MAGAS in India :
MAGAS in India :
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The
Zoroastrians form a very small religious minority in India, many of whom are
Parses. After invading Arabs succeeded in taking Ctesiphon in 637, Islam
largely superseded Zoroastrianism, and the power of the Magi faded. Many (but
not all) of the mages fled the advent of Islam in Persia, or Iran, by
emigrating to India, settling in western principalities which form the modern
states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. As one can only be Zoroastrian by birth, the
number of Parses and Zoroastrians in the world is shrinking, and the remaining
population risks passing down genetic defects as with any small community.
Suffice to say Parses are very rare, and Magi are even rarer. In India there is
a community termed Maga, Bhojaka or Shakadvipi Brahmins. Their major centers
are in Rajasthan in Western India and near Gaya in Bihar. According to
Bhavishya Purana and other texts, they were invited to settle in Punjab to
conduct the worship of Lord Sun (Mitra or Surya in Sanskrit). Bhavishya Purana
explicitly associates them to the rituals of the Zoroastrian faith.
The
members of the community still worship in Sun temples in India. They are also
hereditary priests in several Jain temples in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Bhojakas
are mentioned in the copperplates of the Kadamba dynasty (4-6th cent) as
managers of Jain institutions. Images of Lord Sun in India are shown wearing a
central Asian dress, complete with boots. The term "Mihir" in India
is regarded to represent the Maga influence. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
.A detailed, though legendry, account of their immigration into India is given
in some Purina’s. The substance of what is given in the BHAVISHYA PURANA is as
follows. Samba, a son of Krishna, was stricken with leprosy. He was cured of
the disease through the worship of Sun god, and he erected a temple of god at
Mitravana on the chandrabhaga. No Brahmin willing to serve as priest at the
temple, Samb has to bring in eight families of the Sun worshipping Maga-
Brahmanas, descendents of Jarasabda (viz.Jalagambu, Jarasastra, evidently
Zoroaster) from Sakadvipa, and settle them at Sambpura, built by him. These
Brahmans were given daughters of Bhoja line in marriage and hence become known
as Bhojkas. The association of Zoroaster, the founder of the Zoroastrian
religion, and some of the special customs of the Maga Brahmanas, such as
wearing the girdle called avyanga the aiwyaon of the avstaand the Kusti of the
modern Parsees), having beards, eating in silence, the prohibition of touching
corpses, using barsma (Avestan baresman, modern barsom) in place of
darbha(Kusha grass),etc., leave no room for doubt that they were the ancient
sun worshipers of Iran.
The
Maga did not confine them to Sambpura, identified with the modern Multan, where
Hiuen Tsang saw a grand Sun temple in the seventh century. They soon spread
over other parts of India. Ptolemy (middle of the second century AD) vouches
for the existence of the ‘Bbrach manai Magoi’ in the south. An inscription from
Deo –Barnark(District sahabad) records the initial grant of a village to the
Sun god by the ruler Baladitya in favour of the bhojka Suryamitra, its renewal
by Sarvaburman and Avantiburman in favour of the Bhojaka Hamsmitra and
Rishimitra and its continuance by Jivitgupta II(Early eighth century) in favour
of the Bhojak Durdharamitra. The Govindpur inscription of 1137-38 attests to
the existence in Gaya of a highly Cultured Maga Family, celebrated for its
learning, Vedic studies and poetic faculty, whom Samb himshelf brought
hither.(Encyclopaedia indica II,330). Other references to the Magas in
inscriptions show that they completely amalgamated themshelves with the Hindus
by adopting Indian names, manners and customs, and except for the accidental
mention of the term Maga, it is impossible for us to distinguish them as
foreigners. They took part in every sphere of our activity and enriched our
poetry too.(D. Mitra 1937,613).
