ORIGIN OF BRAHMKSHATRIYA (UTPATTI)

By .Sh. Gauri Shankar Khatri

The following history of Brahmkshtriyas is based on series of articles written by

Sh. Gauri Shankar Khatri, published in "Hinglaj Jyoti" (Jodhpur) in 1980-81. The
learned writer had drawn this information from following books:
Shri Vishnu Puran, Hinglaj ki Yatra by Smt. Savitri Bai Verma of Karachi, Rajasthan
ka Itihaas by Sh. Gopi Chand Sharma, Rajputane ka Itihas by Sh. Jagdish Singh
Gehlot, Pracheen Rajvansh ka Itihaas by Pandit Vishweshver Nath and VanshawalI
Katha heard from BahI Bhhaat, Bharuch

Chapters :

01. Four Varanas

02. Trouble starts
03. Parshu Ram vowes to eliminate Kshatriyas
04. Shelter in Rishi Dadhichi’s ashram
05. Raja Rattansen takes risk
06. Parshu Ram visits Rishi’s ashram
07. Jaisen faces threat
08. Parshu Ram goes to Janakpuri
09. Kshatriyas become BrahmKshatriyas
10. SrI Hinglaj Yatra with Rishi Dadhichi

1. Four Varanas

In the ancient history, it is believed that there were four Varanas, known as
Kshatriya, Brahmin, Vaish and Shudra. The Brahmkshatriyas were creation of
Kshatriyas and the same Kshatriyas were later known as Brahmkshatriyas.

It is widely known that Bhagwan Parshu Ram had vowed to eliminate Kshatriyas
from the earth and he did it 21 times. In this context one would like to know why
Parshu Ram did so and how Kshatriyas survived even after that. In fact Rishi
Jamdagini had married Renuka who belonged to Ikshwaku community. Parshu Ram,
who hailed from Bhagwan Narain's family, was born in Rishi's house. Raja
Sahastrarjun was born in the family of Kritvirya of Chander Vansh. He had one
thousand arms, so he was named Sahastrarjun. He worshiped Dattatre and was
blessed with five vardans: one thousands arms, fighting out Adharma, winning of
whole earth, serving the people in accordance with dharma, victory on the enemies.
He performed 10000 yajnas. It was said that there was no comparison of Raja
Sahastrarjun in yajna, charity, worship, education, and humanity.

2. Trouble starts
One day Raja Sahastrarjun went to the forest for hunting along with his army. After
traveling a long distance, he got tired, felt thirsty and thought of taking rest. The
ashram of JamdaginI was located at a little distance.

Raja reached there. The Rishi welcomed him, offered water and food. The Raja saw a
cow there, which was Kapila. The Raja asked the Rishi to hand over the cow to him,
arguing that only Raja had the right to have such Kamdhenu cow. While turning
down his request the Rishi offered to present other cows, except kamdhenu, as she
was the dearest one to the residents of the forest. But Raja insisted on his words and
forcibly took away Kamdhenu cow.

When Rishi's son Parshu Ram returned to the ashram, he found his father totally
dismayed. Parshu Ram lost his tamper, when his father told him about the raja's act.
He said Kshatriyas are so cruel that they harassed even the Rishis and deprived
them even of the cow who was the lifeline for them. He he will not spare the raja.
His father tried to pacify him because the Raja was very mighty and no body could
afford to fight with him. But Parshu Ram disagreed with his father and called an
assembly of Rishi-munis. He and his associates went to Raja after having been
blessed by the assembly and asked him to return the cow. Raja offered to
compensate with so many other cows but refused to return cow Kapila. It followed
exchange of hot words between them. When the Rishis, tried to take back the cow,
raja's soldiers resisted the attempt and resorted to war with them. Parshu Ram
succeeded in killing all the soldiers. The Raja himself entered the arena. He was also
slained by Parshu Ram. The Kamdhenu cow greeted Parshu Ram with tears and
returned to the ashram.

3. Parshu Ram vowes to eliminate Kshatriyas

Raja sahastrarjun had 100 sons; they pledged to take revenge of their father's
death. The Rishi was also sorry to know about the violence because, the Brahmins
should not have indulged in such act, he felt. One day, when Parshu Ram was away
to the jungle, raja's sons attacked the ashram. Rishi's wife tried to pacify them, but
they killed the Rishi and took away his head with them. On his return from jungle
Parshu Ram got agitated over the killing of his father and went to raja's sons. He
killed 95 of them. Rest escaped in the jungle. Parshu Ram handed over the control of
the state to a Brahmin and returned home carrying his father's head, which he
restored on the dead body and vowed to eliminate Kshatriyas from the earth. The
Rishi was cremated with full honours. After that Parshu Ram carrying his
"Farsa"(Spade) on his shoulder and moved to fulfill the pledge. He started killing
Kshatriyas indiscriminately and restored the control of the states to brahmins.

