Swami Is a Hindu Title Meaning Master
A swami is a Hindu religious teacher. The Sanskrit word means owner or master of oneself.
A swami is a Hindu religious teacher, usually one who has taken monastic vows. Sanskrit *svami* means owner or master, from *sva*, one's own — so the title means master of oneself, one who has achieved control over the senses. It is an earned honorific rather than an inherited one. The word entered English in the 1700s, and *Swami Vivekananda*'s speech at the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago made it widely familiar in the West.
- A Hindu teacher. *A learned swami.*
- Sanskrit — *svami*, master. *The source.*
- Guru — a related title. *A guru.*
- Sannyasi — a renunciate. *A sannyasi.*
- Master of oneself. *The literal sense.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | swami | A swami. |
| Plural | swamis | Swamis. |
| Sanskrit | svami | Master. |
| Related | guru | A guru. |
| Related | sannyasi | A renunciate. |
- The swami taught in the ashram.Religion.
- Svami means master of oneself.Etymology.
- Vivekananda spoke in Chicago in 1893.History.
Sanskrit titles in English
- Swami — master, a monastic teacher
- Guru — a spiritual guide, literally heavy or weighty
- Pandit — a learned man, source of English *pundit*
- Yogi — a practitioner of yoga
- Maharaja — a great king, from *maha* plus *raja*
Sanskrit *svami*, owner or master, from *sva*, one's own, through Hindi into English in the 1700s.
What does swami mean literally?
Master or owner, and by extension master of oneself, someone who has achieved control over the senses.
Is pundit related to any of these?
Yes. It comes from Sanskrit pandita, a learned man, through the Hindi title pandit.