ब्रह्मन्

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative forms

• brahman (Latin script)
• 𑀩𑁆𑀭𑀳𑁆𑀫𑀦𑁆 (Brahmi script)
• ব্রহ্মন্ (Bengali script)
• බ්‍රහ‍්මන් (Sinhalese script)
• ဗြဟ္မန် or ၿြႁ္မၼ် or ၿြႁ်မၼ် (Burmese script)
• พฺรหฺมนฺ or พรัหมัน (Thai script)
• ᨻᩕᩉ᩠ᨾᨶ᩺ (Tai Tham script)
• ພ຺ຣຫ຺ມນ຺ or ພຣັຫມັນ (Lao script)
• ព្រហ្មន៑ (Khmer script)
• 𑄝𑄳𑄢𑄦𑄴𑄟𑄚𑄴 (Chakma script)

Proper noun

ब्रह्मन् m

1. Devanagari script form of brahman (“Brahma”)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ব্ৰহ্মন্ (Assamese script)
• ᬩ᭄ᬭᬳ᭄ᬫᬦ᭄ (Balinese script)
• ব্রহ্মন্ (Bengali script)
• 𑰤𑰿𑰨𑰮𑰿𑰦𑰡𑰿 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀩𑁆𑀭𑀳𑁆𑀫𑀦𑁆 (Brahmi script)
• ဗြဟ္မန် (Burmese script)
• બ્રહ્મન્ (Gujarati script)
• ਬ੍ਰਹ੍ਮਨ੍ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌨𑍍 (Grantha script)
• ꦧꦿꦲ꧀ꦩꦤ꧀ (Javanese script)
• 𑂥𑂹𑂩𑂯𑂹𑂧𑂢𑂹 (Kaithi script)
• ಬ್ರಹ್ಮೝ (Kannada script)
• ព្រហ្មន៑ (Khmer script)
• ພ຺ຣຫ຺ມນ຺ (Lao script)
• ബ്രഹ്മന് (Malayalam script)
• ᠪᡵᠠᡥᠮᠠᠨ (Manchu script)
• 𑘤𑘿𑘨𑘮𑘿𑘦𑘡𑘿 (Modi script)
• ᠪᠷᠠᠾᠮᠠᠨ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧄𑧠𑧈𑧎𑧠𑧆𑧁𑧠 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐧𑑂𑐬𑐴𑑂𑐩𑐣𑑂 (Newa script)
• ବ୍ରହ୍ମନ୍ (Odia script)
• ꢨ꣄ꢬꢲ꣄ꢪꢥ꣄ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆧𑇀𑆫𑆲𑇀𑆩𑆤𑇀 (Sharada script)
• 𑖤𑖿𑖨𑖮𑖿𑖦𑖡𑖿 (Siddham script)
• බ්‍රහ‍්මන් (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩲 𑪙𑩼𑪂 𑪙𑩴𑩯 𑪙 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚠𑚶𑚤𑚩𑚶𑚢𑚝𑚶 (Takri script)
• ப்³ரஹ்மந் (Tamil script)
• బ్రహ్మౝ (Telugu script)
• พฺรหฺมนฺ (Thai script)
• བྲ་ཧྨ་ན྄ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒥𑓂𑒩𑒯𑓂𑒧𑒢𑓂 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨠𑩇𑨫𑨱𑩇𑨢𑨝𑨴 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰŕ̥źʰma, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰŕ̥ȷ́ʰma, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to become high, rise, elevate”). Literally “growth”, “expansion”, “creation”, “development”, “swelling of the spirit or soul”. Cognate with Latin fortis. The Sanskrit root is बृह् (bṛh, “to increase, grow, expand”) +‎ -मन् (-man), from the same Proto-Indo-European root above.

Alternatively, Mayrhofer prefers to derive the word from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreǵʰ- and connect it to Old Norse bragr (“leader, prince”), whence Icelandic bragur (“poem; character”).

An older etymology presented the word as an exact cognate of Latin flāmen (“priest”); however, this is commonly considered spurious by modern authors.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /bɾɐ́ɦ.mɐn/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈbɾɐɦ.mɐn̪/

Proper noun

ब्रह्मन् • (bráhman) n

1. Brahman or the one self-existent impersonal Spirit, the one universal Soul, the Self-existent, the Absolute, the Eternal

Declension

Neuter an-stem declension of ब्रह्मन् (bráhman)
	Singular
Nominative	ब्रह्म bráhma
Vocative	ब्रह्मन् / ब्रह्म bráhman / bráhma
Accusative	ब्रह्म bráhma
Instrumental	ब्रह्मणा bráhmaṇā
Dative	ब्रह्मणे bráhmaṇe
Ablative	ब्रह्मणः bráhmaṇaḥ
Genitive	ब्रह्मणः bráhmaṇaḥ
Locative	ब्रह्मणि / ब्रह्मन्¹ bráhmaṇi / bráhman¹
Notes	¹Vedic

