Why Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu ?

There have been many theories and debates on the name of the caste - Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP). However, most logical theory for the name of the caste is the name of the caste is derived from three words 1. Chandraseniya 2. Kayastha 3. Prabhu.

Lets see how these three words have been derived:



1. Chandraseniya: There is no difference of opinion about the word "Chandraseniya". All agree in saying that it means the descendants of the king "Chandrasena" and his followers. Chandrasena was otherwise called Soma Raja who was the son of the Kshatriya king "Chandrasena", himself the descendant of Sahasrarjuna of the Haiyaya family of the Lunar Kshatriya Dynasty.

2. Kayastha: The word "Kayastha" when applied to this caste is said to mean, firstly according to the mythological legend resident in body (Kaya - body and astha - Resident) in because when Parashuram asked for the wife of Chandrasen who had taken refuge with the sage Dalabhya he promised to give away the woman if the child in the womb be spared under the condition that the child will be trained to be a writer and not to be a soldier (khshatriya).
Secondly, the word Kaystha may mean resident in Ayodhya (Kay - Ayodhya and astha - resident). Anga means Ayodhya and very likely Kayastha came to be used as equivalent to Angastha, because Kayastha and angastha are interchangeable words. Compare "Deshastha" means resident in Desh "Kokanastha" means resident in konkan.

3. Prabhu: The word Kayastha when applied to Prabhu may be said to be used as an adjective. Kayastha Prabhu (king) turned into a Kayastha (writer.) The caste was compelled to take up the pen and give up the sword upon which condition alone the king Chandrasena's wife was allowed to remain alive with the Kshatriya child in her womb, by Parashuram. Chitrugupta, the son of the body of the God Brahmadeva, and therefore Brahma Kayastha was the recorder in heaven of the good and evil of mortals. He was Kayastha and the only writer and his profession was ordained to be followed by the posthumous son.



It is here to be mentioned that the "Kayastha Prabhu" or more properly "Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu" are quite different from the 'Sankaraj Kayasthas' or the 'Vaishya Kayasthya' of Gujarath, none of them being Prabhus.

--- Dr. Ashutosh Pradhan