Swami

Swami

Swami (Sanskrit: स्वामी svāmī [sʋaːmiː]; sometimes abbreviated sw.) in Hinduism, is an honorific given to an ascetic or Bairagi who has been initiated into a religious monastic order. The meaning of the Sanskrit root of the word is "[he who is] one with his self" (swa stands for "self"). The term is applied to religious gurus as well as yogis, with or without disciples. The term is also used in Advaita Vedanta. As a direct form of address, or as a stand-in for a swami's name, it is often rendered Swamiji (also Swami-ji or Swami Ji). Swami is also the Surname of Bairagis in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as: Hindi svāmī 'master, lord, prince', used by Hindus as a term of respectful address, < Sanskrit svāmin in same senses, also the idol or temple of a god. In Bengali, the word (pronounced [ˈʃami]), while carrying its original meaning, also has the meaning of "husband" in another context. The word also means "husband" in Malay, in which it is spelled suami, and in Khmer and Odiya. The Thai word for "husband", sami (สามี) or sawami (สวามี), and the Tagalog word for "spouse", asawa, are also cognates of the word. It is also used for landlords or zamindars.

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