Maharishi is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

word, written as "महर्षि" in

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ...

(formed from the prefix mahā- meaning "great" and r̥ṣi - sage, poet or a singer of sacred hymns), indicating members of the highest order of ancient Indian sages, popularly known in India as "seers," i.e. those who engage in research to understand and experience (and therefore know)

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

and its governing laws.

Description and usage

''Maharshi'' may also refer to "seers" or "sages" in India.Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2009) Retrieved November 9, 2011 The term became popular in English literature "sometime before 1890" and was first used in 1758.Websters Online Dictionary with Multilingual Thesaurus Translation
Retrieved November 2011 Alternate meanings describe ''Maharshi'' as a collective name that refers to the seven rishis or saptarishis (including

Maharishi Bhrigu Bhrigu ( sa, भृगु, ) was a rishi in Hinduism. He was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma. The first compiler of predictive astrology, and also th ...

) cited in the scriptures of Rig Veda and the Puranas, or any of the several mythological seers that are referenced in Vedic writings and associated with the seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major. The only ones who can adopt the title are those who achieve the highest state of awareness in the path of evolution and completely understand the working of parabramha. The Maharshis are capable of making others as saints and impart the knowledge of the working of the divine. Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) was an "Indian sage" with a philosophy about the path to self-knowledge and the integration of personality espoused in books by author

Paul Brunton Paul Brunton is the pen name of Raphael Hurst (21 October 1898 – 27 July 1981), a British author of spiritual books. He is best known as one of the early popularizers of Neo-Hindu spiritualism in western esotericism, notably via his be ...

and Ramana's own writings such as the ''Collected Works'' (1969) and ''Forty Verses on Reality'' (1978).In Chambers Biographical Dictionary (2007) Retrieved November 2011 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1918–2008) was an Indian guru, known for developing the

Transcendental Meditation technique The Transcendental Meditation technique (abbreviated as TM) is the technique associated with the practice of Transcendental Meditation developed by the Indian spiritual figure Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The practice involves the use of a private m ...

and for his association with

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

. The title was also used by

Valmiki Valmiki (; Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि, ) is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. The epic ''Ramayana'', dated variously from the 5th century BCE to first century BCE, is attributed to him, based on the attributio ...

, Patanjali and

Dayananda Sarasvati Dayanand Saraswati () (born Mool Shankar Tiwari; 2 February 1824 – 30 October 1883) also known as Maharshi Dayanand is an Indian philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. His Magnum Opus is the book ...

References

{{Reflist Titles and occupations in Hinduism

Description and usage

See also

References