Brahmishtha

Brahmishtha (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मिष्ठ, Romanised: Brahmiṣṭha) is a Sanskrit word used for denoting the highest Vedic scholar.^[1] The word Brahmishtha is found in the Vedic literatures.^[2] A Brahmin who has attained the greatest knowledge of Vedas is called as Brahmishtha.^[3][4] The word Brahmishtha is also defined as "the best knower of Brahman".^[5][6]

Brahmishtha

Origin/etymology	Vedas
Meaning	"The wisest Brahmin" "One who has attained greatest knowledge of Vedas" "The best knower of Brahman"
Original form	ब्रह्मिष्ठ
Context	Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Coined by	King Janaka

Etymology

Brahmishtha is the superlative degree form of the word Brāhmaṇa. The highest degree of Brāhmaṇa is termed as Brahmishtha.The knower of Brahman is term as Brāhmaṇa and the greatest knower of Brahman is term as Brahmishtha.^[1][7]

Description

In the philosophical text Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the word Brahmishtha was used by the King Janaka of Mithila at his court during the occasion of the Bahudakshina Yajna to denote the greatest scholar of Vedas.

In the scholarly contests at the Bahudakshina Yajna, when no one was able defeat the Vedic scholar Yajnavalkya, then he was finally accepted and awarded as Brahmishtha by all the sages, scholars and King Janaka at his court.^[2]