c. Explain Sanskrit words that are translated to God

Few of sanskrit words used related to God are:

Brahman is limitless, eternal all pervasive energy that is in everything and powers everything and it has no beginning and no end. 

Devata from root word div or dev (दिव, that which shines) with tva (त्व/तल् प्रत्यय, being) becomes devata (देवत्वम्/देवता; a masculine form) meaning the one capacity to give. The feminine form is “Devi” and the word Devta means both Dev and Devi. Anyone who has achieved a state of supreme mastery over something and has owned it is called a “Dev”/”Devi”.

Ishvar means the supreme lord through which everything came into existence. Shiva and Vishnu are considered as “Ishvars”.

Bhagavan is Bhag + Van (someone who uplifts the Bhagya (luck) of the subject), one that possesses Bhag: Collection of 6 qualities (1. Aishwarya, 2. Veerya, 3. Yashas, 4. Shree, 5. Jnaana, and 6. Vairagya). Bhagavan (sometimes translated as “Lord”) is an epithet for a deity, particularly for the deities of Lord Krishna, Rama, Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The term is also used by Jains to refer to the Tirthankaras, particularly Mahavira, and by Buddhists to refer to Lord Buddha in India.

Parmatma (Par + atman) means the supreme soul of an Individual. Something which is above and beyond the “atman” (soul). Every individual has a “Parmatman” inside it. You are nothing but a soul, trapped in a cage of flesh and bones. Your parmatman is the state of pure consciousness.

Prabhu means lord. The provider (master) is called “Prabhu”.

Other reading material: http://www.lonelyphilosopher.com/difference-between-prabhu-ishwar-bhagwan-devta-and-parmatma/

Relevant videos:

Contributor: Manju Gupta

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