Kaundinyasa, Kaundinya or Kaundilya or Kaundinyayan Gotra Origin and History Kaundinya or Kaundilya or Kaundinyayan Gotra Origin and History

This Year Nag Panchami or Koundinya Jayanti or Agastya Jayanti falls on Wednesday 15th August 2018

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I am a Koundinya gotraja Brahmin, I had curiosity to discover the historical facts about the gotra and got the information

Important facts about Kaundinya
Agastya was born to Rishi Atri in 3000 BC on a Shravan Shukla Panchami, ie. Nag Panchami day, in Kashi. While being born he along with his twin, inadvertantly got slipped into the anthill where naga serpents were residing. The birth place is still known as Agastya Kund in Benaras

Agastya was known as Kundin, was elder brother of his twin Vashistha;

Kundin’s descendants are called Kaundinya

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Many non-brahmin groups and bachward classes claim their origin to Koundinya. Idigas, Gowdas etc

The telugu Deva Gowdas known by 6 Gotras by name 1. Atri Gotra, 2. Kaundinya Gotra, 3. Kundilya Gotra, 4. Ayudhama Gotra 5. Homaksha Gotra and 6. Devasraya Gotra.

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Koundinya Surmnames in Telugu/Andhra

Alankaram, Badabagni, Bukkara, Bhallam, Challagali, Chaluvagali, Chakravaram, Chinta, Cheruvu/ Cherivi, Dhintakurthi, Eedara, Gourraju, Kappa, Modempuri, Nandoori, Nadimpalli, Nidadavolu, Neelakantam, Oodumudi, Pratikantam, Prathigudupu/ Prathigodupu, Ranabhattu, Sandeshi/Sandesham, Sooravarapu/Soorivarapu, Shanmukhi, Tirumoori, Tummalapalli, Varnakavi, Vilasakavi, Voodumudi, Vedaraju, Vemula,

In Telugus Kshatriyas

Gotra (clan), Vamsam means heredity. The Vamsams are of two types:

1. Janma Vamsam (based on Birth)

2. Deeksha Vamsam (based on Education)

Those Kshatriyas who were educated under certain Sages (Rishis) became their Vamsiyas. They belong to the respective Vidya Vamsams.

Sage Apastamba wrote a book named Apastamba Sutramulu incorporating the traditions of persons wearing the sacred thread (Dvija). All the traditions and ceremonies of Andhra Kshatriyas are based on these sutras. The Andhra Kshatriyas belonging to the five Gotras

1. Kasyapa

2. Koundinya

3. Dhananjaya

4. Vasistha

5. Pasupati

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Kadiyan or Kadian (कादियान) or Kadyan (काद्यान, कादयान) gotra Jats are found in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Pakistan.

They are probably descendants of rishi Kaundinya, a contemporary of Gautama, the Buddha.

About Bharhut inscriptions, Cunningham gives details of Inscriptions on Rails— S. W. Quadrant in Bharhut Stupa established during Ashoka's rule reads as under:

“Pātaliputa Kodiyāniya Sakaja Devāyā dānam.”

Cunningham has translated it as under:

"Gift of Sakaja Deva, of the race of Kaundinya of Pataliputra."

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Banafar Kshatriya:

Gothra – Koundilya, Kashyap.

Ved – Yajurved.

Kuldevi – Sharda. King Daksharaj and Bachharaj belongs to this vansha.

Brave Alha and Udal were their sons also known as Malkhan and Sulkhan respectively.

Pathania is their branch.

Area --- Bundelkhand

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Yadav Kshatriya:

Gothra – Kondinya.

Ved – Yajurved.

Guru – Durvasa.

Kuldevi – Jogeshwari.

Lord Vishnu was born in this vansha. Raja Arjundev was also from this vansha.

Area – Dwarka, Karoli, Kathiyawara.

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Parmar Kshatriya:

Gotra: 1. Vaashishtha, 2. Gaargya, 3. Sounak, 4. Koundinya

Ved: Yajurveda

Devi: Durga and Kali

There were famous Raja Vikramaditya and Raja Bhoja

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The Venerable Ascetic Mahavira Jain belonged to the Kashyapa gotra.

His wife Yashoda belonged to the Kaundinya gotra.

