Library

Written by: Jacob N. Kinnard

Brahmins are the highest ranking of the four social classes articulated in the Vedic Purusha Shukta, which describes the creation of the world through the sacrifice of the primal being, Purusha. The Brahmins are created out of the being's mouth. They were designated as the exclusive priests in the Hindu world, assigned the duty of learning and preserving the sacred texts—orally passing them on from one generation to the next—and performing the sacred rituals.

In the Vedas, sacrifice is the central religious action; it was thought to maintain and sustain the universe. The Brahmins had the exclusive knowledge of the Vedas and thus were the sole sacrificial priests; they chanted the sacred hymns and performed the many sacred acts that made up the Vedic sacrifices.

There are, in fact, dozens of different sorts of religious leaders, some of whom might be compared to priests or clergy in the western religious context: these include gurus, yogins, swamis, pandits, acharyas, sadhus, rishis, and many others.

The term guru is a Sanskrit word that is typically translated simply as "teacher." A guru is a particularly learned person, typically although not exclusively a Brahmin, who passes his (or, in some cases her) knowledge to his or her students. The role of the guru is extremely important in numerous contexts in Hinduism. The guru not only teaches, but also guides; thus a guru not only knows the sacred texts and the rituals, but also knows the abilities, capabilities, and needs of his or her students.