Brahmin

In the traditional Hindu theory of the
four major social groups (varnas), the
brahmins are the group with the highest status, based on the belief that they
are purer than all others. This belief is
based on the creation story known as
the Purusha Sukta, in which the brahmins are created from the Primeval
Man’s mouth. The mouth is part of the
head and thus the highest part of the
body, and it is also associated with
speech, one of the definitively human
faculties. From the earliest Hindu
recorded history, brahmins have been
associated with speech and the sacred
word; they were the scholars, priests, ritual technicians, and protectors of sacred
learning. This is still true in modern
times, although there are also many
brahmins who have other occupations, such as trade, business, and
government service.
Aside from their traditional association with sacred learning, their other
source of social status is their ritual
purity, which is believed to be greater
than that of all other human beings. This
ritual purity is inherent, conferred by
birth. According to tradition, even an
uneducated brahmin should be considered a “god on earth,” whereas a learned
brahmin is more sacred still. This ritual
purity makes brahmins preferable for
service to many of the gods of the Hindu
pantheon, since they are considered
the best intermediaries to “insulate”
the deities from ordinary people.
Although brahmins as a whole have the
highest status, within the brahmin community there are highly defined subgroups (jatis), which are often defined
by region of origin.