4. Shelter in Rishi Dadhichi's ashram

Parshu Ram entered Raja Rattansen's state in Sindh, which was, then, known as,
Sindhu-Dweep. On getting information that Parshu Ram was heading towards sindh
from Panchal (Punjab), Raja alerted his army. The army lost in the war with Parshu
Ram's soldiers. Raja Rattansen escaped along with his wives in the jungle and took
shelter in the ashram run by Rishi Dadhichi. Similarly some other rajas also took
shelter there or escaped to other countries like Iran, Egypt, China, and Russia etc.
But this could not cool down the tamper of Parshu Ram. He kept on moving in Sindh
believing that the Kshatriyas will have to come out of the jungle. Rishi Dadhichi had
given shelter to Raja Rattansen and queens (Chander Prabha, Budhmani, Padma,
Sheo Kumari and Krishnavati), on the conditions that they will not cross the
boundary of the ashram and accept the food whatsoever was available there. The
raja's family was housed in a portion of the ashram. All the five queens delivered a
son each there. They were named as Jaisen, Binduman, Vishal, Chandershal and
Bharat by the Rishi.

5. Raja Rattansen takes risk

After five years, Raja Rattansen went to Rishi and expressed his desire to leave the
ashram, hoping that Parshu Ram might have cooled down by then.

The Rishi smiled and said," Parshu Ram will continue the massacre for next twelve
years, so it is not the time to go out. You should care for the education of your
children." the Raja consulted his wives and handed over all the five sons to the Rishi.
The children were educated in Vedas and Shastras. After sometime Raja also started,
going to jungle for hunting and entertainment. Once he was following a lion and hit
that with an arrow. In the mean while, an other arrow hit the same lion. Raja moved
near the lion. Parshu Ram also reached there and recognized the raja. Considering
him as Kshatriya, Parshu Ram challenged the Raja for fighting. Raja got nervous. He
tried to escape, but Parshu Ram hit him with an arrow. Raja died on the spot. This
gave Parshu Ram a clue that raja's family must be there in the same jungle also.
They should also be killed he started searching them.

When Raja did not return to the ashram, the queens asked their sons to search him
out. The sons found their father dead and informed their mothers. The Rishi also
marched with raja's family to the site and brought dead body to the ashram for
cremation. The queens got satis when the pyre was lit.

The Rishi had unsuccessfully tried to prevent them from doing so. After performing
the last rites, Rishi returned to his ashram along with raja's sons and told them,"
now I am your father, I will look after you."

6. Parshu Ram visits ashram

After some years, Parshu Ram reached Rishi Dadhichi's ashram, while continuing his
spree against Kshatriyas. Rishi welcomed him and offered food. In the meanwhile
Parshu Ram saw the princes and asked Rishi who they were.

Rishi said they were Rishi Kumars. Parshu Ram did not believe it and insisted that
they will have to go through a test in the evening. Accordingly Parshu Ram called all
the five boys and put some complicated questions to them.

They were wise enough to qualify. Parshu Ram still had doubts. He asked the Rishi to
take food with all the five boys in the same utensil, if they were really brahmin.

Rishi was put to the problem but he got ready. He arranged banana leaves and sat
with the boys for taking the food jointly. He drew a line before taking the meal to
separate food for boys. Parshu Ram could not notice that, but this removed his
doubt. Even after that, Parshu Ram took Jaisen (Jai Sharma) with him after getting
Rishi's consent on the pretext of training him up in dhanur-vidhya (bow & arrow).
Jaisen used to work as a security guard, as and when Parshu Ram felt asleep. He
served him well and used to arrange fruits also from the forest.

After twelve years, Parshu Ram expressed his pleasure, for the services rendered by
Jaisen and offered to impart him education in bow & arrow as well as arms.

7. Jaisen faces a threat

Parshu Ram & Jaisen, reached Vivsta river, after crossing the Presani and Iskmati
rivers. There, all the three rivers joined each other, and are now known as Ravi,
Jehlam & Chainab. The rivers merge in Sindhu river near Mithankot. Parshu Ram
liked this place and wanted to spend few days before going ahead to Janakpuri. As
Parshu Ram got tired enough, they started taking rest in the forest of Kashyap state.

