub-divisions 1.The Mathurs of Mathara,
 2.The Pancholi or Panchali of Pnachal Kingdom where
in garwhal hills there is town of Mathara 3.The Kacchi
of Gujrat. The Mathurs seemed to enjoy a long history
of ruling many Kingdoms, the most important of which
was Ayodhya, ruled by them before the Raghuvanshis
took the reign. They are divided into 84 Als. They
established Pandya Kingdom covering Madurai
Trinivelli etc.[14] They sent an emissary to the Roman
Emperor Augustus Ceasar.

 Sucharu (Gaur) गौड : He was a disciple of sage

Vasishtha, Rashi name was Dharamdutta and
worshipped Devi Shakambari. Maharaj Chitraguptji
sent Shree Sucharu to establish a Kingdom in the
Gaud region. Shree Sucharu married Devi Mandhiya,
the daughter of Nagaraj Vasuki. The gaurs are divided
into five divisions: 1.Khare, 2.Doosre, 3.Bengali,
4.Dehlavi, 5.Vadanyuni. Gour Kaystha have been
further sub divided in 32 Als. Bhagdutta of Mahabharat
and Rudradutta of Kalinga were famous.

 Chitraksh (Bhatnagar): He was a disciple of sage

Bhat, was married to Devi Bhadrakalini and worshipped
Devi Jayanti. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Chitraksh
to establish a Kingdom in the region of Bhat river at
Bhattdesh and Malwa.They established Chittor and
Chitrakoot He settled then there and his progeny came
to be known as Bhatnagar. They are divided into 84
Als.

 Matimaan (Saxena): He was married to Devi Kokalesh

and worshipped Devi Shakambari. Maharaj Chitraguptji
sent Shree Matimaan to establish a Kingdom in the
Shak region. His(Shree Matimaan’s) son was a great
warrior and established His kingdom in the modern day
Kabul-Kandhar and Eurasia region and as they were
sakha ( friends Of Sena )the progeny was called
Shaksena or Saksena, a part of modern Iran was under
 their rule. Today they are abundantly found in the
regions of Kannuaj,Pilibhit, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur,
Badayu, Farrukhabad, Etta, Mainpuri, Aligarh. They are
divided into Khare and Dusare and had 106 main Als at
present. According to RC Majumdar, they were kings
Shena of Shakas hence Shakashena which anglicised
to Saxena.

 Himvaan (Ambashth): His Rashi name was Sarandhar,

was married to Devi Bhujangakshi and worshipped
Devi Amba-Mata. Settled in Girnar and kathiawar area
called Amba-sthan, hence the name. Shree Himvaan
had five divine sons Shree Nagasen, Shree Gayasen,
Shree Gayadatta, Shree Ratanmool and Shree
Devdhar and they married Gandharvyakanyas. These
five Sons settled at different locations and accordingly
their lineage spread their rule over these and were
further divided into: Nagasen: 24 Als, Gayasen: 35 Als ,
Gayadatta: 85 Als, Ratanmool: 25 Als, Devdhar: 21 Als.
Later they settled in Punjab after their defeat
by Alexander's general and then by Chandragupt
Maurya.

 Chitracharu (Nigam): His Rashi name was Sumant,

was married to Devi Ashgandhmati and worshipped
Devi Durga. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree
Chitracharu to establish a Kingdom in the Mahakoshal
and the Nigam region (on the bank of river Saryu). His
progeny were very proficient in the rules laid in Vedas
and the Shastras, hence Nigam. Today they live in
Kanpur, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Banda, Jalon, Mahoba.
They are divided into 43 main Als.

 Aruncharu (Karna): His Rashi name was Damodar,

was married to Devi Kamakala and worshipped Devi
Laxmi. They were Vaishnavites. Maharaj Chitraguptji
sent Shree Aruncharu to establish a Kingdom in the
Karna region (modern day Karnataka). His progeny
 slowly migrated to the Northern Kingdoms and now live
abundantly in the present day Nepal, Orissa and Bihar.
The Bihar branch is further divided into two; namely the
‘Gayaval Karna’ who settled in Gaya and the ‘Maithil-
Karna’ who settled in the Mithila region.Later they
adopted Buddhism. They are divided into an
astounding 360 Als; this huge figure is attributed to the
families who migrated in different phases from South.
The clan has nothing to do with Karna of Mahabharata.

