English equivalent of Panji is ‘Register’. It
is used to keep records. Radhamohandev in Shabda Kalp Drum defines it as Sootra
Talika. A famous Panji expert from Bengal Sri Dhruvanand Mishra delineates it
as:
प्रणम्य विघ्नेश्वरपादमादौ सरस्वतीं
तां कुलदेवतां च।
शिशुप्रबोधाय कुलस्य पंजी विविच्यते श्रीयुतमिश्रकेण।।
Another scholar Hemachand puts in proper
words: टीका
निरन्तरव्याख्या पञ्जिका पदभञ्जिका।
This indicates that the word Panji is mostly used in the context of
‘Book of Accounts’.
The Kayasth who made entry in the book,
traditionally, were called Panjikar. Thus we can say that a genealogy is a book
of accounts of any lineage.
According to the great scholar Pt. Govind Jha
‘In the east people tried and knew their forefathers till 7-8 generation.’ They
in a pre-marriage meeting used to exchange the profiles of the two parties,
bride and groom to be. In due course it became difficult to keep such a record
by heart and they started jotting down the necessary entries in the said book
(made of palm leaves) like names of their forefathers down the line and names
of the grandfather (maternal side). This is the genesis of Panji as we know it
today.”
In his celebrated book ‘Maithil Brahmano
Ki Panji Vyavastha’ Prof. Ramanath Jha holds that in Mithila the tradition
of writing panji is as old as the reign of Maharaj Harisigh Dev. However, most
of them got lost in due course. Only maithil brahamans and kayasth maintained
it and so their panjis are available.
Views vary as to when panji writing started.
Some hold it to be started by Maharaj Harisingh Dev. But Pt. Govind Jha writes
that it started during Maharaj Harisingh Dev.
शाके श्रीहरिसिंहदेवनृपतेर्भूपार्कतुल्ये जनिः
तस्मात् दन्तमितेब्दके द्विजगणै पञ्जीप्रबन्धः कृतः।
तस्मात् वै द्विजवंशबीजिकलितं यद विश्वचक्रं पुरा
तद् विप्राय समर्पितं
सुकृतिने शान्ताय
सर्वार्थिने।।
ब्राह्मणानां समुत्पत्तिं तद्बीजिकथनं तथा।
करोमि रघुदेवाख्यः पाण्डुं
पञ्जीविनिश्चयम्।।
Pt. Bhavnath Jha Rupauli (Madhubani) makes the meaning of these
verses above clear:
“Sri Harisingh Dev was born in the Saka
(Samvat) 1216. Brahmins commissioned panji system post 32 years. The collection
of biji purush, then onwards, of the Brahmins is known as vishwachakra. The
same was entrusted with us to be fondly cherished. I, Raghu Dev of the Pandua
lineage, have improved it as “Panji Prabhandh”. Originally it was written in
Saka 1248 i.e. 1320AD.
Noteworthy it is that Raghudev’s writing is
dated 16th century. The collection of shakha panji is done by the
Pandua lineage. It got its shape during Maha Mahopadhyay Mahesh Thakur however
his base was the original panji. When Raghudev started making shakha panji
Brahmins dealing with Panji entrusted with him the manuscripts of their lineage
and the former delineated (deciding upon the facts, suspicion and improvement) the
same.
Discourse on the lineage of the marrying
parties is a sustained tradition. Even Valmiki Ramayana has this reference
about the marriage of Ram and Sita:
प्रदाने हि मुनिश्रेष्ठ
कुलं निश्वषेश्षतः।
वक्तव्यं कुल तनिबोध महामते।।’’
बालकाण्ड।7.12।।
Similar reference is there in Kumaril Bhatta’s Tantra
Vartika. There is clear indication of “Family Record” or the genealogy regarding
marriage:
विशिष्टेनैव
हि प्रयत्नेन महाकुलीनाः परिरक्षन्ति आत्मानम्।
अनेनैव हि हेतुना राजभिर्ब्राह्मणैश्च स्वपितृपितामहादिपारम्पर्याविस्मरणार्थं समूहलेख्यानि
प्रवर्तितानि।। तथा च प्रतिकुलं गुणदोषस्मरणत्तदनुरूपाः प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्तयो दृष्यन्ते।। तंत्रवार्तिक।।1.11.2।।
Marriage is finalized on the basis of this panji
to find non-relationship between the bride and the groom. This is just one
clear use of it. But you are mistaken if you take it just as that. In fact it
is an open book of our history. You can find and decide even a commoner’s time
period and relations like his/ her father, son, brothers, father-in-law,
grandfather (from maternal side). To an extent his/her village can be decided.
Panji is a glaring example of continuing historiography in Mithila.