They
contributed much to astronomy and astrology. The famous astronomer Varahmihira
was himshelf a Maga. The descendents of the Maga Brahmanas are still interested
in astrology, foretelling, divination, propiciation of planetary deities(graham
yoga),etc. As they enjoyed the gift made for the propriation of
Grahas(planets), they are called Graha-vipras(astrologers).But the most
important contributiion, of theMagi priests(who were elevated to the status of
Brahmanas in some indigenous texts)was the introduction of a particular form of
Sun worship which is different from the ancient indigenous mode.(ibid1937,614).
Varahmihira
directs that the installation of the Surya images should be made by the Magas,
who were the fit person to worship the God(Vrihata samhita 60,19) Iconographic
texts enjoin that the images of Surya(Sun)should be dressed like northerner
with the legs covered, that he should wear a coat of a male and a girdle. The
early representations of the God actually follow these injunctions. In later
times, how ever, attempts were made to indianize the foreign features by
discarding some of them and by inventing stories to interpret the others. It is
very much clear from different historical account that the Shakadwipi Brahamana
was instrumental in not only introducing Sun-worship but also construction of
Sun- Temples In different part of the country (viz.Kasmir, Kathiawad and
Somnath in Gujrat, Dholpur in Rajputana, Hissar in Jodhpur, Bharatput and
Khajuraho in Madhyapradesh. Konark in Orissa etc.)[Basudeo Upadhyay,1982
116-124] . The three famous Sun temples at Deo, Devkund and Umga in Bihar were
also constructed on their recommendations.
The
Maga-vyakti of Krishnadas Mishra contains an elaborate account of these Maga
Brahmanas. The descendents of the Magas are known in different places by
different names. In Rajputana, they are called Bhojakas. They are known in
Bengal as graham-vipras and Acharya Brahmanas, interested in astrology and the
lore of the planets. Some of the Shakdwipi Brahmanas of Bihar and Uttarpradesh
are Ayurvedic Physicians, some are preists in Rajput families, while others are
landholders. There are also many who had taken to other professions.
(D.Mitra,1937, 615). The major concentration of Sakadwipies was in Magadh
(place that holds Magas) kingdom so named after Maga-Brahmana domain. Here they
were allotted 72 principalities of villages (PUR). They gradually migrated to
different nooks and corners of the country. The shakadwipi even today are most
respected Brahamana in Bihar. They are identified through their PUR
affiliations than Gotra.affiliation.
They are endogamous caste groups but strictly practice GOTRA and PUR Exogamy unlike
others and give it prime importance in marriage. They were the priest of many
Indian Kingdoms until British regime in India. Most of them remembers their
mythological immigration and are proud of it. They have their associations
called Sakadwipi Brahman Mahasabha at almost all places of their habitat. This
community has produced many astrologers, Ayurved specialists, poets, Priests
and novelists in this country. Mention may be made of Aryabhatta,
Varahmihir,Van bhatta,Vagbhatta etc. Pushyamitra, probably, the first Maga-
Brahmana established his empire in India and restored Modern Hinduism from
Buddhists.
MAGA(Shakadwipi) kingdom of
Ayodhya:
In
modern times, Shakadwipi Brahman of Godda district in Uttar pradesh established
his kingdom at Ayodhya. The king of Ayodhya was shakadwipi Brahmana belonging
to GARG gotra and Binsaiya (Binyark) PUR affiliation. Their
descendents still live in the castle of Ayodhya. Modern History of Ayodhya
begins with the Shakadwipi kings who reigned until the enactment of abolishment
rule in 1955 that brought the dissolution of the Raja of Ayodhya. In the
beginning of the 19th century one Mr. Sadasukh Pathak was appointed as the
chaudhury of Ayodhya by the King of Delhi but when Nawab Mirkasim of Bengal
became the ruler of the area, his Jamindari was taken away and he along with
his son Gopal Ram Pathak went to Amroha in the district of Basti, where they
settled down in Nand Nagar.(Sharma 1998,24-25).
