A member of the highest of the four major castes of traditional Bharat Varsha society, responsible for officiating at religious rites and studying and teaching the Vedas.
Also spelled Brahmin, name of the sacerdotal, or highest, class (varna) in the system of Hinduism. Brahmán is the masculine form of the neuter noun Bráhman, cosmic revelation. This revelation is the responsibility of the Brahman priest and, by extension, of the entire priestly class (see Brahman (divine power)). According to the Rig-Veda, the task of the Brahman is to relate knowledge (vidya). The primary activities of this priestly elite are the study and teaching of the Veda and the performance of religious celebrations. According to the Laws of Manu, this class issued from the mouth of the god Brahma at the moment of creation. To the orthodox Hindu, the person of a Brahman is sacred; Brahmans are the chief of all created beings, and other mortals enjoy life through them. The four stages in the ideal life of a Brahman are those of student, householder, forest-dweller, and renouncer.
Brahmins are the priestly class of Indo-Aryan origin,known as Bahuns in Nepal. Some scholars argue that they emigrated to Nepal from different parts of India. Bahuns are from the Khas community of Nepal, who had no links with India before 19th century. They adopted Hinduism under the influence of great Khas kings of Western Nepal in the beginning of this millennium. They do have cultural sempblance with the Indian Brahmins.
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