It is interesting to learn that in several
cases we find description of various epithets like mahamahopadhyay (महामहोपाध्याय),
Sadupadhyaya
(सदुपाध्याय), Upadhayay (उपाध्याय), Naiyayik (नैयायिक), Vaiyakaranik (वैयाकरण) , meemansak (मीमांसक),
tarkika (तार्किक),
etc., of the scholars in this brilliant book. At places even their works are
mentioned. All these give a fair idea of the literary, educational, political
disposition of middle-age Mithila.
Panji, apart from the above, helps in
Gotradhyay (गोत्राध्याय),
Abhyudaya (आभ्युदयिक),
Tarpan(तर्पण),
etc.
Kulavriksha (कुलवृक्ष) contains only the names of a
person’s lineage. But Uterh (उतेढ) gives the names of the persons related by marriage alliance
and also the mool (मूल) (root). For an example:
खण्डवला- मिथिलाराज्योपार्जक म.म. महेशसुता
रामचन्द्र गोपाल, अच्युत, धर्मकर्मावतार राजर्षिपरमानन्दाः
महिषी पाली सं. शिव
सुत दामू दौ। दरिहरा सं. गणेश दौ.। अपरा म.म. महेशसुतौ म. शुभंकरः,
पाली सं. रघुपति सुत रत्नपति दौ। पगौली सं.
कृष्णदत्त दु.दौ.।
“Genome Mapping” (Edited by Gajendra Thakur
& Others) has description of following 7 types of Panji:
(1) Mool Panji, (मूलपंजी)
(2) Shakha Panji (शाखापंजी)
(3) Gotra Panji, (गोत्रपंजी)
(4) Patra Panji, (पत्रपंजी)
(5) Dushan Panji, (दूषणपंजी)
(6) Uterh Panji, (उतेढ पंजी)
(7) Aswajan Patra.(अस्वजन पंजी)
Publication work of Panji in Mithila has already started.
Notable one is “Panji Prabhandh” in two Volumes
that came in 2010 and 2012 by the Ankit Prakashan
(Darbhanga, Bihar, India). It is a genealogical Record of Maithil Brahmins
Collected by various renowned Panjikars i.e. record keepers from Mithila. It is
edited by Dr. Yognath Jha.
In an interesting turn of events King
Harisingh Dev of Mithila divided the Brahmins there in four categories in 14th
century: (1) Shrotriya (श्रोत्रिय), (2) Yogya (योग्य), (3) Jaiwar (जयवार) and (4) Maithil (मैथिल).
Here it is
to say that when Francis Buchanan visited in Mithila in 1809-10 A.D. he had
been noticed this division in this way
- Suti
- Majrot
- Jogya
- Grihastha.
He has
mentioned this division in his Purnia Journal. Montgomery Martin has also
published his report in 1838 in his famous book Eastern India.
In this order only the said Panji Prabhandh is published. We
are looking forward to have further volumes.
Apart from Mithila such genealogical records
are found in other states like Odessa, Bengal, Assam, etc. A leading survey is
done under auspices of Hellenic Com Service, USA. Preamble of the organization
reads: Research into ancestral history has become a leading pastime in the US
and other countries. Many people have undertaken to fill a pedigree chart of
ancestors by interviewing relatives or writing letters of enquiry to government
offices for information.”
Such genealogical surveys are underway even
in England, Australia, etc. Muslim communities of Sindh hold this tradition
right from 14th century. It is evident from the history of Sindh
“Chachnama” written in Persian.
It is said that a woman acquires the true
qualities of wife only if her marriage is solemnized as per the then legal tradition
(Shashtra). Panini, the great scholar, has delineated upon the word “patni”
i.e. wife as:
पत्युर्नो यज्ञसंयोगे -अष्टाध्यायी।।4.1.133।।
Certain prominent principles are there to be followed for a
marriage to be solemnized with the said legal tratidion (Shashtra), mantras,
tenets as heard and remembered down the ages:
Gotra – Bride and groom to be mustn’t be from same gotras
and pravar.
There are 20 known gotras:
Shandilya, Vatsa,
Sawarn, Kashyap,
Parashar, Bharadwaj,
Katyayan, Garg,
Kaushik, Alambukasha,
Krishnatreya, Gauta,
Modgalya, Vasishta,
Kaundinya, Upmanyu,
Kapil, Vishnu
Vridhi, Tandi,
Ajatu Karna.
moolagram (मूलग्राम)
Similarly scholar’s views vary regarding the number of
moolas. Editors of Genome Mapping hold it to be 169. Prof. Ramanath Jha pegs it
at 200. In fact he has enumerated 180 in his book mentioned above. But Dr.
Yognath Jha finds the number of mool and moolagram (मूलग्राम) to be 615 as
collected from various sources.
