Mahaganapati, Mahāgaṇapati, Maha-ganapati: 7 definitions
Introduction:
Mahaganapati 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: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexMahāgaṇapati (महागणपति).—(also) Mahāgaṇeśvara.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 14. 8; 27. 83, 102; 36. 18.
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.
Ganapatya (worship of Ganesha)
Source: om.ru: Ashtavinayak (8 temples of Ganesha)Mahaganapati in Ranjangaon (Shree Mahaganapati-Ranjangaon) refers to the first of the eight Ganesha temples part of the Ashtavinayak pilgrimage.—In Maharashtra (a state in central India) there are eight revered temples dedicated to Vinayaka (eight images of Ganapati). [...] The names of the eight kshetras (shrines) [viz., Mahaganapati] are listed in the mangalashtaka-sloka. This sloka is always recited during a religious ceremony. [...] The Ashtavinayak pilgrimage (visiting the eight shrines of Ganapati) is believed to guarantee eternal bliss. That is why many want to do it at least once in their life.
Ashtavinayaka temples [viz., Mahaganapati] are ancient, they are mentioned in the texts of Ganesha Purana and Mudgal Purana. However, most of the kshetras (shrines) were rebuilt and restored during the reign of the Peshvas (supreme rulers of Marathi).
Ganapatya (गाणपत्य, gāṇapatya) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Ganesha is revered and worshipped as the prime deity (ishta-devata). Being a minor though influential movement, Ganapatya evovled, llike Shaktism and Shaivism, as a separate movement leaving behind a large body of literature.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara SamadhiMahāgaṇapati (महागणपति) refers to the “great leader (of leaders)” (of all obstacles)”, according to the Guru Mandala Worship (maṇḍalārcana) 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, “oṃ amṛta-kuṇḍalī kha kha khāhi khāhi tiṣṭha tiṣṭha bandha bandha hana hana daha daha paca paca garja garja visphoṭaya visphoṭaya sarvavighnavināyakānāṃ mahāgaṇapatijīvitāntakarāya hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā!”.
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 dictionaryMahāgaṇapati (महागणपति).—a form of the god Gaṇeśa.
Derivable forms: mahāgaṇapatiḥ (महागणपतिः).
Mahāgaṇapati is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and gaṇapati (गणपति).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryMahāgaṇapati (महागणपति):—[=mahā-gaṇa-pati] [from mahā-gaṇa > mahā > mah] m. ‘gr° leader of (Śiva’s) hosts’, Name of Gaṇeśa or a form of G°, [Yājñavalkya; Harivaṃśa] ([Religious Thought and Life in India 217])
[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)
Partial matches: Maha, Ganapati, Mahagana, Pati.
Starts with: Mahaganapatikalpe pancatrimshatpithika, Mahaganapatikalpepancatrimshatpithika, Mahaganapatikavaca, Mahaganapatikrama, Mahaganapatimantravaradaganapatistotra, Mahaganapatimantroddharavidhi, Mahaganapatinamasahasra, Mahaganapatipujapaddhati, Mahaganapatisahasranamastotra, Mahaganapatistavaraja, Mahaganapatistotra, Mahaganapatistotrakavaca, Mahaganapativajrapanjarakavaca, Mahaganapativaradaganeshanityapujapaddhativarnana, Mahaganapatividya.
Full-text: Heramba, Visphota, Garja, Ashtavinayak, Ganapati.
Relevant text
Search found 6 books and stories containing Mahaganapati, Maha-ganapati, Mahā-gaṇapati, Mahagana-pati, Mahāgaṇa-pati, Mahāgaṇapati; (plurals include: Mahaganapatis, ganapatis, gaṇapatis, patis, Mahāgaṇapatis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Elephantology and its Ancient Sanskrit Sources (by Geetha N.)
Lalitopakhyana (Lalita Mahatmya) (by G.V. Tagare)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 131 - Kātyāyanī’s Distress < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]
Chapter 38 - Kapardi-Vināyaka < [Section 1 - Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 35 - Sadācāra (Conduct of the Good) < [Section 1 - Pūrvārdha]
The Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 16 - Different modes of worship of clay idols and their results < [Section 1 - Vidyeśvara-saṃhitā]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)