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Bhagavan ( sa, भगवान्, Bhagavān; pi, Bhagavā, italics=yes), also spelt Bhagwan (sometimes translated in English as " Lord"), is an epithet within
Indian religions Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of ...
used to denote figures of religious worship. In Hinduism it is used to signify a
deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
or an '' avatar'', particularly for Krishna and Vishnu in Vaishnavism, Shiva in Shaivism and Durga or
Adi Shakti Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifesta ...
in Shaktism.James Lochtefeld (2000), "Bhagavan", The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing. , page 94Friedhelm Hardy (1990), The World's Religions: The Religions of Asia, Routledge, , pages 79-83 In Jainism the term refers to the Tirthankaras, particularly
Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...
, and in
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
to the Buddha. In many parts of India and South Asia, Bhagavan represents the abstract concept of a universal God to Hindus who are spiritual and religious but do not worship a specific deity. In ''
bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
'' school literature, the term is typically used for any deity to whom prayers are offered. A particular deity is often the devotee's one and only Bhagavan. The female equivalent of Bhagavān is
Bhagavati Bhagavatī (Devanagari: भगवती, IAST: Bhagavatī), is a Hindus, Hindu epithet of Sanskrit origin, used as an honorific title for female deities in Hinduism. It is primarily used to address one of the Tridevi: Saraswati, Lakshmi, and P ...
. To some Hindus, the word Bhagavan is an abstract, genderless concept of God. In Buddhism's Pali and Sanskrit scriptures, the term is used to denote Gautama Buddha, referring him as ''Bhagavā'' or ''Bhagavān'' (translated with the phrase "Lord" or "The Blessed One"). The term Bhagavan is also found in other Theravada, Mahayana and Tantra Buddhist texts.


Etymology and meaning

''Bhagavān'', nominative singular of the adjective ''Bhagavat'', literally means "fortunate", "blessed" (from the noun ', meaning "fortune", "wealth", cognate to Slavic ' " god", Polish ''bogaty'' Serbo-Croatian ''bogat'', Russian '' (bogatyj)'' "wealthy"),
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
'' bey'', and hence "illustrious", "divine", "venerable", "holy", etc.Macdonell Sanskrit-English dictionary
The '' Vishnu Purana'' defines ''Bhagavān'' as follows, The same text defines Bhaga and provides the etymological roots as follows as translated by Wilson, Bhagavan is related to the root ''Bhaj'' (भज्, "to revere", "adore"), and implies someone "glorious", "illustrious", "revered", "venerable", "divine", "holy" (an epithet applied to gods, holy or respectable personages). The root ''Bhaj'' also means "share with", "partake of", "aportion".Francis Clooney and Tony Stewart, in S Mittal and GR Thursby (Editors): The Hindu World, Routledge, , pages 163-178 Clooney and Stewart state that this root, in Vaishnava traditions, implies Bhagavan as one perfect creator that a devotee seeks to partake from, share his place with, by living in god, in the way of god, the loving participation between the two being its own reward. Buddha is referred to as Bhagavan in ancient and medieval Theravada, Mahayana and Tantra Buddhist texts, where it connotes, "Lord", "Blessed One", "Fortunate One".Peter Harvey, Buddhism, Bloomsbury Academic, , page 4


