Brahmin Analysis in Mahabharata

Brahmins are one of the four main classes in society. They are priests and generally considered the most desirable class. Although nonviolence is important to many Brahmins, there are also warrior Brahmins who use their holy power in battle.

Brahmin Quotes in Mahabharata

The Mahabharata quotes below are all either spoken by Brahmin or refer to Brahmin. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Ugraśravas the Suta, teller of ancient tales, son of Lomaharshana the Suta, once approached the Brahmin seers assembled in the Naimisha forest to attend the twelve-year sacrifice of Śaunaka their chief, bowing politely to those keepers of keen vows.

Related Characters: Karna, Ugraśravas, Śaunaka

Page Number and Citation: 1

Explanation and Analysis:

‘Perform the horse sacrifice in due form, with gifts to all the Brahmins; for the horse sacrifice purifies one of all sins, lord of kings, and after sacrificing with that rite you will be sinless, make no doubt.’

Related Characters: Vyasa (speaker), Ugraśravas (speaker), Vaiśampayana (speaker), Yudhishthira , Arjuna

Related Symbols: Horses

Page Number and Citation: 714

Explanation and Analysis:

Brahmin Term Timeline in Mahabharata

The timeline below shows where the term Brahmin appears in Mahabharata. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Ugraśravas the Suta approaches the Brahmin seers who live in the Naimisha Forest and who follow a chief named Śaunaka. One... (full context)

...seers what more they want to hear. Śaunaka asks to hear about a lineage of Brahmins called Bhrigu, which begins with a man named Puloman. One of his descendants is a... (full context)

...the Kshatriya warriors on earth 21 times. The surviving Kshatriya women went to see the Brahmins, who helped them conceive thousands of new Kshatriyas. It was the Krita Age, full of... (full context)

These demons oppressed all classes: Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaiśyas, and Sudras. Troubled by the demons, Earth sought out Lord Brahma, creator of... (full context)

Kripa is a Brahmin seer from Kuru. Śakuni is a mighty fighter in his chariot. Vidura is one of... (full context)

...and wants to marry her. The problem is that he’s a Kshatriya and she’s a Brahmin. Yayati gets permission from Śukra, on the condition that Yayati never has sex with Śarmishtha.... (full context)

...Ambilika to continue the lineage, and since Bhishma remains celibate, she decides to find a Brahmin and summons Vyasa. (full context)

...Vyasa gives them shelter for a while. They move on to a town full of Brahmins who are grieving. A Rakshasa called Baka is terrorizing them. The Rakshasa demands a donation... (full context)

...is originally a Kshatriya, but he lives an ascetic lifestyle to become a more powerful Brahmin like his rival Vasishtha. Viśvamitra then curses a king to become a cannibal and eat... (full context)

At first the Kshatriya are angry that a Brahmin like Arjuna has won Draupadi, but he fights them off and wins their respect. Back... (full context)

...while. One day while Arjuna and Krishna are out in the woods, they meet a Brahmin who says that he’s Fire. Fire wants to destroy the whole forest to kill the... (full context)

...Krishna’s permission to finally perform a royal consecration. Yudhishthira prepares a great feast, inviting illustrious Brahmins and Kshatriyas from across the land, then gives them lavish accommodations. Nakula invites Bhishma and... (full context)

THE PRESENTATION OF THE GUEST-OFFERINGS. Brahmin seers led by Narada come to the sacrificial ground to pay tribute to Yudhishthira. When... (full context)

...form, but the frog king warns them that all her children will be hostile to Brahmins. (full context)

THE BRAHMIN’S CONVERSATION WITH THE HUNTER. Markandeya tells the story of Kauśika, a Brahmin who meets a hunter who used to be a Brahmin in his previous life but... (full context)

...go back to see his parents. He goes back to the hermitage, and all the Brahmins are shocked to see him still alive. When Savitri gets back, she explains to everyone... (full context)

...protect him) on behalf of the Pandavas. The Sun, however, disguises himself as a handsome Brahmin and goes to Karna to warn him that Indra is coming for his earrings and... (full context)

Indra takes the form of a Brahmin and approaches Karna. He asks for Karna’s earrings and armor, but Karna refuses, telling Indra... (full context)

THE FIRESTICKS. A Brahmin whose firesticks have been stolen by a deer, tangled in its antlers, comes up to... (full context)

...Yudhishthira’s biological father. Dharma gives Yudhishthira three boons: he gets the firesticks back for the Brahmin, the Pandavas will remain unrecognizable in their 13th year of exile, and finally Yudhishthira wishes... (full context)

...proposes the city where King Virata rules. There, he plans to disguise himself as a Brahmin who’s skilled at gambling and become a courtier of the king. Bhima plans to be... (full context)

...approaches Virata first. Virata can’t believe at first that the man he sees is a Brahmin, believing that the figure before him seems too splendid. Yudhishthira introduces himself as a friend... (full context)

...But Drona’s weapons blaze, and he keeps his many enemies at bay. He uses his Brahmin power to kill 100,000 Kshatriyas. Dhrishtadyumna advances toward Drona undeterred. Drona hits him with several... (full context)

...householder, forest-dweller, renouncer). He says that going through these four classes is particularly important for Brahmins but can also be important for Sudras, Vaiśyas, and Kshatriyas. Because a king has so... (full context)

...creation of the universe, and Bhishma tells him that the god Brahma first created the Brahmins. All humans were originally Brahmins, but then new classes arose to fulfill new necessary functions... (full context)

...about dharma, Bhishma notes that sacrifice is an important part of dharma, and for a Brahmin, non-violence is a type of sacrifice. On the other hand, chasing sensual pleasure is the... (full context)

...Yudhishthira again discuss dharma at different stages of life. Bhishma tells a story about a Brahmin trying to connect with the universal Self and meeting a snake. The snake told the... (full context)

Yudhishthira asks more about Brahmins. Bhishma explains how Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras can become Brahmins only through rebirth, and it... (full context)

...and home life. Bhishma explains how it varies by class and how, for example, a Brahmin can have three wives but a Kshatriya only two. He also explains that only men... (full context)

...several thoughts on dharma and adharma (the opposite of dharma). He believes that for a Brahmin nonviolence is the highest dharma and that they should not eat meat; however, a Kshatriya... (full context)

...Krishna spends some time with Arjuna discussing matters of dharma. Krishna tells Arjuna stories about Brahmins who lived wisely, acting nonviolently and showing reverence to the gods. He then goes on... (full context)

...dead sons. Dhritarashtra takes responsibility for the destructive war in a speech, but a wise Brahmin interrupts him and says that the real cause to blame for the war is fate. (full context)

Brahmin Term Analysis

Brahmin Quotes in Mahabharata

Brahmin Term Timeline in Mahabharata