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Who confers the exhalated title like Mahatma, Yogi, Bhagavan, Sadguru, Baba, Sri Sri Sri, Swami, Reverends, Maulanas, etc.

Why do people add these exalted titles to their names?
If they did not add it themselves, why do they not correct others who use such terms?

People who have been honored with an honorary Doctorate do no use this title in front of their name because they know that they did not earn it.
Ok..lets get techincal.

Mahatma = a great atma.

If we go by Advaita..every atma is a mahatma which is from Paramatma.

Yogi= One who is in a state of Balance and Union.
This is very humanly possible when brainwave patterns change..can be demostrated by EEG.

Bhagawan = one with the 6 opulences ..this is a heavy duty title.
So this one needs to really fulfill the criteria.

Sadguru is a Guru who preaches Sat.
Technically possible.

Baba is an Arabic word for father.
Its more for respect to call anyone Babaji.

Shri just means Mr.
Eg you would be Shri Prasad.

Shri Shri Ravishankar had to add two Shris in front of his name cos there was a confusion with the Pandit Shri Ravishankar of Sitar fame.

Swami in Sanskrit is one who is establish in himself.
In malay language Suami is husband.

Reverend..one who is a member of clergy and worthy of reverence.
Its just respect.

Maula means Master, Lord.

Maulana is mostly used in India/Pakistan/Bangladesh and Central Asia to honor religious leaders.

But the word has many meanings was also used to mean a non arab convert to Islam and to indicate protected status by Arab people.
 
Why do people add these exalted titles to their names?
If they did not add it themselves, why do they not correct others who use such terms?

People who have been honored with an honorary Doctorate do no use this title in front of their name because they know that they did not earn it.
It is all ego boosting and self promotion in my view.

Signed
Exalted Logician Shri a-TB

LOL
 
Why do people add these exalted titles to their names?
If they did not add it themselves, why do they not correct others who use such terms?

People who have been honored with an honorary Doctorate do no use this title in front of their name because they know that they did not earn it.
Who confers these titles to individuals?

Is there any Central Government Recognized/Designated Body, Board of Members or any Council which has been given the authority to assign titles to individuals? If Yes, on what criterion they assign these titles? What is the protocol? Are they nominated? Any notification or warrant issued for such nominations? If Yes, through which media?

What is the qualification required for such titles? Who prescribes the qualification? How do the individuals qualify?

Or is it just popularity based like 'kalaingar', 'puratchithalaivi', 'thalapathi', 'makkal kalaignar', 'perarignar', 'thanthai periyar' etc

One word about 'Reverand' here. Firstly the word 'Reverand' does not exist in any authorized English dictionary. It was used by the RC community in England to salute the parish priests and clergy to distinguish them from comman man. The other so-called-christian institutions followed suit. Otherwise no man, absolutely none including the pope, is worthy of any reverance. Only God is worthy of reverance.
 
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Ok..lets get techincal.

Mahatma = a great atma.

If we go by Advaita..every atma is a mahatma which is from Paramatma.

Yogi= One who is in a state of Balance and Union.
This is very humanly possible when brainwave patterns change..can be demostrated by EEG.

Bhagawan = one with the 6 opulences ..this is a heavy duty title.
So this one needs to really fulfill the criteria.

Sadguru is a Guru who preaches Sat.
Technically possible.

Baba is an Arabic word for father.
Its more for respect to call anyone Babaji.

Shri just means Mr.
Eg you would be Shri Prasad.

Shri Shri Ravishankar had to add two Shris in front of his name cos there was a confusion with the Pandit Shri Ravishankar of Sitar fame.

Swami in Sanskrit is one who is establish in himself.
In malay language Suami is husband.

Reverend..one who is a member of clergy and worthy of reverence.
Its just respect.

Maula means Master, Lord.

Maulana is mostly used in India/Pakistan/Bangladesh and Central Asia to honor religious leaders.

But the word has many meanings was also used to mean a non arab convert to Islam and to indicate protected status by Arab people.
totally agree - it is common custom in the south to prefix " sri la sri " to show respect to people, [meaning sri laksham times sri ] there was a " swami" in tamil nadu a few decades ago - he called himself " sri ako sri [ sri akhanda koti times sri !] - absolute and total Oneupmanship -
If the Gurus insisted that no honorary prefix be added to their names, their sishyaas are not going to do it ! just shows the Ego of these people - When the line of people to bid farewell to or receive the PM or the President of the country at the airport with bouquets of flowers is stopped , its done by their order - not the order from the bureaucrats - the same way. The greatness of a person is seen when anybody can come to visit him / her with the simplest of gifts and can address them with reverence , not prefixes
 
totally agree - it is common custom in the south to prefix " sri la sri " to show respect to people, [meaning sri laksham times sri ] there was a " swami" in tamil nadu a few decades ago - he called himself " sri ako sri [ sri akhanda koti times sri !] - absolute and total Oneupmanship -
If the Gurus insisted that no honorary prefix be added to their names, their sishyaas are not going to do it ! just shows the Ego of these people - When the line of people to bid farewell to or receive the PM or the President of the country at the airport with bouquets of flowers is stopped , its done by their order - not the order from the bureaucrats - the same way. The greatness of a person is seen when anybody can come to visit him / her with the simplest of gifts and can address them with reverence , not prefixes
I dont think its always ego.
Some might have ego but all of us do have names..some of us have profession related titles in front of our names too.
Does that mean its ego?
Why are we so threatened by words?

