# ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/brahmahatya

ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) is a Sanskrit word meaning murder of a Brahman or any crime equally heinous, the killing of a Brahman, any equally heinous crime, killing a Brahmin, killing a Brahman, the murder of a Brahmana. Its 8 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them Killing a Brahman or an equally heinous crime, The act of killing a Brahman, Personification of Brahmahatya.

- **Etymology:** E. ब्रह्म, and हत्या killing — E. brahma, and hatyā killing
- **SLP1:** `brahmahatyA`  **IAST:** brahmahatyā  **Devanagari:** ब्रह्महत्या
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmahatya
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/brahmahatya/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Killing a Brahman or an equally heinous crime (3 definitions)
- murder of a Brahman or any crime equally heinous  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 740,2] ब्रह्म (brahma) — हत्या (—hatyā) f. murder of a Brāhman (or any crime equally heinous), VS.; &c. [ ID=147136 ]
- 1. The killing of a Brahman. 2. Any equally heinous crime.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्रह्म (brahma) हत्या (hatyā) (brahmahatyā) [Printed book page 608 ] ब्रह्म (brahma) हत्या (hatyā) (brahmahatyā) f. ( - त्या (-tyā) ) 1 Brahmanicide, killing a Brahman. 2 Any crime equally heinous. E. ब्रह्म (brahma), and हत्या (hatyā) killing. [ ID=28052 ]
- 1. Killing a Brahman. 2. Any equally heinous crime.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्रह्म (brahma) हत्या (hatyā) (brahmahatyā) [Printed book page 521-b ] ब्रह्म (brahma) हत्या (hatyā) (brahmahatyā) f. ( - त्या (-tyā) ) 1. Brāhminicide, killing a Brāhman. 2. Any crime equally heinous. E. ब्रह्म (brahma) and हत्या (hatyā) killing. [ ID=28922 ]

### The act of killing a Brahman (3 definitions)
- killing a Brahmin  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) [Printed book page 546-a ] ब्रह्म - हत्या (brahma-hatyā) ( त्या ) ((tyā)) 1. f. Brāhmanicide. [ ID=27562 ]
- the murder of a Brahmana  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) [Printed book page 512-24 ] ब्रह्मन् - हत्या (brahman-hatyā) f. Brāhmaṇīcide, the murder of a Brāhmaṇa. [ ID=26856.4 ]
- killing of a Brahman  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) [Printed book page 369 ] ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) f. killing of a Brahman. [ ID=22412 ]

### Personification of Brahmahatya (1 definition)
- the murder of a Brahman  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) [Printed book page 155-2 ] Brahmahatyā (personif.) = Brahmavadhyā (q.v.): XII, 10160. [ ID=1720 ]

### The sin of Brahmahatya: context and expiation (1 definition)
- the murder of a Brahmin  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > ब्रह्महत्या (brahmahatyā) [Printed book page 2-080 ] Brahma-hatyā, the ‘murder of a Brahmin,’ is mentioned in the Yajurveda Saṃhitās 1 and the Brāhmaṇas 2 as a heinous crime. The murderer is called Brahma-han. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Taittirīya Saṃhitā, ii. 5, 1, 2; v. 3, 12, 1; Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xxxix. 13, etc.] [ Footnote: 2) Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, xiii. 3, 1, 1; 5, 3; 5, 4, 1; Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, x. 38; Nirukta, vi. 27, etc.] [ Footnote: 3) Taittirīya Saṃhitā, ii. 5, 1, 2; vi. 5, 10, 3; Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā, xxxi. 7; Kapiṣṭhala Saṃhitā, xlvii. 7; Tait- tirīya Brāhmaṇa, iii. 2, 8, 12; Sata- patha Brāhmaṇa, xiii. 3, 5, 4, etc. Cf. Dharma. ] [ ID=2217 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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