Mahant: 7 definitions
Introduction:
Mahant means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, the history of ancient India, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryMahant.—(EI 4), variant spelling of Mahanta; the same as Mahantaka. Note: mahant is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryMahant, (adj.) (Vedic mahant, which by Grassmann is taken as ppr. to mah, but in all probability the n is an original suffix.—cp. Av. mazant, Sk. compar. mahīyān; Gr. mέgas (compar. mei/zwn), Lat. magnus, Goth. mikils=Ohg. mihhil=E. much) great, extensive, big; important, venerable.—Nom. mahā Sn. 1008; Mhvs 22, 27. Shortened to maha in cpd. pitāmaha (following a- decl.) (paternal) grandfather PvA. 41; & mātāmaha (maternal) grandfather (q. v.).—Instr. mahatā Sn. 1027.—pl. Nom. mahantā Sn. 578 (opp. daharā).—Loc. mahati Miln. 254.—f. mahī — 1. one of the 5 great rivers (Np.).—2. the earth. See separately.—nt. mahantaṃ used as adv. , meaning “very much, greatly” J. V, 170; DhA. IV, 232. Also in cpd. mahantabhāva greatness, loftiness, sublimity DhsA. 44.—Compar. mahantatara DhA. II, 63, and with dimin. suffix °ka J. III, 237.—The regular paraphrase of mahā in the Niddesa is “agga, seṭṭha, visiṭṭha, pāmokkha, uttama, pavara, ” see Nd2 502.
Note on mahā & cpds.—A. In certain cpds. the combination with mahā (mah°) has become so established & customary (often through politeness in using mahā° for the simple term), that the cpd. is felt as an inseparable unity and a sort of “antique” word, in which the 2nd part either does not occur any more by itself or only very rarely, as mah’aṇṇava, which is more frequent than aṇṇava; mah’âbhisakka, where abhisakka does not occur by itself; cp. mahânubhāva, mahiddhika mahaggha; or is obscured in its derivation through constant use with mahā, like mahesī (mah+esī, or īsī), mahesakkha (mah+esakkha); mahallaka (mah+*ariyaka); mahāmatta. Cp. E. great-coat, Gr. a)rx° in a)rx-iatrόs=Ger. arzt. Only a limited selection of cpd. -words is given, consisting of more frequent or idiomatic terms. Practically any word may be enlarged & emphasized in meaning by prefixing mahā. Sometimes a mahā° lends to special events a standard (historical) significance, so changing the common word into a noun proper, e.g. Mah-âbhinikkhammana, Mahāpavāraṇa.—B. Mahā occurs in cpds. in (a) an elided form mah before a & i; (b) shortened to maha° before g, d, p, b with doubling of these consonants; (c) in the regular form mahā°: usually before consonants, sometimes before vowels. This form is contracted with foll. i to e and foll. u to o. In the foll. list of cpds. we have arranged the material according to these bases.
mah°: —aggha very costly, precious Pug. 34; Mhvs 27, 35; PvA. 77, 87; Sdhp. 18. —agghatā costliness, great value Pug. 34, Sdhp. 26. —aṇṇava the (great) ocean Mhvs 19, 17. —atthiya (for °atthika) of great importance or use, very useful, profitable J. III, 368. —andhakāra deep darkness Vism. 417. —assāsin fully refreshed, very comfortable S. I, 81.
maha°: —ggata “become great, ” enlarged, extensive, fig. lofty, very great M. I, 263; II, 122; A. II, 63, 184; III, 18; VvA. 155; J. V, 113; Dhs. 1020 (translation: “having a wider scope”) Vbh. 16, 24, 62, 74, 126, 270, 326; Tikp. 45; Vism. 410, 430 sq. (°ārammaṇa); VbhA. 154 (id.), 159 (°citta); DhsA. 44. See on term Cpd. 4, 12, 55, 1014; (cp. BSk. mahadgata Divy 227). —gghasa eating much, greedy, gluttonous A. IV, 92; P III, 111 (=bahubhojana PvA. 175); Miln. 288; Dh. 325 (cp. DhA. IV, 16). —ddhana having great riches (often combined with mahābhoga) Dh. 123; J. IV, 15, 22. —pphala much fruit; adj. bearing much fruit, rich in result A. IV, 60, 237 sq.; Sn. 191, 486; Dh. 312, 356 sq. —bbala (a) a strong force, a great army Mhvs 10, 68 (v. l. , T. has mahā-bala); (b) of great strength, mighty, powerful J. III, 114; Mhvs 23, 92; 25, 9. —bbhaya great fear, terror S. I, 37; Sn. 753, 1032, 1092, ep. Nd2 501.
