Kayastha (Hindu traditions) in Nepal

Introduction / History

Kayasthas mostly belong to the Hindi-speaking states of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. Most of the Kayasthas who shifted to Hyderabad from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in the middle of the eighteenth century got employment in the court of the Nizam. Kayasthas also migrated to various other parts of the country and even Bangladesh and Nepal.

What Are Their Lives Like?

With the passing of time, the Kayasthas have surged ahead. They have broken new grounds in vocations other than those relating to writing and record-keeping and excelled in them. Thus, in public life, Dr Rajendra Prasad rose to become the first President of the Republic of India, whereas Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru as the Prime Minister. Dr Sampuranand was the Chief Minister of U.P. and Governor of Rajasthan, besides being a literary figure. Subhas Chandra Bose fought the British rule militarily. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, and Jagdish Chandra Bose were eminent scientists. Munshi Prem Chand, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Raghupat Sahai "Firaque" Gorakhpuri, Dr Vrindavan Lal Verma, Dr Ram Kumar Verma and Dr Dharm Vir Bharti have been men of letters. Swami Vivekanand was a philosopher and a true Indian. Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha have excelled in the film world, Mukesh and Sonu Nigam in the world of music.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Hindus believe that Brahma, the Creator, having established the four varnas "Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra" ordained Dharamraj (also called Yamraj, the god of death) to keep record of the deeds "good and evil" of all life-forms born and yet to be born on the earth, in the heavens above and in the lands below. Dharamraj, however, complained, "O Lord, how can I alone keep record of the deeds of the beings born into 84 lakh yonis (life-forms) in the three worlds?"
Brahma then closed his eyes, meditated for a while and lo and behold! there appeared a radiant figure with a quill-pen in one hand and an ink-pot in another. Brahma named him Chittagupta for he was conceived in his cognitive-self (chitta) and he was lying in him, dormant and secret (gupta). He was born of Brahma's body (kaya) and so the Lord decreed that his progenies be called Kayasthas. He was assigned to work as a minister, to write and record for Dharamraj. Thus, the fifth varna, the Kayastha, came into existence. Some historians hold the view that during the reign of the Mughals, several Hindus who were educated and endowed with sharp intellect attained administrative positions through rapid adaptation to the Persian language and culture of India's new rulers. These influential Hindus got together and formed a new caste known as Kayastha.

What Are Their Needs?

Kayasthas have high prestige. This could easily give them the false impression that they do not need a savior to save them from sin. It will take believers from a high-status background to gain a hearing among these educated Hindus. The Lord will need to raise up ambassadors for Christ who will walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit and have enough patience and love for the Kayasthas to stay with them until they have their own Disciple Making Movement.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene in their community in such a way that they will understand that only Jesus Christ is worthy of their undivided devotion.
Pray for the Lord to make his presence known among the Hindu Kayasthas in Nepal.
Pray for the Kayasthas in Nepal to experience and share the blessings of Christ.
Pray for gratitude to the one who gives life.
Pray for the right workers to go to the Kayasthas in Nepal.

Text Source:   Joshua Project