 Jitendra (Kulshreshtha): His Rashi name is

Sadananda, was married to Devi Manjubhashini and
worsipped Devi Laxmi. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree
Atiyendriya(also known as Jitendra) to establish a
Kingdom in the Kannauj region. Shree Atiyendriya was
one of the most religious and pious ascetic of the
twelve Sons. He was known as ‘Dharmatama’ and
‘Pundit’ and was a master of passions; His progeny
came to be known as Kulshrestha. Today the
Kulshreshthas live abundantly in Mathura, Agra,
Fawrookhabad, Etah, Etahwa and Mainpuri.A few are
in Nandigaon ,Benga. Like Shree Shekhar
kulsreshtha[15] and Sugam Kulshreshtha as in Jalesar
( Etah ) Both of them were renowed writer.
Sons of Devi Nandani/Sudakhina
 Shribhanu(Srivastava): His Rashi name was
Dharamdwaj. Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree
Shribhanu to establish a Kingdom in the
Shrivaas(Srinagar)region in Kashmir and Kandhar. He
was married to Nagaraj Vaasuki’s daughter Devi
Padmini and two divine sons named Shree Devdatta
and Shree Ghanshyam were born. Shree Devdatta got
the rulership over Kashmir and Shree Ganshyam got
the rulership over the banks of Sindhu river. They were
called Srivastava ‘Khare’ born from second wife
Kheri.Two divine sons named Shree Dhanvantari and
 Shree Sarvagya were born. They were called
Srivastava ‘Doosre’.The Srivastavas are divided into 65
main Als.

 Vibhanu (Suryadhwaj): His Rashi name was

Shyamsunder, was married to Devi Malti. Maharaj
Chitraguptji sent Shree Vibhanu to establish the
Kingdom in northern parts of the Kashmir region. Since
Mother Dakshina was the daughter of Suryadev, the
progeny of Shree Vibhanu carried the emblem of the
Sun God on their flags and were called Suryadhwaj.
Jarasandha of Mahabharat and Jamnaya of Taxila
were well known. Later they settled at Magadh.

 Vishwabhanu (Valmiki): His Rashi name was

Deendayal and worshipped Devi Shakumbhari.
Maharaj Chitraguptji sent Shree Vishwabhanu to
establish a Kingdom in Valmiki region near Chirakoot
and Narmada. Shree Vishwabhanu was married to
Nagakanya Devi Bimbvati. He is known to have spent a
great part of his life practicing intense meditation
(Tapasya) on the banks of river Narmada, when
covered with the leaves of creeper Valmiki. His progeny
were known as Valmiki. They became Vallabhpanthi.
His son Shree Chandrakant settled in Gujarat while the
other sons migrated with their families to the North,
near river Ganga and the Himalayas. Today they live in
Gujarat and Maharashtra. They are also known as
‘Vallabhi Kayastha’ in Gujarat.

 Viryabhanu (Asthana): His Rashi name Madhavrao,

was married to Devi Singhdwani. Maharaj Chitraguptji
sent Shree Viryabhanu to establish a kingdom in
Adhisthana. His progeny came to be known as Asthana
as Ramnagar-Varanasi's king bestowed them with
eight jewels.Some say that they had no fixed sthan,
hence the name. Today the Asthanas live abundantly in
various districts of U.P. In Bihar they live in Saran,
 Sivaan, Champaran, Mujjafarpur, Sitamadhi,
Darbhanga, Bhagalpur regions. Their population is also
notable in U.P.’s neighboring state M.P. They are
divided into 5 main Als.
ALs
These twelve sub-castes are further divided into ALs.
A Vansh originates from a King, a Rishi or a Deity and as it
grows it divides itself in to several branches. The
descendents start to build their own sub-Vansh depending
upon the places and situations met, at the same time
acknowledging their submission to the Mool(main) Vansh.
These sub-Vansh add specific nouns to their names which
in case of the Chirtagupta Vansha(Chitranshi) are called
the Als (Note: the 12 main sub-castes are acknowledged
divisions based on the family of the 12 Sons, they are not
called Als, their further divisions are what Als are).

Al must not be confused with Gotra. Gotra goes after the

name of a Vedic Rishi, who was either a Guru, RajGuru or
Progenitor of that Vansh. The gotra for a vansh is always
the same. It is Kashayapfor the Kayasthas. Thus, a Vanshaj
can be known from his Gotra and Al (The term Kul is often
used for Al, though the former has a much broader
meaning).The Als can be thousands in number and must be
added to the name in conjunction with one of the 12 main
sub-castes. Lack of awareness of this law is the reason why
so many can not find their surnames mentioned amongst
the 12 main sub-castes.

