BRAHMANISM: ORIGIN, HISTORY, BELIEFS, GODS, RITES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Brahmanism is an ancient religious tradition dating back to the 900. C. It has its roots in Vedism, the religious line that has the oldest texts about religion in India. These writings are called "Vedas" and have influenced later religious strata such as Hinduism.

The term Brahmanism is a reverence for Brahman, force or deity that speaks of the absolute existence of reality. It is also due to the social importance of the practitioners of Brahmanism themselves, recognized as the Brahmin caste.

Brahmanism is a religion whose principles served as the foundation for later Hinduism V&A Museum

Within the Upanishads, a compilation of texts that are often considered part of the Vedas, Brahman is defined as the spiritual center of the infinite and changing universe. This universal nucleus has the character of being eternal, irreducible, conscious, omnipresent and unlimited. Brahmanism is the main line of those current followers of Vedism, and its concepts and philosophy have shaped the foundations of Hinduism.

Brahmanism is constantly questioning, in its concepts, what is related to what is reality, the validity of time, the existence of being, consciousness and the origin or principle of everything that exists. Brahman is seen as the universal reality in which existence takes place.

Within Brahmanism, the concept of existence goes beyond time and is not seen in a linear way, so it raises concepts about a reality that exists, existed and will exist as things that go beyond time.

Origin and history

Brahmanism has its origin in the Vedic era that goes from 1500 BC. C to 500 BC in northern India. The Indus Valley civilization, made up of the Indo-Aryans or Aryans (nobles), established Vedism in their society. They practiced the worship of nature through rituals and prayers. They believed in the Sanatana Dharma (the eternal order of life).

From the Vedas originated the idea of ​​Brahman, the universal reality. On the other hand, Brahmanism develops when the civilization of the Aryans is based in the regions supplied by the Ganges River and also in the transfer to the south of India.

Unlike Vedism, Brahmanism adopted other books apart from the sacred Vedas texts. Written such as Dharmaśāstras law books, mythical epics and other non-Vedic scriptures such as the Puranas (a vast collection of Indian literature related to traditions, myths, history), they are part of the written references of the religion.

Beliefs of Brahmanism

In the first instance, Brahman is seen as an omnipresent, eternal universal truth, as the main reason for everything that moves or does not move. Another important concept is the Atman, or the soul, which is considered the source of life for human beings.

The soul or Atman is closely linked to Brahman and according to belief, the soul of a human being is equal to the soul of Brahman, so deep down, every living being possessing a soul is in the condition of Brahman and possesses all its attributes.

Brahmanism is largely based on metaphysical spirituality, so many of its concepts deal with questions that go beyond the physical environment.

Within Brahmanism a caste system was also generated which is said to be the product of the creation of Brahman:

- The Brahmins. The highest caste made up of priests.

- The kshatriyas or rajanyas. Governors and warriors.

- The Vaishyas. Made up of artisans, merchants and farmers.

- The shudras. The working class.

Gods of Brahmanism

Within Brahmanism, the figure of Brahman is established as the main deity, the one who is creator and who in turn has never been created. Later, with the rise of Hinduism around 500 BC, worship also began to focus on other deities such as Shiva and Vishnu.

The god Shiva, also known as Mahadeva is today one of the main figures of Hinduism. Known as "The Destroyer", he is part of the supreme creators, protectors and transformers of the universe.

The god Vishnu, for his part, is known as "The Conservator", and is also revered as a supreme being. He is protector of the principles of dharma (that order that makes life and the existence of the universe possible), defender of these in the face of chaos and destruction.

Brahmanic or Hindu trinity

Following the rise of Hinduism and the conception of Brahman, Shiva and Vishnu as supreme gods, the Brahmanic or Hindu trinity was established, also known as the "trimurti".

Trimurti. The sacred trinity made up of the deities Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

This trinity personifies the cosmic functions of the universe in terms of creation, conservation and destruction. Brahman is conceived as the creator, Vishnu is the deity with the character of conservation and Shiva the destroyer. There is also the concept of Dattatreya, as the personification of the three gods in one being.

The trimurti speaks of the three forces that maintain the universal balance, which is only possible with the presence of the sacred trinity. The trimurti is not a concept previously handled by the Brahmins, but arises from the influence of Brahmanism within Hinduism.

Sacred Books of Brahmanism

Brahmanism has its origin from the Veda scriptures, however, it is not considered the same as Vedism, since it has included as sacred truths another great diversity of texts, some of which are not related to the Vedic tradition. The main sacred texts on which Brahmanism was founded are:

The Vedas

They are a great compilation of religious scriptures from ancient India. So far they are the oldest compendium of Sanskrit texts of Indian religious activity, dating back to 1000 BC. C. Its content includes mythology, poems, prayers and sacred procedures.

