A godman is a colloquial name for a particular type of charismatic Hindu ascetic who have a high-profile presence, are capable of attracting attention and support from Indian society, and make claims of spiritual attainments. They sometimes claim to possess paranormal powers, such as clairvoyance, or healing abilities. They are often outside the establisment and may not have taken initiation and associated with that, they tend to live in their own ashrams, instead of that of belonging to a religious order. Their success comes, often not from the strength of their parampara, but from their personal qualities. They may however assert that they accept authority of a guru. An example of a godman is Sathya Sai Baba ^{[1] [2]} John F. Kennedy was widely considered charismatic and charming by both his political peers and the larger public The word charisma (from the Greek word kharisma, gift or divine favor, from kharizesthai, to favor, from kharis, favor) refers to a rare trait found in certain human personalities usually including extreme... Hinduism {Sanskrit/Hindi - HindÅ« Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma, and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas and the beliefs of other people of India. ... Asceticism denotes a life which is characterized by refraining from worldly pleasures (austerity). ... Anomalous phenomena are phenomena which are observed and for which there are no suitable explanations in the context of a specific body of scientific knowledge, e. ... Clairvoyance is defined as a form of extra-sensory perception whereby a person perceives distant objects, persons, or events, including seeing through opaque objects and the detection of types of energy not normally perceptible to humans (i. ... Coming from the Latin, initiation implies a beginning. ... Ashrams in ancient India were Hindu hermitages where sages lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. ... Parampara denotes a long succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture. ... References ^ Tirha, B. B. A Taste of Trascendence, (2002) p. ... Swami Sai Baba 1972 Sathya Sai Baba (born Sathya Narayana Raju on November 23, 1926 -or later than 1927 [1]- with the family name of Ratnakaram [2]) is a controversial South Indian Guru often described as a Godman [3] and a miracle worker [4]. According to the Sathya Sai Organisation...

References

All information in this entry is sourced to James G. Lochtefeld's The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism unless otherwise stated.

1. ^ Woodhead, Linda & Fletcher Paul. Religion in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformation. Routledge (UK), ISBN 0415217849
   "By far the most famous Godman of today is Sathya Sai Baba" (p. 29)
2. ^ Lochtefeld, James G. Ph.D. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism Vol. I ISBN 082393179-x, entry "Godman" New York Rosen 2002

Bibliography

• Brent, Ludwig Godmen of India