One day, Parshu Ram was having severe headache, put his head in Jaisen's lap,
asking him to ensure safety from animals. When Parshu Ram was sleeping, Jaisen
remembered his brothers. In the meanwhile, a scorpion attacked at Jaisen's leg. It
caused severe pain, but he kept mum so that Parshu Ram might not feel disturbed.
When the wound started bleeding profusely, jai's leg crumbled. This disturbed Parshu
Ram's sleep. He got up and asked the reason for the bleeding. Jaisen explained the
incident and expressed regrets. Parshu Ram was very shrewd. He said that the hot
blood must be of a Kshatriya. He again expressed doubt over the identity of the boy
and asked was he not a Kshatriya? Jaisen got frightened, but quietly said," you know
that I was brought up and educated by the rishi. Now it is your choice to kill me or
not." this put Parshu Ram in a quandary. He started thinking,"Jaisen has qualified in
Vedas and shastras, so he must be a brahmin. He should not be killed. This will let
me down in my pledge." Parshu Ram told Jai Sen, "you have achieved Brahminism
so I won't kill you, but you will forget the Shastar-vidya, that you had learnt from
me. This penalty is enough for you."

8. Parshu Ram goes to Janakpuri

Jaisen humbly spoke," Guru Ji, please pardon me if there is any laps in my service. If
you deprive me of arms-education, it will spoil my life. Better you kill me in the same
way, as you killed my father. A Kshatriya can't live without education in arms." with
these words jaisen started weeping. Parshu Ram said " oh my son don't shed tears,
you will get rid of the curse if you return to Rishi's ashram. He had educated you in
vedas whereas I trained in you in arms. if you are blessed with the basic mantras by
the Rishi, you will switch over to arms education also." with these words he left for
janak pure.

Now jaisen was left alone there. In the meanwhile gautam Rishi came in and asked
where Parshu Ram was. Jaisen narrated the events to the Rishi.

Both of them started journey to Dadhichi's ashram. On the way, Jaisen expressed his
disgust over the curse but Gautam Rishi, while consoling him, advised Jaisen, " you
should adopt Rishi Dadhichi as your guru. The guru mantra will empower you with all
sort of education.

9. Kshatriyas become Brahmkshatriyas

Rishi gautam & jaisen reached the ashram and narrated whole story. Jaisen prayed
to Dadhichi Rishi to oblige him with guru mantra. The Rishi said,"my son, the ills
done by the disciple affect the guru, so I can do every thing for you but can't become
your guru. On this Jaisen & his brothers caught Rishi's feet and said that their
decision was final, they won't go anywhere else. The Rishi relented and put some
conditions before them.

They will have to take pledge for strictly becoming vegetarian and teetotaler. They
will be called Brahmkshatriya as they had been imparted education of Brahmins and
Kshatriyas both. They will not harass any downtrodden rather help the poor and
needy. Another condition was," the Brahmins of my sect (Saraswat) will be your
Kulgurus. You will repose the same faith in my coming generations as you are having
in me." Jaisen agreed to all the conditions. This, prompted rishi Dadhichi to act as
their guru.

10. Sri hinglaj yatra with Rishi dadhichi

After this, the Rishi asked Jaisen and his brothers to accompany him to Hinglaj Devi
temple located in the gufa of saptdweep. Elaborating it the, Rishi said, this in an
ancient & historic temple. Your grand parents had been performing pooja there
because Hinglaj was your Kuldevi. Rishi and Rajkumars reached the temple and
performed pooja with nariyal, cloth and dhoop deep. They recited the following
mantra:

Then Rishi Dadhichi obliged Raj Kumars with guru mantra and blessed them that
they will recapture the lost power. He also said, in future whosoever pays a visit to
the temple he will be bestowed with blessings. Any Brahmkshatriya, who forgets his
Kuldevi Hinglaj, may face problems. Those who show disrespect to Sarasvat
Brahmin, may also suffer. If the Brahmin of my sect takes liquor, eats meat, tells
lies, indulge in fraud or charges more fees at engagement or marriages, he will be
condemned. If such persons are punished by Brahmkshatriya, there will be nothing
wrong in it. Any fraudulent and immoral person has no right to claim himself a
Brahmin. I am uttering these words because in kalyug even the Brahmins may loose
the sanctity and indulge in all the acts, which were prohibited by the shastras.

This is how Kshatriyas became Brahmkshatriyas. Later some of them

started introducing themselves as Khatris. But the fact is that Kshatriyas
and Khatris are basically Brahmkshatriyas. Their Kuldevi is Sri Hinglaj Mata,
Kuldev Sri Varun dev and Kulbrahmins are Sarswat Brahmins.