Not to be confused with Brahman (a metaphysical concept in Hinduism), Brahma (a Hindu god), or Brahmana (a layer of text in the Vedas).
For other uses, see Brahmin (disambiguation).
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Brahmin (/ˈbrɑːmɪn/; Sanskrit: ब्राह्मण, romanized: brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.[1][2][3][4][5] The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood (purohit, pandit, or pujari) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers.[6][7]
Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the highest ritual status of the four social classes,[8] and they also served as spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists, warriors, traders, and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent.[7][8][9]
^Benjamin Lee Wren (2004). Teaching World Civilization with Joy and Enthusiasm. University Press of America. pp. 77–. ISBN 978-0-7618-2747-4. At the top were the Brahmins(priests), then the Kshatriyas(warriors), then the vaishya(the merchant class which only in India had a place of honor in Asia), next were the sudras(farmers), and finally the pariah(untouchables), or those who did the dirty defiling work
^Kenneth R. Valpey (2 November 2019). Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics. Springer Nature. pp. 169–. ISBN 978-3-03-028408-4. The four varnas are the brahmins (brahmanas—priests, teachers); kshatriyas (ksatriyas—administrators, rulers); vaishyas (vaisyas—farmers, bankers, business people); and shudras(laborers, artisans)
^Richard Bulliet; Pamela Crossley; Daniel Headrick; Steven Hirsch; Lyman Johnson (11 October 2018). The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History, Volume I. Cengage Learning. pp. 172–. ISBN 978-0-357-15937-8. Varna are the four major social divisions: the Brahmin priest class, the Kshatriya warrior/ administrator class, the Vaishya merchant/farmer class, and the Shudra laborer class.
^Akira Iriye (1979). The World of Asia. Forum Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-88273-500-9. The four varna groupings in descending order of their importance came to be Brahmin (priests), Kshatriya (warriors and administrators), Vaishya (cultivators and merchants), and Sudra (peasants and menial laborers)
^Cite error: The named reference ludo14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^James Lochtefeld (2002), Brahmin, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8, page 125
^ abGS Ghurye (1969), Caste and Race in India, Popular Prakashan, ISBN 978-81-7154-205-5, pages 15–18
^ abDoniger, Wendy (1999). Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions. Springfield, MA, US: Merriam-Webster. pp. 141–142, 186. ISBN 978-0-87779-044-0.
^David Shulman (1989), The King and the Clown, Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-691-00834-9, page 111
Brahmin (/ˈbrɑːmɪn/; Sanskrit: ब्राह्मण, romanized: brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the Kshatriya...
The Boston Brahmins or Boston elite are members of Boston's traditional upper class. They are often associated with a cultivated New England or Mid-Atlantic...
term Bhumihar Brahmin was adopted by the community in the late 19th century to emphasise their claim of belonging to the priestly Brahmin class. The alternate...
Kanyakubja Brahmins are an endogamous Brahmin community mainly found in northern India. They are classified as one of the Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities...
Saraswat Brahmins are Hindu Brahmins, who are spread over widely separated regions spanning from Kashmir and Punjab in North India to Konkan in West India...
Karnataka Brahmins or Carnatic Brahmins are Pancha Dravida Brahmin native to the Indian state of Karnataka. Karnataka Brahmins fall under the Pancha Dravida...
The Chitpavan Brahmin or the Kokanastha Brahmin is a Hindu Maharashtrian Brahmin community inhabiting Konkan, the coastal region of the state of Maharashtra...
lineage of individuals belonging to the Brahmin in the Hindu Varna system.[page needed] In Hindu culture, the Brahmin considered to be one of the four major...
Saryupareen Brahmins, also known as Sarvarya Brahmins, Sarjupar Brahmins or Saryupariya Brahmins, are Brahmins native to the eastern plain of the Sarayu...
This is a list of notable people who belong to the Hindu Brahmin caste. Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar, artist M. V. Dhurandhar, Indian artist known for his...
Telugu Brahmins are Telugu-speaking Brahmin communities native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They fall under the Pancha Dravida...
Malayali Brahmins (Malayalam: മലയാളി ബ്രാഹ്മണർ, malayali brahmanner; also known as Malayala Brahmanar) or Kerala Brahmins are the group of Brahmins from the...
Maithil Brahmins are the Hindu Brahmin community originating from the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent that comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi...
Punjabi Brahmins may refer to these Brahmin communities of Punjab: Saraswat Brahmins, a Brahmin community found throughout northern India including Punjab...
Manipuri Brahmins (Meitei: Manipuri Bamon) or Meitei Brahmins (Meitei: Meitei Bamon) are the Brahmins who speak the Meitei language (aka Manipuri language)...
Bura Brahmin are a Brahmin caste found in the state of Haryana in India. They are known as Acharya Brahmins.[citation needed] The Bura Brahmin are the...
Marathi Brahmins (also known as Maharashtrian Brahmins) are communities native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are classified into mainly three...
Deshastha Brahmin is a Hindu Brahmin subcaste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra and North Karnataka. Other than these states, according to authors...
Gaur Brahmins (also spelled Gor, Gour, Gaud or Gauda) are a community of Brahmins in India. They are one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities that...
Bengali Brahmins are the community of Hindu Brahmins, who traditionally reside in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, currently comprising the...
Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group...
Brahmin Swarnkar,Shrimali Swarnkar,Brahman Soni The Brahmin Swarnkar are an Indian caste of Shrimali Brahmans, which developed from Shrimal Nagar (now...
Kota Brahmins are a Hindu Brahmin subcaste mainly from the Indian state of Karnataka. Kota Brahmins take their name from their native village Kota. They...
Gangari Brahmin is a Brahmin subcaste originating from the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. They were settled in the villages surrounding the Ganges...
Sarola Brahmin, also called Saryul and Serul are Garhwali Brahmins from Uttarakhand, India. Sarola Brahmins were the earliest authenticated Brahmin castes...
digit less cursive, ending up with a digit very close to the original Brahmin cross. While the shape of the character for the digit 4 has an ascender...
Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd), also known as Shenvis are a Hindu community of contested caste status and identity. They primarily speak...