Gopal
Ram’s son Purandar Ram married the daughter of one Ganga Ram Mishir and was
blessed with five sons, named Bakhtawar Singh, Shivadhin Singh,Darsan Singh,
Iksha Singh and Devi Prasad Singh. All of them became famous in one way or
other. Bakhtawar Singh entered the Army of East India Company and while his
platoon was in Lucknow, The Nawab of Avadh, Sa-a-dul-ali Khan appointed him as
the chief of his force. After some time Nawb Gaji-u-din Haider gave him the
title of Raja(King) in 1821.His younger Brother Darsan Singh was appointed
chief of the area of Sultanpur and Baharaich and came to be known as BAHADUR.
He also became the area officer of Godda and bore the title of Raja(King). Raja
Darsan Singh Built the Shiva temple, cement ghat around Saryu kund and Estate
of Darsan Nagar. (Sharma1998, 25).
Raja
Man Singh, son of Raja Darsan Singh attacked and conquered the fort of
Surajpur. The King of Delhi conferred on him the title of Raja- Bahadur. Later
the title of Kayam- Jung was awarded to him. When Raja Bakhtawar Singh died, he
became the ruler of the whole area including Ayodhya. He was given title of
MAHARAJA in Lucknow Durbar along with a sum of Rs.7000 in 1859.He was one of
the most important Talukdars of this region and was also given the title of
Knight Commanders Star of India(KCSI) by British Empire. His heir Pratap Narayan
Singh ascended the crown of Mahadauna in 1880. The British Government conferred
on Pratap Narayan Singh, the title of MAHARAJA in 1887. In 1890, the name of
Mahadauna Raj was changed to Ayodhya Raj. In 1895, he was bestowed with the
title of Knight Commanders Stars of India (KCSI) and later on given the title
of MAHAMAHOPADHYAYA in 1896. He was also a member of Legislative Council for
two years. He got the title of AYODHYA –NARESH and constructed RAJ- SADAN. He
was also known as DADUA- MAHARAJA. Raja Jagadambika Pratap Narayan Singh was
declrared Raja on February 12, 1909 and ruled the Raj until the enactment of
abolition act in 1955. He adopted Dr.Ram Narayan Mishra who took charge of the
Raj in independent India and was elected to legislative council. (Sharma 1998,
27). Pt. Janaki Vallabh Shastri ,who refused the national Padma Bhushan award,
the great Hindi poet belongs to this community. There are numerous scholars,
physicists, engineeers, doctors, Administrators belonging to this community in
India. In Bihar, they enjoy supremacy among the Brahmanas. (Sharma1998, 26).
An
Anthropological study by Saran and Pandey(1992) on sun worship of India
clearly describes the association of MAGA or Shakdwipi Brahmanas as
priest(Sacred Specialists)of Different Sun-Shrines in India specially Bihar.
According to them,” Sun worship in India received a further development in Puranic Literatures when different kinds
of Vrata in the name of Sun-God and
existence of the Sun temples and Shakadwipi Brahmanas as their Priest came into
existence. (Saran and Pandey, 1992,79).” These authors are of opinion that
Shakadwipi Brahmanas are sons of the soil of country. In their words, “The
association of Shakadwipi Brahmanas as temple priests of Sun shrine has created
a confusion among scholars over the migration of Shakas in India from Cystin in Middle-East-Asia. The vie is
contrary to Puranic traditions which description of Shakadwip appears in
Saurastra of modern Gujrat. It was Samb ,the son of Lord Krishna who erected
Sun shrines in the name of Sun God for the first time at several places like
Multan, Konark, Dwarka, Prayag etc. On this ground, some scholars believe, India
as original home of not only Shakas but
Aryans as well. The present day
special feature of Sun worship in Magahi Culture region is existence of
numerous Sun shrines. Majority of them are managed by Shakadwipi Brahmanas with
the help of local Hindus.”(Saran and Pandey,1992, 180).
