Talk:Dvija
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Dvija literally means the ‘one who is born twice’.
Persons belonging to the first three varṇas or castes are called ‘dvijas’. Literally, the word means ‘One who is born second time or twice-born’.
The first birth is the physical birth from the womb of the mother. The second is the spiritual birth brought about by the sacrament of upanayāna. Hence all those who have undergone the upanayāna ceremony, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣattriyas and the vaiśyas, are known as ‘dvijas’. However, the term is more generally applied to the brāhmaṇas in practice. The brāhmaṇas of Vedic learning are called ‘vipras’ and the vipras with an excellent conduct are known as ‘śrotriyas’.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore