Ashtottaram 54) OṀ BRĀHMAṆAPŪJANABHŨMYAI NAMAH:
Ashtottaram 54: OṀ (AUM) –BRAAH-MAṆA-POO-JA-NA- BHOO- MYAI—NA-MA-HA
ॐ ब्राह्मणपूजनभूम्यै नमः
(Brāhmaṇa: One who knows Brahman or the Vedās; Pūjana: Worship)
A TRUE Brāhmin is the one, who has acquired brāhminhood not by birth, but through his noble actions. He, who has gained Supreme Self-knowledge of Brahman, is a Brāhmin. Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Epics proclaim that there is no caste differentiation in the Brāhminic State.
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Vedas say that ‘Janmaṇā Jāyate Sūdrah, Brahmajnānāt Eva Iti Brāhmaṇah’ which means- ‘everyone is born ignorant and the one who knows Brahma Vidya is considered as Brāhmin’. The one who studies śhāstrās and lives his life accordingly is considered a Brāhmin. In Hindu dharma and Veda shāstrās, the restrictions and duties that are imposed on Brāhmin varṇam are not present in any other varṇam. For example sandhyāvandanam, vegetarianism, reading Vedas on a daily basis, virtuous life, and so on…
In the life journey of every Hindu, there are sixteen saṃskārās (sacraments) to be full filled starting from birth to death. We need a Brāhmin to conduct pūjas and the rituals. Indians are not satisfied unless their marriage is performed by Brāhmin priests. Even those who do not follow Hindu traditions and festivals, when it comes to the last rites of their parents, they want a Brāhmin to perform the rites. When we visit temples who do ashtottarams, sahasranāmams? Who does homams and vigraha pratisṭāpanās?
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To be a Sat-Bāhmin is not that easy. Memorizing very difficult Vedic mantras is not an easy task; they start at a very early age and practice correct pronunciations for many years under the guidance of a guru. Brāhmins used to advise kings on how to rule the country and they used to care about the welfare of the community. They used to hold minister positions in kingdoms. They used to be experts in literature and kings used to grant them acres of fertile land and gold. Later on, there was a gradual moral and ethical decline in Sat-Brāhminism.
Nowadays, very few are Sat-Brāhmins. Modern Brāhmins do not follow any enjoined duties and some of them even eat meat, drink alcohol, smoke; but the first thing they boast about themselves is their caste. So, it’s just serving the purpose of boosting their egos and prejudice against fellow Indians. Maybe it’s the effect of kaliyuga (dark age), and the influence of western civilization; whatever it may be, we find only a handful of authentic Brāhmin varṇam. Many Brāhmins as swamis, gurus and preceptors are still honored by the Indians here and abroad. The Brāhmin caste continues. We still honor them, respect them, and make them part of our life for the fulfillment of prescribed sacraments in life.
So, our motherland is ‘Brāhmaṇapūjana Bhūmi’.