It was not expected that such Vedic and Yajna doer Brahmins should themselves cultivate the agricultural land. Those who work in their family gardens were people of the caste called Kulwadi in the Konkan. No tax was levied on the settlements of those priests. The job of protection of their lands was carried on by the people of Nayar caste. The meaning of Nayar is leaders, not non-Aryans. Naturally traders also used to settle around such locations. The organization of people and economy was around the yajna institution.
As mentioned earlier, these priests were not just those who accepted donations and asked for food. The authority to be priest was given only to those who had performed at least 7 yajnas, and given offerings, and donations and paid fees to people. The directive ‘Ten taktyen Bhunjithah” in the Upnishadas was followed. This was an arrangement of distribution of wealth. The objective lesson, that the ‘pleasure is really in giving’ was continuously put before the society through the yajna institution.
The scholarship of Chittapavan could be seen from the fact that they were students of two Vedas. Other Brahmin castes are either Rig-vedi or Yajurvedi. But two Vedas were found among the Chittapava, because those are the two principle Vedas in yajna ritual. The study of other two Vedas was done as a special study. Those who preserved the yajna institution for centuries have other surnames than mentioned above, also connected with yajna rituals. These surnames are concerning the specific yajna material required for the yajna, supportive arrangements for yajna etc. For example, the following surnames are given:
Apate( Aptoryam yajna), Sadhmane( Soutramani yajna), Paranjape ( Soma yajna was called Prajapatya from which Paranjape), Gharpure(Garhpatya yajna action ),Pethe (the degree or title of the engineer Brihaspati) Chhatre , (the host of Vajpey yajna had the honour of White umbrella),Athawale (Adhwar means Yajna) Bapat ( those who gave the offering of the intestinal part of goat – Bapa- Bokad),Tulpule (those who weighed things, as many things were to be weighed during the yajna),Ganpule (Gana – persons, important persons from the society),Sane( Samadnya –those who knew SamaVeda),Jog ( Chhandogya, reader of Vedas )Bam (brahma – the chief priest),Gadre(Agnighra – Priest),Hode,Hole (Hota – Priest), Pote( Potra – arrangement of cleanliness ), Nene(Neshtra – to bring the wife of the host into the pandol.),Sathe ( member priest), Parchure (Prastrota –priest),Mandlik ( the one who made the circle around the altar), Khare (Khandar Kher)Ghanekar (Ghanapathi), Phadake (Padapathi ), Jail ( Jaya Pathi ), khambete , karmarkar, (experts in order,) Kramakar )Sahastrabuddhe (those who had studied the long mantra called Shastra), Kolhatkar (Kulatha – supplier of Kulittha), Tilak (til-kar), Khadilkar (kadali-kar), Kelkar ( the decoratin of Banana leaves and branches), Karandikar ( the fruit-Karkadhu), Kanitkar (Kanandha- a yajna process), Date (Drashta – supervisor or superintendent), Madhumate ( Madhumanch – madhupark – honey), Ganu ( singer of mantra), Karve (Kalpe- branch of study), Achval ( killer of horses), Bhave (Sambhavin – the arrangekment of entertainment), Vaidya ( expert in Vedas).
The names in yajna are plural names taken with respect. Their Marathi translation appears to be Nene, Mate, Ranade, etc. ending with the pronunciation of E. These names are ending in Sanskrit with a suffix of kar. Having lost this reference the Marathi names became kar ending. But in these surnames the reference is with the specific activities in the yajna, and not to the village names. With the tradition of study of Vedas for centuries together, even today, there seems to be love amongs the Konkastha about the study of Vedas, liking for Sanskrit, consciousness towards society and the sense of sacrifice. It is not necessary to increase the length of this article by giving a list of names of great personalities in this caste. They are very famous. Leaving the Peshwa period, the names given of the modern era should be suffiently indicative :
Justice Ranade, Namdar Gokhale, Lokmanya Tilak, Poet Keshavsut, Swatantryaveer Savarkar, Acharya Vinoba Bhave, Maharshi Karve, Dr. Ketkar and Mahamohopadhya Kane.
One of the impotant legacy of yajna institution is the urge for the collective progress of society, and the necessary tendency of team work. At the beginning of yajna there was a ritual named Tannasu. A copper urn (vessel) was filled with ghee and the priest would take oath standing around the urn. (vessel). That was the oath not to bring in the opposition and hatred among one another in the work of yajna. If there was any dispute about the system of working, the decision of the senior priest was final and was undisputedly accepted. This tendency of the yajna priests is still seen in this caste. These people with the most individualistic tendency, devotedly participate in cultural, social and educational work. It is well-known that the system of life-membership for an social activity began in Pune only.