Madraka, Mādraka: 12 definitions
Introduction:
Madraka means something in 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: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia1) Madraka (मद्रक).—A Kṣatriya king of ancient Bhārata. He was born of the partial spirit of the demon Krodhavaśa. Śloka 59, Chapter 67, Ādi Parva).
2) Madraka (मद्रक).—Soldiers of the country of Madra were called Madrakas. Madrakas were included in the Kaurava army. (Śloka 7, Chapter 51, Bhīṣma Parva).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Madraka (मद्रक).—A son of Śibi; Kingdom of, Mādrakas.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 23. 3; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 74. 23; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 18. 10. Vāyu-purāṇa 99. 23-24.
1b) A tribe; turned into a ruling caste by Purañjaya;1 followed Bhīma in his conquests;2 established by Viśvasphāṇi.3
- 1) Matsya-purāṇa 114. 41; Bhāgavata-purāṇa XII. 1. 36.
- 2) Ib. X. 72. 13.
- 3) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 74. 191.
Madraka (मद्रक) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. VI.47.7, VI.52.5, VIII.4.46, VIII.30.55) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Madraka) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

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.
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra1) Madraka (मद्रक) refers to one of the ten practices performed after the removal of the stage curtain, according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 5. Accordingly, madraka refers to “songs”. This type of preliminary can be substituted with the Vardhamānaka class.
2) Madraka (मद्रक) refers to a type of syllabic metre (vṛtta), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 16. In this metre, the first, the fourth, the sixth, the tenth, the twelfth, the sixteenth, the eighteenth, and the twenty-second syllables of a foot (pāda) are heavy (guru), while the rest of the syllables are light (laghu).
⎼⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼¦¦⎼⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼¦¦
⎼⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼¦¦⎼⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼⏑⎼¦⏑⏑⏑¦⎼¦¦
Madraka falls in the Ākṛtī class of chandas (rhythm-type), which implies that verses constructed with this metre have four pādas (‘foot’ or ‘quarter-verse’) containing twenty-two syllables each.
3) Madraka (मद्रक) refers to one of the seven types of song (gitaka), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 31. Accordingly, “the madraka is of two kinds: one consisting of four vastus and the other consisting of three vastus, and that which consists of three vastus, includes a śīrṣaka”.
4) Madraka also refers to one of the ten kinds of dhruvā (“songs”) defined in the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 32. Accordingly, “Songs consisting of one, two, three and four vastus are respectively called the Dhruvā, Parigītikā, Madraka and Catuṣpadā. The dhruvā is so called, because in it words, varṇas, alaṃkāra, tempo (laya), jāti and pāṇis are regularly (dhruvaṃ) connected with one another”.

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Source: Wisdom Library: Brihat Samhita by VarahamihiraMadraka (मद्रक) refers to a country belonging to “Uttaratas or Uttaradeśa (northern division)” classified under the constellations of Śatabhiṣaj, Pūrvabhādrapada and Uttarabhādrapada, according to the system of Kūrmavibhāga, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 14), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “The countries of the Earth beginning from the centre of Bhāratavarṣa and going round the east, south-east, south, etc., are divided into 9 divisions corresponding to the 27 lunar asterisms at the rate of 3 for each division and beginning from Kṛttikā. The constellations of Śatabhiṣaj, Pūrvabhādrapada and Uttarabhādrapada represent the northern division consisting of [i.e., Madraka] [...]”.

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryMadraka (मद्रक).—a. Belonging to, or produced in, Madra.
-kaḥ A ruler or inhabitant of Madra.
-kāḥ (pl.) Name of a degraded tribe in the south.
--- OR ---
Mādraka (माद्रक).—A prince of the Madras.
Derivable forms: mādrakaḥ (माद्रकः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryMadraka (मद्रक).—mfn.
(-kaḥ-kā-kaṃ) Produced, &c. in the country of Madra. E. madra a country so named, and kan aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus CatalogorumMadraka (मद्रक) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—poet. [Subhāshitāvali by Vallabhadeva]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Madraka (मद्रक):—[from mad] mfn. = mādro mādrau vā bhaktir asya, [Pāṇini 4-3, 100], [vArttika] 2, [Patañjali]
2) [v.s. ...] belonging to or produced in Madra, [Horace H. Wilson]
3) [v.s. ...] m. ([plural]) Name of a degraded people (= madra), [Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Purāṇa]
4) [v.s. ...] (sg.) a prince or an inhabitant of Madra, [Mahābhārata]
5) [v.s. ...] Name of Śibi (See under madra), [Harivaṃśa]
6) [v.s. ...] of a poet, [Catalogue(s)]
7) [from mad] n. Name of a kind of song, [Yājñavalkya]
8) [v.s. ...] a kind of metre, [Colebrooke]
9) Mādraka (माद्रक):—[from mādra] m. a prince of the Madras, [Inscriptions]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryMadraka (मद्रक):—[(kaḥ-kā-kaṃ) a.] Produced in Madra.
[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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Madrakadhama, Madrakagiti, Madrakalanga, Madrakapati, Madrakar, Madrakara.
Full-text: Madrika, Madrakagiti, Madrakapati, Maddhaka, Madrakadhama, Madrapa, Gitaka, Parigitika, Vishvasphani, Ekaka, Aparantaka, Vivadha, Vardhamana, Ashadha, Catushpada, Puranjaya, Vritta, Dhruva, Madra, Bhimasena.
Relevant text
Search found 25 books and stories containing Madraka, Mādraka; (plurals include: Madrakas, Mādrakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
Arts in the Puranas (study) (by Meena Devadatta Jeste)
10. Notes and References for chapter 1 < [Chapter 1 - Music in the Puranas]
4. Music in the Markandeya Purana < [Chapter 1 - Music in the Puranas]
5. Music in the Vayu Purana < [Chapter 1 - Music in the Puranas]
Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana (by Chaitali Kadia)
Lineages of Anu < [Chapter 6 - Human history in the Matsya-Purāṇa]
Table: Janapadas or State < [Chapter 4 - Geographical history in the Matsya-Purāṇa]
The concept of Bhāratavarṣa < [Chapter 4 - Geographical history in the Matsya-Purāṇa]
Brahma Purana (critical study) (by Surabhi H. Trivedi)
Appendix 9 - Chart of Ethnic Data provided by Various Puranas
4. Forms of Government < [Chapter 11 - Political Structure]
3. Nature of Kingship < [Chapter 11 - Political Structure]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Vishnu Purana (Taylor) (by McComas Taylor)
Chapter 18 - Yayāti’s son Anu < [Book Four: The Royal Dynasties]