followers of the Samkara- Vedanta and the followers of Shree Chaitanya. But the latter have carried the logic of this concept Bhaga- van to its utmost reality. Bhagavan means literally one who is possessed of what are called bhaga-s in Sanskrit. These bhaga-s are, (i) Aisvarya* — sense-objects, — “shabda, sparsa, rupa, rasa, gandha” or sound, touch, vision, taste and smell — objects that have these qualities; (ii) Veerya, which means the potency or strength of the senses of sight, audition, touch etc; (iii) Yasha or good repute; (iv) Shree or that which attracts others to oneself; (v) Jnanam—knowledge or illumination; (vi) Vairagya or freedom from attachment and repulsion. Bhagavan means one who has in him these six bhaga-s in their entirety. In plain language Bhagavan is He Who holds within Himself all sense-objects in their essence, Who has the full capacity of the senses to hold and enjoy all sense-objects, Who possesses all good repute, Who has in its fullest measure the quality of attracting (other beings), Who has
Aisvarya literally means possessions and powers. It also means psychic or occult or spiritual or yogic powers. It is in this sense that the term is popularly interpreted by mediaeval Hindu thought. But as in the definition of Bhagavan this Aisvarya is related to Veerya, which means the power of the senses to seize and enjoy their objects, Aisvarya here must mean sense-objects.
