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Stage 1 of 3
mahatman
Sanskrit · ancient
"great-souled one"
compound of 'great' and 'soul, self'
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Stage 2 of 3
mahatma
English · 1884
"a revered, great-souled person"
adopted by Theosophists for beings of great spiritual power
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Stage 3 of 3
Mahatma
English · 1915
"an honorific for a person of great spiritual stature"
applied to Gandhi, popularly credited to Rabindranath Tagore
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