Determining the age of Saraswat Community

Who are Saraswats?

In India, there are at least five Brahmin communities who claim themselves as ‘Saraswat Brahmins’, including: Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Chitrapur Saraswats, Rajapur/Bhalavalikar Saraswat Brahmins, Kashmiri Saraswats, Punjabi Saraswats, Sindh Saraswats, Kutch Saraswats and Rajasthan Saraswats. This community, as a whole, has produced eminent personalities including Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Vijay Mallya, Dr TMA Pai, Nandan Nilekani, Girish Karnad, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Deepika Padukone, Shyam Benegal, and Guru Dutt.

Though being miles apart from each other for ages all Saraswat legends claim of their ancestors having once lived on the banks of now extinct river Saraswati. Today, however, there is no doubt that Saraswats are among the oldest living communities in India – still preserving their own indigenous culture which essentially hails from the Rigveda – that which is believed to have been written by their forefathers during their stint on banks of river Saraswati.

Their relationship with Saraswati River

Even to this day many Saraswat’s in their daily Sandhyavandana rite swears their allegiance to Rigveda. This apart, several of Saraswat’ rituals are conducted by reciting the hymns from the texts from Rigveda; firmly establishing links between Saraswats, Saraswati River and Rigveda.

According to two distinguished historians and Vedic Scholars Dr. NS Rajaram and Dr. David Frawley for Vedic Aryans the holiest river was “not Ganga but Saraswati.” This they said because “In Rigveda Ganga is mentioned only once while Saraswati is lauded no less than fifty times.” There is at least one whole hymn devoted to Saraswati River. In a famous hymn, Saunaka Gritasamda, the seer of the second Mandala lauds the Saraswati as ambitame, naditame, devitame Saraswati:

Sarasvati, the best of mothers, the best of rivers, the best of Goddess…

Similarities between Vedic, Aztec & Mayan Culture

In 1940 a little known Buddhist Bhikshu (monk) – Chaman Lal – authored & published a book entitled “Hindu America” with the intent of “revealing” the forgotten story of the ancient Americas, especially India’s “immortal links” with the Aztec and Mayan civilizations of Mexico and the Ayar-Inca rulers of the Ayar Empire.

The book, though coupled with several circumstantial evidences and supporting theories, failed to make its point owing to several misrepresentations. But the very idea of Vedic, aka Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro, civilization having links with their American counterparts, namely Mayan & Aztec, was never completely ruled out. This was because of several resemblances found between the two civilizations in their customs and traditions though geographically miles apart. Here are few compelling similarities:

Panchisi & Patolli

Who has not heard about the game of dice – Panchisi (Pagade in Kannada)? Approximately 130 years ago Sir Edward B. Taylor[1] had point out that the ancient Mexican game of Patolli (see image) was similar in details to the game of Panchisi played in India and the whole region of Southern Asia. Later on Stewart Culin[2] proved that even the “cosmic meaning” of the Mexican game with it’s relation to the four quarters of the world and to the calendars ascribed to them was essentially the same.

Through Values

“Sir, I want to be a successful person.” a student said in response to his teacher’s question.  “But what does success mean to you?” teacher asked, again. “Well, lots of money and happiness.” he replied. “And how do you plan to achieve that?” “Well, not sure sir.”

“Ok. Of the two things what comes first to you? Is it money or happiness?”

“I think its money, sir.”

“Why so?”

“Without money I can’t afford to gain basic necessities… without which I can’t gain appreciation of parents or my spouse… and given I cannot achieve their appreciation how could I be happy?”

“How much money do you want to make?”

“Is there any limitation on amount of money one desires to make, Sir?”

“Hmmm… And how far can you go to make it?”

“To be honest: I am not sure.”

“What are your strengths, weakness, opportunities and threat?”

“Haven’t ascertained it yet, I am afraid.”

Oxy & Monies

“Money is like oxygen…” her friends found her saying, often. Interestingly, she wasn’t from a hapless family; hers was upper (or near to upper?) middleclass. Born into household of servicemen she hardly had anything to quetch about life and yet she would crib anyways.

We humans need food, shelter and clothing – those are our basic necessities. Because our necessities, essential or others, aren’t given to us for free everyone’s got to work and earn money.

Men are naturally (or instinctively?) trained for lies, stealing, eating and mating – never are they natural philanthropists. What’s in it for me? Is the question most, if not all, of men desire to know before giving or doing anything. Barter system stayed on for some time but soon that didn’t work much – and thus the money was born. But the system of coins which eventually evolved into currencies did somewhere go out of control. If it wasn’t so people wouldn’t have ended up fixing up ‘price’ for everything than ‘valuing’ them.