The
recent discovery in Jharkhand entitled “The megaliths of Punkri Burwadih”
reveals the presence of Shakadwipiya or
Maga brahmanas in the land of Jharkhand, India in 3000BC.They immigrated to
India along with so called Aryan immigration and become the native of this
country. (Das 2012) writes, “Profound research has revealed that these
megaliths in hoary antiquity were created not only to serve as burials but also
as observatories to study the transits of the sun and may be also of the moon
and of certain constellations with the assistance of precisely positioned
stones. It could be that the Magis with their knowledge of astronomy were
involved with the tribals in setting up of these sun temples; the megaliths.
Megaliths being known very little to us this assumption may seem preposterous
to many, but one who knows such megaliths and the Sakaldweepis can identify
with my hypothesis.” (Das 2012). This also confirms that Maga or Shakadwipiyas
introduced Sun (SINGBONGA) worship
even among the other Tribal groups who also immigrated during the same period
form Mohanjodaro or Haraapaa civilization. If we call the Magas as foreigners
then every community that immigrated to India during Aryan immigration is
foreigner to this land. The above evidences clearly support the view that Maga
or Shakadwipi Brahmanas are of Indigenous origin like other Aryans and are
working as Sacred Specialists of Sun worship in India since time immemorial( at
least before 3000 BC).
Subhashis
Das, in a recent research article “The
Enigmatic Sakaldweepis” bring out the following facts about Shakadwipi
(Maga)Brahamanas-The “Sacred
Specialists” of Sun Worship in India- “Among the most erudite and scholarly
of all the ancients were the "SAKALDWEEPIS’ or the “SAKALDWEEPI
BRAHMANS" also known as the “MAGAS”, “MAG BRAHMANS or simply “MAGIS”. No
set of people could have matched their knowledge of medicine, metallurgy,
astronomy, astrology, languages, geodetics, you name it; at a time when most of
the world was reeling under the obscurity of illiteracy. Where from they had
acquired such eruditeness is a mystery. One should bear in mind
that being sun worshippers to my understanding wouldn’t necessarily mean
ritualistic oblation of the sun but also its observation and study. The
megaliths of Punkri Burwadih, Rola, Nilurallu, Asota etc too are sun temples
but with a difference. Profound research has revealed that these megaliths in
hoary antiquity were created not only to serve as burials but also as
observatories to study the transits of the sun and may be also of the moon and
of certain constellations with the assistance of precisely positioned stones.
It could be that the Magis with their knowledge of astronomy were involved with
the tribals in setting up of these sun temples; the megaliths. Megaliths being
known very little to us this assumption may seem preposterous to many, but one
who knows such megaliths and the Sakaldweepis can identify with my hypothesis.
(Das 2012).
According
to the legends and the Bhavisya Purana they were brought in from “Sak Dweep”. “Dweep”
would mean an island but here it could also mean a province, perhaps somewhere
around present day Iran. Research has however shown that “Sak Dweep” could be
around Sumeria, a region in where another tribe of India is believed to have
had their origin, the Santals. Legend has it that Shamb, the son (or grandson)
was accursed by his father (or grandfather), Krishna to be infected by leprosy.
Eventually when the ailment augmented all over him he was advised by Krishna to
travel to Chandrabhaga River in the west of the country where he would
encounter a sage who would propose him the remedy. Shamb travelled alone on
foot and met the holy man in the vicinity of a ruined sun temple originally
created by a set of sun worshippers known as Magis brought earlier by the local
king from a very remote place identified as Saka Desh. After building the sun
temple here the Magis had returned to their homeland frustrated from a squabble
with the king. The sage also told him that they were also medicinal healers
having profound knowledge of diseases and medicines.(Das 2012).
