Mahavirya, Mahavīrya, Mahāvīrya, Mahāvīryā, Maha-virya: 17 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Purana
2. Ayurveda
3. Shaktism
In Buddhism
1. Tibetan Buddhism
Languages
1. Sanskrit
See also

Introduction:

Mahavirya means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Wisdom Library: Bhagavata Purana

1) Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य):—Son of Bṛhadratha (son of Devarata). He had a son named Sudhṛti. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.13.15)

2) Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य):—One of the five sons of Manyu (son of Vitatha, another name for Bharadvāja). He had a son named Duritakṣaya. (see Bhāgavata Purāṇa 9.21.1)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य) refers to “great strength”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.13 (“Śiva-Pārvatī dialogue”).—Accordingly, after Śiva permitted Pārvatī to stay by his side: “[...] In the mean time Indra, other gods and the sages eagerly sent Kāma there at the bidding of Brahmā. They had been harassed by the demon Tāraka. the demon of great strength [i.e., mahāvīrya]. Hence they wanted to unite Pārvatī and Śiva in love. After reaching there Kāma tried all his tricks but Śiva was not at all agitated. He reduced Kāma to ashes. O sage, Pārvatī too was divested of her ego. At his bidding she performed a penance and obtained Him as her husband. Pārvatī and Śiva were very happy. Engrossed in helping others they carried out the work of the gods”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1) Mahavīrya (महवीर्य).—A son of Virāṭ.^*

* Vāyu-purāṇa 33. 58.

2a) Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य).—A son of Bṛhadratha, a bold warrior.^*

* Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 13. 15; Vāyu-purāṇa 61. 44; 89. 9.

2b) A son of Virāṭ.^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 14. 69.

2c) A son of Raivata Manu.^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 36. 63.

2d) The son of Bṛhadukta, and father of Dṛtiman (Sudhṛti Viṣṇu-purāṇa).^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 64. 9; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 5. 25.

2e) A son of Savana of Puṣkaradvīpa; the kingdom bore his name.^*

* Viṣṇu-purāṇa II. 4. 73.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Ayurveda (science of life)

Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)

Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭu

Mahāvīryā (महावीर्या) is another name for Mahāśatāvarī, a medicinal plant identified with either Asparagus gonocladus Baker. or Asparagus sarmentosus Linn., both from the Asparagaceae family of flowering plants, according to verse 4.120-123 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The fourth chapter (śatāhvādi-varga) of this book enumerates eighty varieties of small plants (pṛthu-kṣupa). Notes: Mahāśatāvarī is the bigger variety of Śatāvarī, identified with Asparagus racemosus Willed. (or “buttermilk root”). Together with the names Mahāvīryā and Mahāśatāvarī, there are a total of eleven Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.

context information

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य) refers to “great vitality”, according to the Ṣaṭsāhasrasaṃhitā, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, “(Pūrṇagiri) is on the northern peak of Kailāśa and is full of countless flames. [...] That divine city of the supreme Lord is made of pillars of adamantine. It is surrounded by temple arches and palaces of the Fire of Time. It is filled with many forms and adorned with knowledge and (divine) qualities. Possessing many wonders, it is life itself in the triple universe. (All) this is filled by it and so it is called ‘Full’ (pūrṇa i.e. Pūrṇagiri). (The Fire of Time) has seven tongues (of flame); (his) form is Time and has six faces. Possessing the Full Moon, (he) is beautiful. (He is) the Great Vitality [i.e., mahāvīrya], holds a spear and brings about creation and destruction”.

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.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdomlib Libary: Vajrayogini

Mahāvīryā (महावीर्या) is the goddess presiding over one of the six petals of the southern lotus of the vārāhyabhyudaya-maṇḍala, according to the Vārāhyabhyudayatantra (largerly extracted from the 10th century Abhidhānottaratantra). These six petals are presided over by a kuleśvarī (presiding lady) named Pāṇḍaravāsinī. The central deity of the vārāhyabhyudaya-maṇḍala is the twelve-armed Vajravarāhī.

