dvija
Sacred thread recipient
Dvija is a Sanskrit term meaning "twice-born," referring in Hindu tradition to members of the three upper castes—Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya—who undergo a spiritual rebirth through initiation rites.
The first birth is physical; the second is the religious ceremony (upanayana) that marks entry into spiritual study.
The term appears in discussions of caste, Hindu scripture, and Indian history.
Spiritually or ritually reborn
- casteInherited social division
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- varnaHindu hereditary social order
- priestOne who performs sacraments
ritual · dharma · guru · mantra · purity · orthodoxy · lineage
twice-born
Spiritually or ritually reborn
- casteInherited social division
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- varnaHindu hereditary social order
priest · ritual · dharma · guru · mantra · purity · orthodoxy · lineage
feathered
Covered with plumage
avian · fledgling · beak · plumage · songbird · flight · migration · clutch · brood · ornithology
dentition
Oral tooth arrangement
regrowth · permanent · deciduous · eruption · oral · jaw · bite · chewing · dental · ivory
- Castecaste, caste system, varna, Brahmins, untouchables
- Vedic ReligionAgni, Indra, mantras, Brahmins, Vedic