Hinduism


Literature

The Vedic texts neither mention nor provide a basis to explain the origin of the Bhagavān concept. ; Upanishads The root of "Bhagavan", "Bhaga" is mentioned in the ''
Mundaka Upanishad The Mundaka Upanishad ( sa, मुण्डक-उपनिषद्, ) is an ancient Sanskrit Vedic text, embedded inside Atharva Veda. It is a Mukhya (primary) Upanishad, and is listed as number 5 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads of Hin ...
'', but it does not mean or imply "Bhagavan"': :शौनको ह वै महाशालोऽङ्गिरसं विधिवदुपसन्नः पप्रच्छ । :कस्मिन्नु भगवो विज्ञाते सर्वमिदं विज्ञातं भवतीति ॥ ३ ॥ :
Shaunaka Shaunaka ( sa, शौनक, ) is the name applied to teachers, and to a Shakha of the Atharvaveda. It is especially the name of a celebrated Sanskrit grammarian, author of the , the , the and six Anukramaṇīs (indices) to the Rigveda. He is ...
asked: Can knowledge of the world's reality be so complete that all the many things we see are understood in it? : Can something so complete, excellent be found that knowing it, one knows everything? :– ''Mundaka Upanishad'' I.1.3 The ''Mundaka Upanishad'' then answers this question in two parts over verses 1.1.4 through 3.2.11. These verses split knowledge into two sections: lower knowledge and higher knowledge. Lower knowledge includes Vedas, phonetics, grammar, etymology, meter, astronomy and ceremony rituals. The higher knowledge indicates, the Upanishad asserts, is Self-knowledge and realizing its oneness with Brahman—the one which cannot be seen, nor seized, which has no origin, no qualities, no hips, nor ears, no hands, nor feet, one that is the eternal, all-pervading, infinitesimal, imperishable. The word Bhagavan does not appear in the ''Mundaka Upanishad'' and other early or middle Upanishads. Later and medieval era Upanishads mention Bhagavān. For example, the very first verse of the ''Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣhad'' uses the term, as follows, Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa, a minor Upanishad, then proceeds to disclose, among other things, two Bhagavan names in the
Hare Krishna mantra The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the ("Great Mantra"), is a 16-word Vaishnava mantra which is mentioned in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad and which from the 15th century rose to importance in the Bhakti movement follo ...
in verse 2. This verse is sung by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) devotees. ; Purana In ''Bhagavata Dharma'', it denotes Narayana Vasudeva's four vyuha formations. Ishvara or God is called Bhagavan and the person dedicated to Bhagavan is called a
Bhagavata The Bhagavata tradition, also called Bhagavatism, refers to an ancient religious sect that traced its origin to the region of Mathura. After its syncretism with the Brahmanical tradition of Vishnu, Bhagavatism became a pan-Indian tradition ...
. The
Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...
(I.iii.28) identifies Krishna as
Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
, Vāsudeva, Vishnu and Hari—Bhagavan present in human form. Bhagavan is the complete revelation of the Divine; Brahman, the impersonal Absolute, is unqualified and therefore, never expressed. Paramatman is Bhagavan in relation to Prakṛti and the Jiva. The Yoga of Devotion implies that if a Bhagavata, the devotee of Bhagavan, seeks and longs for Bhagavan, then Bhagavan too seeks his devotee in equal measure. ; Bhagavad Gita The term Bhagavan appears extensively in the ''
Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic '' Mahabharata'' (c ...
'', as Krishna counsels Arjuna. For example,


Vaishnavism

The Bhāgavat traditions of Hinduism invoke Bhagavan in ''Narayan Upakheyam'' and in the Bhagavad Gita of
Bhishma Parva The Bhishma Parva ( sa, भीष्म पर्व), or ''the Book of Bhishma,'' is the sixth of eighteen books of the Indian epic '' Mahabharata''. It is the only Parva in Mahabharata where the main hero is not Arjuna but is rather Bhishma and ...
of the Mahabharata. The devotion to Lord Vishnu (identified as Vasudeva in Mahabharata) is described as ten incarnations of Vishnu. It introduced the ''Chatur – vyuha'' concept and laid emphasis on the worship of five Vrisini-warriors, reached the peak of its popularity during the Gupta Period.


