Mahamata, Mahāmata, Maha-mata: 4 definitions
Introduction:
Mahamata means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali. 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
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
1) Mahāmata (महामत) refers to the “great Mata”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “The Great Mata (mahāmata) is above all Tantric practice. It is the Śāmbhava tradition that has come down through the series of teachers. It has come from the invisible (unmanifest) form and gives success in the Age of Strife. O god, it gives worldly benefit and liberation and is sealed in the First Seat. It is the venerable Ciñciṇīkula present in the venerable Kadamba Cave, established (there) by the God of the gods in accord with the Rule”.
2) Mahāmata (महामत) refers to one of the eight Mata Tantras or Upamatas (“secondary Matas”), according to the Jayadrathayāmala: one of the earliest and most extensive sources of the emergent Kālīkrama.—The common meaning of the word ‘mata’ is ‘point of view’, ‘doctrine’, ‘teaching’ or by extension ‘school of thought’. In a technical sense, the word conveys a number of other related meanings. A Mata is a type of Tantra. [...] The canon of the Śrīkaṇṭhīyasaṃhitā, accepted as authoritative by Kashmiri Śaivites, like those of several other Bhairava Tantras, including the Jayadrathayāmala, classify the Bhairava Tantras into eight groups of eight Tantras. In this ideal scheme there are said to be eight Mata Tantras [e.g., Mahāmata (Hahlāmata ?) ].
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Mahāmata (महामत):—[=mahā-mata] [from mahā > mah] mfn. highly esteemed or honoured, [Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary]
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.
Pali-English dictionary
mahāmata (မဟာမတ) [(pu,na) (ပု၊န)]—
[mahanta+mata]
[မဟန္တ+မတ]
[Pali to Burmese]
mahāmata—
(Burmese text): မြတ်သောအယူဝါဒ။
(Auto-Translation): Noble ideology.
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Maha, Mahanta, Mata.
Starts with (+0): Mahamatar, Mahamatatantra, Mahamatatantra.
Full-text (+0): Mahamatatantra, Mahatantra, Mantrartha, Bodhatva, Hahla, Hahlamata, Hahlatantra, Ghanta, Capa, Mahamati, Astra, Kapala, Pusta, Uparishtha.
Relevant text
Search found 3 books and stories containing Mahamata, Mahāmata, Maha-mata, Mahā-mata, Mahanta-mata; (plurals include: Mahamatas, Mahāmatas, matas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 589 < [Hindi-Bengali-English Volume 2]
Old Brahmi Inscriptions (by B. M. Barua)
Part 9 - Inscription of Bhuti in the Vyaghra-gumpha or Tiger-cave < [Book 1 - Text and Tranlsations]
Index to Notes < [Book 2 - Notes]
Part 12 - Kharavela’s personal history < [Book 2 - Notes]