Bengali Brahmins - Divisions Among Bengali Brahmins

Divisions Among Bengali Brahmins

• Varendra, from Varendra region (NE&E Bengal (Bangladesh))
• Rādhi' from Radh (SE Bengal, approximately modern West Bengal SW of the Ganges.
• Vaidika, migrant brahmins from other parts of India.

Other minor divisions are :

• Saptaśati
• Pirāli
• Patita

It is believed that the Brahmins of Bengal adapted kulinism from a similar hierarchical system used by the Brahmins of Mithilā, although Kānyakubja and more especially Saryupāriya were also highly scrupulous. The five original Brahmins belonged to five gotras : Śāndilya, Kāśyapa, Vatsa, Bhārdvāja, Sāvarṇa Both Brahmins and Kayasthas in Bengal have followed a system that ranks the clans hierarchically. The Kulinas formed the higher ranking clans.

• Rādhi Rādhi (also Rāṭhi in some old texts) is the major branch of Western Bengali brahmins . The descendants of these five Pancyājñika brahmins were hierarchically organised into three categories :

• Śrotriya is the second rank among the descendants of these five brahmins because they were deft in Vedic knowledge but were considered to be somewhat inferior to the Kulina brahmins (possessing 8 out of 9 noble qualities).

• Vamśaja is the third rank which was a result of kulinas marrying outside kulinas.

Major titles adopted by the high Rādhi brahmins :

• Mukhopādhyāya and its adaptation Mukherjee a Kulin brahmin
• Bandopādhyāya and its adaptation Banerjee a Kulin brahmin
• Chattopādhyāya and its adaptation Chatterjee a Kulin brahmin
• Gangopādhyāya and its adaptation Ganguli / Ganguly a Kulin brahmin
• Bhattāchārya and its adaptation Bhattacharya/ Bhattacharjee a Kulin brahmin
• Goswami and its adaptation Swami of ones own Gow / further Gow stands for 5 Sense of human body, so sanyasins are those who can master their own senses. a Kulin brahmin

Jāti-Bhāṣkar mentions that those who were given grants along the Ganges by Ballāl Sena were called Gangopādhyāya (literally 'the Vedic teachers in the regions around the Ganges').

Mukhopādhyāya means chief Vedic teacher. Bandopādhyāya is a Sanskritized form of 'Banodha + upādhyāya', Banodha being the ancient name of Raebareli-Unnāva whence their ancestors had come from.

Bhattāchārya meant 'expert of Vedic rituals'. This was an honorary title awarded to a Rādhi, Vārendra or Vaidika brahmin who excelled in spiritual and vedic matters. The Bhattāchārya's are generally referred to as the Hindu Priests in Bengal.

Goswami is a typically a title bestowed on people who choose the path of Sannyasa. The sanyasins or disciples of Adi Shankaracharya are also called "Dash Nam" as the Title Goswami is further divided into ten groups viz. Giri, Puri, Bharti, Ban, Aranya, Sagar, Aashram, Saraswati, Tirth, Yogi and Parwat. These all dashnam Goswamis are associated with four Math in four corners of India, established by Adi Shankaracharya. Initially all the disciples were Sanyasins who embraced sanyas either after marriage or without getting married. Since, sanyasins are considered as Brahmin therefore during the course of time, those who embraced married life on the order of their guru and their decedents are considered Brahmins with the surname Goswami. Being a Goswami Sanyasin includes a vow of celibacy. Some religious traditions use the title Swami for those who had never married, and Goswami for those who had been married in that life and vow not to marry again. This is also the source of the surname Gosain. Goswami can also refer to an individual from the Brahmin caste of the Hindu religion.