Classification of Tamil Brahmins according to veda and Suthra they follow..
The Brahmins of Tamil Nadu can be classified by the Vedas that they follow . Again those people who follow a Veda are sub divided by the Grihya Suthra that they follow to do their rituals.There are no followers of Athavana Veda In Tamil Nadu .The Followers of Yajur Veda is further divided in to Krisha Yajurveda and Shulka Yajurveda . The ritual a Brahmin follows depends on the Veda that he belongs and the Suthra that he has chosen to adopt .
Thus the Brahmins Of Tamil Nadu can be divided in to
1.Krishna Yajurveda-Apasthambha Suthra
2.Krishna Yajurvedac –Bodhayana Suthra
3.Krishna Yajurveda -Bharadwaja Suthra
4.Shukla Yajaurveda — Kanva Suthra
5.Shukla Yajurveda- Madyandina Sutra
6.Rig Veda – Aswalayana Suthra
7.Rig Veda- Kathyayana Suthra
8.Sama Veda – Drahyana sutra
9.Sama Veda- Ranananyani sutra
10. Sama Veda-Jaimini Sakha
There are other Large number of Suthras in Each Veda.Some of them have been lost ..Some existing Suthras have followers in many pockets in North India. Among the Tamil Brahmins the maximum number are Followers of Krishna Yajur Veda , followed by Rig veda, followed by Sama Veda followed by Shukla Yajur veda.I understand that in Yajur veda people following Bodhayana Sutra is very less .
Though Some very learned men know more than One Veda , in Tamil Nadu we do not have persons following more than one Veda like Dwivedi(2 Vedas), Trivedi(Three Vedas ) and Chathurvedi (4 Vedas).
Compiled by
Pr.Ramachander
(Please inform me if we have left out any).