Bhagavān (Sanskrit: भगवान्, Bhagavān; Pali: Bhagavā), also spelt as Bhagwan, (sometimes translated in English as “Lord”) is an epithet within Indian religions used to denote figures of religious worship

In Hinduism it is used to signify a deity or Avatar , particularly for Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu in Vaishnavism and for Shiva in Shaivism in India

In Jainism the term refers to the Tirthankaras, particularly Mahavira and in Buddhism to the Buddha

In many parts of India and South Asia, Bhagavān represents the abstract concept of a universal God to Hindus who are spiritual and religious but do not worship a specific deity

In Bhakti school literature, the term is typically used for any deity to whom prayers are offered

A particular deity is often the devotee’s one and only Bhagavan

Bhagavan is male in Bhakti traditions, and the female equivalent of Bhagavān is Bhagavatī

To some Hindus, the word Bhagavan is an abstract, genderless concept of God

In Buddhism’s Pali and Sanskrit scriptures, the term is used to denote Gautama Buddha, referring him as Bhagavā or Bhagavān (translated with the phrase “Lord” or “The Blessed One”)

The term Bhagavān is also found in other Theravada, Mahayana and Tantra Buddhist texts