Brahmacarin, Brahmacārin, Brahman-carin, Brahma-carin: 16 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
In Jainism
1. General definition
India history
Languages
1. Sanskrit
2. Pali
See also
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Introduction:

Brahmacarin means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Buddhism, Pali, the history of ancient India. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Alternative spellings of this word include Brahmacharin.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्).—Duties of: with a daṇḍa and tuft, bed on the earth over skin, service to Guru, learning and living on alms;¹ may remain so throughout life by taking to Vaikhānasa or Parivratāśrama.²

1) Bhāgavata-purāṇa VII. 12 (whole), XI. 18. 42-3; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 7. 175; 32. 24; III. 9. 70; Matsya-purāṇa 40. 2; Vāyu-purāṇa 59. 23; Viṣṇu-purāṇa III. 9. 1-7.
2) Ib. III. 10. 14-15.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Dharmashastra (religious law)

Source: Shodhganga: The saurapurana - a critical study (dharma)

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्) or Brahmacarya refers to the first of the four “stages of life” (aśrama), according to the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—From the times of the most ancient dharmaśāstras the number of āśramas has been four:—Brahmacārin (or Brahmacarya), Gṛhastha, Vānaprastha and Sannyāsin.—The first part of āśrama [i.e. man’s life] is brahmacarya in which he learns at his teacher’s house.

context information

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्) refers to “one who observes a vow of chastity”, according to the second recension of the Yogakhaṇḍa of the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, as the Goddess (i.e., Kumārī) said to the God (i.e., Bhairava), “I am Khageśvarī, the virgin who observes a vow of chastity [i.e., brahmacārin]. I am the leader within the tradition (anvya) and the Cave is the Liṅga which is my hermitage. You are Bhairava, the pervasive Lord whose cardinal characteristic is supreme bliss, directly apparent. [...]”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्) refers to a class of persons for whom their “behavior” is discussed in the fourth chapter of the Kapiñjalasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra work consisting of 1550 verses dealing with a variety of topics such as worship in a temple, choosing an Ācārya, architecture, town-planning and iconography.—Description of the chapter [samayācāra-vidhi]:—For each of the four castes and for pratilomakas and sūtakas as well as for any of the four āśramas certain modes of behavior are expected; further, all of these persons are eligible for saṃskāras (1-4). [...] Such terms as [e.g., brahmacārin] [...] are defined (5-21a). The remainder of the chapter deals with general principles of conduct common to all these persons—prāṇāhuti, japa, etc. (21b-24a).

context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Brahmachārin (ब्रह्‍मचारिन): A religious student, unmarried, who lives with his spiritual guide, devoted to study and service.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: archive.org: Jaina Yoga

1) Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्) refers to the first of the four stages of a layman (āśrama) according to Cāmuṇḍarāya (940–989 A.D.) in his Caritra-sāra. Cāmuṇḍarāya, who was a Digambara Jain, has taken over the Hindu concept of the four āśramas, which, following Jinasena, he terms brahmacārin, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and bhikṣu.

The following categories of Brahmacārin are mentioned in the Caritra-sāra:

upanaya-brahmacārin,
avalamba-brahmacārin,
adīkṣā-brahmacārin,
gūḍha-brahmacārin,
naiṣṭhika-brahmacārin.

2) Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्) refers to a classification of a śrāvaka (laymen), based on his progress through the pratimās, according to Somadeva. Varṇin refers to the first to six pratimās, also known as Madhyama (middle). Āśādhara calls the Brahmacārin a Varṇin.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

India history and geography

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Brahmacārin.—(SII 2; LL), a Brāhmaṇa student; an unmarried student of the Vedas. (BL), epithet of one who takes a vow of celebacy. (SII 2), a temple servant. Note: brahmacārin is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्).—a.

1) studying the Vedas.

2) practising continence of chastity. (-m.) a religious student, a Brāhmaṇa in the first order of his life, who continues to live with his spiritual guide from the investiture with sacred thread and performs the duties pertaining to his order till he settles in life; ब्रह्मचारी वेदमधीत्य वेदौ वेदान् वा चरेद् ब्रह्मचर्यम् (brahmacārī vedamadhītya vedau vedān vā cared brahmacaryam) Kaṭha- śrutyopaniṣad 17; Manusmṛti 2.41,175;6.87.

2) one who vows to lead the life of a celibate.

3) an epithet of Śiva.

4) of Skanda.

Brahmacārin is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms brahman and cārin (चारिन्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्).—m. (-rī) The Brahmachari or religious student; the young Brahman, from the time of his investiture with the cord, to the period of his becoming a householder: it is also applied to a person, who continues with his spiritual teacher, through life, studying the Vedas and observing the duties of the student; it is also given as a title to Pandits learned in the Vedas; to a class of ascetics; by the Tantras, it is assigned to persons whose chief virtue is the observance of continence; and it is assumed by many religious vagabonds. f. (-riṇī A woman leading a life of continence. E. brahma the Veda and car to go or follow, aff. ṇini .

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्).—m. 1. a religious student. 2. chaste, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 4, 128.

Brahmacārin is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms brahman and cārin (चारिन्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्).—[adjective] poss. to brahmacarya; [masculine] a Brahman student.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्):—[=brahma-cārin] [from brahma > brahman] mf(iṇī)n. practising sacred study as an unmarried student, observing chastity, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc.

2) [v.s. ...] m. a young Brāhman who is a student of the Veda (under a preceptor) or who practises chastity, a young Br° before marriage (in the first period of his life), [Atharva-veda; Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc. (cf. āśrama and, [Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams 192 etc.; Religious Thought and Life in India 84 etc.]; the Name Brahma-cārin is also given to older unmarried Brāhmans, [especially] if versed in the Veda, and by the Tantras to any person whose chief virtue is continence)

3) [v.s. ...] Name of a Gandharva, [Mahābhārata]

4) [v.s. ...] of Skanda, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

5) [v.s. ...] of Śiva, [Śivagītā, ascribed to the padma-purāṇa]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Brahmacārin (ब्रह्मचारिन्):—[brahma-cārin] (rī) 5. m. A Brahmachārī. f. (riṇī) A chaste woman.

[Sanskrit to German]

Brahmacarin in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Pali-English dictionary

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Brahmacārin refers to: leading a holy or pure life, chaste, pious Vin. II, 236; III, 44; S. I, 5, 60; II, 210; III, 13; IV, 93, A. II, 44; M. III, 117; Sn. 695, 973; J. V, 107, 382; Vv 34¹¹ (Acc. pl. brahmacāraye for °cārino); Dh. 142; Miln. 75; DA. I, 72 (brahmaṃ seṭṭhaṃ ācāraṃ caratī ti br. c.); DhA. III, 83; a° S. IV, 181; Pug. 27, 36.

Note: brahmacārin is a Pali compound consisting of the words brahma and cārin.

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

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Search found 85 books and stories containing Brahmacarin, Brahma-carin, Brahma-cārin, Brahmacārin, Brahmacarins, Brahman-carin, Brahman-cārin; (plurals include: Brahmacarins, carins, cārins, Brahmacārins, Brahmacarinses). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

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Chapter IV