Paramahansa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

परमहंस, Romanized to paramahansa (also paramhansa and paramahamsa), is a Sanskrit title of honor applied to Hindu spiritual teachers of lofty status who are regarded as having attained enlightenment. The title may be translated as "transcendent swan," and is based on the individual's metaphorical ability to fly to transcendent heights, and there to swim in the sea of consciousness, unsullied by the illusion of separateness from the Divine.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Alternate spellings 3 Privileged use 4 Examples 5 Play on words 6 Other meaning 7 References

[edit] Etymology

The word is compounded of Sanskrit परम parama "supreme, transcendent" (from PIE *per- "through, across, beyond", cognate with English "far")^[1] and Sanskrit हंस hansa "swan" (from PIE *ghans-a "goose; swan," cognate with English goose, gander").

[edit] Alternate spellings

Due to the limitations inherent in transliterating Sanskrit into Roman English, other widely used English spellings include Paramhansa and Paramahamsa. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

[edit] Privileged use

The title cannot be assumed by oneself,^[5] but must be conferred by a recognized authority, either an another individual swami who is himself esteemed as enlightened, or by a committee of spiritual leaders.

[edit] Examples

• Paramahansa Yogananda
• Ramakrishna Paramahansa

[edit] Play on words

In Vedantic Hinduism the swan is frequently employed as a metaphor for the atman or (non-dualistic) soul. This figurative usage is reinforced by a play on words.

In repeating the soham mantra^[6]

soham (sa "that" + aham "I" → "That I am")

(i.e., "I am not distinct from the Universal All"), it is observed that the indefinitely repeated series

soham|soham|soham...

is eventually re-segmented and perceived as being equivalent to^[6]

...hamso|hamso|hamso|...

Thus, "I am that" becomes "swan".

[edit] Other meaning

Paramahaṃsa is also the title given to one of the Upanishads.^[7]

[edit] References

1. ^ The prefix parama is the same element seen in the title Parameshwara (परम parama + ईश्वर ishvara "lord") "supreme lord, God."
2. ^ A Glossary of Sanskrit Terms in Integral Yoga Literature
3. ^ Srimad Bhagavatam: Glossary of Sanskrit Terms: P
4. ^ Glossary of Sanskrit Terms
5. ^ Aleister Crowley took this title for himself.
6. ^ ^{a b} Due to the rules of external sandhi (assimilation at word boundaries), the sequence [...a]+[h...] would become [...o...].
7. ^ In Sanskrit, a pre-consonantal nasal is written with a diacritic dot (the Anusvara) above the preceding character. The exact realization of the nasalization must be inferred from the context. Thus, we have Paramahaṃsa, Paramahamsa, Paramahaṇsa, and Paramahansa as equivalent transliterations.