Swami

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Swami (Sw.) (Sanskrit: स्वामी, Svāmi)is primarily a Hindu honorific title, for either males or females. It is derived from Sanskrit and means "owner of oneself", or "free from the senses". It is a title added to one's name to emphasize learning and mastery of Yoga, devotion to the gods, and devotion to the swami's spiritual master (a guru or another swami).^{[citation needed]}

In the Bengali language, the word (pronounced SHA-mi), while carrying its original meaning, has a dual meaning of 'husband'. The word also means 'husband' in a more distant language, the Malay language where it is spelled 'Suami'.

Swami is also a surname shortened from Swaminarayan, a sub-denomination of Hinduism. This surname was given to the initiates of the holy order by Bhagwan Swaminarayan, the founder of the Swaminarayan denomination.

Adi Shankaracharya is said^[who?] to have revived the ancient swami order the 7th Century B.C.