Just say some one abuses us verbally and call us #%^?"

Surely most of us humans would feel something..either get annoyed or get angry..though some might not get affected.

But wasnt the abuse also words?
Just say the word was Haraami.
Its just a combination of vowels and consonants.

Likewise..if we call anyone Shri or Babaji etc..isnt that too combination of vowels and consonants?

Why link it only to ego?

Also we might feel the person is not deserving of it..ok thats fine cos at a bodily level he might not be deserving of it but at an atmic level arent we all humans from the Divine Source.

That Divine Source has a sahashranamam itself..so if we have issues calling anyone Shri or Babaji or Shri Shri etc..just go beyond the body and think the atma within him is being addressed here.

Simple, no sweat.
 
I dont think its always ego.
Some might have ego but all of us do have names..some of us have profession related titles in front of our names too.
Does that mean its ego?
Why are we so threatened by words?

Just say some one abuses us verbally and call us #%^?"

Surely most of us humans would feel something..either get annoyed or get angry..though some might not get affected.

But wasnt the abuse also words?
Just say the word was Haraami.
Its just a combination of vowels and consonants.

Likewise..if we call anyone Shri or Babaji etc..isnt that too combination of vowels and consonants?

Why link it only to ego?

Also we might feel the person is not deserving of it..ok thats fine cos at a bodily level he might not be deserving of it but at an atmic level arent we all humans from the Divine Source.

That Divine Source has a sahashranamam itself..so if we have issues calling anyone Shri or Babaji or Shri Shri etc..just go beyond the body and think the atma within him is being addressed here.

Simple, no sweat.
Doctor, your post needs analysis Doctor. Doctor, although superficially Doctor, your post Doctor, is not worth wasting time debating on this Doctor, your post Doctor makes interesting reading Doctor.
 
Doctor, your post needs analysis Doctor. Doctor, although superficially Doctor, your post Doctor, is not worth wasting time debating on this Doctor, your post Doctor makes interesting reading Doctor.
Lol!
Shri Shri Shri Gyana Sundaresha,
Koti pranaam.
May the forum be blessed with your posts..Hey Gyanasvaroopa, Hey Sundararoopa!
Shunyasya Gyanendra.
 
Lol!
Shri Shri Shri Gyana Sundaresha,
Koti pranaam.
May the forum be blessed with your posts..Hey Gyanasvaroopa, Hey Sundararoopa!
Shunyasya Gyanendra.
Doctor, Doctor, how much do these cost a kilo (or litre may be) Doctor?
Or if these are medicines, which lab prepares and in which medical shop are these available Doctor?
Would they provide immunity against corona doctor?
 
I dont think its always ego.
Some might have ego but all of us do have names..some of us have profession related titles in front of our names too.
Does that mean its ego?
Why are we so threatened by words?

Just say some one abuses us verbally and call us #%^?"

Surely most of us humans would feel something..either get annoyed or get angry..though some might not get affected.

But wasnt the abuse also words?
Just say the word was Haraami.
Its just a combination of vowels and consonants.

Likewise..if we call anyone Shri or Babaji etc..isnt that too combination of vowels and consonants?

Why link it only to ego?

Also we might feel the person is not deserving of it..ok thats fine cos at a bodily level he might not be deserving of it but at an atmic level arent we all humans from the Divine Source.

That Divine Source has a sahashranamam itself..so if we have issues calling anyone Shri or Babaji or Shri Shri etc..just go beyond the body and think the atma within him is being addressed here.

Simple, no sweat.
A real yogi or realised soul will never seek titles publicity or wealth. Such a person will be contend with inner peace and tranqulity
 
A real yogi or realised soul will never seek titles publicity or wealth. Such a person will be contend with inner peace and tranqulity
Why are we assuming they are " seeking" titles.
People do add the title Maharishi to Ramana Maharishi.
People to add the title Paramahamsa to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

People do add the title Periyava to Kanchi Periyava.

Did they all object?
No.
Why?
It's because they were not having dualistic vision and saw everything alike.
Even if we had called them anything bad, they wouldnt object either because they are beyond praise and blame.

So why do they remain silent when a bhakta praises them?
Reason is it helps the bhakta focus their mind on spirituality and eventually with shraddha and bhakti the bhakta would be able to go beyond duality of existence.

Usually what makes us feel uncomfortable is what we need to work on.

If seeing a title like Shri Shri or Babaji or Avatar in front of a person's name makes us feel uncomfortable, we should ask ourselves why we feel so?

The human mind mostly is a relative one..that is its most of the while not able to see things as it is..it mostly compares with what it knows.

So if a title of another makes us judge them, what could be the reason?
Who are you comparing the person with?
Some other guru whom you feel is "better?"

Or are you comparing them to your own perception that a real yogi should only function according to your mental construct of how you want him to be.

If we drop painting pictures of how a yogi or realized soul should behave, what remains in our mind?
Pretty much nothing! It can be scary intially cos our ahamkara has nothing to hold on to puff up our own perception.

So what next?
Just let it be and function in the NOW sans mental agitations.
 

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