Proper noun

ब्रह्मन् • (brahmán) m

1. Brahmā or the one impersonal universal Spirit manifested as a personal Creator and as the first of the triad of personal gods

Declension

Masculine an-stem declension of ब्रह्मन् (brahmán)
	Singular
Nominative	ब्रह्मा brahmā́
Vocative	ब्रह्मन् bráhman
Accusative	ब्रह्माणम् brahmā́ṇam
Instrumental	ब्रह्मणा brahmáṇā
Dative	ब्रह्मणे brahmáṇe
Ablative	ब्रह्मणः brahmáṇaḥ
Genitive	ब्रह्मणः brahmáṇaḥ
Locative	ब्रह्मणि / ब्रह्मन्¹ brahmáṇi / brahmán¹
Notes	¹Vedic

Noun

ब्रह्मन् • (bráhman) stem, n

1. pious effusion or utterance, outpouring of the heart in worshipping the gods, prayer
2. the sacred word (as opp. to वाच् (vāc), the word of man), the Veda, a sacred text, a text or mantra used as a spell
3. the Brahmana portion of the Veda
4. the sacred syllable om

Declension

Neuter an-stem declension of ब्रह्मन् (bráhman)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ब्रह्म bráhma	ब्रह्मणी bráhmaṇī	ब्रह्माणि / ब्रह्म¹ / ब्रह्मा¹ bráhmāṇi / bráhma¹ / bráhmā¹
Vocative	ब्रह्मन् / ब्रह्म bráhman / bráhma	ब्रह्मणी bráhmaṇī	ब्रह्माणि / ब्रह्म¹ / ब्रह्मा¹ bráhmāṇi / bráhma¹ / bráhmā¹
Accusative	ब्रह्म bráhma	ब्रह्मणी bráhmaṇī	ब्रह्माणि / ब्रह्म¹ / ब्रह्मा¹ bráhmāṇi / bráhma¹ / bráhmā¹
Instrumental	ब्रह्मणा bráhmaṇā	ब्रह्मभ्याम् bráhmabhyām	ब्रह्मभिः bráhmabhiḥ
Dative	ब्रह्मणे bráhmaṇe	ब्रह्मभ्याम् bráhmabhyām	ब्रह्मभ्यः bráhmabhyaḥ
Ablative	ब्रह्मणः bráhmaṇaḥ	ब्रह्मभ्याम् bráhmabhyām	ब्रह्मभ्यः bráhmabhyaḥ
Genitive	ब्रह्मणः bráhmaṇaḥ	ब्रह्मणोः bráhmaṇoḥ	ब्रह्मणाम् bráhmaṇām
Locative	ब्रह्मणि / ब्रह्मन्¹ bráhmaṇi / bráhman¹	ब्रह्मणोः bráhmaṇoḥ	ब्रह्मसु bráhmasu
Notes	¹Vedic

Noun

ब्रह्मन् • (brahmán) stem, m

1. one who prays, a devout or religious man, a brahmin who is a knower of Vedic texts or spells, one versed in sacred knowledge
2. one of the 4 principal priests or Ritvijas

Declension

Masculine an-stem declension of ब्रह्मन् (brahmán)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ब्रह्मा brahmā́	ब्रह्माणौ / ब्रह्माणा¹ brahmā́ṇau / brahmā́ṇā¹	ब्रह्माणः brahmā́ṇaḥ
Vocative	ब्रह्मन् bráhman	ब्रह्माणौ / ब्रह्माणा¹ bráhmāṇau / bráhmāṇā¹	ब्रह्माणः bráhmāṇaḥ
Accusative	ब्रह्माणम् brahmā́ṇam	ब्रह्माणौ / ब्रह्माणा¹ brahmā́ṇau / brahmā́ṇā¹	ब्रह्मणः brahmáṇaḥ
Instrumental	ब्रह्मणा brahmáṇā	ब्रह्मभ्याम् brahmábhyām	ब्रह्मभिः brahmábhiḥ
Dative	ब्रह्मणे brahmáṇe	ब्रह्मभ्याम् brahmábhyām	ब्रह्मभ्यः brahmábhyaḥ
Ablative	ब्रह्मणः brahmáṇaḥ	ब्रह्मभ्याम् brahmábhyām	ब्रह्मभ्यः brahmábhyaḥ
Genitive	ब्रह्मणः brahmáṇaḥ	ब्रह्मणोः brahmáṇoḥ	ब्रह्मणाम् brahmáṇām
Locative	ब्रह्मणि / ब्रह्मन्¹ brahmáṇi / brahmán¹	ब्रह्मणोः brahmáṇoḥ	ब्रह्मसु brahmásu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

• → Tamil: பிரமன் (piramaṉ)
• → Kannada: ಬೊಮ್ಮ (bomma)

See also

• ब्राह्मण (brā́hmaṇa)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “ब्रह्मन्”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 737/3.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 236-238
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 452-456