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o Agastya was born to Rishi Atri in 3000 BC on a Shravan Shukla Panchami, ie. Nag Panchami day, in Kashi. While being born he along with his twin, inadvertantly got slipped into the anthill where naga serpents were residing. The birth place is still known as Agastya Kund in Benaras

o Agastya was known as Kundin, was elder brother of his twin Vashistha

o मित्रावरूणयोश्चैव कुण्डिनो ये परिश्रुता | एकार्षेयास्यथैवान्यै वशिष्ठानामविश्रुता | एते पक्षा वशिषठानाम् स्मृता एकादशैव तु | Vayu Puran 70.90, it is said that descendants born in the lineage of Rishi Maitravarun (also known as Agastya) are called as Kundin or Kaundinya

o Agastya is a revered Vedic sage of Hinduism.

o In the Indian traditions, he is a noted recluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent.

o He and his wife Lopamudra are the celebrated authors of hymns 1.165 to 1.191 in the Sanskrit text Rigveda and other Vedic literature.

o Agastya is considered by many to be the "father of the Tamil language", to whom is attributed the origin of the Tamil grammar text Agastyam (Agattiyam).

o It is said that the Agastya and Vashishta were great tantrics and were of Tibetan or Chinese Origin

o Kundin is described in Mahabharata as a Chandra vanshiya King. He was son of Dhrutarashra and grandson of Janamejaya.

o It is said that Sadiya in Assam near Arunachal border, there are historical ruins of city of Kundila on the bank of Kundin River which was once upon a time ruled by Bhishmaka the father of Shri Rukminiji wife of Lord Sri Krishna.

 The Kundila or Kundina was ruled by Naga vanshiya Nagar (नागर) Brahmin Kings.

Nagar (नागर) were supposed to be the originator of Indus valley civilization and were driven out from their own habitat by their own brethren like Maitra varun Agastya etc due to infights among them. Nagars (नागर) and Kalkeyas or Kaikeya then fled to south, east and north east mostly Bihar, Bengal, Orissa, Asaam and in west Gujrat etc

 o Koundinya river is on Southern Railways near Gudiyattam, 154 KM away from Chennai Central and 59 KM more to Jolarpettai Jn, Tamilnadu, which is a tributary of Paalaar river.

Legend has it that Koundinya rishi did penance on the foothills of Kurudumale. The hill near Kurudumale in Mulbagal taluk, which is the place of birth of River Koundinya. The river, which now carries water only during rainy season orginates near the foot of a hill in Kurudumale in Mulbagal, Kolar district in Karnataka. Though the river can be hardly seen in the State, its presence can be seen in neighbouring Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

O Mention of Kaundinya is found in various Epics of Hindu mythology like Shatpath-Brahman (शतपथ ब्राह्मण), Aashvalayan-Shraut-Sutra (आश्वलायन-श्रौत-सूत्र), Mahabharata (महाभारत) and Lalit-Vistaar (ललित-विस्तर) as name of various people.

o  Kaundinya is also mentioned in Taittiriya-Praatishakhya (तैत्तिरीय-प्रातिशाख्य) where Kaundinya is the name of an old grammarian. This name also finds mention in the writings of Sir Monier-Williams in which Kaundinya is one of the 24 mythical Buddhas.

o Kundina is an ancient Indian city, named as part of Kanishka's territory in the Rabatak inscription. It is thought that is it the locality of Kaundinyapura on the Wardha River in the Amravati Division of Vidarbha, or Berar in Maharashtra, which is an archaeological site identified as a trading city during the Early Historic period (c. 3rd century BCE to 4th century CE)

o Kundina Gautama was one the of many sons of Angiras Rishi.

o Kaundinya Gotra is a Brahmin Gotra which is found in both North India as well as South India, and in historical times Brahmin-kings of Kaundinya gotra ruled large areas of south-east Asia - the Funan Kingdom of Mekong Delta, Vietnam was ruled by a Kaundinya King.

o   Interesting information about Agsthya. There are several stories about him.  I suspect that there were many siddhars with that name.

o   In one story, Siva asks him to go to South India, when he was to marry Parvati, since there were so many crores of guest for the wedding and the north India i.e. Himalayan Region came down due to weight and gravitational pull.

o   Agasthya single handedly set it right, by coming down to South India, and lived near Podigai Hills, near Coimbatore.

o   There is Agasthya sutras on Ayurveda.