The
Sadhu advised Shamb to travel to Saka desh and bring back with him the sun
worshippers who had created the temple. Shamb complied and travelled to Saka
desh who is eventually believed to have had succeeded in convincing eighteen of
these Magis to return to India. The much learned Sakaldweepis eventually
set up two more temples renovating the ruined one. The renovated one was
created for the observation and worshipping of the setting sun. They built
another temple for the study of the sun in its mid- position in Mathura and to
study the sun in its rising situation in the east they constructed another sun
temple in Konark. Shamb in the meantime had accompanied these scholars to all
these places and eventually they completely cured his ailment. In due
course of time, as the name suggests they settled in the region of Magadha (in
South Bihar in eastern India)…the term Magadh could be the upshot of the confluence
of two terms Mag and Diha, diha being
a village. Magadh could be the colloquial term of the original Magdiha or
the diha or the village of the Mags. Biblical legends
associate the Magis with the birth of Jesus Christ, as these knowledgeable
people from the East (Sumeria is to the East of Bethlehem) had prophecised the
birth of Christ. However deeper study is required to conclude whether both the
Magis of the Indian tradition and the one of the Biblical legend were really
the same lot or not (Das 2012).
In
another recent research article by Rusav Kumar Sahu , Sun-Worship in Odisha ,
published in Odisha Review November -2012 bring out the following facts about
Shakadwipi (Maga)Brahamanas,the “Sacred
Specialists” of Sun Worship in Orissa. Sun-worship in Kalinga in all
probability existed from the remote days. The connection of the Sun-god with
Kalinga is known from the Jaiminiya Grhyasutra (2.9) which mentions, “Jatam
Arka Kalingesu”, indicating as god. Like other parts of India, we do not find
the human representation of the Sun- God either on the coins or on the
potteries. Epigraphy plays an important role in the study of the antiquity of
Sun worship supported by various copper plate grant and inscriptions found in
various parts of the state ranging from 5th century A.D. to 13th century A.D.
The oval seal of the plate contains an emblem, which looks like a solar disk.
Probably he belonged to Sailodbhava dynasty. This reveals that Sun worship had
already become the religion of the royal house in 569 A.D. He is the first
person who patronized Sun-cult in Kalinga. The cult seems to have been popular
in Odisha in 6th-7th century A.D. that a set of Brahmins known as “Maitrayeniya
Brahmanas” appeared in coastal Odisha during this period. The Olsing copper plate
of Bhanuvardhana15 and Kanasa plate of Lokavigraha (600 A.D.),16 it is
mentioned that these Maitreyaniya Brahmanas, who were worshippers of Mitra
(Sun), were accorded royal patronage with the issue of land grant.
Varahamihira, who was in all probability a Maga Brahmana devoted to the
Sun-god, mentions in his Brihat Samhita, that of the countries of Odra, Kalinga
and their people are under the direct influence of the Sun (Bhaskara Svami). In
this connection, it is to be noted that according to Agni Purana,17 the
Brahmanas who were deputed to Sun-worship and who migrated from the Saka dvipa,
were named as Magas. N.N. Vasu,18 after discussing at length about Sun worship
in Odisha, has come to the conclusion that the Magas introduced Sun worship in
Odisha from an early time. According to Puranic sources only the Angirasa
Bharadvaja Brahmanas preserved their ancient cult. From the Ganjam grant of
Madhavaraja-II, we know that he granted the village Chhavalakhya to
Chharampadeva of Bharadvaja gotra and Angirasa Pravara on the occasion of a
Solar eclipse,19 a day of significance for the Sun worshippers. According to
the Banapur20 and Parikuda21 copper plate grant of the Sailodbhava ruler
Madhyamaraja -I (665-695 A.D.), certain solar saints of Kangoda mediated in front
of the mid-day Sun to get merits from the Sun-god. Thus it is obvious that
Madhavaraja-II was a patron of Sun worship in Kangoda. It was not only the
personal religion of Dharmaraja-I in 569 A.D., but it was also widely accepted
by a set of Brahmins of the Puri and Ganjam districts of Odisha by the years
600 A.D. and 695 A.D. (Sahu2012)
The
inscriptions of the early Ganga rulers throw light on the progress of
Sun-worship. The Sun temple at Arasavalli in Srikakulam district of Andhra
Pradesh was a centre of Sun-worship, at the time of Devendra Varman of the
early Ganga family. The inscriptions of the early period of the Gangas contain
many proper names referring to the Sun-god like Bhanuchandra, Prabhakara,
Adityadeva, Udayaditya, Divakarasarma, Ravisarma, Bhanusarma etc.
