Brahmin Caste

1. Brahmin Caste Brahmin is considered as a member of the priestly caste of the country. In Hinduism, there is the concept of ‘Varna’ system where the society is stratified into four ‘Varnas’ or castes - Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Sudras. The Brahminoccupies the highest level in the ‘Varna’ system and is considered to be the priest class in the Varna system of ancient India. The word ‘Brahmin’ has been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Brahmana’. Besides Hinduism, Brahmins are also found in Buddhism. Dhammapada has a list on the Buddhist Brahmin section. Brahmin Bhikshus were quite common with this religious sect. Other sects like Jainism, Islam and Sikhism also bear testimony to the existence of Brahmins within their religious sects. Brahman, highest ranking of the four varnas, or social classes, in Hindu India. The elevated position of the Brahmans goes back to the late Vedic period, when the Indo-European-speaking settlers in northern India were already divided into Brahmans (or priests), warriors (of the Kshatriya class), traders (of the Vaishya class), and labourers (of the Shudra class). Since then there has been no fundamental change in their relative position, and the Brahmans still enjoy great prestige and many advantages, though their claim to tangible privileges is no longer officially admitted. The basis of the age-old veneration of Brahmans is the belief that they are inherently of greater ritual purity than members of other castes and that they alone are capable of performing certain vital religious tasks. The study and recitation of the sacred scriptures was traditionally reserved for this spiritual elite, and for centuries all Indian scholarship was in their hands. https://www.indianetzone.com/21/brahmins_indian_caste.htm