THE MOUNTAIN PATH January 1964

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Note on Names

 

 

 

The names 'Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi' and 'Arunachala' will occur frequently in this journal. We are therefore inserting a note on their meaning and pronunciation for those readers who are not familiar with them.

 

'Sri' pronounced 'Shree' is a Sanskrit honorific signifying 'blessed' or 'auspicious'. It has now lost much of its meaning and come to be used before names, much like 'Mr.' in English. Before the name of a Swami or holy place, however, it still has its original connotation.

 

'Ramana' is an abbreviation of the personal name Venkataramana. The accent is on the first syllable.

 

'Maharshi' is a contraction of 'MahaRishi', meaning the 'Great Rishi' or 'Great Sage'. The accent is on the second syllable.

 

'Bhagavan I is the word commonly used for 'God'. It is applied by common consent to one who is recognized as a Divine lncarnation and is the same as the appellation of the Buddha which is commonly rendered in English as 1 The Blessed One'. It was usual to address the Maharshi in the third person as 'Bhagavan'. He accepted this usage and sometimes referred to himself so. The accent is on the first and last syllables, the second being slurred over.

 

Various meanings are assigned to 'Arunachala', the name of the sacred Hill. The third and last vowels are long, the accent being mainly on the third.

 

A remark may also be in place on the form 'Ramanasramam', which may confuse some readers. The word 'ashram' has found its way into English dictionaries and is therefore the correct English form, whether a correct transliteration of the Sanskrit or not , however, 'asramam' is the Tamil form, and this ashram is registered under that name, which is therefore used for its address.

 

 

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