Sun –worship made further progress during the
rule of the imperial Gangas. The connection of the Sun-worshipping
Maga-Brahmanas of Bihar with Odisha may be inferred from the Govindpur stone
inscription of the Maga poet Gangadhara (1137-38 A.D.), which records that
Manoratha went to “the sacred Purusottama”. The stone inscriptions of the
Nilesvara temple33(modern Nilakanthesvara in the village Narayanapur,
Visakhapatnam district) shows that an image of Aditya or Sun was enshrined
there in the reign of Ganga king Rajaraja-I (1070 A.D.1078 A.D.).This is most
probably the earliest instance to show that Sun worship was practised by the
Gangas. The Nagari plates of Anangabhima-III (1211-38 A.D.), contain
interesting information regarding the Aditya Purana or the text of Sun-worship.
Anangabhima-III is said to have granted five Vatis of land in accordance with
the recommendation of the Aditya Purana (Adityapuranaotam).( Odisha Review,
November -2012).
Present
form of Sun-worship-
Sun
worship is a part of everyday ritual is till practised in Odisha. In central
Odisha (Dhenkanal and Angul) the followers of Mahima Dharma, everyday pray to
the rising and setting Sun. At the Lingaraja temple, Surya puja is a part of
the daily routine. On Magha Saptami the representative of Lord Lingaraja is
taken out in a procession to the Bhaskaresvara Siva temple located in
Brahmesvara Patna of Bhubaneswar. Bhaskaresvara, the Sivalinga, is named after
Bhaskara, the Sun-god. After joint worship of Siva and Surya, the deity returns
to the Lingaraja temple. Magha Saptami is also known as Ratha Saptami, as on
this day the Sun-god got his chariot. The chariot of Lord Lingaraja is
constructed as per the specification of the Bhaskaresvara temple. The Niladri
Mohodaya, which lays down the rules regarding the worship of Lord Jagannatha
also mentions the ritual of Sun-worship with appropriate Dhyanas, Nyasas and
Mudras. It even proclaims that without the worship of Sun, the worship of Visnu
is fruitless. The worship of the Lord Jagannatha at Puri is also supposed by
some Scholars to be connected with solar worship and the image itself is
supposed to be a primitive representation of the orb of the Sun. It is
noteworthy that the Car festival of Jagannatha at Puri is a feature which was
also observed in the worship of the Sun-god, Sun-worship survives in the
society in the form of popular vratas such as Ravi Narayana vrata, Pusa
Ravivara vrata and Dutiya Osa. The Krtya Kaumudi of Brhaspati Misra (c. 1350
A.D.) also lays down the procedure, quoting passages from the Smrti Samuccaya,
Matsya Purana and Brahma Purana. Sarala Das (15th century A.D.) in his
Mahabharata mentions that a large number of people used to visit the tirtha of
the Chandrabhaga in the month of Makara on the Sukla Saptami day. The festival
continued even after the ruin of the temple and gradual silting up of the river
Chandrabhaga. ( Sahu 2012).
Case
study of a Sun- worshipper family in Bihar-
Village
Khaira is a multi-caste village under Maharajganj Panchayat of Kutumba
block in Aurangabad district of Bihar, situated at the bank of river Batre.
During Jamindaari system of British Raj it was under Mali state. The mythology
of village establishment suggests that, there was a daughter of Mali Raja who
was very dear to him but suffering from chronic illness and there was no hope
for her survival. In the meantime a person known as Toshdhar Vaidya, an Ayurved practitioner, passing through
the state boundary caught attention of the people and brought to Raja. On
Raja’s request he examined the patient and prescribed some medicines and went
off. Fortunately, the patient, so dear to Raja survived the illness. This was
considered as miracle at that time. The Raja called the Vaidya again and asked
for his desire as fee. The Vaidya denied taking any gift or favor saying it was
his duty to cure patient. But on insistence by Raja and his family he said that
the Village Khaira in forest area with Khair
trees having medicinal plants be given to him for his work. The Raja donated
the land with five villages-Khaira, Khusihaalpur, Barwadih, Sitabigha and
Haneya to the Toshdhar Vaidya who was a resident of Satgawan village in
Maharajganj. This way, five village Jamindaari was bestowed on him and Khaira
become the seat of Jammindaar in British India. The forest land was cleared
with the help of villagers for agriculture and accordingly life started in the
village. The descendents of Toshdhaar Vaidya continue to develop their
agricultural land and Jamindaari till it was abolished in independent India.
