Abhivadaye

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.