Pandey (Dev. पाण्डेय pāṇḍeya; also पाण्डे pāṇḍey) is a surname found primarily among the Brahmin caste communities of Nepal and India. As derived form the Sanskrit word “Pundit”, Pandey (Hindu Priest) Brahmins were among the most educated and knowledgeable persons within the Hindu culture and experts in all four Vedas. Usually, they settled away from the populated areas such as towns and villages; their ancestors were mostly involved in practicing “Dhyan,” “Tantra”, “Mantra”, and “Yoga” in forested or mountainous areas. The popular belief is that those Brahmin families who specialized in all 4 Vedas came to be known as Chaturvedi (chatur means 4 in Sanskrit), those who specialized in 3 Vedas came to be known as Trivedi or Tripathi (tri- meaning 3 in Sanskrit), while Dwivedi specialized in 2 Vedas (dwi- meaning 2). Those who only studied the Veda but did not specialize in them came to be known as Pathak, i.e. the reader. Those who specialized in Upanishads were known as Upadhyaya. The names Shukla (meaning bright), Pandey (meaning pundit) and Mishra (mixed knowledge of Vedas and Puranas) indicated those who specialized in all Vedas plus Purans in Northern Indian states. However, Shukla brahmins were usually gurus by profession, and thus lived prominent, respectable lives in society. Mishra Brahmins were preachers by profession, and usually lived wealthier but less respectable lives in society than Shuklas. Pandey Brahmins are thought to be the most learned and focused of these Brahmins, strictly following Tantra, Mantra and Yoga. These pursuits generally led them to live away from mainstream society due to the long, intense training needed to attain clarity of instruction.
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Derivation
The etymology of Pandey is unclear. Some sources suggest that it is derived from the Sanskrit word paṇḍita (पण्डित), which refers to a 'learned man' or 'scholar'.Whether some suggest that it is a compound of three routes pani + dian + iyan. In it pani means trading, dian means warcraft and iyan means mastery of philosophy. Thoroughly, Pandeys were thought to encompass mastery of trade & commerce, warcraft and the vedas all in one.
Distribution
The majority of people with the surname Pandey reside in the North Indian states of Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and western districts of Nepal (Gulmi, etc.). The surname is also found in states such as Jharkhand. It can be found outside of India in Nepal, Guyana, Fiji, Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago.
Social Groups
The surname is found predominantly among the Kanyakubj, Sarayuparina, Sakaldwipi and Bhumihar Brahmin communities. It falls under the Kasyap (Dev. काश्यप) Gotra.
Similar Names
The surname Pandey is similar to the surname "Pande" (पाण्डे pāṇḍe), which is used in Gujarat, North India and as well as in Nepal. In Maharashtra, several Brahmin families have names ending in "-pande", such as "Deshpande". It is distinct from the surname "Panday", which is also used by various social groups.
Notable Pandeys in Society
- Mangal Pandey: Revolted against British and was hanged in the first anti-British Indian Rebellion of 1857
- Aaadietya Pandey: Numerologist
- Chunky Pandey: Film actor
- Gyanendra Pandey: Cricketer
- Kamla Kant Pandey: Botanist
- Manoj Kumar Pandey: Officer and hero of Operation Vijay
- Prasoon Pandey: Film director
- Sandeep Pandey: Social activist
- Pt. Tarkeshwar Pandey: Former Indian Member of Parliament
Notable Kumaoni Brahmin Pandes in Society
- Vinod Chandra Pande: Ex-governor, Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh
- Bhairab Dutt Pande: Ex-governor, Punjab and West Bengal
- Mrinal Pande : Journalist, writer
- Nirmal Pandey: Actor, Bollywood
