Introduction

Mahakashaya 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.

The Sanskrit term Mahākaṣāya can be transliterated into English as Mahakasaya or Mahakashaya, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botany

Mahākaṣāya (महाकषाय):—Caraka, in his Carakasaṃhitā sūtrasthāna IV, classifies medicinal plants under fifty groups, called Mahākaṣāya. It is a Sanskrit technical term used in Āyurvedic literature.

The fifty groups are:

1. Jīvanīya,
2. Bṛṃhaṇīya,
3. Lekhanīya,
4. Bhedanīya,
5. Sandhāniya,
6. Dīpaniya,
7. Bālya,
8. Varṇya,
9. Kaṇṭhya,
10. Hṛdya,
11. Kaphaghna,
12. Arśaghna,
13. Kuṣṭhaghna,
14. Kaṇḍughna,
15. Kṛmighna,
16. Viṣaghna,
17. Stanyajanana,
18. Śukrajanana,
19. Stanyaśodhana,
20. Śukraśodhana,
21. Snehopaga,
22. Svedopaga,
23. Vamanopaga,
24. Virecanopaga,
25. Āsthāpanopaga,
26. Anuvāsanopaga,
27. Śirovirecanopaga,
28. Chardinigrahaṇa,
29. Tṛṣṇānigrahaṇa,
30. Hikkānigrahaṇa,
31. Puriṣasaṅgrahaṇīya,
32. Purīṣavirajanīya,
33. Mūtrasaṅgrahaṇīya,
34. Mūtravirecanīya,
35. Mūtravirajanīya,
36. Kāsahara,
37. Śvāsahara,
38. Śothahara,
39. Jvarahara,
40. Śramahara,
41. Dāhapraśamana,
42. Śītapraśamana,
43. Udardapraśamana,
44. Aṅgamardapraśamana,
45. Śūlapraśamana,
46. Śonitasthāpana,
47. Vedanāsthāpana,
48. Saṃjñāsthāpana,
49. Prajāsthāpana,
50. Vayasthāpana,

Together they are called the Pañcāśata Mahākaṣāya (‘fifty groups of astringent [plants]’).

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Mahākaṣāya (महाकषाय).—Name of a plant (Mar. kāyaphaḷa).

Derivable forms: mahākaṣāyaḥ (महाकषायः).

Mahākaṣāya is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and kaṣāya (कषाय).

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family. 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, Kashaya.

Full-text (+30): Anuvasanopaga, Prajasthapana, Brimhaniya, Kanthya, Arshaghna, Shramahara, Udardaprashamana, Jivaniya, Bhedaniya, Varṇya, Kandughna, Lekhaniya, Chardinigrahana, Trishnanigrahana, Kasahara, Virecanopaga, Hridya, Kushthaghna, Stanyashodhana, Asthapanopaga.

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