mahå°: —anas kitchen Mhvs 5, 27 (spurious stanza). —anasa kitchen J. II, 361; III, 314; V, 368; VI, 349; DhA. III, 309; ThA. 5. —anila a gale Mhvs 3, 42. —ānisaṃsa deserving great praise (see s. v.), (cp. BSk. mahānuśaṃsa MVastu III, 221). —ānubhāva majesty, adj. wonderful, splendid J. I, 194; J. VI, 331; Pv III, 31; PvA. 117, 136, 145, 272. —aparādhika very guilty J. I, 114. —abhinikkhamaṇa the great renunciation DhA. I, 85. —abhisakka (abhi+śak) very powerful Th. 1, 1111. —amacca chief minister Mhvs 19, 12. —araha costly Mhvs 3, 21; 5, 75; 27, 39; PvA. 77, 141, 160.
mahā°: —alasa great sloth DhA. III, 410. —avīci the great Purgatory Avīci, frequent —isi in poetry for mahesi at J. V, 321. —upaṭṭhāna great state room (of a king) SnA 84. —upāsikā a great female follower (of the Buddha) VvA. 5. —karuṇā great compassion DhA. I, 106, 367. —kāya a great body Miln. 16. —gaṇa a great crowd or community DhA. I, 154. —gaṇḍa a large tumour VbhA. 104. —gedha great greed Sn. 819; Nd1 151. —cāga great liberality, adj. munificent Mhvs 27, 47. As °paricāga at SnA 295 (=mahādāna). —jana a great crowd, collectively for “the people, ” a multitude PvA. 6, 19, 78; Mhvs 3, 13. —taṇha (adj.) very thirsty J. II, 441. —tala “great surface, ” the large flat roof on the top of a palace (=upari-pāsāda-tala) J. VI, 40. —dāna (see under dāna) the great gift (to the bhikkhus) a special great offering of food & presents given by laymen to the Buddha & his followers as a meritorious deed, usually lasting for a week or more Mhvs 27, 46; PvA. 111, 112. —dhana (having) great wealth PvA. 3, 78. —naraka (a) great Hell, see naraka. —nāga a great elephant Dh. 312; DhA. IV, 4. —nāma N. of a plant Vin. I, 185; II, 267. —niddā deep sleep PvA. 47. —nibbāna the great N. DhA. IV, 110. —niraya (a) great hell SnA 309, 480; PvA. 52. See Niraya & cp. Kirfel, Kosmographie 199, 200. —nīla sapphire VvA. 111. —pañña very wise D. III, 158; A. III, 244; Dh. 352; DhA. IV, 71. —patha high road D. I, 102; Sn. 139; Dh. 58; Vism. 235; DhA. I, 445. —paduma a great lotus J. V, 39; also a vast number & hence a name of a purgatory, cp. Divy 67; Kirfel, Kosmographie 205. —pitā grandfather PvA. 107. —purisa a great man, a hero, a man born to greatness, a man destined by fate to be a Ruler or a Saviour of the World. A being thus favoured by fate possesses (32) marks (lakkhaṇāni) by which people recognise his vocation or prophesy his greatness. A detailed list of these 32 marks (which probably date back to mythological origin & were originally attributed to Devas) is found at D. II, 17, 19, passim.—D. III, 287; Sn. 1040 sq.; Dh. 352; Miln. 10; SnA 184, 187 sq. , 223, 258, 357, 384 sq.; °lakkhaṇāni: D. I, 88, 105, 116; Sn. 549, 1000 sq.; Vism. 234; VvA. 315; DhA. II, 41. —bhūta usually in pl. °bhūta(ni) (cattāro & cattā) the 4 great elements (see bhūta), being paṭhavī, āpo, tejo, vāyo, D. I, 76; Nd1 266; Vbh. 13, 70 sq.; Vism. 366 sq.; Tikp 39, 56 sq. , 74 sq. , 248 sq.; VbhA. 42, 169, 253.