brAhmaNa-s
- Archaka-posts in certain Agamika temples were reserved for initiated brAhmaNa-s, due to such decision by a deity or a highly revered sage. Rare reservations were made for other communities as well (see practice page).
Deities appointing specific lineages
- [sEkkizAr’s periyapurANam, mANikkavAcakar - TW17, kAmikAgama 6.6 - 6.9 TW17 ].
- The vaikhAnasa samhitas mention that this community was created by Vishnu and not thru brahma. The child is initiated at the foetal stage through viShNu-bali.
- bhagavAn explicitly stated his desire to receive vaikhAnasa service only at tirumala. For 12 yrs, moolamurti was not touched by anyone.. Puja done by sri vyasaraya from outside temple, as the only descendant of bimbaadhara, appointed by raamaanuja, was an infant. If a yati of that caliber did not dare enter sanctum sanctorum, who are we?
- the mother at AvuDaiyAr temple (built by mANikkavAcaka) desires that only brAhmaNas of the rare agniveshya sUtra should serve her.
Exemption from devalaka-doSha
- Such specific brAhmaNa lineages are said to be exempt from the devalaka-doSha that befalls brAhmaNa archaka-s according to the smRti-s. While others fall in status.
- Even the shaivAgama which detests common brAhmaNas doing arcana- gives a max limit of 3 years for initiated common Brahmins and 6 months for uninitiated ones before they become degraded
Non-brAhmaNa eligibility
- Pancaratra allows archakas to be from all castes subject to certain conditions.
- “There are many bhajana temples with murtis where saattaadas serve. There are many bhajana temples with murtis where saattaadas serve. But the main archaka in old pancaratra temples has to be a SYV kanva shakha brom of five gotras and initiated in pancaratra diksha by his own father. … The chief arcaka in shrIraNGam was handpicked from one such gotra by rAmAnuja himself.”