o   Again there is the story of Agasthya imparting bala and atibala mantras and Aditya Hridayam to Sri Rama and Lakshmana.

o   Agsthya is said to have been the first poet in Sangam I group of poets, in Then Kumari Island [not today's Kanya Kumari but must more southwards, almost touching Australia. The subcontinent was called Lemuria.

o   He has also written at that time, Agashtyam, a book on Tamil grammar, which is centuries earlier than Tolkkappiyam, the presently available grammar book in Tamil.

o   Tolappiyar the author quotes Agsthyar in some grammar rules.

o   There is also an Agashtya in Upanishad, husband of Loba Mudra.

o According to Skanda Purana, Kaundinya represents one of the 24 pravaras to which all Indians belong to.

o In the Ashvalayana Shrautasutra, the Kundina or Kaundinya Gotra is described as one of three such Vashishta Gotras that cannot intermarry.

o Kaundinya finds mention in the list of Gotra Rishis contained in Maithili work Varna Ratnakara of Jyotishvara Kavisekhara Thakur (1340 CE), the grandfather of Maithili poet Vidyapati Thakur (1400 CE).

o Kamats community in India belong to the Koundinya Gotra.

o Kaundinya Gotra Origin and History - Maha Kavi Kokil Vidyapati Mithila: Maithili Poet

o Kaundinya Gotra Origin and History - Buddhist Arhat Kaundinya

Kaundinya Gotra Origin Story

In the Anantha chaturdashi-vrata Katha there is a description of one Koundinya. People believe that the Kaundinya Gotra can be traced to a Rishi who lived in Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal. His family members were:

Wife - Shila of Vasishta Gotra

Son - Sushila

Father in Law - Sumantu

There were 10 to 12 important people from this lineage whose descendants are found in India and in parts of south-east Asia.

The first Kaundinya who went to Funan in Mekong Delta in Vietnam was supposed to have also come from Mithila in Bihar or Tamil Nadu or both and was a Shaiva. Shaivism (worshiping Shiva) became the state religion of Cambuj (ancient name of Cambodia).

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Agastya is mentioned in all the four Vedas of Hinduism, and is a character in the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads, epics, and many Puranas.

He is the author of hymns 1.165 to 1.191 of the Rigveda (~1200 BCE).

He ran a Vedic school (gurukul), as evidenced by hymn 1.179 of the Rigveda which credits its author to be his wife Lopamudra and his students.

He was a respected sage in the Vedic era, as many other hymns of the Rigveda composed by other sages refer to Agastya.

The hymns composed by Agastya are known for verbal play and similes, puzzles and puns, and striking imagery embedded within his spiritual message.

Agastya vedic verses

With thee, O Indra, are most bounteous riches

that further every one who lives uprightly.

Now may these Maruts show us loving-kindness,

Gods who of old were ever prompt to help us.

    —1.169.5,

    Translation: Ralph T.H. Griffith

May we know refreshment,

and a community having lively waters.

    —1.165.15, 1.166.15, 1.167.11, etc.

    Transl: Stephanie Jamison, Joel Brereton

—Rigveda

His Vedic poetry is particularly notable for two themes. In one set of hymns, Agastya describes a conflict between two armies led by gods Indra and Maruts, which scholars such as G. S. Ghurye have interpreted as an allegory of a conflict between Arya (Indra) and Dasa (Rudra).

Agastya successfully reconciles their conflict, makes an offering wherein he prays for understanding and loving-kindness between the two.

Twenty one out of the twenty seven hymns he composed in Mandala 1 of the Rigveda have his signature ending, wherein he appeals, "may each community know refreshment (food) and lively waters".

These ideas have led him to be considered as a protector of both the Arya and the Dasa.

However, some scholars interpret the same hymns to be an allegory for any two conflicting ideologies or lifestyles, because Agastya never uses the words Arya or Dasa, and only uses the phrase ubhau varnav (literally, "both colors").

The theme and idea of "mutual understanding" as a means for lasting reconciliation, along with Agastya's name, reappears in section 1.2.2 of the Aitareya Aranyaka of Hinduism.

The second theme, famous in the Hinduism literature, is a discussion between his wife Lopamudra and him about the human tension between the monastic solitary pursuit of spirituality, versus the responsibility of a householder's life and raising a family.

