Bhagavan

Bhagavan (Bhagavān; Bhagavā), also spelt Bhagwan (sometimes translated in English as "Lord","God"), is an epithet within Indian religions used to denote figures of religious worship. In Hinduism it is used to signify a deity or an avatar, particularly for Krishna and Vishnu in Vaishnavism, Shiva in Shaivism and Durga or Adi Shakti in Shaktism. In Jainism the term refers to the Tirthankaras, and in Buddhism 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 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. 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. Bhagavān, nominative singular of the adjective Bhagavat, literally means "fortunate", "blessed" (from the noun , meaning "fortune", "wealth", cognate to Slavic bog "god", Polish bogaty, Serbo-Croatian bogat, Russian богатый (bogatyj) "wealthy"), Turkish bey, and hence "illustrious", "divine", "venerable", "holy", etc. The Vishnu Purana defines Bhagavān as follows, उत्पत्तिं प्रलयं चैव भूतानामागतिं गतिम् | वेत्तिं विद्यामविद्यां च स वाच्यो भगवानिति || He who understands the creation and dissolution, the appearance and disappearance of beings, the wisdom and ignorance, should be called Bhagavān. The same text defines Bhaga and provides the etymological roots as follows as translated by Wilson, Knowledge is of two kinds, that which is derived from scripture, and that which is derived from reflection. Brahma that is the word is composed of scripture; Brahma that is supreme is produced of reflection.