Mahaprajapati, Maha-prajapati, Mahāprajāpati, Mahāprajāpatī: 9 definitions
Introduction:
Mahaprajapati 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)
Mahāprajāpatī (महाप्रजापती) is the name of a Bhikṣuṇī according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XV). Accordingly, “When the Bhikṣuṇī Ta ngai tao (Mahāprajāpatī) and her five hundred Arhatī-Bhikṣuṇīs entered nirvāṇa all at the same time, the Upasakas in possession of the threefold Paths set up five hundred beds (khaṭvā) for the Bhikṣuṇīs and the Cāturmahārājikas set up a bed for Mahāprajāpatī, Buddha’s step-mother and nurse (dhātrī). The Buddha himself placed before her body an incense-burner to burn perfumes in her honor”.
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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Mahāprajāpatī (महाप्रजापती) refers to one of the female Śrāvakas mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Mahāprajāpatī).
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
Mahāprajāpati (महाप्रजापति).—Name of Viṣṇu.
Derivable forms: mahāprajāpatiḥ (महाप्रजापतिः).
Mahāprajāpati is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and prajāpati (प्रजापति).
Mahāprajāpatī (महाप्रजापती).—(= Pali Mahāpaj°), name of the sister of Mayā, after whose death she took care of the infant Bodhisattva; later made the head of the order of nuns; regularly with addition of her family name Gautamī (once, at least, written Go°), q.v.: Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 268.6 ff.; Lalitavistara 100.14, 16; 118.14, 16; 121.17; 201.9; 228.4; 229.15, 18; Mahāvastu ii.165.2; 233.2; iii.116.7 ff.; 142.6; 256.13 ff.; Mahāvyutpatti 1068; Bhikṣuṇī-karmavācanā 3a.2 et alibi; without the word Gautamī, Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 2.9; Mahāvastu i.355.17; Divyāvadāna 391.7; Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra 239.9; Avadāna-śataka ii.4.9; 21.6, 13; 33.5; 50.3.
Mahāprajāpati (महाप्रजापति).—[masculine] the great lord of creatures (Viṣṇu).
1) Mahāprajāpati (महाप्रजापति):—[=mahā-prajāpati] [from mahā > mah] m. ‘gr° lord of creatures’ Name of Viṣṇu, [Mahābhārata; Viṣṇu-smṛti, viṣṇu-sūtra, vaiṣṇava-dharma-śāstra]
2) Mahāprajāpatī (महाप्रजापती):—[=mahā-prajāpatī] [from mahā-prajāpati > mahā > mah] f. Name of Gautama Buddha’s aunt and foster-mother (the first woman who embraced the Buddha’s doctrines), [Buddhist literature]
Mahāprajāpati (महाप्रजापति):—[(ma + pra)] m. der grosse Herr der Geschöpfe, Beiw. Viṣṇu’s [Mahābhārata 12, 12864.]
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Mahāprajāpatī (महाप्रजापती):—und prajāvatī s. u. prajāpatī und vgl. noch [Lot. de Lassen’s Anthologie b. l. 2. 163. fg. 298.]
Mahāprajāpati (महाप्रजापति):——
1) m. der grosse Herr der Geschöpfe , Beiw. Viṣṇu’s [Viṣṇusūtra 98,16.] —
2) f. tī Nomen proprium der Tante und Amme Śākyamuni's.
Mahāprajāpatī (in Sanskrit) can be associated with the following Chinese terms:
1) 大愛道 [dà ài dào]: “Mahāpajāpatī”; “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
2) 大敬逵 [dà jìng kuí]: “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
3) 大生主 [dà shēng zhǔ]: “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
4) 摩訶波闍婆提 [mó hē bō dū pó tí]: “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
5) 摩訶波闍波提 [mó hē bō dū bō tí]: “Mahāpajāpatī”; “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
6) 摩訶鉢剌闍鉢底 [mó hē bō lá dū bō dǐ]: “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
7) 波闍波提 [bō dū bō tí]: “Mahāprajāpatī”; “Prajāpati” [Sanskrit personal name].
8) 瞿夷 [qú yí]: “Gautamī”; “Gopī”; “Gopikā”; “Gotamī”; “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
9) 瞿曇彌 [qú tán mí]: “Gautamī”; “Gotamī”; “Mahāprajāpatī” [Sanskrit personal name].
10) 衆主 [zhòng zhǔ]: “steward”.
Note: mahāprajāpatī can be alternatively written as: mahā-prajā-patī.
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: Praja, Maha, Prajapati, Pati, Patti.
Full-text (+37): Mo he bo du bo ti, Da sheng zhu, Da ai dao, Gautami, Bo du bo ti, Mo he bo la du bo di, Zhong zhu, Utsahayati, Mahaprajavati, Ai dao, Da ai dao bi qiu ni jing, Da ai dao ban ni huan jing, Mahapajapati, Devadaha, Jiao tan mi, Gotami, Mahagautami, Suprabuddha, Dai sinh chu, Dai ai dao.
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Search found 18 books and stories containing Mahaprajapati, Maha-prajapati, Mahāprajāpati, Mahāprajāpatī, Mahā-prajāpati, Mahā-prajāpatī, Mahā-prajā-patī, Maha-praja-pati; (plurals include: Mahaprajapatis, prajapatis, Mahāprajāpatis, Mahāprajāpatīs, prajāpatis, prajāpatīs, patīs, patis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Taisho: Chinese Buddhist Canon
Sutta 1: The Nirvana of Mahaprajapati Gautami < [Part 125 - Ekottara-Agama (Numbered Discourses)]
Part 144 - Discourse on the Nirvana of Mahaprajapati < [Agama Section (Volume 1-2)]
Sutta 8: On Mahaprajapati Gautami < [Part 125 - Ekottara-Agama (Numbered Discourses)]
The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King (A Life of Buddha) (by Samuel Beal)
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
The Dakṣiṇāvibhaṅgasūtra < [III. Recollection of the community (saṃgānusmṛti)]
Appendix 3 - Suicide in Buddhism (ātmavadha) < [Chapter XX - The Virtue of Generosity and Generosity of the Dharma]
Act 10.3: Śākyamuni throws the lotuses to the Buddhas of the East < [Chapter XV - The Arrival of the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions]
Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies
The Monk Mūlaphalguna and the Nuns: Biography as Criticism < [Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies 5.1 (2022)]
The Vicissitudes of the Story of Therī Paṭācārā < [Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies 6.1 (2023)]
Acaranga Sutra (critical study) (by Shobha Surana)
Part 4.6 - Mahāvīra and the Buddha < [Chapter 3 - Religious aspect of Ācārāṅga-sūtra]
Lotus Sutra (by Tsugunari Kubo)