Brāhmaṇa¹

a member of the Brahman caste; a Br teacher. In the Buddhist terminology also used for a man leading a pure, sinless & ascetic life, often even syn. with arahant
■ On brāhmaṇas as a caste & their representation in the Jātaka collection see Fick; Sociale Gliederung; esp. ch. 8, pp. 117–⁠162
■ Var fanciful etymologies, consisting of a word-play, in P definitions are e.g. “sattannaṃ dhammānaṃ bāhitattā br.” (like def. of bhikkhu) Mnd.86 = Cnd.464#a (cp Snp.519); ye keci bho-vādikā Mnd.249 = Cnd.464#b brahā-sukhavihāra-jhāna-jhāyin Mil.226; pāpaṃ bāhesuṃ DN.iii.94; bāhita-pāpattā br. Dhp-a.iii.84 ariyā bāhita-pāpattā br. DN-a.i.244
■ pl. brāhmaṇāse Snp.1079 sq
■ Var. references in the Canon to all meanings of the term: DN.i.90, DN.i.94, DN.i.104, DN.i.119 sq., DN.i.136 (mahāsālā), DN.i.150 (˚dūta), DN.i.247; DN.iii.44 sq., DN.iii.61, DN.iii.83 sq., DN.iii.94 sq. (origin of), DN.iii.147 , DN.iii.170 , DN.iii.258 (˚mahāsālā), DN.iii.270 ; MN.i.271 (˚karaṇā dhammā), MN.i.280; MN.ii.84, MN.ii.148, MN.ii.177; MN.iii.60, MN.iii.270 (a bhikkhu addressed as br.); SN.i.47, SN.i.54, SN.i.94 sq., SN.i.99 (˚kumāra), SN.i.117, SN.i.125 , SN.i.160 sq.; SN.ii.77 , SN.ii.259 ; SN.iv.157 ; SN.v.194 ; AN.i.66, AN.i.110, AN.i.163 (tevijjā); AN.i.166; AN.ii.176; AN.iii.221 sq. (brāhmaṇa-vagga) Iti.57 sq., Iti.60, Iti.98, Iti.101; Ja.iii.194; Ja.iv.9; Ja.vi.521 sq.; Vb.393 sq. For br. with the meaning “arahant” see also: Vin.i.3; Vin.ii.156 (br. parinibbuta); Thag.140, Thag.221 (brahma-bandhu pure āsiṃ, idāni kho ’mhi brāhmaṇo) Dhp.383 sq.; Snp passim (e.g. v. Snp.142 kammanā hoti brāhmaṇo; Snp.284 sq.); Ja.iv.302 sq.; Mil.225. Ten kinds of Br. are pronounced to be apetā brahmaññā degraded fr. brahmanship Ja.iv.361 sq. Diff. schools of br. teachers are enumerated at DN.i.237 sq. (Tevijja Sutta)
■ brāhmaṇānaṃ pubbakā isayo mantānaṃ kattāro “the ten inspired Seers of old times, who composed the Vedic hymns”; their names are Aṭṭhaka Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, Bhagu Vin.i.245; DN.i.104; AN.iii.224; AN.iv.61; cp. Vv-a.265
■ f. brāhmaṇī (n. or adj.) the wife of a brāhmaṇa DN.i.193; Ja.v.127 (of a purohita or high priest); Dhp-a.i.33; Dhp-a.iv.176; Pv-a.55 Pv-a.61, Pv-a.64. Freq. in combination brāhmaṇī pajā this generation of brāhmaṇas, e.g. DN.i.249; AN.i.260; AN.ii.23 (see pajā).

• -ibbhā Brahmins & Vaiśyas Ja.vi.228 sq.
• -kumārikā a brahmin young girl Ja.iii.93.
• -kula a br. clan or family Ja.ii.85, Ja.ii.394, Ja.ii.411; Ja.iii.147, Ja.iii.352; Pv-a.21, Pv-a.61
• -gahapatikā priests & laymen (“clerk & yeoman Rh. D. in S.B.E. xi.258) DN.ii.178; DN.iii.148, DN.iii.153, DN.iii.170 sq. SN.i.59, SN.i.184; AN.i.110; Vin.i.35; Ja.i.83.
• -gāma a br village Vin.i.197; DN.i.87, DN.i.127; SN.i.111; Ja.ii.368; Ja.iii.293 Ja.iv.276.
• -dhamma duty of a br.; see on contrast between Brahmaṇic & Buddhist view Ja.iv.301 sq., cp also Snp-a.312–Snp-a.325 (br- dhammika-sutta) & Fick, loc. cit. 124;
• -putta son of a br. Pv-a.62.
• -bhojana giving food (alms) to brahmans Vin.i.44
• -māṇava a young brahmin Ja.iv.391
• -rūpa (in) form of a brahmin Pv-a.63
• -vaḍḍhakī a brahmin carpenter Ja.iv.207
• -vaṇṇin having the appearance of a brahmin Cp..x.10
• -vācanaka a brahmin disputation some sort of elocution show Ja.i.318 Ja.iv.391
• -vāṭaka circle of brahmins Dhp-a.iv.177 (variant reading ˚vādaka)
• -vāṇija a brahmin merchant Pv-a.113
• -sacca a brahmanic (i.e. standard, holy) truth AN.ii.176 (where the Buddha sets forth 4 such brahmin saccāni, different from the usual 4 ariyasaccāni)

fr. brahma; cp. Vedic brāhmaṇa, der. fr. brahmán

Brāhmaṇa²

neuter state of a true brahman, “holiness supreme” Thag.631.

for brahmañña