Abhivadaye
Compiled
from different sources by
P.R.Ramachander
This is the proper
method of a Brahmin Brahmachari
or householder to introduce himself to elders , Our Gurus and people
like saints who are fit to be revered.
The
introduction has five distinct
parts. (It is very similar to our
introducing ourselves
in an Interview ,”I , DR.Vaidhyanathan, who studied
in madras university under eminent
professors like DR.Krishnaswami,
Dr. Suryanarayanan and Dr.
Ganapathy, who is qualified to practice
Allopathy , in which I specialise
in Orthopedix, introduce myself”)
a.Our Gothra
Gothra does mean , the place where
Cows are protected ,
Initially there were
the following Gothras:-
Viswamithra , Jamadagns , BHaradwaja , Gowthama
, Athri , Vasishta , Kasyapa
and Agasthya.
Each of these
Gothras were further split in to various branches and
an exhaustive list contains the
name of gothras given in a book with me lists about
436 Gothras . out of these , in a survey done by me I found that the seven Gothras Bharadwaja
Gothra (19.5%) , Haritha Gothra (
6.7%) , Kashyapa Gothra (5.64%)
Kaundinya Gothra ( 10,8%) , Kaushika Gothra( 13,60%) , Srivathsa
Gothra (11.12%) and Vadhoola Gothra (4.56%) , account for
72% of the Tamil Brahmins..
Please note same Gothra
people may follow different Vedas and Suthras and have
different Pravaras.
b.Our Pravara
Each gothra normally
tells about the
great sages who started
it and they are called
Pravara
Rishis . The Gothras
can have one Pravara Rishi, Two
pravara Rishis , Three Pravara
Rishis , Five Pravara Rishis
and Seven Pravara Rishis.
A classification of the total list of 441 Gothras
showed 19 Gothras with
one pravara rishi, 15 Gothras of two pravara rishis, 348 Gothras
of three Pravara Rishis
and 54 Gothras
of five Pravara
Rishis.
Please note that
there are many Gothras with groups following different
Pravara Rishis.
C, Our Veda
This is possibly the Veda
which was studied by our patrilineal ancestors .
Though 4 vedas are listed
, , in South India people who follow
Atharva Veda are not to be found. But there are two branches
of Yajur veda called Shukla
Yajurveda and Krishna
Yajurveda.
It is
interesting to find among North Indian
Brahmins
Dwivedis – Those who have learnt two Vedas
Trivedis- Those
who have learnt three Vedas
And CHathuredis -
Those who have learnt all the four Vedas
In South
India also several
scholars have mastered more than
one Veda but they
always term themselves as belonging to one Veda only.
D.Our Suthra
Suthra means “thread” but
by Suthra what we mean is the Guidelines for doing our rituals.
Each Veda has one or two Suthras . For example(I have
compiled these from various
sources. If you pint out Omissions and Commissions, I woud be grateful and correct them)
.Aswalayana
, Kathyanana ( not very common- Sankhyayana , Saunaka and Sambhavya ) for Rig veda,
Apasthambha,Bhodayana
( not that common- Bharadwaja , sathyashada , Vaikanasa , Agnivysya )are Sutras
for Yajur Veda.
Latyayayana
, Drahyayana , Ranayani,
(not common- Nidhana Mashaka , Gobhila
and Jaimineeya ) for
Sama Vedas
Al
our rituals have to be peformed by Following the Sutra of our clan,. If due to non availability of scholar priest trained in our Suthra , if we perform using
rules of other Suthra , then we
are supposed to repeat using our Suthra
later.
E.Our
name
We add the name which was given to us with
the surname Sharma (Which essentially means we are Brahmins) . If your name itself is Sharma , You can say “sharmanamaham”
Some Abhivadaye rules:-
1.You
should not tell Abhivadaye before
saluting God
2.We
are not supposed to tellAbhivadaye when
saluting Yathis( SAnyasis)
3.WE
are not suppose to tell
Abhivadaye while saluting Woman ( except on Brahmopadesam day when we take Bhiksha from women)
4.When
we are saluting more than one elder, we should not tell Abhivadaye
5,
In some families Abhivadaye is told and Namaskarams is done later, In some
other families , first Namaskarams is done and then Abhivadaye is chanted. We
have to follow our family traditions.
6,If we have to touch the feet of the elders
after telling Abhivadaye, we have to keep our hands as a cross and touch their
right feet with our right hand and their left feet with left hand. If we are
not able to touch, we have to touch the ground before them.
Some Examples
1.Abhivadaye
BHargava , chyavana, AApnaavana,
Ourva, Jamadagnya Pancha rishaya pravaranvitha , Sri Vathsa Gothra, Aapa Sthamba Suthra, Yaju Shakha Adhyayi Sri Ganapthi Satmaanamaham Asmibho.
2.Abhivaadahye AAngeerasa, Baarhaspathya,
Bhaaradwaaja trayaarsheya pravaranvitha, BHaradwaja Gothra, Aapasthambha suthra, Yajushaka Adhyayai
Sri Subrahmanya Sharmaanaham
ASmibho.
3.Abhivadaye
Vasishta , Maithravaruna ,
Kaundinya thraya risheya , AApasthambha
Suthra , Yaju Shakha Adhyayi , Sri
Ramachandra Sharmaanaam Asmibho.