Toshdhsr Vaidya was a Shakdwipi (Maga) Brahman traditionally affiliated to
Shukla Yajurved, Shakha-Madhyandini, Sutra-Katyayan with five important RISHIS(Pravar-5-Garg,Gaurivrita,Angiras,Brihaspati
and Bhardwaj) belonging to Gotra- Garg and
Pur- Binsain(Binyark) . His ancestors, Ramraj Vaidya was a resident of Village-Kauriari
in District of Biharwho’s son Gajadhar Vaidya and his son Chakradhar Vaidya migrated to village Satgawan
in Maharajganj of gaya district in Bihar, and then Toshdhar Vaidya finally
settled at village Khaira in Maharajganj
of Gaya district in Bihar. Tishdhar
Vaidya married twice, had three sons, Bansidhar Vaidya and Hemcandhandra vaidya
from first wife and Sheocharan vaidya from second wife. Hemcharan Vaidya had
seven sons and Sheo charan vaidya had
three sons-Pamod Bihari Sharma, Anand Bihari and Binod Bihari Sharma. They
changed theit title from vaidya to original Brahmini cal order, SHARMA. Toshdhar
Vaidya’s gotra people are decedents of Hariraj Vaidya of Sahijana, Devraj
vaidya of Panwari(Jyotishi jee), Brahmraj Vaidyaof Hariharganj (kaushal Kishore
Vaidya) .Vansidhar Vaidya had five sons namely, Ramcandra Vaidya, Ramapati
Vaidya, Rama Vallabh Shastry, Raghaw Durra Vaidya and Kamlapati Vaidya. All the
five earned great name and fame in Sanskrit literature and fields like KAVYA. VYAKARAN, PURAN, AYURVED etc.
Four of them worked in various schools at Kolkata as respected teachers. Pt.
Ramaballabh Shastry become Sanskrit teacher in Govind High School, Garhwa,
Palamu and retired from there. Ramapati Vaidya become principal of Savitri
Kanya Pathsala at Kolkata and retired after 42 years of yeomen service as
principal. Pandit Kamlapati Vaidya took degree of “Vishak- Siromany” in
Ayurveda from Dhaka Medical College, Kolkatta and founded Sri Krishna
Aushdhaalaya(Ayurvedik medicine production centre) at Satbarwa in Palamu district of Bihar,where he was also
elected twice as Mukhiya of Satbarwa Gram Panchayat in 1951 and 1957. This
family of sacred specialists (Shakadwipi Brahmin) had five Sanskrit teachers
and five Astrologers and five Ayurved practioners engaged in Sun worship as
their family deity (KULDEVTA).
Likewise, all the magi Brahman families worship Sun as its family tutelary
deity.
Conclusion-
From
the above discussions, it is very clear that through association of MAGA or Shakdwipi Brahmanas as priest (Sacred Specialists) of different
Sun-Shrines in Bihar like DEV BARUNAARK, DEVKUND, and UMGA and elsewhere, the
sun worship become popular among masses in India. They have a complex structure
and function at sun shrines which ultimately unite people of diverse
geographical regions, economic groups, caste groups and linguistic groups in
India and also popularized sun worship among the “Little community” members of Indian civilization through festival of sun
popularly known as “CHHATH FESTIVAL”.
