- Agya
- An order or command given by Maharaji to one or more
of his devotees.
- Amar
- Maharaji's youngest child - a son. Born in 1981.
- Amaroo
- Land owned by Elan Vital near Brisbane, Australia,
where Maharaji has progams.
- Arti
- A devotional song sung to Maharaji (or more often,
his picture on an altar); usually after meditation in the
morning and before meditation in the evening. The english
lyrics to the verses, as well as a description of the
ritual involved in the singing, are online here.
- Ashram
- A communal house populated by a group of Maharaji's
followers who had taken vows of poverty, chasitity and
obedience. Similar to a co-ed monastery or convent. There
used to be one or more ashrams in various major cities in
the US, the UK, and worldwide. Maharaji dissolved
the ashrams circa 1983, except in India where they
still exist.
- Aspirant
- Someone who wants to receive Knowledge. Currently,
the "aspirant process" requires
them to attend programs and watch videos for a minimum of
six months before receiving Knoweldge.
- Bal Baghwan
Ji
- Maharaji's oldest brother, born in 1951. He broke
with Maharaji in 1974, along with Mata Ji (mother) and
Bhole Ji (brother). Served as a Minister in the Indian
government for a while. Now calling himself "Satpal
Maharaj", and also claiming to be a Satguru
to the followers in his own cult..
- Baragon
- A T-shaped wooden meditation aid previously used in
the Music technique . No longer used
as part of Maharaji's meditation program.
- Bhole Ji
- Maharaji's second-oldest brother, born circa 1953. He
was formerly the leader of a band called "Blue Aquarius"
in the early 1970's. He broke with Maharaji in 1974,
along with mother Mata Ji, and
brother Bal Baghwan Ji in the
breakup of the "Holy
Family" following Maharaji's marriage to Marolyn..
Bhole Ji is involved in the cult being run by Bal Baghwan
Ji, who now calls himself "Satpal
Maharaj".
- Charanamrit
- Water in which Maharaji has bathed his feet, or other
parts of his body. Given to ashram
devotees for drinking or self-annointing.
- Darshan
- Literally, being in the presence of Maharaji.
It generally means a formal and ritualized ceremony known
as a darshan line, in which premies file past
Maharaji at festivals and bow
down to him - often kissing his feet and/or giving him
gifts.
- Dayalata
- Maharaji's younger daughter.
- Divine Light Mission
(DLM)
- Maharaji's original organization, founded in 1970 or
1971. Renamed Elan Vital in the USA.
- Divine United
Organization (DUO)
- An organization founded by Maharaji in the mid-1970's
which was supposed to help bring peace to the World by
practical means. Plans for this organization were never
fully implemented and it was defunct by the late
1970's.
- Durga Ji
- Former title given to Maharaji's wife, Marolyn,
at Maharaji's request. Marolyn has since dropped the
title. Durga is the name of a Hindu goddess.
- Elan Vital
(EV)
- Maharaji's current organization, or more legally, a
name for the many non-profit organizations that his
devotees have founded to help him spread his 'message' to
the world. (Elan Vital Australia, Elan Vital
UK, Elan Vital International, etc). The
organization(s) which actually own his plane, and which
pays him for speaking to his devotees at programs.
They have discovered how to use the internet to funnel
more money to Maharaji via their own website, WWW.ElanVital.Org..
- Ex-premie
- Former premie, or follower of
Maharaji. Meaning more than 'a non-practitioner',
ex-premie is used to describe someone who has consciously rejected Maharaji as their 'Master'.
- Festival
- A convention of premies at which Maharaji and others
in his retinue speak. Now generally referred to as a
program.
- First
Technique
- see Light
- Fourth
Technique
- see Nectar
- GMJ
- An abbreviation for Guru
Maharaj Ji.
- Guru
- Hindi word meaning teacher.
- Guru Maharaj
Ji
- The title that Maharaji was known by until the
eighties.
- Guru Puja
- A traditional Indian festival that takes place in
early July.
- Hans Jayanti
- Festival held in early November in honor of the
birthday of Shri Hans Ji Maharaj,
Maharaji's father.
- Hans Ji Maharaj
- Maharaji's father, and founder of Divine
Light Mission. Param sant Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji
Maharaj was viewed by his followers to be the
Satguru, He died when Maharaji was
8, and Maharaji became the Satguru.
- Hansi
- Maharaji's oldest son. Named after Maharaji's father,
Hans Ji Maharaj.
- Holi
- A traditional Indian festival in which Maharaji
sprays colored water onto his devotees. Held in
March.
- Holy Breath
- During formal darshan, Maharaji occassionally used to
blow his
breath toward a devotee's ear. To receive 'Holy
Breath', as you approached his throne during the darshan
ceremony, you had to cup your right hand to your ear, and
Mr Rawat would make this symbolic megaphone-move with his
hand, blowing through it into your ear… This was an
'important' step - a necessary step - in becoming a
premie: M's recognising and accepting you as one of his
chosen. This was considered to be a sign of his favor.
Also, a term used by premies to refer to their own
breath, or the life-force causing them to breathe.
- Holy
Family
- A term used prior to 1974 to collectively describe
Maharaji, his mother Mata Ji, and
his three older brothers, Bal Bhagwan
Ji, Bhole Ji, and Raja
Ji. The "Holy Family" had a falling-out
after Maharaji's marriage in 1974, and some of the
members returned to India.
- Holy
Name
- One of the four meditation techniques taught by
Maharaji. Also known as the Word or the Third
Technique. Can be briefly described as meditating on
one's breath.
