mahatma

A person venerated for spirituality and high-mindedness.

Used as a title of respect for such a person.

An adept in Brahmanism: a name recently applied by “theosophists” to certain imaginary beings, of preternatural powers, asserted to exist in or near India.

An alleged adept in Brahmanism: a name applied by modern European and A merican theosophists to certain imaginary persons who have acquired, by ascetic or ‘astral’ means, preternatural powers, and are asserted to exist in or near India. The term so used is modern and is due to European manipulation. No beings so named and endowed have any ancient recognition in Indian literature.

One of a class of sages, or “adepts,” reputed to have knowledge and powers of a higher order than those of ordinary men.

An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity

(Hinduism) term of respect for a brahmin sage