Brahman

Brahman or Brahmin . In the Upanishads, Brahman is the name for the ultimate, unchanging reality, composed of pure being and consciousness. Brahman lies behind the apparent multiplicity of the phenomenal world, and is ultimately identical to the atman or inner essence of the human being (see Vedanta ). This ultimate quality relates to the second meaning of Brahman, or Brahmin—a member of the highest, or priestly, Hindu caste. Brahmins alone may interpret the Vedas and perform the Vedic sacrifice. The vast majority of modern Brahmins are in occupations unrelated to religion, but they have retained their social prestige and many caste conventions. The Brahmins of India are divided into 10 territorial subcastes, 5 in the north and 5 in the south.

Brahmanism. English word coined from the Sanskrit term Brāhmaṇa (from which is also derived the anglicization ‘Brahmin’) meaning a member of the Indian priestly caste. The term Brahmanism is best reserved for the early phase in Indian religion (roughly 800 ce to 500 ce) in which ritual sacrifices offered by the priestly caste were the dominant form of orthodox religious practice. The term thus denotes the early form of the religion subsequently known to the West as ‘Hinduism’.