Mahāvīryā is associated with the sacred site (pīṭha) named Kulatā. All the goddess of the southern lotus petals are to be visualised as dancing naked and being half-male / half-female (ardhanarīśvarī) with their two sides being yellow and red. In their four arms they brandish a bowl and staff, with a ḍamaru and their familial attribute.

Source: academia.edu: A Critical Study of the Vajraḍākamahātantrarāja (II)

Mahāvīryā (महावीर्या) is the name of a Ḍākinī (‘sacred girl’) presiding over Kulatā: one of the four Upaśmaśāna (‘sacred spot’) present within the Kāyacakra (‘circle of body’) , according to the 9th-centruy Vajraḍākatantra. The Kāyacakra is one of three Cakras within the Tricakra system which embodies twenty-four sacred spots or districts resided over by twenty-four Ḍākinīs (viz., Mahāvīryā) whose husbands abide in one’s body in the form of twenty-four ingredients (dhātu) of one’s body.

Mahāvīryā has for her husband the hero (vīra) named Vajrasattva. She is the presiding deity of Kulatā and the associated internal location are the ‘knees’ and the bodily ingredient (dhātu) is the ‘snivel’.

Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka Maṇḍala

Mahāvīryā (महावीर्या) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Vajrasattva forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Vajracakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the vajracakra refers to one of the four divisions of the sahaja-puṭa (‘innate layer’), situated within the padma (lotus) in the middle of the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Mahāvīryā] and Vīras each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum and a knife; they are dark-bluish-black in color.

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

Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य).—a. of great valour, very powerful. (-ryaḥ) 1 Name of Brahman.

2) the Supreme Being.

-ryā the wild cotton shrub.

Mahāvīrya is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and vīrya (वीर्य).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Mahāvīryā (महावीर्या).—name of a yoginī: Sādhanamālā 427.8.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य) or Mahāvīryya.—m.

(-ryaḥ) 1. A Jina or Jaina saint. 2. A name of Brahma. f.

(-ryā) 1. A name of Sanjnya the wife of the sun. 2. Wild-cotton. E. mahā great, and vīrya essence. “vārāhīkandeca .”

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

Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य).—I. adj. very strong, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 53, 12. Ii. m. Brahman.

Mahāvīrya is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and vīrya (वीर्य).

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

Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य).—[adjective] of great strength or energy.

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

1) Mahavīrya (महवीर्य):—[=maha-vīrya] [from maha > mah] m. Name of a teacher, [ib.]

2) Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य):—[=mahā-vīrya] [from mahā > mah] mfn. (mahā-) of gr° strength or energy, very powerful, v° potent, v° efficacious, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] m. yam, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

4) [v.s. ...] Name of Brahmā, [Horace H. Wilson]

5) [v.s. ...] of Indra in the 4th Manv-antara, [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]

6) [v.s. ...] of a Buddha, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

7) [v.s. ...] of a Jina, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]

8) [v.s. ...] of sub voce kings, [Rāmāyaṇa; Purāṇa]

9) [v.s. ...] of a Bhikṣu, [Buddhist literature]

10) Mahāvīryā (महावीर्या):—[=mahā-vīryā] [from mahā-vīrya > mahā > mah] f. (only [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]) the wild cotton-shrub

11) [v.s. ...] = mahā-śatāvarī, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

12) [v.s. ...] Name of Saṃjñā (the wife of Sūrya)

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

Mahāvīrya (महावीर्य):—[mahā-vīrya] (ryyaḥ) 1. m. A Jaina sage; Brahmā. f. (yyā) Wife of the sun; wild cotton. a. Strong.

[Sanskrit to German]

Mahavirya 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.

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Search found 16 books and stories containing Mahavirya, Maha-virya, Mahā-vīrya, Maha-vīrya, Mahā-vīryā, Mahavīrya, Mahāvīrya, Mahāvīryā; (plurals include: Mahaviryas, viryas, vīryas, vīryās, Mahavīryas, Mahāvīryas, Mahāvīryās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Verse 2.481 < [Book 2 - Brahmavallī]

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Chapter 107 - The creation of Svāyambhuva Manu

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