Part 13

The orthodox view of the Nambutiri is thus stated in an official document of Travancore. "His person is holy; his directions are commands; his movements are a procession; his meal is nectar; he is the holiest of human beings; he is the representative of god on earth." It may be noted that the priest at the temple of Badrinath in Gurhwal, which is said to have been established by Sankaracharya, and at the temple at Tiruvettiyur, eight miles north of Madras, must be a Nambutiri. The birth-place of Sankara has been located in a small village named Kaladi in Travancore. It is stated by Mr. Subramani Aiyar that "at some part of his eventful life, Sankara is believed to have returned to his native village, to do the last offices to his mother. Every assistance was withdrawn, and he became so helpless that he had to throw aside the orthodox ceremonials of cremation, which he could not get his relations to help him in, made a sacrificial pit in his garden, and there consigned his mother's mortal remains. The compound (garden) can still be seen on the banks of the Periyar river on the Travancore side, with a masonry wall enclosing the crematorium, and embowered by a thick grove of trees."

Every Nambutiri is, theoretically, a life-long student of the Vedas. Some admit that religious study or exercise occupies a bare half hour in the day; others devote to these a couple of hours or more. It is certain that every Nambutiri is under close study between the ages of seven and fifteen, or for about eight years of his life, and nothing whatsoever is allowed to interfere with this. Should circumstances compel interruption of Vedic study, the whole course is, I believe, re-commenced and gone through da capo. A few years ago, a Nambutiri boy was wanted, to be informally examined in the matter of a dacoity in his father's illam; but he had to be left alone, as, among other unpleasant consequences of being treated as a witness, he would have had to begin again his whole course of Vedic study. The Nambutiris are probably more familiar with Sanskrit than any other Brahmans, even though their scholarship may not be of a high order, and certainly none other is to the same extent governed by the letter of the law handed down in Sanskrit.

As already said, the Nambutiris are for the most part landholders, or of that class. They are also temple priests. The rich have their own temples, on which they spend much money. All over Malabar there are to be seen Pattar Brahmans, wandering here and there, fed free at the illams of rich Nambutiris, or at the various kovilakams and temples. And they are always to be found at important ceremonial functions, marriage or the like, which they attend uninvited, and receive a small money present (dakshina). But the Nambutiri never goes anywhere, unless invited. From what I have seen, the presents to Brahmans on these occasions are usually given on the following scale:--eight annas to each Nambutiri, six annas to each Embrantiri, four annas to each Pattar Brahman. The Nambutiri is sometimes a money-lender.

Of the two divisions, Nambutiri and Nambutiripad, the latter are supposed to be stricter, and to rank higher than the former. Pad, meaning power or authority, is often used to all Nambutiris when addressing them. Thus, some who are called Nambutiripads may really be Nambutiris. It may not be strictly correct to divide the Nambutiris thus, for neither so-called division is separated from the other by interdiction of marriage. The class distinctions are more properly denoted the Adhyan and Asyan, of which the former is the higher. An Adhyan is never a priest; he is a being above even such functions as are sacerdotal in the temple. But there are also divisions according to the number of yagams or sacrifices performed by individuals, thus:--Somatiri or Somayaji, Akkitiri or Agnihotri, and Adittiri. A man may reach the first stage of these three, and become an Addittiripad by going through a certain ceremony. At this, three Nambutiri Vaidikars, or men well versed in the Vedas, must officiate. A square pit is made. Fire raised by friction between two pieces of pipal (Ficus religiosa) wood with a little cotton is placed in it. This fire is called aupasana. The ceremony cannot be performed until after marriage. It is only those belonging to certain gotras who may perform yagams, and, by so doing, acquire the three personal distinctions already named. Again, there are other divisions according to professions. Thus it is noted, in the Cochin Census Report, 1901, that "the Adhyans are to study the Vedas and Sastras; they are prohibited from taking parannam (literally meals belonging to another), from taking part in the funeral ceremonies of others, and from receiving presents. Those who perform the sacrifice of adhana are known as Aditiris, those who perform some yaga are called Somayagis or Chomatiris, while those who perform agni are called Agnihotris or Akkitiris. Only married men are qualified to perform the sacrifices. The Nayar is an indispensable factor in the performance of these sacrifices. The Bhattatiris are to study and teach the Sastras; the Orthikans are to teach the Vedas, and to officiate as family priests. The Vadhyans are to teach the Vedas, and to supervise the moral conduct of their pupils. The Vydikans are the highest authority to decide what does or does not constitute violation of caste rules, and to prescribe expiatory ceremonies. The Smarthas are to study the Smritis and other Sastras relating to customs, with the special object of qualifying themselves to preside over caste panchayats, or courts, and to investigate, under the orders of the sovereign, cases of conjugal infidelity arising among the Nambutiris. The rulers of Cochin and Travancore issue the writs convening the committee in the case of offences committed within their territory. The Zamorin of Calicut, and other Chiefs or Rajas, also continue to exercise the privilege of issuing such orders in regard to cases occurring in Malabar. The Tantris officiate as high priests in temples. They also practice exorcism. There are Adhyans among this class also. Having received weapons from Parasu Rama and practiced the art of war, the Sastrangakars are treated as somewhat degraded Brahmans. They are prohibited from studying the Vedas, but are entitled to muthalmura, that is, reading the Vedas, or hearing them recited once. Having had to devote their time and energy to the practice of the art of war, they could not possibly spend their time in the study of the Vedas. The Vaidyans or physicians, known as Mussads, are to study the medical science, and to practice the same. As the profession of a doctor necessitates the performance of surgical operations entailing the shedding of blood, the Mussads are also considered as slightly degraded. They too are entitled only to muthalmura. Of these, there are eight families, known as Ashta Vaidyans. The Gramanis are alleged to have suffered degradation by reason of their having, at the command of Parasu Rama, undertaken the onerous duties of protecting the Brahman villages, and having had, as Rakshapurushas or protectors, to discharge the functions assigned to Kshatriyas. Ooril Parisha Mussads are supposed to have undergone degradation on account of their having accepted from Parasu Rama the accumulated sin of having killed the warrior Kshatriyas thrice seven times, along with immense gifts in the shape of landed estates. They are not allowed to read the Vedas even once."

