Paramahamsa

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The swan is a symbol of purity and transcendence in Vedantic teaching.
The swan is a symbol of purity and transcendence in Vedantic teaching.
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Paramahamsa (परमहंस) (also spelt paramahansa or paramhansa), is a Sanskrit religio-theological title of honor applied to Hindu spiritual teachers of lofty status who are regarded as having attained enlightenment. The title may be translated as "supreme swan," and is based on the swan being equally at home on land or water. Similarly, the true sage is equally at home in the realms of matter and of spirit. The swan is also, according to Indian legend, able to separate milk from water. Thus, the swan symbolizes the ability of a Self-realized master to separate truth from the insubstantiality of delusion.[1]

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[edit] Etymology

Paramahamsa is a Sanskrit word translated as "Supreme Swan." The word is compounded of Sanskrit परम parama meaning supreme or transcendent हंस (from PIE per meaning through, across, or beyond, cognate with English far) and Sanskrit hamsa meaning swan. The prefix parama is the same element seen in the title Parameshwara. English scholars euphemistically translated "hamsa" as swan, because in the English tradition a goose (the domesticated one) traditionally denotes foolishness and irresponsibility. But in Hindic tradition the wild goose is noted for its characteristics of discipline, stamina, grace, and beauty. This is especially true for the Ancer indicus, whose migratory route from Central Asia to India and back, forces it to fly over the Himalayas twice a year. A feat which makes it fly higher than any known bird. And that is why God is also denoted as the "Paramahamsa". "Hamsa" may be a religious pun or allegory with a philosophical meaning. One such etymology suggests that the words 'aham' and 'sa' are joined to become 'hamsa'... 'Aham' is 'I' and 'sa' is 'He'- meaning 'I am He'. Here 'I' refers to the jivatma - the living soul and 'He' the supreme soul. This is part of Advaita philosophy which indicates one-ness of jivatama (living soul) and paramatma (the supreme soul). The Word 'Aham' is common for many religions. From 'aham', 'ahamkara' - 'ego' is derived. The alternative spellings are due to differing Romanizations of the Sanskrit word.

[edit] Mythology

The hamsa is the vahana, the mount or vehicle, of the god Brahma. In the Vedas and the Purânas it is a symbol for the soul/Soul. The hamsa is said to be is the only creature that is capable of separating milk from water once they have been mixed together; symbolically this is the display of great spiritual discrimination.

[edit] Theology

Paramahamsa, as a religio/theological title, is applied to an adept class of Hindu renunciates, liberated, realized masters who, having attained the supreme yogic state, or nirvikalpa samadhi, can always distinguish between the Real (sa) from the unreal (ham).

The hamsa mantra indicates the sound made by the exhalation ("ha") and inhalation ("sa") of the breath.

[edit] Privileged use

The title cannot be assumed by oneself, but must be conferred by a recognized authority, either an another individual swami who is himself esteemed as enlightened, or by a committee of spiritual leaders. Aleister Crowley took this title for himself.[1]

[edit] Play on words

In Vedantic Hinduism the swan is frequently employed as a metaphor for the atman or (non-dualistic) soul. This figurative usage is reinforced by a play on words.

In repeating the soham mantra[2]

soham (sa "that" + aham "I" → "That I am")

(i.e., "I am not distinct from the Universal All"), it is observed that the indefinitely repeated series

soham|soham|soham...

is eventually re-segmented and perceived as being equivalent to[2]

...hamso|hamso|hamso|...

Thus, "I am that" becomes "swan".

[edit] Other meaning

Paramahaṃsa is also the title of one of the Upanishads.[3]

[edit] Similar uses of different titles

Other religio/theological titles are similarly used; e.g. see also: Christ, Mahatma, Sri, Roshi, Rinpoche, Rabbi/Rebbe

[edit] Notable Examples

[edit] Swaminarayan Paramahansas

Paramhansas were the highest order of sadhus initiated by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. It is believed by the followers of Swaminarayan that Bhagwan Swaminarayan initiated 500 paramhansas in a single night. Paramhansas practiced strict restraint and spread the message of purity to many people. They had a tremendous amount of devotion and dedication towards Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Paramhansas helped abolish wrong practices.[4]

Notable Swaminarayan Paramhansas include

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kriyananda, Swami. The Essence of Self-Realization — The Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda. Crystal Clarity Publishers, 2003, ISBN 978-0916124298.
  2. ^ a b Due to the rules of external sandhi (assimilation at word boundaries), the sequence [...a]+[h...] would become [...o...].
  3. ^ In Sanskrit, a pre-consonantal nasal is written with a diacritic dot (the Anusvara) above the preceding character. The exact realization of the nasalization must be inferred from the context. Thus, we have Paramahaṃsa, Paramahamsa, Paramahaṇsa, and Paramahansa as equivalent transliterations.
  4. ^ Paramhansas

[edit] External links