Cultural Aspects

This section does not cite any references or sources.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

Marriage Practices
Kayasthas practice family exogamy and
caste endogamy preferring to marry within specific sub-
castes. The individuals of same AL (see a definition of AL
above) cannot intermarry, while those of same caste and
different ALs can. To illustrate, individuals from
the Srivastava sub-caste and the Pandey AL do not marry
another Pandey of the Srivastava sub-caste, but may marry
individuals belonging to another AL of the Srivastava sub-
caste.

Distinctive Worship
Kayasthas are unique from other Hindu castes in their
worship of an ancestor, Shree Chitraguptaji and the
practice of Kalam-Dawaat Pooja, a ritual in which pens,
papers and books are worshiped. Both these rituals are
performed on the Yama Dwitiya, this is the day when Shree
Chitraguptji was created by Lord Bramha and Yamaraj got
relieved of His duties and used this leave to visit His sister
Devi Yamuna; hence the whole world celebrates Bhaiya
dooj on this day and the Kayastha celebrate
ShreeChitraguptajayanti, i.e. the 'Birthday' of their
progenitor. Kayasthas have the singular distinction of being
the only "Ancestor-worshipping" sect of Hinduism.

Social
Of all the other castes in India, Kayasthas are the easiest to
mingle with other castes. They did this when the Muslims
came to India, and modern examples of this are Kayasthas
outside India where they mingle with other castes more
than they mingle among themselves. This cosmopolitan
outlook distinguishes members of this caste, and along with
the great emphasis on education, is to a large extent
responsible for their success in changing times.[citation needed]

Sense of humour
Kayastha are known for their sense of humour and wit.
Whatever be the reason the Kayastha just can’t live without
a good laugh. Many funny men and class clowns often turn
out to be Kayasthas on closer examination. Others take
their revenge, Kayastha are the subject of a series of jokes
known as ‘Lalaji jokes’ in UP and Bihar. Unlike Punjab and
NCR, the word "Lalaji" is exclusively used for the Kayasthas
in UP and Bihar. The Lalaji is characterized with a sharp
wit, ever hungry desire to grab and total abstinence from
violence. The jokes usually feature other characters like
gupta, pande, gajodhar. Often the crow, for whatever
reasons, is also involved in such jokes.
Example: Lalaji falls in a ditch. Gupta was passing by and
saw lalaji, said "Lalaji hath dijiye"(Give me your hand).
Lalaji stood still. Then came Pande, said "Areey gupta, hath
dijiye nahi hath lijiye bolo"(Don't tell him to give his hand,
ask him to take yours).
Another: A Kayastha caught a crow and was about to bite
its neck. The crow asked him 'whats your caste' thinking all
the while that the Kayastha would have to open his mouth
to say "Kaa_yasth". The Kayastha said 'lala'.

History
Ancient India
Kayastha ministers find mention in Hindu mythology. Prior
to the Raghuvanshis, Ayodhya was ruled by Mathur Rulers,
progeny of Chitragupta.

The Kayastha who are represented by the "Kayath" or the

hereditary caste of the scribes of the present day, formed
originally a sub-military class.[13] The Anthropological
Survey of India conducted a survey during the British Raj
which concluded that the Kayastha community were also
influential during the Mauryan period as administrators.
Also, many proof have been found that the Hindu Kings
used to grant lands to the Kayasthas, a practise enjoyed
only by a particular caste. Also, it is but logical to consider
the status of the Kayasthas when Sanskrit was the state
language under the Hindu Kings.
The Kayastha were one of the most influential Caste in
Kashmiri politics around 7th century [16] (ref.
Rajatarangini).In these and contemporary Sanskrit literature
we come across the Kayasthas being described as kings,
financiers and advisers. King Lalitaditya Muktpida was one
glorious King of a Kayastha dynasty of Kashmir.

The various scripts used by the Kayastha during most of

the Ancient period can only be conjectured,
but Brahmi certainly was extensively used and often
praised as the scrit of the Vedas given by Bhagvaan
Chitragupt himself.