"There are," Mr. Subramani Aiyar writes, "five sub-divisions among the Nambutiris, which may be referred to:--

(1) Tampurakkal.--This is a corruption of the Sanskrit name Samrat, and has probable reference to temporal as much as to secular sovereignty. Of the two Tampurakkal families in South Malabar, Kalpancheri and Azhvancheri, the latter alone now remains. As spiritual Samrats (sovereigns) they are entitled to (1) bhadrasanam, or the highest position in an assembly, (2) brahmavarchasa, or authority in Vedic lore, and consequent sanctity, (3) brahmasamragyam, or lordship over Brahmans, (4) sarvamanyam, or universal acknowledgment of reverence. Once in six years, the Azhvancheri Tampurakkal is invited by the Maharaja of Travancore, who accords him the highest honours, and pays him the homage of a sashtanganamaskaram, or prostration obeisance. Even now, the Samrats form a saintly class in all Malabar. Though considered higher than all other sub-divisions of Nambutiris, they form, with the Adhyas, an endogamous community.

(2) Adhyas.--They form eight families, called Ashtadhyas, and are said by tradition to be descended from the eight sons of a great Brahman sage, who lived on the banks of the river Krishna. The fund of accumulated spirituality inherited from remote ancestors is considered to be so large that sacrifices (yagas), as well as vanaprastha and sanyasa (the two last stages of the Brahman's life), are reckoned as being supererogatory for even the last in descent. They are, however, very strict in the observance of religious ordinances, and constantly engage themselves in the reverent study of Hindu scriptures. The Tantris are Adhyas with temple administration as their specialised function. They are the constituted gurus of the temple priests, and are the final authorities in all matters of temple ritual.

(3) Visishta.--These are of two classes, Agnihotris and Bhattatiris. The former are the ritualists, and are of three kinds:--(1) Akkittiris, who have performed the agnichayanayaga, (2) Adittiris, who have done the ceremony of agniadhana, (3) Chomatiris, who have performed the soma sacrifice. The Bhattatiris are the philosophers, and are, in a spirit of judicious economy, which is the characteristic feature of all early caste proscriptions, actually prohibited from trenching on the province of the Agnihotris. They study tarkka (logic), vedanta (religious philosophy or theology), vyakarana (grammar), mimamsa (ritualism), bhatta, from which they receive their name, and prabhakara, which are the six sciences of the early Nambutiris. They were the great religious teachers of Malabar, and always had a large number of disciples about them. Under this head come the Vadyars or heads of Vedic schools, of which there are two, one at Trichur in Cochin, and the other at Tirunavai in British Malabar; the six Vaidikas or expounders of the caste canons, and the Smartas, who preside at the smartavicharams or socio-moral tribunals of Brahmanical Malabar.

(4) Samanyas.--They form the Nambutiri proletariat, from whom the study of the Vedas is all that is expected. They take up the study of mantravada (mystic enchantment), puja (temple ritual), and reciting the sacred accounts of the Avatara and astrology.