“Genome Mapping” describes two types of pravar:
Tri i.e. 3 (त्रिप्रवर) (2) Panch i.e. 5. (पञ्चप्रवर)
But Dr. Udaynath Jha finds it to be
three:
Ek i.e. 1, (एकप्रवर)
Tri i.e. 3 (त्रिप्रवर)
Panch i.e. 5. (पञ्चप्रवर)
Tripravar is for the gotra whose three members were Makers of
Rigveda. Accordingly Panch pravar is for five and Ek is for single person
contributor.
Under Tripravar comes the following gotras:
Shandilya, Kashyap,
Parashar, Bharadwaj,
Katyayan, Kaushik,
Alambukasha, Krishnatreya,
Gautam, Modgalya,
Vasishta, Kaundilya,
Upmanyu, Kapil,
Vishnu Vridhi,
Tandi (16).
Vatsa and Sawarn are in five pravar category.
The ancestors of the two above are the same
hence there can’t be marriage alliance between them despite the fact that their
gotra is different.
Shashti-Panchmi
Vichar (Discourse of 6th and 5th palce):
मातृतः पञ्चमीं त्यक्त्वा पितृतः सप्तमीं त्यजेत्। But
during Maha. Maho. Mahesh Thakur it was found that the adhikar (No. of Match)
narrowed down. So considering the changes in society सप्तमीं त्यजेत् was replaced by सप्तमीं भजेत्।
Thus Shashti-Panchmi Vichar is the most
important and the most crucial. Any bride wherever is at 6th place
from her forefather she must not have progeny from bride groom’s father side.
Similarly any bride wherever is at 5th place from her forefather she
must not have progeny from bride groom’s mother side. It is to be noted that
for bride groom his maternal side must be ascertained. As we know there are two
parties in any marriage alliance: Mother Side and Father Side. And for the two
counting must be done on bride’s side. In other words a bride groom must not
wed a girl placed down at 6th position from any of his forefather from
father’s side. Likewise he shouldn’t marry a girl placed down at 5th
position from any of his forefather from mother’s side. Progeny is unified
embodiment of both the parents.
This embodiment and equi-bodiment (समानः एकः पिण्डः देहः
यस्य) is result of body elements of the parents.
It is said in Garbhopnishad:
एतत् षट्कौशिकं शरीरं त्रीणि पितृतस्त्रीणि मातृतः।
असिथिस्नायुमज्जानः पितृतः त्वङ्मांसरुधिराणि मातृतः।।
A progeny, like parents, has the said shatkon
tradition of their ancestors therefore even he/she has embodiment (sapindata)
with ancestors. This embodiment connection snaps at the 7th
generation:
सपिण्डता तु पुरुषे सप्तमे विनिवर्तते।।
Narad
holds:
पञ्चमात् सप्तमादूर्ध्वं मातृतः पितृतस्तथा।
सपिण्डता निवर्तते सर्ववर्णेष्वियं विधिः।।
This endorses marriage with “aspinda girl”.
This is what is kshati-panchmi vichar in Panji.
Matri Sapindata Vichar – If a proposal
of a girl from bride’s maternal side comes then it is prudent to set aside the
biji (7 generation upside from the said girl).
Kathmamak Vichar – The girl mustn’t be
a progeny of the bride’s kathmam (brother of step mother). In case father of
the bride has more than one marriage this discourse is imperative. But marriage
with sister of the bride’s kathmam is permissible.
Bride to be mustn’t be progeny of Grandfather
(from maternal or paternal side) of the bride groom.
In case of an elder is still unmarried younger
brother/ sister shouldn’t marry.
Marriage with sister of wife is not
permissible if the latter is alive.
Violation of any of the above religious rules
ends up into ill-marriage, sin and fatality.
Modern Life Sciences and Genetics also prove
that “Gene” along with its all good and recessive characters transcends in genealogical
order. It is post 7th generation that the ‘same bloodedness’ goes. Progeny from
the same blood is considered flawed even in modern Science.
To follow the above rules of the panji system
genealogical profile is being collected by the panji experts. There is a co-relation and
interdependence between Mithila, Maithil Culture and Panji System. Mithila’s
claim to fame the world over is based on its rich body of knowledge; and panji
system richly contributes to the latter. Perhaps no other part of the world has
this system. But it is painful to see the interest about it waning fast in our
society. It appears lackluster to even those families that practiced it for
generations. This makes conservation of the genealogical profiles an up-hill
task. It’s likely to gather dust like several important manuscripts.
In this scenario it is laudable that Dr.
Yognath Jha got the Panji Prabhandh published in two Volumes.
Further on the card is webcast of the
manuscript of the panji preserved in the families of panjikars for generations.
Dr. Jha once again deserves kudos for his
undying spirit to conserve a great culture we all talk of with pride.
