“Ishwar” and “Bhagvan”?
We Hindus often hear the words "ishwar" and "bhagvan" . Here are the meaning of these two words? Bhagvan is a term made of two different words, bhaga and van . Bhaga generally means supreme opulence. The Vishnu Purana defines bhaga as below: ऐष्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य धर्मस्य यशसः श्रियः | ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णां भग इतीरणा || Complete splendor, virtue, glory, opulence, knowledge, dispassion - these six are known as bhaga . — Vishnu Purana, VI.5.74 So just like one who has dhana (wealth) is known as dhanavan , one how has all these six is known as bhagavan . ( bhaga + van = bhagavan ) But the opluences descried above are only found in the supreme personality of Godhead. Hence, the absolute truth, Brahman is also called as Bhagavan . Apart from this, Bhagavan also means the omniscient being who has the complete knowledge of creation, dissolution, knowledge, ignorance, etc.: The Vishnu Purana defines Bhagavān as follows- उत्