Brahmin - Meaning, People, Religion, Samaj, Caste & History

Who are Brahmin

The brahmin people are a prominent Community spread across the whole of india. the brahmin are the highest of the four hindu castes, made up of priests and scholars of vedic literature and their traditional occupation is to concern themselves with the spiritual guidance of the people, conduct rites at marriages, births, deaths and other auspicious occasions.
They are also identified by names such as Pandit, Purohit, Pujari and Shastri.

The word brahmin appeared for the first time in purush-sukta, a section of the rig veda. the purush-sukta described the divine origin of human beings into the four social groups, or castes, that comprise hindu society: brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, and sudra. by the end of the rig vedic period dating 1500-1000 bc, the term was used for all members of the priestly class.
Traditionally, brahmins are designated to serve as spiritual teachers or priests. although priesthood may be a mere profession, for the brahmin spiritual wisdom is the only knowledge worth having, and the wisdom may be shared freely with others.

The brahmin has always taken an active part in politics. during the british period, brahmins were the first to respond to english education and the first to benefit from political and administrative power. since india’s independence in 1947 there has been large numbers of cabinet ministers, chief ministers, Member of Parliaments and members of the state legislative assemblies (mlas). the first and longest-ruling prime minister of india, pandit jawaharlal nehru was a brahmin. the current chief minister of uttaranchal is also a brahmin.
Literacy levels among the brahmin are very high as compared to those of other communities.
In 1931 (the last indian census to record caste), brahmans accounted for 4.32% of the total indian population. due to the diversity in language, religious and cultural traditions and practices, and the vedic schools which they belong to, there are numerous types of brahmans.

Principles of Brahmin

The dharmasutra and dharmashaastra scriptures of hinduism describe the expectations, duties and role of brahmins. The gautama's dharmasutra, the oldest of surviving hindu dharmasutras, for example, states in verse 9.54–9.55 that a brahmin should not participate or perform a ritual unless he is invited to do so, but he may attend. gautama outlines the following rules of conduct for a brahmin, in chapters 8 and 9.
1. Be always truthful
2. Teach his art only to virtuous men
3. Follow rules of ritual purification
4. Study Vedas with delight
5. Never hurt any living creature
6. Be gentle but steadfast
7. Have self-control
8. Be kind, liberal towards everyone
According to 2007 reports, brahmins in india are about 5% of its total population. the himalayan states of uttarakhand (20%) and himachal pradesh (14%) have the highest percentage of brahmin population relative to respective state's total hindus.

Types of Brahmin?

According to some scriptures and popular belief described in 'hindu castes and sects', brahmins in the indian continent are divided into two major groups.
1. Pancha Gaur (Northern India)
2. Pancha Dravida (Southern India)
List of Panch Gaur Brahmin are 1. Saraswata, 2. Kanyakubja, 3. Gaudra, 4. Utkala, and 5. Maithila
List of Panch Dravida Brahmin are 1. Andhra, 2. Dravida (Tamil and Kerala), 3. Karnataka, 4. Maharashtra, 5. Gujarat.

Who is a true Brahmin?

A true brahmin is one who has attained brahminhood not by birth but by his noble deeds. one who has attained the highest self-knowledge is a brahmin. anyone who follows the straight and narrow path of dharma and has love and compassion for all living beings is called a brahmin. a real brahman is dependent on only two factors (gunas) i.e. knowledge and renunciation.

Famous People of the Brahmin Community

Community

Community - within which all aspects of social life can be included. in which we have some degree of emotions and live in a certain area.
A community is a group of people living in a certain place or region or virtual platform, having a common culture, a common way of life, that meets all their needs within the community. Thus they have a sense of unity and a sense of loyalty to the community.