In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस) refers to “human flesh”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “[...] Very fierce, she has fangs and, very terrible, she is frightening. Her gaze severe and fixed, she resides in her own sacred seat and is horrific. She, the mother of Kula, roars with the Great Sound. She is the Kālī of the great Bhairava. Her lips are (red like the) Bimba (fruit) and she is greedy for blood. She chews on human flesh [i.e., mahāmāṃsa] and drinks blood, excrement and urine. [...]”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस) refers to the “human flesh”, according to the Brahmayāmala-tantra, Tāntrikābhidhānakośa and Prabodhacandrodaya.—(Cf. pañcāmṛtākarṣaṇa—“extraction of the five nectars”).—[...] Other sources also describe Kāpālikas as making use of various parts of the human body. Kāpālikas use human flesh (mahāmāṃsa), brain (mastiṣka), intestines (antra), fat (vasā) and blood (kīlāla) in ritual, and drink alcohol (surā), according to Prabodhacandrodaya 3.13. [...] Now in chapter 46 of the Brahmayāmala, much like the Kāpālikas, the practitioner makes ritual use of human flesh, hair (keśa), bones (asthi), body fluids (picu), particularly blood (rakta), and intestines (antra); moreover, he offers and drinks alcohol (madirā).

Source: SOAS University of London: Protective Rites in the Netra Tantra

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस) refers to “costly meat” (i.e., ‘human flesh’), according to the Svacchanda-tantra.—Accordingly, [verse 4.13-16, while describing auspicious dreams]—“[...] [A dreamer] sells costly meat (mahāmāṃsa—mahāmāṃsasya vikrayam) and partitions the sacrificial victim for the gods out of respect. [The fortunate dreamer] worships the god with his own self and also recites mantras, meditates, and praises. Then he observes before his own eyes a beautiful honored blazing fire [i.e., he is prepared to take part in ritual]”.

context information

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस) refers to the “great flesh”, according to the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi [i.e., Cakrasamvara Meditation] ritual often performed in combination with the Cakrasaṃvara Samādhi, which refers to the primary pūjā and sādhanā practice of Newah Mahāyāna-Vajrayāna Buddhists in Nepal.—Accordingly, “In the Mandala, an obscured Himalaya, abiding seated in lotus posture, [..] having the fat of the great flesh (mahāmāṃsa), absorbed in meditation, with a crown, possessing wisdom, higher knowledge, half of one half of sixteen faces, three eyes, a sacred chord, adorned by a continuous line of human heads, terrifying, wrathful, a helper for crossing over together, the dreadful wilderness of saṃsāra, routing Māra, Śrī Vajrasattva, homage”.

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस).—'costly flesh', especially human flesh; न खलु महामांसविक्रयादन्यमुपायं पश्यामि (na khalu mahāmāṃsavikrayādanyamupāyaṃ paśyāmi) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 4; अशस्त्रपूतं निर्व्याजं पुरुषाङ्गोपकल्पितम् । विक्रीयते महामांसं गृह्यतां गृह्यतामिदम् (aśastrapūtaṃ nirvyājaṃ puruṣāṅgopakalpitam | vikrīyate mahāmāṃsaṃ gṛhyatāṃ gṛhyatāmidam) 5.12 (see Jagaddhara ad loc.).

Derivable forms: mahāmāṃsam (महामांसम्).

Mahāmāṃsa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and māṃsa (मांस).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस).—n. man’s flesh, [Kathāsaritsāgara, (ed. Brockhaus.)] 20, 191.

Mahāmāṃsa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and māṃsa (मांस).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस).—[neuter] precious meat, [especially] human flesh, vikraya [masculine] sale of h. [feminine]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस):—[=mahā-māṃsa] [from mahā > mah] n. ‘costly meat’, Name of various kinds of meat and [especially] of human flesh, [Mālatīmādhava; Kathāsaritsāgara] etc.

[Sanskrit to German]

Mahamamsa in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Nepali dictionary

Source: unoes: Nepali-English Dictionary

Mahāmāṃsa (महामांस):—n. 1. human flesh; 2. cow's flesh;

context information

Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Maha, Mamsa.

Starts with: Mahamamsavikraya.

Full-text: Mahamamsavikraya, Kaularcanadipika, Mahamamsi, Sura, Shastraputa, Vasa, Mastishka, Kilala, Nirvyaja, Antra, Kacchapa, Sneha, Hasa, Shila, Sara.

Relevant text

Search found 4 books and stories containing Mahamamsa, Mahāmāṃsa, Maha-mamsa, Mahā-māṃsa; (plurals include: Mahamamsas, Mahāmāṃsas, mamsas, māṃsas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)

Chapter 154 - Greatness of Citreśvara Pīṭha < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]

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Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study) (by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah)

9. Religious Cults < [Chapter 6 - Other Socio-Cultural Aspects]

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Malatimadhava (study) (by Jintu Moni Dutta)

Part 1.3 - Caste System in the Mālatīmādhava < [Chapter 3 - Social Aspects of the Mālatīmādhava]

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Lalitopakhyana (Lalita Mahatmya) (by G.V. Tagare)

Chapter 12 - Manifestation of Lalitā

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