A Wisdom Archive on Brahma

Introduction and links to related topics

Below are some short introductions. Click on the blue hyperlinked word to get more related articles.


Brahma - ("he who has grown expansive"): the Creator of the universe, the first principle (tattva) to emerge out of the ultimate Reality (brahman)

Brahma - (Sanskrit) The name of God in His aspect of Creator. Saivites consider Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra to be three of five aspects of Siva. Smartas group Brahma, Vishnu and Siva as a holy trinity in which Siva is the destroyer.

Brahma the Creator is not to be confused with
Brahman, the Transcendent Supreme of the Upanishads;
Brahmana, Vedic texts;
brahmana, the Hindu priest caste (also spelled brahmin).
See: Brahman, Parameshvara.

Brahma - Brahma (Sanskrit). The student must distinguish between Brahma the neuter, and Brahma, the male creator of the Indian Pantheon. The former, Brahma or Brahman, is the impersonal, supreme and uncognizable Principle of the Universe from the essence of which all emanates, and into which all returns, which is incorporeal, immaterial, unborn, eternal, beginningless and endless.

It is all-pervading, animating the highest god as well as the smallest mineral atom. Brahma on the other hand, the male and the alleged Creator, exists periodically in his manifestation only, and then again goes into pralaya, i.e., disappears and is annihilated.

Brahma-chintana - Constant thinking of Brahman.

Brahma-jnana - Direct Knowledge of Brahman.

Brahma-nishtha - One who is established in the Knowledge of Brahman.

Brahma-prajapati - Brahma-Prajapati (Sanskrit) Brahma as Prajapati, progenitor or lord of beings, synthesis of all the cosmic prajapati or formative forces, which infill, make, and in a sense are the visible universe, every atom of which is essentially Brahman.

Brahma-prakriti - Brahma-prakriti (Sanskrit) (from brahman cosmic spirit + prakriti nature)

The material or vehicular aspect of Brahma''s nature in contradistinction to Brahma-Purusha, his spiritual aspect.

Brahma-samaj - Brahma-Samaj, Brahmo-Samaj (Sanskrit) A religious and theistic movement in India, originating with Raja Ram Mohan Roy, who began teaching and writing in Calcutta soon after 1800. I

nstituted as a reform movement working against idolatry, the degenerations of orthodox Brahmanism, the perversions and corruptions of popular Hinduism, as well as against Christian missionaries. Baboo Keshub Chunder Sen became its leader in 1858. This movement did not become as popular as the Arya-Samaj, but it became conspicuous for its work in the cause of literary culture and social reform. Its some 4,000 adherents are mostly found in Calcutta and its neighborhood.

"While the members of the Brahmo Samaj may be designated as the Lutheran Protestants of orthodox Brahmanism, the disciples of the Svami Dyanand (the Arya-Samaj)

should be compared to those learned mystics, the Gnostics, who had the key to those earlier writings which, later, were worked over into the Christian gospels and various patristic literature" (BCW 1:382).

Brahma-vidya - The science of Brahman, knowledge of Brahman, learning pertaining to Brahman or the Absolute Reality.

Brahma Yoga - Brahma Yoga (Sanskrit) (from Brahman divinity + yoga union)

Divine union; a discipline which includes the best practices of all the yoga schools. {Tyberg, Sanskrit Keys 118}

Brahmachari - Brahmachari (Sanskrit) A Brahman ascetic; one vowed to celibacy, a monk, virtually, or a religious student.

Brahmacharin - Brahmacharin brahmacarin (Sanskrit) (from brahman cosmic spirit, divine spiritual wisdom + charin one practicing or performing)

One who is devoted to the student life of a religious devotee involved in sacred study; a young Brahmin in the first period of life as observed in ancient times. The name likewise is given to one who practices rigorous self-control, abstinence, chastity, etc.

Brahmacharya - Brahmacharya brahmacarya (Sanskrit) (from brahman cosmic spirit, divine wisdom + charya conduct, practicing from the verbal root car to perform, undergo)

Following a life of philosophic and religious training; because usually applicable to the first stage in the life of a Brahmin of ancient times, the state of an unmarried religious student of the Vedas.

Brahmadevas - Brahmadevas (Sanskrit) (from brahman cosmic spirit + deva god, spiritual being)

Spiritual beings who act as guardians of the human race, entities directly emanating from Brahman as spiritual-intellectual energies.

See also DHYANI-CHOHAN

Brahmadikas - Brahmadikas (Sanskrit) The earliest emanations from Brahman; also a general name for the higher solar pitris or dhyani-chohans, whether of the solar system, planetary chain, or even individual globes, who take charge of their respective spheres for the course of its life cycle. As spiritual prajapatis, producers or emanators of hierarchical classes or families, they in a sense are identified with the manus. {Check Brahmadicas (SD 2:142) and Brahmandika (SD 1:442) to see if they are the same or different from this and each other}

Brahmajnana - Brahmajnana (Sanskrit) (from Brahman cosmic spirit + jnana knowledge from the verbal root jna to know)

Divine, sacred, or esoteric knowledge concerning the cosmic Brahman as taught, for instance, in Vedantic philosophy; also spiritual wisdom per se.

Brahmajnana - The Knowledge of Brahman.

Brahmajnanin - Brahmajnanin (Sanskrit) (from brahman cosmic spirit + jnanin knower from the verbal root jna to know)

One who possesses sacred knowledge; spiritually wise or holy.

Brahma Sutra - (Sanskrit) "Threads (aphorisms) of the Absolute." Also known as the Vedanta Sutras, composed by Badarayana (ca 400 bce) as the first known systematic exposition of Upanishadic thought. Its 550 aphorisms are so brief as to be virtually unintelligible without commentary. It was through interpretations of this text, as well as the Upanishads themselves and the Bhagavad Gita, that later schools of Vedanta expressed and formulated their own views of the Upanishadic tenets. A third name for this important work is Shariraka Sutras, "aphorisms on the embodied soul."
See: Upanishad,Vedanta.

Brahma Sutra Bhashya - (Sanskrit) A lengthy 13thcentury commentary on the Brahma Sutras by Srikantha to establish a Vedic base for the Saivite qualified nondualism called Siva Advaita.
See: Siva Advaita, Vedanta.

Brahma - A hindu deity, the Creator aspect of God. Part of the trinity of Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver) and Shiva (the Destroyer).

Brahmacharini - (Sanskrit) Feminine counterpart of brahmachari.
See: nunk.