Thread by @HinduMediaWiki

What is the significance of the Titles of Spiritual Teachers?

Acharya
Guru
Maharshi
Paramahamsa
Sant
Shankaracharya
Yogi
Jagad Guru
Pandit
Rajarishi
Sannyasa
Sadhak
Satguru
Swami

(1/n)

Acharya - Teacher (of any field, not necessarily spirituality). Example: Dhronacharya, the teacher of Arjuna.

Shankaracharya - A monk of the ashrams established by Sri Adi Shankarcharya. Example: Chandrasekharendra Saraswati.

Guru - A spiritual teacher or spiritual master. Example: Sri Yukteshwar Giri Swami was the Guru of Swami Paramhansa Yogananda.

Maharishi - A great sage. Example: Maharishi Vyasa, whose greatness requires no description either.

Jagad Guru - A spiritual teacher for the whole world. That is He distributes His teaching freely to all, nobody needs to receive initiation for receiving His teachings! Example: Sri Krishna whose bhagavad gita is available to all.

Pandit - A learned man.

Paramhansa - A God-realized Supreme Saint. He has transcended the Three Gunas. Example: Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

Paramguru - The Guru of Gurus. Example: Adi Shankaracharya is the Param Guru for all the shankaracharyas.

Rajarishi - A great sage who is a King as well as a sage. Example: Vishwamitra.

Rishi - A great sage. Example: Agastya.

Sadhaka - A spiritual aspirant. Example: you and me.

Saint - A holy man. Example: So many saints are there.

Sannyasa - A renunciate or monk. Example: Shankaracharya.

Satguru - The God Himself come as a human, Ishvara in human form is Satguru. Example: Sri Krishna.

Swami - A monk of the order of Swami's established by Shankaracharya. (Although I believe other also uses it)

Yogi - A human who practices yoga and attains realization through Yogic principles. Example: Kriya Yogis.

Godman - A God-realized saint, or an avatar, i.e. A man who is believed to be God Himself. (It is usually used as a negative term thus I have no examples).

References:

[a]: Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda, Chapter 1, footnote 3.

[b]: Satguru is God manifested in man, according to 'Rebirth is Optional' by Om Khera.