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Sat-Sudra or High Born Sudra, also known as Pure Sudra, is a caste classification found in ancient Hindu texts and mentioned in several British Raj records. Sat-sudra is a classification used to describe high-caste groups who are originally Brahmins, Kshatriyas, or Vaishyas but do not follow their Vedic rites, hence becoming sudras in ritual rank. Sat-Sudras, placed after Brahmins, were considered higher caste, different from Sudras or asat-Sudras.

Etymology

According to Puranic texts, the Sakas, Yavanas, Bahlikas, Kambojas, and Dravidas are Noble Kshatriyas all described as part of the Indo-Aryan peoples. They are said to have become vratya Kshatriyas or mlechha (foreign) caste during the Kali Yuga. During the British periods, certain Brahmin communities, such as the Bhumihar Brahmins, Pushpaka Brahmins, and Pirali Brahmins, were classified as degraded Brahmins. Despite this perception, they maintained significant wealth and status as landlords in the pre-British era  or Medieval India.

According to the sacred Hindu text Bhagavad Gita verse 13.2: "Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād dhi bhaved dvijaḥ," meaning everyone is born śūdra by birth, by samskara one upgrades to dvija status.

Hiranyagarbha ritual

In Ancient India, Brahmins and Kshatriyas rulers performed a ritual called Hiranyagarbha, which was used to reclaim their lost varna rites. It was a sacrifice aimed at obtaining divine sanction from the original creator – Brahma or Prajapati – who were believed to be born from a Hiranyagarbha, or golden conception. This concept, though simple, was considered expensive during that period.

The term "hiranyagarbha" translates to "golden womb," symbolizing both a golden pot (kunda) offered to a Brahmana and the deity Vishnu. During the ritual, the donor conducts an archana (worship ritual) and recites a mantra praising Vishnu as Hiranyagarbha. Subsequently, the donor enters the "golden womb" while priests perform rites similar to those for a pregnant woman, including garbhadhana, pumsavana, and simantonnayana. Upon emerging from the "golden womb," the priests perform jatakarma and other rites customary for a newborn. The donor then recites a mantra proclaiming a "rebirth" from the divine womb, thus referred to as "born of the hiranyagarbha." After the ceremony, the donor gifts the "golden womb" and other offerings to the priests.

References

1. BHAGWAN, SWAMINARAYAN (2018-10-30). SHIKSHAPATRI: Sanskrit - Hindi - English. purnavallabhswamiji@gmail.com. ISBN 978-81-939354-3-9.
2. A Comprehensive History of India: pt.2 No special title. People's Publishing House. 2008. ISBN 978-81-7304-561-5.
3. Ghurye, Govind Sadashiv (1957). Caste and Class in India. Popular Book Depot.
4. Bergunder, Michael; Frese, Heiko; Schröder, Ulrike (2011). Ritual, Caste, and Religion in Colonial South India. Primus Books. ISBN 978-93-80607-21-4.
5. Books, Kausiki (2021-05-15). Brahma Purana 1: English Translation only without Slokas: English Translation without Slokas. Kausiki Books.
6. Sagar, Krishna Chandra (1992). Foreign Influence on Ancient India. Northern Book Centre. ISBN 978-81-7211-028-4.
7. Kumāra, Braja Bihārī (2007). India and Central Asia: Classical to Contemporary Periods. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-8069-457-8.
8. Eisenstadt, Shmuel Noah; Kahane, Reuven; Shulman, David Dean (1984). Orthodoxy, Heterodoxy, and Dissent in India. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-009659-0.
9. Sharma, Anurag (2022-11-12). BRAHMINS WHO REFUSED TO BEG: BRIEF HISTORY OF BHUMIHARS, “AYACHAK” BRAHMINS OF EAST INDIA). Notion Press. ISBN 979-8-88833-371-6.
10. https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/6/5/20/
11. Gail, Adalbert J.; Mevissen, Gerd J. R.; Salomon, Richard (2006). Script and Image: Papers on Art and Epigraphy. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-2944-2.
12. Centre, Sri Sathya Sai Media. Sri Sathya Sai Speaks Volume 01 to 43: Divine Discourses from 1953 to 2010. Sri Sathya Sai Media Centre.
13. Samarpan (2023-07-27). Veda Vihangam: The Essential Veda. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-93-95624-65-7.

• Indian castes