Brahman. Sacred potency

 A

That’s an excellent and subtle question — because the idea of Brahman doesn’t have a single founder or moment of invention. It evolved gradually within ancient Indian thought over centuries. Let’s trace how it developed:

🕉️ 1. 

Vedic Roots (c. 1500–1000 BCE)

In the earliest Vedic period, found in the Rigveda, the word Brahman originally did not mean “ultimate reality.”

• It referred to the sacred power of speech, prayer, or ritual utterance — the spiritual energy behind the Vedic hymns.
• Priests (Brahmins) who chanted mantras were seen as channeling this Brahmanic power.

So in early Vedic times, Brahman meant sacred potency — the mysterious force that makes the ritual effective.

🔥 2. 

Transition in the Late Vedic Period (c. 1000–800 BCE)

As Vedic religion deepened, thinkers began to reflect on what this sacred power truly is.

• They started to see Brahman as the invisible principle that sustains the cosmos — not just ritual power, but cosmic power.
• This shift marks the beginning of philosophical speculation about Brahman.

📜 3. 

Upanishadic Period (c. 800–500 BCE): The Birth of the Philosophical Brahman

The Upanishads transformed the idea completely.

Here, Brahman becomes:

The infinite, eternal, formless, conscious reality — the essence of everything.

Key teachers of the Upanishadic era — whose teachings were transmitted orally — were the rishis (seers), not single founders. Some associated names and texts:

• Yājñavalkya (in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad) — one of the earliest to speak of Ātman = Brahman.
• Uddālaka Āruṇi (in the Chandogya Upanishad) — taught “Tat tvam asi” (“That thou art”).
• Shvetaketu, Maitreyi, and others appear as figures in these dialogues.

Thus, the idea of Brahman emerged collectively among ancient sages between roughly 800–500 BCE.

🪷 4. 

Systematization in Vedānta (c. 400 CE onwards)

Later philosophers like:

• Śaṅkara (8th century CE) – systematized Advaita Vedānta, teaching that Brahman alone is real.
• Rāmānuja and Madhva – offered alternative interpretations (qualified non-dualism and dualism).

They interpreted, but did not invent, the concept — they built upon the Upanishadic insight.

🧭 In Summary

Phase	Time Period	Meaning of Brahman	Key Figures
Early Vedic	~1500–1000 BCE	Sacred ritual power, prayer energy	Vedic priests
Late Vedic	~1000–800 BCE	Cosmic creative principle	Poetic seers
Upanishadic	~800–500 BCE	Infinite reality, ultimate truth	Yājñavalkya, Uddālaka, Shvetaketu
Vedānta	~400 CE–present	Philosophical systematization	Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva

So, to answer directly:

No single person “started” the idea of Brahman.

It gradually emerged from early Vedic religion and crystallized in the Upanishads (around 800–500 BCE) through the insights of many sages.

Would you like me to show how the concept of Brahman evolved linguistically and philosophically — from ritual power in the Rigveda to metaphysical reality in the Upanishads?