—See Cpd. 154, 268 sq. , & cp. dhātu 1. —bhoga great wealth, adj. wealthy PvA. 3, 78. —maccha a great fish, seamonster J. I, 483. —mati very wise, clever Mhvs 14, 22; 19, 84 (f. °ī); 33, 100 (pl. °ī). —matta (cp. Sk. mahāmātra) a king’s chief minister, alias Prime Minister, “who was the highest Officer-of-State and real Head of the Executive” (Banerjea, Public Administration in Ancient India, 1916). His position is of such importance, that he even ranges as a rājā or king: Vin. III, 47 (rājā ... akkhadassā mahāmattā ye vā pana chejjabhejjaṃ anusāsanti ete rājāno nāma).—Note. An Acc. sg. mahā-mattānaṃ we find at A. I, 154 (formed after the prec. rājānaṃ).—Vin. I, 74 (where two ranks are given: senā-nāyakā m. -mattā the m. of defence, and vohārikā m. -m. those of law); D. I, 7; III, 88; III, 64 (here with Ep. khattiya); A. I, 154, 252, 279; III, 128; Vin. IV, 224; Vism. 121; VbhA. 312 (in simile of two m.), 340; PvA. 169. Cp. Fick. Sociale Gliederung 92, 99, 101. —muni great seer Sn. 31. —megha a big cloud, thunder cloud M. II, 117; Sn. 30; Vism. 417. —yañña the great sacrifice D. I, 138 sq. , 141 (cp. A. II, 207≈). —yasa great fame Vv 216; Mhys 5, 22. —raṅga (cp. Sk. m. -rajana), safflower, used for dyeing Vin. I, 185 (sandals); II 267 (cloaks). —rājā great king, king, very frequent : see rājā. —rukkha a great tree Vism. 413 (literally); Miln. 254 (id.), otherwise the plant euphorbia tortilis (cp. Zimmer, Altind. Leben 129). —lātā (-pasādhana) a lady’s parure called “great creeper” DhA. I, 392; VvA. 165 (-pilandhana); same SnA 520. —vātapāna main window DhA. IV, 203. —vīṇā a great lute Vism. 354; VbhA. 58. —vīra (great) hero Sn. 543, 562. —satta “the great being” or a Bodhisatta VvA. 137 (v. l. SS. bodhisatta). (Cp. BSk. mahāsattva, e.g. Jtm 32). —samudda the sea, the occean Mhvs 19, 18; Vism. 403; SnA 30, 371; PvA. 47. —sara a great lake; usually as satta-mahāsarā the 7 great lakes of the Himavant (see sara), enumerated e.g. at Vism. 416. —sāra (of) great sap, i.e. great wealth, adj. very rich J. I, 463 (°kula, perhaps to be read mahāsāla-kula). —sāla (adj.) having great halls, Ep. of rich people (especially brāhmaṇas) D. I, 136, 235; III, 16, 20; J. II, 272 (°kula); IV, 237 (id.), 325 (id.); V, 227 (id.); Pug. 56; VbhA. 519; DhA. III, 193. —sāvaka (cp. BSk. mahāśrāvaka Divy 489) a great disciple Vism. 98 (asīti °ā); DhA. II, 93. —senagutta title of a high official (Chancellor of the Exchequer?) J. V, 115; VI, 2. —hatthi a large elephant M. I, 184 (°pada elephant’s foot, as the largest of all animal feet), referred to as simile (°opama) at Vism. 243, 347, 348.
mahi° (mah’i°): —iccha full of desire, lustful, greedy A. IV, 229; Th. 1, 898; It. 91; J. I, 8; II, 441. —icchatā arrogance, ostentatiousness A. IV, 280; VbhA. 472. —iddhika (mahā+iddhi+ka) of great power, always combined with mah-ânubhāva to denote great influence, high position & majesty Vin. I, 31; II, 193; III, 101; D. I, 78, 180 (devatā), 213; S. I, 145 sq.; II, 155, 274 sq. , 284 sq.; IV, 323; V, 265, 271 sq. , 288 sq.; A. V, 129; J. VI, 483 (said of the Ocean); PvA. 6, 136, 145. —inda (ghosa) lit. the roar of the Great Indra, Indra here to be taken in his function as sky (rain) god, thus: the thunder of the rain-god Th. 1, 1108. (Cp. BSk. māhendra in °bhavana “the abode of the Great Indra, ” and vaṛṣa “the rain of the Gr. I. ” (here as rain-god), both at AvŚ I. 210). —issāsa (Sk. maheṣvāsa) great in the art of the bow, a great archer S. I, 185; DhA. I, 358.
