Question

2. What is Brahminic Traditions? Make a comparative study between the political tradition of Brahminic and shramanic Traditions, ​

Answer 1

Answer:

Brahmanism, also known as Proto-Hinduism, was an early religion in the Indian sub-continent that was based on Vedic writing. It is considered an early form of Hinduism. ... In Brahmanism, the Brahmins, who included priests, performed the sacred offices required in the Vedas.

Comparing Brahminic traditions and Shramanic traditions We can make comparison at two level spiritual and socio-political. Spiritually, both traditionshad many things in common but they differed also on some of the thoughts/belief. Bothbelieved in transmigration- cycle of birth and death. In both traditions salvation meansgetting out of the cycle of death & birth. Both gave highest status to ‘Dharma’ which meant righteousness, moral obligation, duty,purity of speech, thought, and action, etc. Both traditions believed in authority of holyscriptures. However, they also differed on many counts. Generally, Shramanic didn’t believe in soul(‘atma’), neither in God as primal person whose personal creation is world. In Brahminic traditions Salvation is freedom of the soul from cycle of birth & death to attainthe highest spiritual state; in the philosophy of adaivtwad, salvation is unification of the soulwith God (‘atma se parmatma ka milan’). External illumination & grace of God are needed to attain salivation. Whereas in Shramanictraditions freedom from cycle of birth & death can be achieved by individual effort,selfillumination under guidance of spiritual leader. Salvation can be attained by self-will,meditation, purification of speech, act, thought, and following the path of ‘Dhamma’ in theguidance of a spiritual teacher