Brāhmaṇa1 [fr. brahma; cp. Vedic brāhmaṇa, der. fr. brahmán] 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. "sattannaŋ dhammānaŋ bāhitattā br." (like def. of bhikkhu) Nd1 86=Nd2 464a (cp. Sn 519); ye keci bho -- vādikā Nd1 249=Nd2 464b; brahā -- sukhavihāra -- jhāna -- jhāyin Miln 226; pāpaŋ bāhesuŋ Diii.94; bāhita -- pāpattā br. DhA iii.84; ariyā bāhita -- pāpattā br. DA i.244. -- pl. brāhmaṇāse Sn 1079 sq. -- Var. ref8 in the Canon to all meanings of the term: Di.90, 94, 104, 119 sq., 136 (mahāsālā), 150 (˚dūta), 247; iii.44 sq., 61, 83 sq., 94 sq. (origin of), 147, 170, 258 (˚mahāsālā), 270; M i.271 (˚karaṇā dhammā), 280; ii.84, 148, 177; iii.60, 270 (a bhikkhu addressed as br.); S i.47, 54, 94 sq., 99 (˚kumāra), 117, 125, 160 sq.; ii.77, 259; iv.157; v.194; A i.66, 110, 163 (tevijjā); 166; ii.176; iii.221 sq. (brāhmaṇa -- vagga); It 57 sq., 60, 98, 101; J iii.194; iv.9; vi.521 sq.; Vbh 393 sq. For br. with the meaning "arahant" see also: Vini.3; ii.156 (br. parinibbuta); Th 1, 140, 221 (brahma -- bandhu pure āsiŋ, idāni kho 'mhi brāhmaṇo); Dh 383 sq.; Sn passim (e.g. v. 142 kammanā hoti brāhmaṇo; 284 sq.); J iv.302 sq.; Miln 225. Ten kinds of Br. are pronounced to be apetā brahmaññā degraded fr. brahmanship J iv.361 sq. Diff. schools of br. teachers are enumd at D i.237 sq. (Tevijja Sutta). -- brāhmaṇānaŋ pubbakā isayo mantānaŋ 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; D i.104; A iii.224; iv.61; cp. VvA 265. -- f. brāhmaṇī(n. or adj.) the wife of a brāhmaṇa D i.193; J v.127 (of a purohita or high priest); DhA i.33; iv.176; PvA 55, 61, 64. Freq. in combn brāhmaṇī pajā this generation of brāhmaṇas, e. g. D i.249; A i.260; ii.23 (see pajā).

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