Brahman, << BRAH muhn, >> is the name of the most absolute, abstract form of God in the Hindu religion. Hindus believe Brahman is the divine force that sustains the universe. Brahman assumes three main forms, called the Trimurti. They are Brahma, the creator of the universe; Vishnu, its preserver; and Shiva, its destroyer.
Hindus relate Brahman to the idea of Atman, the universal soul that is the source of individual souls. Many Hindus believe people must discover the Atman or Brahman in themselves to achieve spiritual perfection.
In the Rigveda, the earliest Hindu scriptures, the name Brahman referred to the power present in religious sacrifices. As Hindu philosophy developed, this power came to mean the soul of the universe. Parts of the Upanishads, a group of sacred writings, glorify Brahman over all other forms of God.
