brāhmaṇa

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. “sattannaṃ dhammānaṃ bāhitattā br.” (like def. of bhikkhu) Mnd.86 = Cnd.464#a (cp Snp.519); ye keci bho-vādikā Mnd.249 = Cnd.464#b brahā-sukhavihāra-jhāna-jhāyin Mil.226; pāpaṃ bāhesuṃ DN.iii.94; bāhita-pāpattā br. Dhp-a.iii.84 ariyā bāhita-pāpattā br. DN-a.i.244
■ pl. brāhmaṇāse Snp.1079 sq
■ Var. references in the Canon to all meanings of the term: DN.i.90, DN.i.94, DN.i.104, DN.i.119 sq., DN.i.136 (mahāsālā), DN.i.150 (˚dūta), DN.i.247; DN.iii.44 sq., DN.iii.61, DN.iii.83 sq., DN.iii.94 sq. (origin of), DN.iii.147 , DN.iii.170 , DN.iii.258 (˚mahāsālā), DN.iii.270 ; MN.i.271 (˚karaṇā dhammā), MN.i.280; MN.ii.84, MN.ii.148, MN.ii.177; MN.iii.60, MN.iii.270 (a bhikkhu addressed as br.); SN.i.47, SN.i.54, SN.i.94 sq., SN.i.99 (˚kumāra), SN.i.117, SN.i.125 , SN.i.160 sq.; SN.ii.77 , SN.ii.259 ; SN.iv.157 ; SN.v.194 ; AN.i.66, AN.i.110, AN.i.163 (tevijjā); AN.i.166; AN.ii.176; AN.iii.221 sq. (brāhmaṇa-vagga) Iti.57 sq., Iti.60, Iti.98, Iti.101; Ja.iii.194; Ja.iv.9; Ja.vi.521 sq.; Vb.393 sq. For br. with the meaning “arahant” see also: Vin.i.3; Vin.ii.156 (br. parinibbuta); Thag.140, Thag.221 (brahma-bandhu pure āsiṃ, idāni kho ‘mhi brāhmaṇo) Dhp.383 sq.; Snp passim (e.g. v. Snp.142 kammanā hoti brāhmaṇo; Snp.284 sq.); Ja.iv.302 sq.; Mil.225. Ten kinds of Br. are pronounced to be apetā brahmaññā degraded fr. brahmanship Ja.iv.361 sq. Diff. schools of br. teachers are enumerated at DN.i.237 sq. (Tevijja Sutta)
■ brāhmaṇānaṃ pubbakā isayo mantānaṃ 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; DN.i.104