Agastya argues that there are many ways to happiness and liberation, while Lopamudra presents her arguments about the nature of life, time and the possibility of both. She successfully seduces Agastya, in the simile filled Rigvedic hymn 1.179.

Agastya is mentioned in both the oldest and the youngest layers of the Rigveda (c. 1500–1200 BCE), such as in hymn 33 of mandala 7, which is older than mandala 1.

He is also mentioned in other three Vedas and the Vedanga literature such as in verses 5.13–14 of the Nirukta.

Agastya and his ideas are cited in numerous other Vedic texts, such as section 7.5.5 of Taittiriya Samhita, 10.11 of Kathaka Samhita, 2.1 of Maitrayani Samhita, 5.16 of Aitareya Brahmana, 2.7.11 of Taittiriya Brahmana, and 21.14 of Pancavimsati Brahmana.

Mention of Kaundinya is found in various Epics of Hindu mythology like Shatpath-Brahman (शतपथ ब्राह्मण), Aashvalayan-Shraut-Sutra (आश्वलायन-श्रौत-सूत्र), Mahabharata (महाभारत) and Lalit-Vistaar (ललित-विस्तर) as name of various people.

Kaundinya is also mentioned in Taittiriya-Praatishakhya (तैत्तिरीय-प्रातिशाख्य) where Kaundinya is the name of an old grammarian. This name also finds mention in the writings of Sir Monier-Williams in which Kaundinya is one of the 24 mythical Buddhas.

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Kaundinya in Early Sanskrit Literature

o There was a Rishi Kaundinya in the court of Yudhishtira (~1000 BCE or earlier).

o There is a mention of a Sage Kaundinya in Charaka Samhita (~750 BCE).

o In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (700 BCE), Kaundinya is mentioned as a disciple of Shandilya.

o There is a reference to Kaundinya in Satpatha Brahmana (700 BCE) which is a part of Shukla Yajurveda.

o Baudhayana Grihyasutra (700 BCE) mentions one Kaundinya as a commentator of Taittiriya Samhita.

o Panini (~500 BCE), the Great Hindu Sanskrit grammarian, refers to one Kaundinya in his Ashtadhyayi.

From this we can conclude that around 700 BCE, there was at least one renowned Rishi Kaundinya.

There was also one Kauṇḍinya who was a Buddhist monk and follower of Gautama Buddha and the first to become an arhat. He lived during the 6th century BCE in what is now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

Kaundinya in Later Sanskrit Literaure

o In the Taittiriya Pratisakhya, Kaundinya is refeered to as an authority on Vyakaran (Grammar).

o According to a commentary on Shikhsa Sammuchaya, one Kaundinya was an authority on Shiksha and author of the book Kaundiya Shiksha.

o One Kaundinya Bhagavat was the commentator of Pashupata sutra and is said to have flourished in 500 CE.

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Agastya in Jataka Tales and Kalidasa

The Jataka Tales is a collection of tales of the numerous births of Bodhisatva, who later became the Buddha.

It is a record of very old folk tales adapted by the Buddhists to suit their needs.

They were current among Indians from time immemorial.

Buddhists did not hesitate to distort and twist all the old tales including the popular Hindu stories for their purpose.

They even used Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and Panchatantra stories and ‘’Buddhaized’’ the stories.

One of such stories is the story of great Agastya whom the Tamil poets celebrated as the first patron of Tamil language.

Tamil language came to Agastya through Shiva and his son Lord Skanda (Muruga in Tamil).

In the Akitti (Agastya) Jataka, Bodhisattva was born as Akitti as a son of a Brahmana mahasala (Brahmin scholar) Later he became an ascetic with his sister Yasavati. He went to Damila (Tamil country) from Kasi. Agastya lived in a garden in Kaveripattana. The reason for Agastya’s southward movement was the nuisance from his admirers.

But he was pestered by his admirers in the South as well. Then he went to Karadipa also called Ahidipa (May be Nagadwipa; Ahi=snake, Naga). Nagadwipa was used for Sri Lanka as well as South East Asia. Agastya attained Moksha there.

 Puranas say that Agastya drank ocean to convey the message symbolically that he crossed the ocean to go to South East Asia. His statues are found in different South East Asian countries. He was worshipped throughout South East Asia.

