| | Who is a Brahmin? The belief that people born in brahmin caste, automatically become brahmins,
is a much later concept in the very ancient land of India. In the pre-Gita period (before the beginning of the Christian era) a Brahmin was a
person who had attained highest spiritual knowledge (brahmavidya). This
was an extremely difficult path of discipline of body, mind , and intellect, and
people irrespective of their birth or class, who dedicated to such an austere
life were recognized as brahmins.
A great example of this tradition (that a person becoming a brahmin,
rather than born as one) is the case of Vishwamitra, a warrior (kshatriya),
who became a brahmin after attaining brahmavidya, and composed the
Gayatri mantra, the most sacred hymn of the Hindus.
A smritis, or code of conduct composed by sage Atri defines brahminhood very
clearly.
"By birth, every man is a Shudra (an ignorant person). Through
various types of disciplines (samskaras), he becomes a dwija
(twice born). Through the studies of scriptures, he becomes a vipra (or
a scholar). Through realization of supreme spirit (brahmajnana), he
becomes a brahmin."
The Bhagavad-Gita divides1 the class of people into four
categories of Brahmana, Kshtriya, Vaishya, and Shudra depending on the traits (svabhava)
inherent in individuals.
1. Chapter XVIII of Bhagavad-Gita, verses 41 - 45 [more]
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