Islamic and Pre-independence India

The Kayastha caste's affinity for learning and socio-
economic status, both enabled and dictated that the
community develop expertise in the changing administrative
policies and official languages, as different empires were
established in India. The community learned and adapted
terminology to Persian, Turkish, Arabic and
later Urdu in Islamic India. Importantly, the community
created, maintained and developed empire-wide
administrative practices in monetary policy, jurisprudence
and taxation.

The script used during this period was majorly Perso-Arabic

script.

Notable example include Raja Todar Mal[17] who translated

the ‘Bhagwat Purana’ into Persian [18]. Raja Todarmal was
one of the `Nav Ratans' of Emperor Akbar who founded
and gave proper shape to `Revenue System' during Mughal
Empire[19].

These roles continued into the colonial era, where many

Kayasthas were the first to learn English and become civil
servants, tax officers, junior administrators, teachers, legal
helpers and barristers. During this period, Kayastha
community members were more likely (than other
communities) to undertake academic training in England
and often rose to the highest positions accessible to natives
inBritish India. As a consequence of their relatively large
proportion amongst Indian students abroad, and because
many hit ceilings of progression because of racial status,
community members played pivotal roles in the early
political groups that questioned British rule in India.

The script used during this period was Kaithi. The name
makes a very clear reference to the creators, the Kaystha
are often referred as "Kayath" in middle ages. Kayasthas
have a unique distinction of having a script - Kaithi -
associated with their name. Kaithi (also known earlier as
Kayati, Kayathi or Kayasthi), similar to Dev Nagri, was used
mainly by Kayasthas in northern India. It has its own
Unicode now and was the major contender in the race to
become national script but was left behind due to being not
known to masses.

Modern India
Many Kayasthas were successful in adapting to post-
independence India, becoming civil servants, bureaucrats
and lawyers. The community's traditional association with
higher education also led to heavy immigration to the west
in the 1970s and 1980s as community members sought
increased educational and research opportunities. Notable
examples include the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, the third Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, social
and religious reformer Swami Vivekananda, freedom
fighter Subhash Chandra Bose and film-star Amitabh
Bachchan.

Prominent Personalities

Main article: List of Kayasthas

Dr Rajendra Prasad rose to become the first President of

the Republic of India. Dr. Ganesh Prasad [20] (15 November
 1876 at Ballia, U.P. He belonged to a well-to-do
Shrivastava Kayasth family. DrSampurnanand was the first
Chief Minister of U.P. and Governor of Rajasthan, besides
being a literary figure. Jayaprakash Narayan brought
down Indira Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose fought the
British rule militarily. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, Satyendra
Nath Bose and Jagdish Chandra Bose were eminent
scientists. Munshi Prem Chand, Harivansh Rai
Bachchan, Satyendra Chandra Mitra a freedom fighter,
Raghupat Sahai "Firaque" Gorakhpuri, Dr Vrindavan Lal
Verma, Dr. Ram Kumar Verma, Mahadevi Varma, Kamla
Chaudhury, Dr Dharm Vir Bharti and Bhagavati Charan
Verma have been men of letters.
Swami Vivekanand and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi were
philosophers. Alakh Kumar Sinha was the first Indian
Inspector-General of Police.[21], S.K. Sinha, PVSM, has
served as Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Governor of Assam
and Governor of Jammu & Kashmir.[22] Amitabh
Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha have excelled in the film
world, Raju Srivastava have done best in the field of
Comedy, Mukesh, Sonu Nigam in the world of music,
and Nirmala Srivastava (She was born on March 21, 1923
to a Christian family and marrid to Sir C. P. Srivastava. She
is known as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi) is the founder
of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement, Ambarish
Srivastava[23] is a prominent architectural engineer as well
as a prominent poet[24], Vikas Swarup, the author
of Q&A(adapted as the Oscar winning film "Slumdog
Millionaire") and Six Suspects, and a career Indian
Diplomat, is from a prominent Kayastha family of Allahabad.

See also

 Kayasth  Guha  Mathur,

(Muslim)  De/Dey/Dev Kayastha
 Kaithi  Shrivastava  Bhatnagar
 Forward  Saxena  Karanam
Castes  Brahma  Karuneegar
 Sena dynasty  Chitragupta  Mohanty
 Patnaik  Chandraseniya  Roy
 Ghosh Kayastha Prabhu  Saran
 Basu
 Mitra
References
1. ^ Customs of the Kayastha: ShriChitragupt Puja and
the related legend

2. ^ a b c Vepachedu, Sreenivasarao. "Brahmins".

vedah.net. Retrieved 2009-07-18.