(5) Jatimatras.--The eight leading physician families of Malabar, or Ashta Vaidyas, are, by an inexcusable misuse of language, called Gatimatras or nominal Nambutiris. The class of Nambutiris called Yatrakalikkar (a corruption of Sastrakalikkar) also comes under this head. They are believed to be the Brahmans, who accepted the profession of arms from their great founder. Those that actually received the territory from the hands of Parasu Rama, called Gramani Nambutiris or Gramani Adhyas, are also Gatimatras. They were the virtual sovereigns of their respective lands. The physicians, the soldiers, and the landed kings, having other duties to perform, were not able to devote all their time to Vedic recitations. The mutalmura or first study was, of course, gone through. In course of time, this fact was unfortunately taken by the religious conscience of the people to lower the Brahmans who were deputed under the scheme of Parasu Rama for special functions in the service of the nation in the scale of Nambutiri society, and to mean a formal prohibition as of men unworthy to be engaged in Vedic study.

Papagrastas are Nambutiris, who are supposed to have questioned the divine nature of Parasu Rama, The Urilparisha Mussus, who too are Brahmans who received gifts of land from Parasu Rama, the Nambitis, the Panniyur Gramakkar, and the Payyanur Gramakkar or the Ammuvans (uncles), so called from their matriarchal system of inheritance, form other sections of Nambutiris."

It is recorded, in the Cochin Census Report, 1901, that "certain special privileges in regard to the performance of religious rites and other matters of a purely social nature serve as the best basis for a sub-division of the Nambutiris in the order of social precedence as recognised amongst themselves. For this purpose, the privileges may be grouped under two main classes, as given in the following mnemonic formula:--

A

1. Edu (the leaf of a cadjan grandha or book): the right of studying and teaching the Vedas and Sastras. 2. Piccha (mendicancy symbolic of family priests): the right of officiating as family priests. 3. Othu (Vedas): the right of studying the Vedas. 4. Adukala (kitchen): the right of cooking for all classes of Brahmans. 5. Katavu (bathing place or ghat): the right of bathing in the same bathing place with other Brahmans, or the right of touching after bathing, without thereby disqualifying the person touched for performing religious services.

B

1. Adu (sheep): the right of performing holy sacrifices. 2. Bhiksha (receiving alms): the right of becoming a Sanyasi. 3. Santhi (officiating as temple priests): the right of performing priestly functions in temples. 4. Arangu (stage): the right of taking part in the performance of Sastrangam Nambudris. 5. Panthi (row of eaters): the right of messing in the same row with other Brahmans.

Those who enjoy the privilege of No. 1 in A are entitled to all the privileges in A and B; those enjoying No. 2 in A have all the privileges from No. 2 downwards in A and B; those having No. 3 in A have similarly all the privileges from No. 3 downwards in A and B, and so on. Those entitled to No.1 in B have all the privileges except No. 1 in A; similarly those entitled to No. 2 in B have all the privileges from No. 2 downwards in B, but only from No. 3 downwards in A, and so on."

Among the people of good caste in Malabar, to speak of one as a hairy man is to speak of him reproachfully. Yet, putting aside Muhammadans, the highest of all, the Nambutiris are certainly the most hairy. In the young Nambutiri, the hair on the head is plentiful, glossy, and wavy. The hair is allowed to grow over an oval patch from the vertex or a little behind it to a little back from the forehead. This is the regular Malabar fashion. The hair thus grown is done into a knot hanging over the forehead or at one side according to fancy, never hanging behind. The rest of the head, and also the face is shaved. The whole body, excepting this knot and the back, is shaved periodically. Karkkadakam, Kanni, Kumbham and Dhanu are months in which shaving should be avoided as far as possible. An auspicious day is always selected by the Nambutiri for being shaved. Gingelly oil (enna) is commonly used for the hair. When a Nambutiri's wife is pregnant, he refrains from the barber, letting his hair grow as it will. And, as he may have as many as four wives, and he does not shave when any of them is in an interesting condition, he sometimes has a long beard. A marked difference observed between the Nambutiri and those allied to him, and the lower races, is this. The former have whiskers in the shape of a full growth of hair on the cheeks, while in the latter this is scanty or entirely absent. Also, while the Nambutiris have very commonly a hairy chest, the others have little or no hair on the chest. So, too, in the case of hair on the arms and legs. One Nambutiri examined had hair all over the body, except over the ribs.

In connection with a hypothesis that the Todas of the Nilgiris are an offshoot of one of the races now existing in Malabar, Dr. W. H. R. Rivers writes as follows. [91] "Of all the castes or tribes of Malabar, the Nambutiris perhaps show the greatest number of resemblances to the customs of the Todas, and it is therefore interesting to note that Mr. Fawcett describes these people as the hairiest of all the races of Malabar, and especially notes that one individual he examined was like a Toda."

