Mahapralaya, Mahāpralaya, Maha-pralaya: 14 definitions

Introduction
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In Hinduism
1. Purana
2. Shaiva philosophy
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
3. Kannada
4. Nepali
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Introduction:

Mahapralaya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. 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.

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In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय) refers to the “great dissolution”, as explained in the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.6:—“at the time of great dissolution (mahāpralaya) when all the mobile and immobile objects of the world are dissolved everything gets enveloped in darkness, without the sun, planets and stars. There is no moon. The day and the night are not demarcated. There is no fire, no wind, no earth and no water. There is no unmanifest primordial being. The whole firmament is one complete void, devoid of all Tejas elements. There is no Dharma or Adharma, no sound, no touch. Smell and colour are not manifest. There is no taste. The face of the quarters is not demarcated. Thus when there is pitch darkness that cannot be pierced with a needle and what is mentioned in the Vedas as ‘the existent and the Brahman’ is alone present”.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय).—The great deluge with darkness pervading all round.^*

* Matsya-purāṇa 2. 25.

context information

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.

Shaiva philosophy

Source: Google Books: The philosophy of the Pratyabhijñā

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय) refers to the “great destruction” and represents one of the “five cosmic activities” (kṛtyapañcaka), according to Abhinavagupta’s Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī (also known as the “doctrine of divine recognition”) with the Sanskrit commentary called Bhāskarī.—Accordingly, [Vol. I, p. 261-262] [automatically translated from the French]: “During the worldly activity, the Lord creates unity with this or that subject, destroys (saṃhṛ-) unity with [such] other subject, carries out [the cosmic operation of] maintenance with respect to that which consists of a simple [object] such as the pot, etc., imposes obscuration by obliterating its complete nature, [and] produces grace by conferring completeness by the manifestation of unity in this particular manifestation. Therefore, the Lord exercises the five [cosmic] activities (kṛtyapañcaka) not only in the great creations, the great maintenances, the great destructions (mahāpralaya), the obscurations due to [his] anger and the graces [granted on the occasion of] initiation, knowledge, etc., but still absolutely always, even in worldly activity”.

context information

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय).—m (S) Destruction of the world occurring after every period of 4,320,000,000 years. 2 Total destruction of the universe (of mortals, saints, gods, and Brahma himself); happening after every hundred years of Brahma. Ex. jō brahma hyācyā sthūḷadēhācēṃ maraṇa tō ma0 jāṇa ||.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय).—m Destruction of the world.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय).—'the great dissolution', the total annihilation of the universe at the end of the life of Brahman, when all the lokas with their inhabitants, the gods, saints &c. including Brahman himself are annihilated; महाप्रलयमारुत (mahāpralayamāruta) ...... Ve.3.4.

Derivable forms: mahāpralayaḥ (महाप्रलयः).

Mahāpralaya is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and pralaya (प्रलय).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय).—m.

(-yaḥ) 1. A destruction of the world, occuring after every period of 4,320,000,000 years. 2. A total destruction of the universe, happening after a period commensurate with the life of Brahma, or 100 years, each day of which is equal to the period first stated, and each night of which is of similar duration; at the expiration of this term, the seven Lokas, with the saints, gods, and Brahma himself, are annihilated. E. mahā great, pralaya destruction.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय).—m. 1. a destruction of the world occurring after every period of 4, 320,000,000 years. 2. a total destruction of the universe.

Mahāpralaya is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and pralaya (प्रलय).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय):—[=mahā-pralaya] [from mahā > mah] m. the total annihilation of the universe at the end of a Kalpa, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa; Kādambarī]

2) [v.s. ...] Name of a Hindī [work] [Religious Thought and Life in India 179.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय):—[mahā-pralaya] (yaḥ) 1. m. The destruction of the world, after every 432,000,000 years. After 100 renovations comes the destruction of the whole universe.

[Sanskrit to German]

Mahapralaya in German

context information

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.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Mahāpralaya (ಮಹಾಪ್ರಲಯ):—[noun] (myth.) the Great Deluge, occuring at the end of the universe.

--- OR ---

Mahāpraḷaya (ಮಹಾಪ್ರಳಯ):—[noun] = ಮಹಾಪ್ರಲಯ [mahapralaya].

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Nepali dictionary

Source: unoes: Nepali-English Dictionary

Mahāpralaya (महाप्रलय):—n. the great dissolution; the total annihilation of the universe at end of the life of Brahma when all the words with their inhabitants, the gods, saints including Brahma himself are annihilated;

context information

Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.

Relevant text

Search found 33 books and stories containing Mahapralaya, Maha-pralaya, Mahā-pralaya, Mahāpralaya, Mahāpraḷaya; (plurals include: Mahapralayas, pralayas, Mahāpralayas, Mahāpraḷayas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Chapter X - Description of the chaotic state < [Book III - Utpatti khanda (utpatti khanda)]

Chapter XL - Reflections on human life and mind < [Book III - Utpatti khanda (utpatti khanda)]

Chapter XX - Explication of the mysterious character of bhusunda < [Book VI - Nirvana prakarana part 1 (nirvana prakarana)]

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Verse 9.7 < [Chapter 9 - Rāja-guhya-yoga (Yoga through the most Confidential Knowledge)]

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Verse 18.56 < [Chapter 18 - Mokṣa-yoga (the Yoga of Liberation)]

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Sūtra 1.25 < [Book 1 - Trance (Samādhi)]

Sūtra 1.24 < [Book 1 - Trance (Samādhi)]

Sūtra 2.25 < [Book 2 - Practice (Sādhana)]

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