In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

Maharddhika (महर्द्धिक) is the name of a Kinnara 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 Maharddhika).

Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara Samadhi

Maharddhika (महर्द्धिक) [=maharddhi?] refers to “very powerful”, 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, “Great guardians beginning with Indra, Lokapālas very powerful (maharddhika), Gods standing in the ten directions, Lokapālas I give homage. Indra holding a vajra, with the divine hosts, seize this excellent offering. [...]”.

Source: MDPI Books: The Ocean of Heroes

Maharddhika (महर्द्धिक) refers to a “great supernatural power”, according to the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly, [while explaining the water-circle (jalacakra)]: “[...] Now, outside that, I explain the Water Circle, [which has] great supernatural power (maharddhika). He should visualize the yoginīs in sequence on the white-colored thirty-six spokes—[...] [They are] female leaders of gods and are eminent. Born of their specific clans, [the Yoginīs] have the appearances colored in this way be unexcelled, and to live in the seventh continent. [Their] weapons are as before. [...]”.

context information

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.

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Maharddhika (महर्द्धिक) refers to “great supernatural power”, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, [after the Bhagavān witnessed the drought at the lotus-lake near Aḍakavatī], “Then Sāgara, the Nāga king, having contemplated this [realized] that the rays were created by the power of the Bhagavān. Then Sāgara, the Nāga king, together with other Nāga kings of great supernatural power (maharddhika), approached the Bhagavān, went up to him and having bowed down at his feet said, ‘O Bhagavān, what is the reason for emitting rays? What is the cause? Having emitted them, they illuminated all residences, and then returned again’”.

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Maharddhika (महर्द्धिक).—f. °kā, [bahuvrīhi] adj. (= Pali mahiddhika, according to [Pali Text Society’s Pali-English Dictionary] ‘always’ with mahānubhāva, but this is not true, see e.g. Pv i.10.1; Mahāvaṃsa 1.39), of great supernatural power (ṛddhi), or more loosely, of great power, majesty, or perhaps (as in Sanskrit) of great wealth; with mahānubhāva, of ṛṣis, Mahāvastu ii.49.1; 96.1, 3; of a gṛhapati, Divyāvadāna 277.28 ff.; said of Buddha(s), Mahāvastu i.294.22; Avadāna-śataka ii.199.13; of deities, Mahāvastu i.305.1; iii.302.4; Kāraṇḍavvūha 10.15; Suvarṇabhāsottamasūtra 101.9 (lokapālas); of Māra, said by himself, Mahāvastu ii.276.19; of miscellaneous persons, Mahāvastu ii.92.17; iii.1.3; 63.18; sometimes as final member of a [compound], the prior member denoting the class of being so designated (this usage not recorded in Pali): devamaharddhikā vā devā vā nāga-°kā vā nāgā vā etc. (long series of similar terms) Gaṇḍavyūha 75.3; [Page421-b+ 71] especially preta-°ka, said of a class of pretas whose position as such has been mitigated, though not completely relieved, either by their own actions or by merit transferred to them by others (see dakṣiṇādeśanā), Divyāvadāna 14.19; Avadāna-śataka i.264.16 ff.; 273.1; even these pretas may still manifest evil propensities, Avadāna-śataka i.265.8 ff.; altho the [compound] *peta- mahiddhika seems not to occur in Pali, the adj. mahid- dhikā is used of a petī who, like the pretas so described in [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit], was enjoying partial happiness because of some merit acquired, Pv. 1.10.1.

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

Maharddhika (महर्द्धिक).—[adjective] very rich or mighty.

[Sanskrit to German]

Maharddhika 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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Riddhika, Maha.

Ends with: Pretamaharddhika.

Full-text: Pretamaharddhika, Maharddhi, Riddhika, Vishvamitra, Lokantarika.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Maharddhika, Maha-riddhika, Maha-ṛddhikā, Maha-rddhika, Maha-ṛddhika, Maharddhikā; (plurals include: Maharddhikas, riddhikas, ṛddhikās, rddhikas, ṛddhikas, Maharddhikās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)

Chapter X - The Buddha’s Visit to Kapilavastu < [Volume III]

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