Significance

In Hinduism, the word, Bhagavān, indicates the Supreme Being or Absolute Truth conceived as a Personal God. This personal feature indicated by the word Bhagavān differentiates its usage from other similar terms such as Brahman, the "Supreme Spirit" or "spirit", and thus, in this usage, Bhagavan is analogous to the
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
concept of
God the Father God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, God the Son Jesus Christ, and the third person, God t ...
. In Vaisnavism, a devotee of Bhagvān Krishna is called a Bhāgavata. The ''
Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...
'' (1.2.11) states the definition of Bhagavān to mean the supreme most being:
The Learned Know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance ''Brahman'', '' Paramatma'' or ''Bhagavan''./ / /
Bhagavān used as a title of veneration is often directly used as Lord, as in Bhagavān Rama, Bhagavān Krishna, Bhagavān Shiva, etc. In
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and Jainism, Gautama Buddha,
Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...
and other Tirthankaras,
Buddhas In Buddhism, Buddha (; Pali, Sanskrit: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are awake, and have attained nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out ...
and
bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schoo ...
s are also venerated with this title. The feminine of Bhagavat is Bhagawatī and is an epithet of Durga and other goddesses. This title is also used by a number of contemporary spiritual teachers in India who claim to be Bhagavan or have realized impersonal Brahman.
Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
(devotion to God) consists of actions performed dedicated to the Paramatman, the individuated existence which has free-will and who is the final cause of the world; the Vedic
Rishi ''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or ...
s describe the goals originated from God as Bhagavān, the Ananda aspect of God where God has manifested His personality is called Bhagavān when consciousness (pure self-awareness) aligns with those goals to cause the unified existence and commencement of works follow.


Buddhism


Literature


Bhagavān in Buddhist texts


= In Pali Literature

= Bhagava is the Pali word used for Bhagavan. Some Buddhist texts, such as the Pali ''suttas'', use the word Bhagavā for the Buddha, meaning "the fortunate one". The term Bhagavā has been used in Pali Anussati or recollections as one of the terms that describes the " Tathāgata" as one full of good qualities, as ''arahant'', ''sammā-sambuddho'' and ''sugato'' (Dīgha Nikāya II.93). Bhagavan is one of the nine qualities of the Buddha. In the Buddha Anussati, Bhagavan is defined the following way: :' :Thus is the Buddha, deserving homage, perfectly awakened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, well gone to Nibbana, knower of the worlds, incomparable leader (lit. charioteer) of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, awakened one and Blessed One.


= In Sanskrit Literature

= Several Tibetan Buddhist tantra texts use the word Bhagavān. For example, the Pradipoddyotana manuscript of Guhyasamāja tantra-Samdhivyakarana uses the word Bhagavān, which Alex Wayman translates as "Lord".Alex Wayman (1974)
Two Traditions of India: Truth and Silence
Philosophy East and West, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Oct., 1974), pages 389-403, for the original verse see footnote 13 on page 402, for Wayman's translation, see page 391
The text, elsewhere refers to "Bhagavan Sarvatathagatakayavakcittadipatih", which John Campbell translates as "Lord, Master of the Vajras of Body, Speech, and Mind of all Buddhas." Elsewhere, it states,John Campbell (2009)

PhD Thesis accepted by Columbia University (Advisor: Robert Thurman), page 355
Christian K. Wedemeyer, Aryadeva's Lamp that Integrates the Practices (Caryamelapakapradlpa): The Gradual Path of Vajraydna Buddhism According to the Esoteric Community Noble Tradition, ed. Robert A. F. Thurman, Treasury of the Buddhist Sciences series (New York: The American Institute of Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, 2007),
Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, a sutra of Mahāyāna Buddhism, for example, uses the word Bhagavān over three hundred times, which is either left untranslated by scholars, or translated as "Lord or Blessed One". The devotional meditational text ''Sukhavati Vyuhopadesa'' by Vasubandhu uses the term Bhagavān in its invocations.