The major concentration of these Sacred
Specialists (Maga-Brahmanas) of Sun worship in India is in Magadha(place
that holds Magas) kingdom so named after Maga-Brahmana domain i.e. Bihar. As
the mythology suggests, here, they were allotted 72 principalities of villages
(PUR). They gradually migrated to different nooks and corners of the country.
These Shakadwipies, even today are most respected Brahman in Bihar. They are
Known through their PUR affiliations
than GOTRA affiliation. They are
endogamous caste groups but strictly practice GOTRA and PUR exogamy unlike
others and give it prime importance in marriage. They were the priest of Sun
shines in many Indian Kingdoms until British regime in India. Most of them
remembers their mythological immigration and are proud of it. They continue to
work as sacred specialists in different Sun temples throughout the length and
breathe of the country. I would like to close with new remarks of Das (Das
2012), that “Among the most erudite and scholarly of all the ancients were the
"SAKALDWEEPIS’ or the “SAKALDWEEPI BRAHMANS" also known as the
“MAGAS”, “MAG BRAHMANS or simply “MAGIS”. No set of people could have matched
their knowledge of medicine, metallurgy, astronomy, astrology, languages,
geodetics, you name it; at a time when most of the world was reeling under the
obscurity of illiteracy. Where from they had acquired such eruditeness is a
mystery. One should bear in mind that being sun worshippers to my
understanding wouldn’t necessarily mean ritualistic oblation of the sun but
also its observation and study. The megaliths of Punkri Burwadih, Rola,
Nilurallu, Asota etc too are sun temples but with a difference. Profound
research has revealed that these megaliths in hoary antiquity were created not
only to serve as burials but also as observatories to study the transits of the
sun and may be also of the moon and of certain constellations with the
assistance of precisely positioned stones. It could be that the Magis with
their knowledge of astronomy were involved with the tribal in setting up of
these sun temples; the megaliths. Megaliths being known very little to us this
assumption may seem preposterous to many, but one who knows such megaliths and
the Sakaldweepis can identify with my hypothesis”.
This
study, like several other such studies, emphasizes the important roles of
Sacred Specialists of Sun worship, in maintaining continuity and bringing
changes in the centers of Great traditions.
References:
1.
L.P Vidyarthi, The Sacred Complex of
Hindu Gaya, Asia Publishing House , Bombay. (1961).
2.
L.P Vidyarthi, Saraswati and Jha The
Sacred Complex of Kashi, (1978).
3.
Subhashis Das, The Enigmatic Sakaldweepis, https://www.facebook.com/notes/subhashis-das/thea-enigmatic-
4.
sakaldweepis/424201520945725?pnref=lhc,
June 2, 2012 at 6:17pm.
5.
Rusav Kumar Sahu , Sun-Worship in
Odisha, Odisha Review, (pp 25-32),November -2012.
6.
Dr.V.S Upadhyaya 1974 The Sacred
Geography of Dwarka, JSR VOL.XVII, N0 2, Ranchi
7.
Dr. M.Jha 1971 the sacred complex of
Janakpur,United Publisher, Allahabad.
8.
Mrs. Debala Mitra, Foreign Elements In
Indian Culture, The cultural Heritage of India,vol.II,pp612-615,The Ramakrishna
Mission Institute of Culture,Calcutta,1962
9.
Dr. Basudeo Upadhyay, PRACHINA BHARTIYA
MURTIVIJNANA, pp116-124 , Chaukhamba Vidyabhawan, Varanasi, 1982.
10.
Dr.Vijay Prakash Sharma, The Sadhus and
Indian Civilization, Anmol Publication Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1998
11.
Dr. Vijay Prakash Sharma, Shakadwipi
(Maga) Brahamanas In India , Pandit Kamalapati Vaidya Memorial Society for
Development ,Ranchi, 2008.
12.
Anirudha
Behari Saran and Gaya Pandey,
Sun Worship in India:
A Study of Deo Sun-Shrine, Northern Book Centre, New Delhi, 1992, ISBN
87-7211-030-8.
13.
Jatadhari Mishra, Magabandhu, Vol.3-4,
July-December, Ranchi, 2006 .
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