| Mãdhvi |
Sampradãy
School of philosophy adhering to the doctrine of Madhvãchãrya,
a 13th century South Indian Vaishnav ãchãrya. He
propounded a doctrine of pure dualism, wherein there is an essential
and eternal distinction between God and all other beings and things.
|
| Mãgdhi |
Dialect
specific to Magadh, the southern region of present-day Bihãr.
Language of the ancient Jain and Buddhist scriptures.
|
| Mãgshar |
Sixth
month of the Ãshãdhi Samvat year, normally beginning
between November and December.
|
| Mahã |
Eighth
month of the Ãshãdhi Samvat year, normally beginning
between January and February.
|
| Mahãbhãrat |
'Great
epic of India'. Popular Hindu scripture revolving around the family
feud between the Pãndavs and the Kauravas, culminating
in the great battle, the Mahãbhãrat war. One of
the two Itihãs scriptures. With over 100,000 verses, it
is the world's longest poem.
|
| mahãbhuts |
'Major
elements'. Collective term for the five gross elements that evolve
from tãmas-ahamkãr and from which ishwars, and in
particular Virãt-Purush, i.e., the physical world, are
formed. Namely: pruthvi ('earth' or solid matter), jal ('water'
or liquid matter), tej ('light' or energy), vãyu ('air'
or gaseous matter) and ãkãsh ('space/ether' or vacuum).
Each one has a root cause, called its tanmãtrã,
namely: smells, tastes, sights, touch and sounds, respectively.
|
| mahãmãyã |
Also
called Mul-mãyã, Mul-Prakruti, or simply, Prakruti.
See: Prakruti.
|
| mahãprãn |
Technical
term referring to one of the 11 'efforts' required to pronounce
certain syllables requiring an extended breath.
|
| Mahã-Purush |
Also
called Mul-Purush, Akshar-Purush, or simply, Purush. See:
Purush.
|
| Maharlok |
Third
realm above Mrutyulok, where Aryam and other ancestral demigods
reside. The 11th realm from the bottom in the 14-realm system
of a brahmãnd.
|
| Mahãtal |
Fifth
realm below Mrutyulok, where nocturnals reside. Third realm from
the bottom in the 14-realm system of a brahmãnd.
|
| mahattattva |
'Major
element'. Taken to be on par with the chitt of the jiva, but on
a cosmic level. First of the entities produced by Pradhãn-Purush.
By nature, the entire jagat inherently resides within it in a
subtle form. It is itself unchanging, luminous, pure, full of
pure sattvagun and passive {Gadhada I-12.9}.
|
| Malãr |
Specific
musical raga of Indian music. Considered to induce rainfalls if
sung correctly.
|
| man |
'Mind'
(pronounced 'mun'). One of the four aspects of the antahkaran,
characterised by its functions of generating thoughts and desires,
and governing all of the indriyas {Gadhada I-12.11}.
|
| manan |
'Thinking',
derived from verb-root 'man' - to think. Contemplation. Deep reflection.
|
| mandal |
1)
Group or assemblage. In the time of Bhagwãn Swãminãrãyan,
the sãdhus were often formed into groups - within which
they traveled and preached in different regions.
2) Also refers to all of the sãdhus in
the holy order.
|
| mandir |
Sacred
Hindu place of worship. Temple.
|
| manjirãs |
Pair
of small, traditional cymbals used in the accompaniment of other
percussion instruments.
|
| manomay
chakra |
'The
mind in the form of a wheel'. The mind, seen as an incessantly
turning wheel, whose ten spokes are taken to be the ten indriyas
{Sarangpur-7}. See also: chakra.
|
| manovahã
nãdi |
Nerve
or channel wherein the mind resides, transmitting energy within
the inner body of a person and allowing the flow of desires and
thoughts.
|
| mãnsi
pujã |
'Mental
worship'. Form of worship in which one devoutly performs pujã,
offers ãrti, thãl, etc., to God mentally - exactly
as one would physically {Sãrangpur-3.3; Gadhada III-23}.
|
| Manu
Smruti |
Oldest
and considered to be the most authoritative of the ancient Smruti
scriptures, serving even today as a sourcebook of Hindu culture
and customs, incorporating in its 2,685 verses day-to-day laws
and duties for people of every strata of society. Ascribed to
the primordial King Manu, the father of mankind. See also:
Smrutis.
|
| manvantar |
Of
the 14 Manus that reign sequentially during one day of Brahmã,
the duration of the reign of one Manu. Duration of time equaling
306,720,000 human years.
|
| Mãrgi |
Follower
of the Vãm-mãrg (Cult of Lust), an anti-Vedic cult
that propagates illicit sex and other Veda-prohibited practices
as a means to liberation.
|
| matsar |
Similar
to envy. But when mentioned together with jealousy, taken to mean
the inability to tolerate the rise and gain of anyone else - whether
it be of a person of equal standing or otherwise {Kãriyani-6}.
|
| mãyã |
Instrument
or power of God used as the fundamental 'substance' of creation.
By nature, it is composed of the three gunas, is both jad and
chaitanya, eternal, nirvishesh, and in its dormant state - before
the time of creation - houses all jivas and ishwars, and all elements
{Gadhada I-12.6}. It is inspired by, controlled by, and dependent
on God Himself {Gadhada II-21.13}. The jivas and ishwars must
transcend mãyã, i.e., eradicate it within themselves,
in order to attain Akshardhãm. Third of the five eternal
entities. See also other four eternal entities: jiva,
ishwar, Akshar
and Purushottam. See
also: Prakruti.
|
| mãyik |
Of,
or pertaining to mãyã. Opposite of divine.
|
| mogrã |
Delicate
flower of the jasmine genus, white in colour and extremely sweet
in fragrance. Traditionally used in offerings to murtis of God.
|
| Moksh-dharma |
Portion
of the Mahãbhãrat (Shãnti-parva, chapters
174-365) comprising of Bhishma's teachings from his bed of arrows
to King Yudhishthir after the conclusion of the Mahãbhãrat
war.
|
| moliyu |
Rich
fabric with silky finish woven with golden or silver threads and
detailed, decorative edges.
|
| mothya |
(Pronounced
'moth'). Very cheap and inferior type of moss-like spinach found
to grow on riverbanks, eaten only by the extremely poor.
|
| mrudang |
Type
of double-sided drum. Traditional Indian percussion instrument
played to supply rhythm in the singing of devotional songs.
|
| Mrutyulok |
'Realm
of death'. Eighth realm in the 14-realm system of a brahmãnd,
where everyone and everything is subject to death, but also only
of the realms where human birth and ultimate liberation is possible.
|
| mukta |
'Free'
or 'released', derived from verb-root 'much' - to free or release.
A liberated soul. A resident of any abode of God who has been
freed from a lower plane of existence to a more spiritually elevated
state. There are varying levels of spiritual elevation, i.e.,
muktas of Badrikãshram, Shwetdwip, Golok, etc. The highest
level of mukta, akshar-mukta, has attained ultimate liberation
and is free from the bondage of mãyã and the consequent
cycle of births and deaths {Sãrangpur-17}.
|
| Mul-Prakruti |
Also
called mahãmãyã, Mul-mãyã,
or simply, Prakruti. See: Prakruti.
|
| Mul-Prakruti-Purush |
|
| Mul-Purush |
Also
called Mahã-Purush, Akshar-Purush, or simply, Purush. See:
Purush.
|
| muni |
|
| murti |
Sacred
idol of God used to offer worship {Gadhada I-68}.
|
