Brahmanical

Brahmanical is an adjective used in scholarship to describe the traditions, practices, and social order associated with Brahmins, the priestly caste in Hinduism. The term denotes an orthodox, ritual-centered strand of Hinduism that emphasizes the authority of the Vedas and, in particular, the Brahmanas and related Smriti literature.

Historically, Brahmanical orthodoxy developed as Brahmins acted as custodians of sacred knowledge, teachers of the Vedas, and conductors of temple and home rites. Central to this tradition is the belief in the primacy of Shruti (revealed texts) and the normative guidance of Smriti (texts such as the Manusmriti) in shaping doctrines, duties, and social norms. Brahmanical practice often centers on ritual performance and ritual purity, with a stratified social order (varna) that assigns specialized roles, including Brahmins as the primary custodians of ritual knowledge and practice.

Key features of Brahmanical tradition include the performance of yajña (sacrificial rites), recitation and correct pronunciation of Vedic mantras, and the maintenance of detailed codes of conduct related to purity, diet, and ritual behavior. The tradition has long interacted with other religious currents in India, including non-Brahmanical religious movements such as Śramaṇic groups (Buddhism and Jainism) and, in later periods, devotional (bhakti) movements that sometimes reinterpreted or challenged Brahmanical norms.

In modern scholarship, the term is used descriptively to refer to those aspects of Hinduism grounded in Brahminical ritual authority, while acknowledging internal regional and historical diversity and reformist critiques. The label is sometimes debated for implying a monolithic orthodoxy across vast and varying traditions.