Satani: Deccan
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Satani
This article is an extract from THE CASTES AND TRIBES OF H. E. H. THE NIZAM'S DOMINIONS BY SYED SIRAJ UL HASSAN Of Merton College, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, and Middle Temple, London. One of the Judges of H. E. H. the Nizam's High Court of Judicature : Lately Director of Public Instruction. BOMBAY THE TlMES PRESS 1920 Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees |
(Titles: Swami, Achari)
Satani, ChStani, Ayyaw^r, Viia Vaishnava, Vighas (born of Vigha* Rishi), Vishnu Afthaka — a sect of Vaishnawas, some of whom are engaged as temple servants, while others minister to the spiritual needs of the lower Telugu classes and officiate as priests at their religious and funeral ceremonies. The male members of the sect do not wear the sacred thread and hair-locks on their crowns, while the females are prohibited from wearing glass bangles on their wrists, strings of black beads about their necks or rings of bell metal on their toes. The name Satani is supposed to be a corruption of chyatani ' gr ' chyati ' which is said to mean acting according to prescribed rites. .
Origin
The Satanis claim to be descended from those Brah- man disciples of Ramanujacharya who were deprived of their sacred thread and hair locks, and degraded from the sacred order. Concerning their fall a story is told that during the life-time of Ramanuja a quarrel arose among his disciples over the distinction between Karma (self retributive action) and Dnyana (divine knowledge). One party held that kflrma was essential to obtain moksha (salvation). The other party opposed the view and contended that Dny^ana alone secured final beatitude. The issue was left to an ordeal and it was decided that one man from each party should dive into the river ' Tararaparty ' and the result should depend upon the state in which each of them emerged from the water. One of the divers came out with his head clean shaved and his sacred thread lost in the water and his descendants have been known as Satani (chatani) Vaishnawas. Another account of their origin states that Markandeya Muni performed a sacrifice on Shri Shailya and out of the sacred fire sprang four sages (1) Alwar, (2) Yambir Manar, (3) Jiyyar, (4) Tirwadhi and it was to Yambir Manar that Satani Vaishnawas trace their descent. The Mahbubnagar Satanis have a tradition that they came into the District nearly three hundred years ago and settled at' Keshavapattan. Satanis are also said to be the followers of Chaitanya, a religious teacher of the 15th century, and of his disciple Sanatana. 'This origin of Satanis was probably suggested by the fact that they have views similar to those of the Baishnawa reformers of Bengal.
Internal Structure
The Satanjs have three endogamous divi- sions (1) Adi Satanis, or first converts to 'Vaishnavi^, (2) Madhya Satanis, or subsequent converts who wer^ mainly recruited from among Sale, Darji, Golla, and other castes of the same social standing, (3) Sale Dasris, or Vaishnawa mendicants from the Sale caste who are in a state of transition into the Satani caste. Satanis are also divided into four more divisions : (1) Ekakshari, (2) Chaturakshari, (3) Ashtakshari, and (4) Kulshekhar. The Ekaksharis (£^a — one and Akshara — syl- lable) hope to get salvation by reciting the one mystic syllable 'Om'; the Chaturaksharis believe in the religious efficacy of the four syllables Ra-ma-nu-jah; the Ashtaksharis hold that the recitation of the eight syllables ' Om-na-mo-na-ra-\)a-na-ya ' (Om salutation to Narayan) will secure the eternal bliss; and the Kulshekharas, who' wear the sacred thread, claim to be the descendants of the Vaishnawa saint Kulshe- khara Alwar, formerly a king of the Keral country. The first two sections make umbrellas and flower garlands and are also priests to the Balijas and Sudra castes of the Vaishnawa sect, while the members of the other two have taken to temple service. In their social and religious customs all the sub-divisions closely imitate the Tengalai Vaishnawas Brahmans (Census Report, Madras, 1901).
Satanis profess to follow a double system of exogamous sections, the one consisting of Brahmanical gotras and the other of family sur-names, either totemistic or territorial. But the totem is not observed as taboo by the members bearing the section name.
Gotras Family Sur-names.
Gargya Parostuwaru, Revriwaru, Taruna Hari.
Koundinya Nistalapuriwaru, Namamwaru, Sripuramwaru.
Angirasa. Talwiwaru, Namatiwaru, Puramwaru.
Kousika. Vijapuramwaru, Pandatamwaru.
Gotras- Family Sur-naraes.
Namalwar. Gulbargawaru, Matkapurwaru.
Kunna Alwar. Dharraapuriwaru, Ibalivvaru.
Shekhar Alwar Yadulapurwaru, Akunoruwaru.
Tondavapalli Alwar Devadargawaru, Parnakamwaru. Paya Alwar Vakatabharnamwaru, Kanthaipalan.
But the gotra system, probably borrowed from Brahmans, is falling into desuetude, and the Satanis say they have only two gotras at the present day, viz., Alwar and Yambarman ; the former is the gotra of the disciples of Alwar and the latter that of the disciples of Ramanu)%charya. The Tanlrani tree ( ?) is the totem of the Alwar gotra and the Pogda or Molsari tree (Mimusops elengi) that of the Yambarman. These totems are worshipped as patron deities before marriage. In the regulation of marriages the family names are in operation. Inter-marriages in the same section are forbidden. Two brothers may marry two sisters. A man may marry the daughter of his maternal uncle or his elder sister. Outsiders are admitted by Satanis into their caste, but th^y have first to become ' Sale ' Dasris and then Satanis. At the time of admission they are branded by the Gurus and clean shaved and the sacred thread, in case they are Brahmans, is removed.
