Embranthiri
The Embrandiri (Malayalam: എമ്പ്രാന്തിരി), also transliterated as Embranthiri, are a Malayali Brahmin subcaste of Tulu origin.
Embranthiris are Brahmins who migrated to Kerala from the Tulu Nadu (present day Udupi in Karnataka). Even though settled in Kerala, most of the Embranthiries still speak Tulu as mother-tongue, and are considered as Tulu Brahmins.
Some sects of Embranthiris have adopted the Malayali Brahmin surnames "Namboothiri" and "Potti" after arriving in Kerala. They are the followers of Vaishnavism. Because of their Vaishnava Dharma they mainly serve in Vishnu Temples, Krishna Temples and Yagams more than other gods.
History
During AD 1238–1317 some families of Brahmins in Tulu Nadu started following their acharya (Spiritual leader) Madhvacharya, They created some groups and followed Madhvacharya and his views, later they are called as Tulu Brahmins or Embrandriri. Under the guidance of Sri Madhvacharya the community strongly followed Vishnavism and they done Vishnu poojas and yagams on temples. Embranthiries where specialized in yagams because of their vast knowledge in vedas and mantras. Their spiritual leader is Madhvacharya.
Madhvacharya was a critic of Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta and Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita Vedanta teachings. He toured India several times, visiting places such as Bengal, Varanasi, Dwarka, Goa and Kanyakumari, engaging in philosophical debates and visiting Hindu centers of learning. Madhva established the Krishna Mutt at Udupi with a murti secured from Dwarka Gujarat in AD 1285. After that Uduppi Sree Krishna Bhagavan Became their prime god and Madhva's Krishna Mutt Uduppi Became their Capital.
Founder Of Tulu Brahmin / Embrandhiri caste
Madhva Acharya (Sanskrit pronunciation: [məd̪ʱʋɑːˈtʃɑːrjə]; AD 1238–1317), also known as Purna Prajña and Ananda Tīrtha, was a Hindu philosopher and the chief proponent of the Dvaita (dualism) school of Vedanta founded Tulu Brahmin caste. Madhva called his philosophy as "Tattvavaadaa" meaning "the realist viewpoint". He was a critic of Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta and Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita Vedanta teachings. Madhva established the Krishna Mutt at Udupi with a murti secured from Dwarka Gujarat in AD 1285.
In several historic books, Madhvacharya is described as the third avatar or incarnation of Vayu, wind god, the son of Vishnu. He is described as like Hanuman—the first avatar of Vayu, and Bhima, a Pandava in the Mahabharata and the second avatar of Vayu. In one of his bhasya on the Brahma Sutras, he asserts that the authority of the text is from his personal encounter with Vishnu. Tulu Brahmins or Embrandiries believed Madvacharya as avathar of Sree Vishnu Bhagavan, and he will guide the latter in their journey towards Vishnu.
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was born on the west coast of Karnataka state in 13th-century India. As a teenager, he became a Sanyasin (monk) joining Brahma-sampradaya guru Achyutapreksha, of the Ekadandi order. Madhva studied the classics of Hindu philosophy, particularly the Principal Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras (Prasthanatrayi). He commented on these, and is credited with thirty seven works in Sanskrit. His writing style was of extreme brevity and condensed expression. His greatest work is considered to be the Anuvyakhyana, a philosophical supplement to his bhasya on the Brahma Sutras composed with a poetic structure. In some of his works, he proclaimed himself to be an avatar of Vayu, the son of god Vishnu.[1]
Culture/Holy Central
City of Udupi in Karnataka, India is the cultural central or holy place for Tulu Brahmins(embrandiri).The main area resembles a living ashram, a holy place for daily devotion and living. Surrounding the Sri Krishna Matha are several temples namely the Udupi Anantheshwara Temple which is over a 1,000 years old was Founded by Sri Madhvacharya.The Krishna Matha was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhwacharya in the 13th century. He was the founder of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. It is believed that Madhwacharya found the murti of SriKrishna in a large ball of gopichandana.
Present day
During the times of the British Empire many Embrandiri Tulu Brahmin families moved from udupi to several places of India. Most of the families moved to Kerala because of culture and tradition of Kerala Brahmins (Namboothiri) is very much close enough to their culture. They moved to several places of Kerala and founded Madams as their home. Later they used Madam as their family name.
Philosophy
Embrandiries are the followers of Lord Vishnu. Their Acharya/Leader Sree Madvaacharya was a founded Udupi math and the main god of Udupi manth Udupi Sree Krishna became their prime god and they followed Vishnavism. Vaishnavism (Vaishnava dharma) is one of the major traditions within Hinduism along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism, its followers are called Vaishnavas, and it considers Vishnu as the Supreme Lord. Because of their Vishnava dharma they mainly served Vishnu Temples, Krishna Temples and Yagams more than other gods.The tradition is known for the loving devotion to an avatar of Vishnu, and it has been key to the spread of Bhakti movement in South Asia in the 2nd millennium CE. Key texts in Vaishnavism include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Pancaratra (Agama) texts and the Bhagavata Purana. An estimated 200 million Vaishnavas live in India.
Although Vishnu was a Vedic solar deity, he is mentioned less often compared to Agni, Indra and other Vedic deities, thereby suggesting that he had a minor position in the Vedic religion. Other scholars state that there are other Vedic deities, such as water deity Nara (also mentioned as Narayana-Purusha in the Brahmanas layer of the Vedas), who together form the historical roots of Vaishnavism. In the late-Vedic texts (~1000 to 500 BCE), the concept of a metaphysical Brahman grows in prominence, and the Vaishnavism tradition considered Vishnu to be identical to Brahman, just like Shaivism and Shaktism consider Shiva and Devi to be Brahman respectively.
The Vaishnava tradition has many sampradayas (denominations, sub-schools) ranging from the medieval era Dvaita school of Sri Madhvacharya to Vishishtadvaita school of Ramanuja. New Vaishnavism movements have been founded in the modern era such as the ISKCON of Prabhupada.
References
- Sabapathy Kulandran and Hendrik Kraemer (2004), Grace in Christianity and Hinduism, James Clarke, ISBN 978-0227172360, pages 177–179