3. ^ a b c Kamat, Vikas (April 01,2003). "A List of

Brahmin Communities". kamat.com. Retrieved 2009-

07-18.

4. ^ a b Sanskrit Dictionary at Hindunet.org

5. ^ [1] Ethnographical notes on Chandraseniya

Kayastha Prabhu], Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu

Social Club, Poona. 1904.

6. ^ Colonial translation of Kalhana's Rajatarangini: A

Chronicle of the Kings of Kashmir: By M.A. Stein.

WARNING: HIGHLY NEGATIVE TREATMENT OF

THE CHARACTER OF KAYASTHAS.

7. ^ The great divide: between the Kayasthas and the

Kashmiri Pandits.

8. ^ Extensive study by Kayastha Research

Wing http://chitraguptvanshi.wetpaint.com

9. ^ "Sanskrit Dictionary at Hindunet.org". Hindunet.org.

Retrieved 2009-07-18.

10. ^ Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu

 11. ^ Jati Vivek

12. ^ RIG VEDA Book 8/ Hymn 21/ Stanza 18

13. ^ The Legend of Bhagvaan Chitragupt VratKatha in

Hindi

14. ^ Madan Kosh by Madanlal Tiwari of Etawah, p.220

15. ^ Shekhar Kulshreshtha

16. ^ Colonial translation of Kalhana's Rajatarangini

17. ^ "Kayastha". Retrieved 26 February 2010.

18. ^ Encyclopaedia of Historiography By M.M. Rahman.

Retrieved 26 February 2010.

19. ^ "Kayasth charitable trust". Retrieved 26 February

2010.

20. ^ [2]

21. ^ "www.a2a.org.uk/search/records.asp?cat=059-
msseur_11&cid=11-8-23".

22. ^ "Jammu & Kashmir government website".

23. ^ "Ambarish Indira Gamdhi Priyadarshini Award se

Sammanit [Ambarish honored to Indira Gandhi

Priyadarshini Award]" (in Hindi). Dainik

Jagran (Lucknow): p. 04. 2007-12-07.

24. ^ . India: Pankhee prakashan Delhi 110032. 2010.

p. 18. ISBN 978-81-908347-3-5.

 Rig Veda

 Vyoma Samhita

 Yama Samhita

 Padma Purana

 Bhavishya Purana

 Garuda Purana

 Vignana Tantra

 Brihat Brahma Khanda

 Apastamba

 Meru Tantra

 The Mahabharata

 Sruti

 Smriti

 Chitraguptvanshi Kayastha and their Chandraseniya

Prabhu brothers

 Vedah.net Vedah.net

 Kamat.com Kamat.com

 The Sanskrit dictionary at Hindunet.org Sanskrit

Dictionary at Hindunet.org

 Maithili Karna Kayasthak Panjik Sarvekshan by Binod

Bihari Verma, A Survey of Panjis of Maithil Karna
Kayasthas.

 "The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of

India: Volume III ", by R V Russel (Superintendent of
Ethnography) and Rai Bahadur Hiralal, Publisher:
Macmillan and Co. Limited, London, pages 404-422,
1916 [4].

 "The Tribes And Castes Of West Bengal", by A. Mitra

(Indian Civil Service, Superintendent of Census
Operations), Publisher: West Bengal Government
Press, 1954 [5].

 Colonial Perceptions of Indian Society and the

Emergence of Caste(s) Associations Lucy Carroll, The
Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 37, No. 2 (Feb., 1978),
pp. 233–250.
External links
This article's use of external links may not follow
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve
this article by removing excessive and inappropriate
external links. (May 2010)
  A hangout place for all kayasthas

 Most comprehensive website on Kayastha community

Brides and Grooms

 Portal for Kayastha community for free matrimonial

services

 Most comprehensive website on Kayastha Community

 Most comprehensive website on Kayastha Community

Matrimonial

 Chitragupt Samaj, United Kingdom

 KayasthaIndia.com

 Vedah.net

 Kamat.com

 Sanskrit Dictionary at Hindunet.org

 Kayastha.in

 Kayastha Marriage Profile from all over the world

09350546867(Delhi, India)

 Kayastha Matrimonials and Marriage

Categories: Indian castes | Telugu

society | Kayastha | Social groups of Uttar Pradesh | Social
groups of Bihar

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