- Initiator
- A person empowered by Maharaji to reveal the
Knowledge techniques to
aspirants in a Knowledge Session..
Formerly known as a mahatma.
Maharaji now reveals the Knowledge techniques personally,
or via video, so initiators are not necessary.
- Instructor
- A person who helps prepare
asprirants to learn the Knowledge
techniques.
- Ivorys Rock Conference Center
- Amaroo's official name.
- Jai
Satchitanand
- A formerly common premie greeting. Can be loosely
translated as truth is the conciousness of
bliss.
- K
- Abbreviation for Knowledge.
- Knowledge
- Refers collectively to the four meditation techniques
taught by Maharaji. Also refers to the inner experience
had by practitioners of the techniques.
- Knowledge
Session
- A gathering of aspirants for the purpose of teaching
them the meditation techniques. Sessions are presided
over by Maharaji or an instructor.
Participants refer to the event as receiving
Knowledge.
- Light
- One of the four meditation techniques taught by
Maharaji. Also known as Divine Light or as the
First Technique. Also refers to an inner
experience had by those practicing this technique.
- Lila
- Hindi word which can be roughly translated as the
play of the gods. Often used by premies to describe
some of Maharaji's more bizarre actions or
statements.
- Lord of the
Universe
- One of Maharaji's former titles. Still used today in
devotional music, and - less publicly - by premies.
- M
- Abbreviation for Maharaji used by both premies
and ex-premies.
- Maharaji
- Prem Pal Rawat, born Dec. 10, 1959. Self-professed
Satguru, and former Lord of the
Universe.
- Mahatma
- Former name for initiators
who are empowered by Maharaji to reveal the Knowledge
techniques to aspirants. Most of the mahatmas were from
India. Literally, great soul.
- Marolyn
Johnson
- Maharaji's wife (born circa 1951). She was in her
twenties in 1974 when she married 16 year-old Maharaji
without the consent of his mother, Mata
Ji - resulting in the break-up of the Holy
Family.
- Mata
Ji
- Maharaji's now-deceased mother, and the second wife
of his father, Shri Hans.
- MJ
- An abbreviation for Maharaji (formerly, Maharaj
Ji)..
- Music
- One of the four meditation techniques taught by
Maharaji. Also known as the Second Technique. Also
refers subjectively to the inner experience of those
practicing this technique.
- Nectar
- One of the four meditation techniques taught by
Maharaji. Also known as the Fourth Technique. Also
refers subjectively to the experience had by those
practicing this technique.
- Perfect
Master
- One of Maharaji's former titles, now shortened to
The Master.
- Pranam
- A deep bow or prostration in front of Maharaji.
- Prashad
- Left-overs from food eaten or blessed by Maharaji.
Highly prized by his followers.
- Prem Pal
Rawat
- Maharaji's current legal name.
- Premie
- A follower of Maharaji. From hindi word meaning
love, can be loosely translated as
lover.
- Premlata
- Maharaji's oldest child - a daughter. Born in 1975,
she's also called Wadi Sue.
- Program
- A gathering of premies at which
Maharaji speaks, or at which a video of him speaking is
shown. (Formerly known as a festival.)
- Propagation
- Telling non-premies about Maharaji and Knowledge.
Generally limited these days to invitations to a video
program.
- Raja
Ji
- One of Maharaji's brothers. Third son born to parents
Mata Ji and Hans Ji
Maharaj circa 1955. He has remained faithful to
Maharaji, and is known in some circles as "Maharaji's
ambassadors". Formerly married to Claudia Littman, with
whom he had two children.
- SantYogAshram
- Land owned by Elan Vital in Mehrauli - near Delhi,
India - where Maharaji has progams.
- Satguru
- The current incarnation of god in a human body on
planet earth. Maharaji is believed by his followers to be
a satguru. Literally, teacher of truth.
- Satsang
- Hindi word that can be loosely translated as being
in the company of the truth. Premies
used to gather every night and give satsang to
each other by talking about their experiences of Maharaji
and meditation. This practice was discontinued by
Maharaji in the early 80's. Premies now gather to watch
Maharaji on video, where their participation is purely
passive.
- Serenity
- Name of Maharaji's
present
yacht.
- Service
- Technically, service is any action done to further
the spread of Knowledge by
Maharaji. In practice - although service often involves
setting up for programs and video events, ushering,
security, and the like - it can also entail working for
one of several companies owned by Elan
Vital, or donating money towards Maharaji's personal
expenses. Supposedly, the full experience of Knowledge is
not possible unless one performs service to him.
- Shri Hans
- Abbreviation of Shri Hans Ji
Maharaj, Maharaji's father. Also, a shortended name
for the former Shri Hans Productions, now known as
Visions International.
- Visions International
- Affiliated with Elan Vital,
produces and distributes literature and all videos of
Maharaji's speaking engagements at programs. Operators of
a vast marketing effort through the operation of Maharaji
pictures, trinkets, and keepsakes at every public
program, through community pressure on premies to buy and
share videos with friends, and now via the
internet (Visions.ElanVital.Org).
- Wadi Sue
- Nickname for Premlata, Maharaji's oldest daughter
(born 1975). Also the name of Maharaji's previous
yacht.
- Word
- One of the four meditation techniques taught by
Maharaji. Also known as Holy Word, Holy
Name, or the Third Technique. Can be briefly
described as meditating on one's breath.
- World Peace Corps
(WPC)
- Maharaji's former security organization. Headed by
Maharaji's brother, Raja Ji.
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