It is noted by Mr. Subramani Aiyar that "the Nambutiris are passionate growers of finger-nails, which are sometimes more than a foot long, and serve several useful purposes. As in everything else, the Nambutiri is orthodox even in the matter of dress. Locally-manufactured cloths are alone purchased, and Indian publicists who deplore the crushing of indigenous industries by the importation of foreign goods may congratulate the Kerala Brahmans on their protectionist habits. Silk and coloured cloths are not worn by either sex. The style of dress is peculiar. That of the males is known as tattutukkuka. Unlike the Nayar dress, which the Nambutiris wear during other than religious hours, the cloth worn has a portion passing between the thighs and tucked in at the front and behind, with the front portion arranged in a number of characteristic reduplications. The Nambutiri wears wooden shoes, but never shoes made of leather. Nambutiri women have two styles of dress, viz., okkum koluttum vachchutukkuka for the Adhyans, and ngoringutukkuka for ordinary Nambutiris. Undyed cloths constitute the daily wearing apparel of Nambutiri women. It is interesting to notice that all Brahman women, during a yagnam (sacrifice), when, as at other ceremonials, all recent introductions are given up in favour of the old, wear undyed cloths. Beyond plain finger-rings and a golden amulet (elassu) attached to the waist-string, the Nambutiri wears no ornaments. His ears are bored, but no ear-rings are worn unless he is an Agnihotri, when ear-pendants of an elongated pattern (kundalam) are used. The ornaments of the Nambutiri women have several peculiarities. Gold bracelets are, as it were, proscribed even for the most wealthy. Hollow bangles of brass or bell-metal for ordinary Nambutiris, and of solid silver for the Adhyas, are the ones in use. The chuttu is their ear ornament. A peculiar necklace called cheru-tali is also worn, and beneath this Adhya women wear three garlands of manis or gold pieces, along with other jewels called kasumala, puttali, and kazhuttila. The Nambutiris do not bore their noses or wear nose-rings, and, in this respect, present a striking contrast to the Nayar women. No restriction, except the removal of the tali, is placed on the use of ornaments by Nambutiri women. Tattooing is taboo to Nambutiri women. They put on three horizontal lines of sandal paste after bathing. These marks have, in the case of Adhya women, a crescentic shape (ampilikkuri). Kunkuma, or red powder, is never applied by Nambutiri women to the forehead. Turmeric powder as a cosmetic wash for the face is also not in vogue. Mr. Fawcett states that, on festive occasions, turmeric is used by the Brahmans of Malabar. But this is not borne out by the usage in Travancore. Eye-salves are applied, and may be seen extending as dark lines up to the ears on either side."

The ornaments and marks worn by individual Nambutiri males are thus recorded by Mr. Fawcett:--

(1) Left hand: gold ring with large green stone on first finger; four plain gold rings on third finger; a ring, in which an anavarahan coin is set, on little finger. This is a very lucky ring. Spurious imitations are often set in rings, but it is the genuine coin which brings good luck. Right hand: two plain gold rings, and a pavitram on the third finger. The pavitram is of about the thickness of an ordinary English wedding ring, shaped like a figure of eight, with a dotted pattern at each side, and the rest plain. It is made of gold, but, as every Nambutiri must wear a pavitram while performing or undergoing certain ceremonies, those who do not possess one of gold wear one made of darbha grass. They do not say so, but I think the ring of darbha grass is orthodox.

(2) Golden amulet-case fastened to a string round the waist, and containing a figure (yantram) written or marked on a silver plate. He had worn it three years, having put it on because he used to feel hot during the cool season, and attributed the circumstance to the influence of an evil spirit.

(3) Youth, aged 12. Wears a yak skin sash, an inch wide, over the left shoulder, fastened at the ends by a thong of the same skin. He put it on when he was seven, and will wear it till he is fifteen, when he will have completed his course of Vedic study. A ring, hanging to a string in front of his throat, called modiram, was put on in the sixth month when he was named, and will be worn until he is fifteen. The ears are pierced. He wears two amulets at the back, one of gold, the other of silver. In each are some chakrams (Travancore silver coins), and a gold leaf, on which a charm is inscribed. One of the charms was prepared by a Mappilla, the other by a Nambutiri.

(4) Black spot edged with yellow in the centre of the forehead. Three horizontal white stripes on the forehead. A dab on each arm, and a stripe across the chest.

(5) Black spot near glabella, and two yellow horizontal stripes near it. The same on the chest, with the spot between the lines.

(6) Red spot and white stripe on the forehead. A red dab over the sternum, and on each arm in front of the deltoid.

(7) An oval, cream-coloured spot with red centre, an inch in greatest length, over the glabella.

The stripes on the forehead and chest are generally made with sandal paste. Rudraksha (nuts of Eloeocarpus Ganitrus) necklaces, mounted in gold, are sometimes worn.

The thread worn by men over the left shoulder is made of a triple string of country-grown cotton, and, unlike other Brahmans of Southern India, no change is made after marriage. It may be changed on any auspicious day. Brahmans of Southern India outside Malabar change their thread once a year.