Brahman

Questions on this topic? Just ask!

(Sanskrit neuter noun) Originally this word designated the Vedic magic incantation or sacred formula; then it came to mean the power inherent in the utterance, the power which enables the gods to perform their mythic functions and which enables the Vedic priests (Brahmans) to undertake the sacred rites.

Finally, in the Upaniads, this holy power becomes the omnipotent, indeed the creative principle, the original cosmic ground, the world-soul. One text describes Brahman as the ‘wood’ from which heaven and earth are built. In the Śatapatha-Brāhmaa, Brahman is construed as a personal and supernatural being.

This is the complete article, containing 95 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).

View More Summaries on Brahman