Lord Chitragupt (First Father of Kayastha community)🕉️
Chitragupta (Sanskrit: चित्रगुप्त, 'rich in secrets' or 'hidden picture') is a Hindu god assigned with the task of keeping complete records of the actions of human beings and punishing or rewarding them according to their karma. Upon their death, Chitragupta has the task of deciding heaven or hell for humans, depending on their actions on the earth.
Chitragupta is the seventeenth Manasputra of Lord Brahma. Chitragupta is believed to have been created from Brahma's soul and mind (chit) and thus, allotted the right to write Vedas like Brahmins with the duty of a Kshatriya. Chitragupta accompanies Yama, the god of death.[1]
🌟According to the Vedic scriptures, the souls of men after death receive rewards and punishments according to their sins and virtues, and hence it is believed that good and bad deeds of men are not destroyed. The souls of men after death go to Yamaloka, which is presided over by the deities called Yamadutas who keep records of men's actions and accordingly give them their dues. The principal deity of Yamaloka is Yamaraj — the ruler of Yamaloka, and the king of laws.
🌟The Yama Samhita, an extract from the 9th chapter of Ahilya Kamdhenu, a work of Hindu Law, says that Dharamaraja complained to Brahma about his difficulties in performing his most responsible duties of keeping records of the deeds of men and doing justice to them. Brahma went into meditation. Chitragupta sprang from his body and stood before him bearing an inkpot and a pen. The god Brahma (creator) said: "Because you are sprung from my body (kaya), therefore you shall be called Kayastha and as you existed in my body unseen I give you the name of Chitragupta. Let the Kshatriya dharma be followed by you and your progeny." He then assumed charge of Yamapuri. Yama setup marriage of his daughter Irawati with Chitragupta. Sraddhadeva Manu, son of Lord Surya, setup his daughter Nandini's marriage with Chitragupta.Chitragupta had eight sons from the former and four from the latter and these twelve sons became the progenitors of the twelve subdivisions of the Chitraguptavansi Kayasthas, namely Saxena, Mathur, Gaur, Nigam, Ashthana, Kulshrestha, Suryadwaja, Bhatnagar, Ambastha, Shrivastava, Karna and Vaalmiki.
🌟According to Padma Purana, "Chitragupta was placed near Yama to register the good and evil actions of all sentient beings, that he was possessed of supernatural wisdom and became the partaker of sacrifices offered to the gods and fire. It is for this reason that the twice-born always give him oblations from their food. As he sprang from the body of Lord Brahma he was called Kayastha of numerous gotras on the face of the earth."
🌟Bhavishya Purana states that God, the Creator, gave the name and duties of Chitragupta as follows: Because you have sprung from my body, therefore, you shall be called Kayastha and shall be famous in the world by the name of Chitragupta. Oh my son, let your residence be always in the region of the God of justice for the purpose of determining the merits and demerits of men.
🌟According to Brihat Brahma Khanda. Lord Chitragupt was named Kayastha having sprung from the body (kaya) of Brahma. He was directed to perform all sanskars and to have writing as his profession.
🌟Garuda Purana describes the imperial throne of Chitragupta in Yamaloka holding his Court and dispensing justice according to the deeds of men and maintaining their record, in the following words: (There Dharmaraja, Chitragupta, Sravana and others see all sins and virtues remaining concealed in the bodies of men).
🌟The Mahabharata (Anusasan Parva, chapter 130) recites the teaching of Chitragupta requiring men to do virtuous and charitable acts and performing Yagya, saying that men are rewarded or punished according to their good or bad deeds.
🌟In Vedas, he is referred to as the greatest king, while the rest are "Rajakas," or little kings.
चित्र इद राजा राजका इदन्यके यके सरस्वतीमनु।
पर्जन्य इव ततनद धि वर्ष्ट्या सहस्रमयुता ददत॥
(RIG VEDA Book 8/ Hymn 21/ Stanza 18 [2] T)
🌟Rigveda mentions an invocation to be made to Chitragupta before offering sacrifice. There is also a special invocation to Chitragupta as Dharmraj (Lord of Justice) to be made at the performance of shradh or other rituals. "Om tat purushaya vidmahe Chitragupta dhimahi tena lekha prachodayata."
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