The Vedas are associated with the civilization of the Aryans, coming from Central Asia, who migrated to the interior of the Indian subcontinent. The authors of the Vedas are not known for sure, however, the importance of these texts have always been the ideas above their authors.

Within the basic Vedic writings are the Samhita, which are listed as the oldest section. They are divided into four parts:

-Rig-Veda. It has hymns of praise elaborated in order to be recited. It is divided into ten books, known as "mandalas".

-Sama-Veda. They are a set of melodies made to be sung.

-Yajur-Veda. It speaks of the sacrificial formulas for the liturgy, that is, the acts that are carried out at the time of performing a religious cult.

-Atharva-Veda. The one that contains magic formulas. Its content is largely folkloric and deals with magic and enchantments.

Upanishad

It is part of the four genres of writing that make up the Vedas. In its content, aspects related to the connection between humanity and the cosmos are questioned. It is one of the texts with the greatest impact on the later religious expressions and has generated more interest than any of the other Vedic writings.

The Upanishad makes up the final or concluding portion within the Vedas. Its content has been one of the foundational bases for the Hindu tradition. The first texts that make up the Upanishad date from approximately 500 BC. C.

Dharmasūtra

They are a series of texts that treat the laws that govern human behavior, that is, the dharma. They are written in prose and verse. The Dharmasūtra contains the essentials of the rules related to the interpersonal relationships of humans as well as their relationship with the State.

On the one hand, it also has to do with the laws in economic and religious practices and, on the other hand, matters related to castes and social ties.

Dharmasastra

It forms the basis of the family law of Hinduism for both those living in India and those outside it. The Dharmasastra is widely known to people who grow up in a traditional Hindu environment.

Within his writings some propositions are established such as the importance of duty over law. It also speaks of the position of women, which must always remain under the guardianship of male relatives. Among other things, it also establishes that the State is responsible for the protection of the material and moral of all people.

Puranas

It is a collection of ancient sacred writings related to traditions. It is made up of legends, myths and genealogies from different moments in history. It has an encyclopedia character and addresses topics such as the cosmos, gods, kings, heroes, astronomy, medicine, philosophy and more.

According to tradition, it is stated that the Puranas touch main aspects or signs such as the creation of the universe, the genealogy of the gods and patriarchs, the kingdom of the first humans called "manus" or the history of the solar and lunar dynasties.

Rituals

The Brahmins as a caste of high position, used to be the main executors or guides of the rituals. Many of the rites practiced since Antiquity and that continue to exist today, come from the Vedic era of the Aryans. Among some ancient rites the following stand out:

The domestic rites

The rites encompass the concept of existence and are related to people from birth to death. In ancient times they used to be practiced at home. They were sacrifices for the gods that used to be paid and commissioned.

The sacrifices not only included the immolation or ritual killing of domestic animals such as cows, goats or horses, but also offerings such as butter, cereals, milk and more.

These offerings were given to the sacred fire known as gārhapatya, which means "fire of the owner of the house."

Many of these rituals were practiced in function of births, marriages or funeral acts.

The solemn rites

They were those who were outside the domestic sphere. Much more elaborate. One of the best known is the maveda sacrifice, or horse sacrifice. They were mostly commissioned by leaders of small territories or kingdoms.

In the maveda ritual, after any rite that was related to power, such as a coronation, the leader commissioned the rite of horse sacrifice to ask the gods for a good path for his empire, male offspring, and battle victories.

The duration of this ritual was approximately one year. The economic investment used to be large. About a hundred horses, a stallion and the company of young warriors were used.

The caste of Brahmins

Brahmans, as a caste, have enjoyed great prestige since ancient times. They have even had influence in other areas, apart from the traditional religious ones, such as politics, holding positions of advisers or ministers of governments.

The members of these castes hold the position of priests and are the ones in charge of the rites in temples and homes. Brahmins preside over multiple ceremonial acts, such as funerals or weddings.

Within the community of Brahmins a concept of purity has remained which is usually maintained through regulations that apply to practitioners. Some have to do with diet and contact with other castes.

Most of the Brahmanic groups have a structure of rules to follow or some types of behaviors that they must adopt. For example, many are strictly vegetarian.

They are also prohibited from contacting or handling some materials that could be considered “impure” such as animal hides or skins. However, for them it is possible to practice agriculture and work the land as long as it does not imply violating any restrictions.

The Brahmins have ten main territorial divisions. Half of these are located to the north and are the territories of Sarasvati, Gauda, ​​Kannauj, Maithil and Uktal Brahmans. In the southern part are the areas of Maharashtra, Andhra, Dravida, Karnata and Malabar Brahmans.

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