Marriage
Infant marriage is practised by the caste. The marriage ceremony does not differ materially from that in vogue among the Shri Vaishnawa Brahmans. Kankanbandhanam, or the tying of wedding bracelets on the wrists of the couple, is deemed to be the binding portion of the ceremony. Sri Vaishnawa Brahmins usually attend at their marriages, but occasionally the functions of the priest are discharged by the members of the caste themselves.
Widow-Marriage
Satanis forbid widows to marry again and do not recognise divorce. Polygamy is permitted, but is not practised on a large scale. A woman taken in adultery is turned out of the caste in the presence of the caste Panchayat.
Religion
Satanis belong to the Vaishnawa and Shakta sects and no Saivas are found among them. The Vaishnana Satanis worship Vishnu and his consort Laxmi and take spiritual advice from Shri Vaishnawa Brahmans. The members of the caste pay homage to their reputed saints, the twelve Alwars, (1) Senamadhyaalwar, (2) Paryalwar, (3) Namalwar, (4) Podthalwar, (5) Peyalwar, (6) Kala- shekharalwar, (7) Tondarpurialwar, (8) Tirmanagalwar, (9) Tirmadshi- alwar. (10) Tirpanialwar, (II) Andal and (12) Parmal. Each of these is worshipped annually on the anniversary of his birth with offer- ings of cooked mutton and spirit and the offerings are partaken of by the members of the household. Their daily worship is offered to the foot-prints of their gums (spiritual advisers) which are impressed on a cloth and enshrined in the sefcred part of the house. Before taking his first meal; every Satani offers iuhi (Ocimum sanctum) leaves to the foot prints and burns frankincense before them. The chief ceremony of the Vira Vaishanawas (Saktas ?) is Goshfi performed in strict privacy. A man of the Parastwar caste officiates as Guru at the ceremony and is styled Achdrpa on the occasion. His feet are washed in water and dusted with sandal wood. Each one present makes adoration to the feet, kisses them and sips a little of the water in which they are washed. Flesh and spirits are then placed before the Acharya and after he has tasted them they are distributed among the company. It is said that no distinctions of rank or sex are recognised and a great deal of licentiousness prevails on the occasion. Each Satani, male or female, is required to take spiritual advice from a guru and to be marked with the Shankha, or conch shell of Vishnu, on the left shoulder and the chakra, or wheel, on the right shoulder.
Disposal of the Dead
The dead are generally burnt. Infants having no chakrant and Sanyasis are buried. In the former case the corpse is placed in a lying position with feet towards the north while in the latter the dead body is seated with the face to the east. The ashes and bones of the cremated are either thrown into a river or buried and a tomb is erected over the grave. Before being carried to the cremation ground, the dead body is washed and its forehead marked with a sandal spot. The nearest relative observes mourning for 10 days. On the 10th day after death the chief mourner shaves his head and moustaches, and becomes ceremonially pure. Pun^awachan is per- formed on the 11th day. On the 12th at night Tolkflm takes place at which two chapters of Draoida Prabandha are read. The remaining eight chapters are recited on the 13th day after death. On the same day the oeel ceremony is performed at which Shri Vaishnawa Brahmans, with garlands of flowers and tulsi leaves round their necks and sugar canes in their hands, proceed to the grave, singing praises in honour of Vishnu and are worshipped there by the relatives of the deceased, under the impression that this will enable the soul of the deceased to attain salvation. A feast, given to caste brethren, concludes the' ceremony. During the first year Masakam is performed every month for the benefit of the departed soul, the Sradha is perfacmed every year on the armiversary day.
Origin
The Sukla or Sukul Sale claim to be descended from servants. They also officiate as priests to the Namdhari (Vaishnawa) members of the lower Telugu castes, especially Kapus, Salewars, Kolis, Sanis, Mangalas, Chaklas, Gollewars, Velmas, Goundalas, Gandlas, Bestas and Namdeva Darjis. They act as spiritual advisers to the people of these castes and attend at their funeral ceremonies. No corpse is carried to the cremation ground unless an Ayyawar has put a leaf of tulsi' (sweet BasiT) and tirtha (water into which his toe has been dipped) into its mouth. He accompanies the funeral procession and after the dead body is consumed he purifies the mourners with tirtha On the 3rd day after death the Ayyawar cooks rice at the cremation ground, offers it to the brass effigy of Shri Krishna and exposes the consecrated food to be touched by a crow. On the 5th day he prepares meal at the house of the deceased and after a portion of the food has been offered to the soul of the deceased the mourners are feasted. Most of the Ayyawars are beggars and collect alms by singing songs in honour of Shri Krishna. They are skilled m weaving flowers into beautiful garlands and are engaged in preparmg Kunkum and Vibhuti undaho or balls of gopichandan, for the use of Tirmanidharis. Some of them have entered Government service and are members of the learned professions. They also keep private schools in which a rudimentary knowledge of Telugu is imparted to little boys. A few of them hold lands on inam and other tenures.
Social Status
Socially Ayyawars rank below Brahmans and eat kachi only from the hands of Shri Vaishnawa Brahmans. They eat mutton, fowl and fish and drink spirits.