mahe° (mahā+i): —esakkha (mahā+īsa+khyaṃ; fr. īś) possessing great power or authority A. II, 204; III, 244; Nd2 5032; Vism. 419; Sdhp. 511. The BSk. form is maheṣākhya evidently differing in its etymology. The P. etym. rests on the same grounds as esitatta in mahesi DhA. IV, 232. —esi (mahā+isi; Sk. maharṣi) a great Sage A. II, 26; Sn. 208, 481, 646, 915, 1057, 1061; Th. 1, 1132; 2, 149; Dh. 422 (explained at DhA. IV, 232 as “mahantaṃ sīla-kkhandh’ādīnaṃ esitattā m. ” cp. the similar explanation at Nd2 503); Nd1 343; Vism. 505; VbhA. 110; PvA. 1. —esiyā=mahesī J. VI, 483. —esī (in P. to be taken as mah+iś, as f. to īsa, but in Sk. (Vedic) as f. of mahiṣa, buffalo) chief queen, king’s first wife, king’s consort; also the wife of a great personage J. II, 410; V, 45; VI, 425; Pug. 56; Mhvs 2, 22 (pl. mahesiyo); VvA. 184 (sixteen). Usually as agga-mahesī, e.g. J. I, 262; III, 187, 393; V, 88. —esitta state of chief consort, queenship J. V, 443; Pv. II, 1310; ThA. 37; VvA. 102. —eseyya=°esitta J. V, 91.
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryMahant (महन्त्).— (properly ptcple. pres. of mah); the bases of all cases, except the sing. voc. msc., are mahānt and mahat; ved. mahām instead of mahāntam,
Mahant (महन्त्).—(mahānt, [feminine] mahatī; °— mostly mahā q.v.) great (in all mgs, i.e.) big, large, tall; extensive, long, protracted, far advanced; much, many, abundant, numerous; intensive, thick, dense; mighty, important, high, noble, distinguished, eminent.
— [masculine] a great or noble man, (±ātman) the intellect; [neuter] anything great or important; greatness, might.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryMahant in Hindi refers in English to:—(nm) head priest of a temple, a monk; self-willed leader; ~[tai/ti] the function or job of a [mahamta; ~ti] office or status of a [mahamta]..—mahant (महंत) is alternatively transliterated as Mahaṃta.
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See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+3): Mahamaho, Mahamte, Mahamtu, Mahamtubogu, Mahanta, Mahanta Parivena, Mahantabhava, Mahantaka, Mahantakalpa, Mahantana, Mahantara, Mahantari, Mahantarika, Mahantarya, Mahantata, Mahantayogiraja rajapuri, Mahanteim, Mahanti, Mahantini, Mahodadhi.
Ends with: Amahant, Atimahant, Manamahant, Natimahant, Paramamahant, Sant-mahant, Saramahant, Sarvamahant, Satomahant, Shrutimahant, Sumahant, Vimahant.
Full-text (+52): Mahata, Mahattattva, Mahadvant, Atimahant, Maha, Mahin, Mahi, Santa-mahanta, Mahadvyatikrama, Anojas, Mahikar, Mahanta, Sant-mahant, Mahadavasa, Mahatsena, Mahadbhu, Mahakchabda, Mahadasha, Tatamaha, Mahadvaruni.
Relevant text
Search found 9 books and stories containing Mahant; (plurals include: Mahants). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Prasthanatrayi Swaminarayan Bhashyam (Study) (by Sadhu Gyanananddas)
12.7. Antardṛṣṭi (Introspection) < [Chapter 4 - Analysis on the Basis of Spiritual Endeavour]
8. Physical Sādhanā (Introduction) < [Chapter 4 - Analysis on the Basis of Spiritual Endeavour]
8.1. Significance of Niyamas < [Chapter 4 - Analysis on the Basis of Spiritual Endeavour]
Sripura (Archaeological Survey) (by Bikash Chandra Pradhan)
Sculptural Programme (Introduction) < [Chapter 3 - Sculptural Programme]
“Modernist Writers” in the Light of < [April – June, 1990]
Visuddhimagga (the pah of purification) (by Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu)
Additional Ways of Giving Attention < [Chapter XI - Nutriment and the Elements (samādhi-niddesa)]
Hindu Pluralism (by Elaine M. Fisher)
The Making of a Hindu Sectarian Community < [Conclusion—A Prehistory of Hindu Pluralism]
Preceptors of Advaita (by T. M. P. Mahadevan)