Kalidasa who lived in the first century BCE gives us very interesting details:-

Kalidasa’s Amazing knowledge about South India

Kalidasa in his Raghuvamsa Kavya confirmed that Agastya was closer to the Pandyas of the South. According to Tamil literature Agastya lived in the Podiya Hills (a part of the Western Ghats inside the Tamil territory). Kalidasa’s knowledge about India was amazing. He was the first poet to give a clear and complete picture of India. Though Arjuna’s travel in the Mahabharata and Rama’s travel in the Ramayana described South India, a lot of things were vague—mixed with myths.

 Kalidasa was the first Tourist guide in the world and he was the first Travel write in the world. Kalidasa’s Meghaduta described India from the Vindhya Hills up to the Northern Himalayas. His Raghu Vamsa Kavya described a vast area from Iran to South India.

During Indumati’s Swayamvara kings from different parts of India assembled to marry Indumati. Pandya king was also there. Kalidasa never mentioned other Tamil kings Choza or Chera. Pandyas were the oldest of the three kingdoms. Chozas came from North West India where Sibi ruled (Please read my article ‘’Sibi Story in Tamil literature’’ for more details)

The Agastya story shows that the contact between South India and North India existed even before Buddha. According to the Puranas, Agastya was sent to the South by Lord Shiva to solve the population explosion in the north. Tamil commentators on a Purananuru verse (201 by Kabilar) also confirmed that he came with the Velir tribes to South India.

Following slokas from the Raghuvamsa are noteworthy:--

Raghuvamsa-4-21, 4-44, 4-49; 6-60,6-61/65

4-44 South is the direction of Agastya

4-46 Malaya (Pothiya) hills, Pepper plants, Parrots

4-47- Sandal wood

4-49 even sun shines less bright because of the might of the Pandyas

4-50 pearl fisheries where River Tambraparni meets the sea

4-53, 4-59 Parasurama land between Sahya hills and the sea (Kerala)

4-54 Beautiful Kerala girls and Cosmetics

6-61 Agastya --Pandya connection, Aswamedha yagna of Pandya

6-62 Ravana- Pandya peace treaty

6-64 Malaya hills (Podiya Hills)

6-65 Pandyas are black skinned

4-21 Agastya Star (Canopus)

 Pandya/ Tamil copper plates, Purananuru verse 201 by Kapilar, Pura. 2 and commentaries on several other verses confirm the link between the Pandyas and Agastya, Podiya and Himalayas, Yagas performed by the Pandyas and Agastya.

Sage Agastya was inseparable from Tamil Nadu and Parasurama was Inseparable from Kerala.

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o One Kaundiya was an authority on Dharmashastra and quoted by:

o Jimutvahana in Vyavahara Matrika (~1150 CE) [yvahāra-mātrikā of Jīmūtavāhana ] (Jīmūtavāhana also wrote दायभाग Dayabhaga)

o Kamalakara Bhatta in Nirnaya Sindhu (~1612 CE) [Kamalākara-bhatta]

o Nilakantha in Shradddha Mayukha (~1620 CE) [Vyavahāra-mayūkha of Nīlakaṇṭha]

o Bhattoji Dikshita in Tithinirnaya Samkshepa (~1620 CE) [Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita ]

 References and Dates

o Charaka Samhita Date - 750 BCE based on Leonore Loeb Adler, B. Runi Mukherji. Spirit Versus Scalpel: Traditional Healing and Modern Psychotherapy. Greenwood. p. 76. Says 900 BE to 600 BCE

o Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - Date 700 BCE based on Ref: Olivelle, Patrick. Upaniṣhads. Oxford University Press, 1998, pages 3–4

o Shatpatha Brahmana Date - 700 BCE based on Jan N. Bremmer (2007). The Strange World of Human Sacrifice. Peeters Publishers. pp. 158–. ISBN 978-90-429-1843-6. Retrieved 15 December 2012

o Baudhayana Grihyasutra Date - 700 BCE

o Panini Date - 6th century to 4th century

o https://en.wikipedia.org/…/Bha%E1%B9%AD%E1%B9%ADoji_D%C4%AB…

o Vidyapati - 1352 to 1448

o https://www.trsiyengar.com/id279.shtml

o http://www.wisdomlib.org/…/kau%E1%B9%87%E1%B8%8D…/index.html

o Some Aspects of Asian History and Culture, Upendra Thakur

o http://www.kamat.com/jyotsna/blog/blog.php?BlogID=1260

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