Madhyanta, Madhyānta, Madhya-anta: 2 definitions

Introduction:

Madhyanta 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 Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Madhyanta in Mahayana glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Madhyānta (मध्यान्त) refers to “middle and end” [?], according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 41).—Accordingly, “[The Non-existence of Time According to the Mahāyāna].—[...] Finally, there are people who produce wrong views in regard to the three times and who say: ‘Past dharmas and beings have a beginning (pūrvānta), do not have a beginning, etc.’. If they have a beginning, then there are new beings, and the dharmas also arise without cause or condition. If they do not have a beginning (pūrvānta), neither do they have an end (aparānta), they have neither end nor middle (madhyānta). Or else not having a beginning means having a middle and having an end; not having an end means having a beginning and a middle; not having a middle means having a beginning and an end. [...]”.

Mahayana book cover
context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Madhyanta in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Madhyānta (मध्यान्त):—[from madhya] ([in the beginning of a compound]) middle and end

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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