Variants

Other variants of the term Bhagavan, such ''Bhagavant'' and ''Bhagavata'' can also be found throughout Buddhist texts. For instance, it is used in the initial chant, which is recited before almost every Sutta chanting,
''NamoTassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma-sambuddhassa''
I honour to that Bhagavan, who is Arhat and a fully-enlightened Buddha


Significance

The term Bhagavān is found in liturgical practices of Theravada Buddhism, where it is used as an epithet that means the "Blessed One". Examples of such usage is found in Sri Lanka's ''Bodhi Puja'' (or ''Atavisi Buddha Puja'', Worship of the Twenty Eight Buddhas). The word Bhagavan is the most common word for the Buddhist texts to refer to the Buddha. For example, almost every sutra in Buddhist canonical and commentarial texts starts with the line like
''Evaṃ me suttaṃ – ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.'' (Pali) ''evaṃ mayā śrutam , ekasmin samaye bhagavān śrāvastyāṃ viharati sma jetavane'nāthapiṇḍadasyārāme.'' (Sanskrit) Thus have I heard - Once the Bhagavan was dwelling in Savatthi, at the Anathpindaka's monastery in Jetavana. (English Translation)


Inscriptions


Greek

A word derived from Bhagavan is documented epigraphically from around 100 BCE, such as in the inscriptions of the Heliodorus pillar; in which Heliodorus, an Indo-Greek ambassador from
Taxila Taxila or Takshashila (; sa, तक्षशिला; pi, ; , ; , ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and ...
to the court of a Shunga king, addresses himself as a ''Bhagvatena'' (devotee) of Vishnu. ("Heliodorena Bhagavata", Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report (1908-1909)):
This Garuda-standard of Vasudeva (Vishnu), the God of Gods was erected here by the Bhagavatena (devotee) Heliodoros, the son of Dion, a man of
Taxila Taxila or Takshashila (; sa, तक्षशिला; pi, ; , ; , ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and ...
, sent by the Great Greek ( Yona) King Antialcidas, as ambassador to King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the Savior son of the princess from Benares, in the fourteenth year of his reign."Original inscription:
Devadevasa Va udeasa Garudadhvajo ayam
karito i Heliodorena bhaga-
vatena Diyasa putrena Takhasilakena
Yonadatena agatena maharajasa
Amtalikitasa upa a samkasam-rano
Kasiput sa hgabhadrasa tratarasa
vasena hatuasena rajena vadhamanasa"


Buddhist vase

''Sākamunisa bhagavato'' is recorded in the kharoshthi dedication of a vase placed in a Buddhist
stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...
by the Greek
meridarch A meridarch or ''meridarches'' ( el, μεριδάρχης, from ''meris'', "division", and ''-arches'', "ruler") was the civil governor of a province in the Hellenistic world (4th-1st centuries BCE), and could be translated as "Divisional Commissio ...
(civil governor of a province) named Theodorus: :''"Theudorena meridarkhena pratithavida time sarira sakamunisa bhagavato bahu-Jana-stitiye"'': : "The meridarch Theodorus has enshrined relics of Lord Shakyamuni, for the welfare of the mass of the people" :– (Swāt relic vase inscription of the Meridarkh TheodorosThe Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project
University of Washington
)


Brass pillars and stupas

James Prinsep James Prinsep FRS (20 August 1799 – 22 April 1840) was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary. He was the founding editor of the ''Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal'' and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and B ...
identified several engravings and inscriptions on ancient Buddhist artifacts that include the word Bhagavan and related words. For example, :'' Bhagawana-sarirahi Sri Tabachitrasa Khamaspada putrasa dana.'' :"(Casket) containing relics of Bhagwan, the gift of Sri Tabachitra, the son of Khamaspada :– The Tope of ManikyalaJames Prinsep and Henry Thoby Prinsep, , Volume 1, page 107


See also

* Acintya *
Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic '' Mahabharata'' (c ...
*
Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...
* Ishvara * Jnana * Lord *
Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
* Om Tat Sat * Para Brahman * Svayam Bhagavan * Turiya * Yoga


Notes


References


Sources

* *


Further reading

* Richard Gombrich,
A New Theravadin Liturgy
" Journal of the Pali Text Society, 9 (1981), pages 47–73. {{VishnuAvatars Epithets of Gautama Buddha Hindu given names Hindu philosophical concepts Names of God in Hinduism Vedanta