POURSHEYA & AARSHEYA Brahmins

One friend from our community has said that his wife (from Brahmin community) is not agreeing to wear the holy thread to his son. And her argument is we should not wear the ‘yagnopaveetham’ (holy thread).

“yagnopaveetham paramam pavithram
Prajapthih yath sahajam purasthaath”

That is yagnopaveetham is created by prajaa pathi.
Lord viswakarma is the prajaapathi (this is from Vedas and you can see)

“yath kinchith shilpam that sarvam viswakarmajam”
That is, if any substance (atom to universe) is created that is by the viswakarma only.

We have created the yagnopaveetham. should not we wear it ? Story:‘viswaroopa’ the son of ‘Thwashta’ and the creator of ‘Naarayana Kavacha’ and he recruited as the ‘guru’(priest) fore the gods in place of ‘bruhaspathi’, when bruhaspathi was hidden himself because of the insult made by the ‘indra’. viswaroopa was killed by ‘Indra’ in a cheating war, then the ‘indra’ was attacked by the ‘brahma hathya paathaka’.

So now indra is suffering from the ‘brahma hathya paathakam’(the greatest sin which attacks by killing a brahmin). After some time he asks ‘bruhaspathi’ for solution, then bruhaspathi says ‘if there is any body to share that, then you’ll be relieved and you should give some boons to the person’. Indra searches for the person who shares his sin. But no body is coming to share the nasty sin. At last four persons came to share the sin instead of one person.

1. Earth (prithvy) 2. Trees (vriksha) 3. Sea (samudra) 4. Ladies (sthree)
All these four members share the brahma hathya paathakam of ‘indra’ in the following manner.

Earth shared the sin and releases the sin in the form of “fuller’s earth (choudu mritthika)” and got the boon that the earth will be filled or become closed even after the excavations.
Trees shared the sin and releases the sin in the form of ‘gum’ and got the boon that they can grow even they cut.

Sea shared the sin and released the sin in the form of ‘foam/froth’ and got the boon the at the sea cannot cross the sea shore(generally, not in some cases).
Ladies shared the sin and releases the sin in the form of ‘menstruation’every month and got the boon that they can give birth to children.
NOTE : ‘Jamadagni’(a brahmin) was killed by ‘Kaartha veeryaarjuna’ but no puraana is describing that the ‘kaartha veeryaarjuna’ suffered from the ‘brahma hathya paathakam’

Who are Brahmins?

In general Brahmins are two types. Poursheya Brahmins & Aarsheya Brahmins

Poursheya Brahmins are the Brahmins from the ‘PURUSHA’ and we know the lord VISWAKARMA is the purusha in Vedas (this describes the purusha suktha, that suktha describes about viswakarma only. This is well known to all scholars) Poursheya Brahmins are ‘Manu brahma, Maya brahma, Thwashta brahma, Daivagna brahma, Viswagna brahma’. from these Brahmins, viswakarma generations are started.
Aarsheya Brahmins are from ‘rishis’ they are their ‘saptha rishis’. ‘kausika (son of a heap), jambuka(son of a fox), gouthama (son of a cow), vyasa (son of a fisher woman), vasishta(son of Urvashi), gargeya (son of donkey), suka (son of a parrot), saunaka (son of a dog), Rishyasringa (son of deer), vaalmiki (a thief and hunter), saankhya (son of a dalitha). All these are their prime rishis. But they are wearing yagnopaveetham.

If ‘brahmathwam’ means that knowing the knowledge about the god then they may be Brahmins. If it is a caste prestige then we should go through the Vedas.

‘Brahmam’ means the substance which created. ‘brahmin’ means the person who has the knowledge and ability to create the substance. If the Brahmins are having that power to create any thing they are Brahmins. Otherwise think who has the right to wear the ‘yagnopaveetham’.

विश्वकर्म्म कुले जात गर्भ ब्राह्मण निश्चयम्
शुद्रत्वम् नास्ति तत् बीजम् प्रार्थनम् विश्वकर्म्मणः॥

Viswakarmas are born brahmins and “Shudrathvam” never affect them