Maharlika, The Meaning

Some say the word Maharlika is of Sanskrit origin, while others say it is most likely an old Tagalog word.

There is a Sanskrit word Maharloka (sounds like Maharlika) and it refers to one of the seven higher lokas (planes or worlds) called Vyahrtis in Hindu mythology and mentioned in the Rig Vedas. The other seven lower ones are called Pātālas. Maharloka, in its Sanskrit construct, the meaning is “plane of greatness", from word mahas, "greatness, might, power, glory." This renders Maharloka as a place, a plane or a dimension in the higher realm, most probably be equated to the heaven or the realm of the great celestial beings, the angels.

There is a rule in Hebrew vocabulary that a letter in a word can be changed to another letter and yet the meaning of the word remains. For example is that letter e in the word el (meaning God) can be changed into a (al, also meaning God) or Yosef can be written as Iosef where the letter Y is changed to I and the name is still remains the same.

From the above explanations and rules, Maharlika can be literally defined as or a variation of Maharloka where the letter i is only changed to o, yet also means “plane of greatness”.

Or, it can be ruled out in this way:

Etymologically, Maharlika is either derived from two Tagalog words, mahal (loved, adored, treasured) at likha (creation) which give us the meaning “mahal na likha (loved or treasured creation, great creation, masterpiece) or from the three words ma (superlative prefix, thus great), har (hari, king), and likha (lumikha, creator) which give the meaning “great king-creator” (God). And since the word Maharlika in this blogsite refers to a specific race of people (Filipinos) or their place (Philippines) it connotes that these two entities have great intimacies in relation to the great God-creator, as the claim says, "ang mga Pilipino (pili: chosen, selected; pino: fine, pure) ay ang piniling lahi" (the Filipinos are the chosen race) of God.

But there is a deeper meaning of the word and can even traced its origin or root from Aramaic, the most sacred of all languages.